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Posted: 10/23/2015 8:59:50 AM EDT
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I am sure this has been reviewed a lot here but despite my best search effort here nothing is coming up.
I am giving up on the Lee hand/drill trimmers, have used them since I started reloading. My price range is $100, less is better, more is ok if it is that much of a benefit. I know about the higher end but with the kids into everything that is just not in the budget for now. I don't trim pistol brass, rifle only and that is pretty much limited to .223, .308, and .30-06 for now. More to come I am sure as the kids get older. I am looking at a WFT for .223/5.56 but for my bolt guns I was thinking a lathe style trimmer. From my review on other sites, YouTube, etc (so far), the Lyman Universal looks pretty good, so does the RCBS II, Forster, and Hornady. I tried a buddies Hornady last night and while I like Hornady stuff, something was moving and I just didn't care for it. Case lengths varied by hundreths and that won't work. The end that holds the head of the case moves/adjusts as does the cutter... I didn't want to overtighten and break it so I quit for the night. I am sure it is operator error and I intend to revisit this weekend. Between the Lyman Universal, RCBS, and Forster (others in the price range) what do you all have, like, dislike, what would you buy again, what you wouldn't... Thanks in advance! |
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I've used a few
WFT: did good, cheapest option for volume. Hard to adjust though. I did like how it indexed off the shoulder. RCBS Trim Pro: not good for volume, does a wide range of calibers out of the box (like all of them). Probably the best trimmer for your budget. You can attach a power drill.... If you went this route, I'd pick up the 3-way trim head so you can trim, chamfer and deburr in one step. Consistent, easy to adjust. Dillon RT1200: best for high volume, not the most consistent (about a +/- .004 tolerance). My 2nd favorite of all trimmers. Not really applicable unless you have a 550/650 already. Giraud: My top pick, well over your budget. The most consistent trimmer I have used, almost as fast as my RT1200. Expensive, but worth it IMHO. I use the RT1200 for my plinking/training ammo that I load thousands of at a time on my 550. For my single stage, precision stuff, I batch size and trim with Giraud (I'm only loading for one rifle at a time though). I hardly use my trim pro anymore. |
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I've burned through several trimmers and got tired of doing batches of 1000+ by hand.
If you are doing large batches and have a progressive press, just pony up and get a Dillon 1200 or 1500 (the latter if you are doing blackout conversion brass). If you are doing everything on a single stage press, or doing low volume, a WFT is probably up your alley. |
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In your budget I would get a wet for your most common and any lathe trimmer you can lay your hands on used in good shape. Lathe trimmers suck to use, at least the unpowered ones.
Before I got a Giraud I was sort of fond of the little lee quick trim dies. I also had a Wilson and it worked well but was very slow. |
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I just finished tweaking the Frankford Arsenal Platinum case prep center - I added a Hornady cutter with pilots and it works great. But there are several new options on the market today that you should look at. I bought about 9 months ago...
1. Giraud Tri-way 2. Trim-it II at Brownells 3. Lee Deluxe Power Quick Trim |
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I very much dislike the Lyman universal trimmer. I ditched it for cheap to another arfcommer who needed a trimmer (with full disclosure that I really didn't like it). I had constant issues with it popping brass out and the adjustments slowly moving as you trimmed. I have three trimmers currently: RT1200 for bulk plinking ammo. Giraud for match ammo. Hornady lathe style for odd ball calibers that I don't have the Giraud conversions for. ETA: On your budget I would seriously look at the Giraud tri-way or the TRIM-IT at Brownells. |
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Giraud Tri-Way !!!
Trims, Chamfer, Debur in one step, shoulder indexing, Proven Giruad blade/trimmer performance that you can chuck in a drill at a fraction of the cost of their powered trimmer. The tool is the same. Love mine and I don't hesitate recommending. ... it replaced a WFT that didn't chamfer/debur at the same time. |
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Quoted:
I very much dislike the Lyman universal trimmer. I ditched it for cheap to another arfcommer who needed a trimmer (with full disclosure that I really didn't like it). I had constant issues with it popping brass out and the adjustments slowly moving as you trimmed. I have three trimmers currently: RT1200 for bulk plinking ammo. Giraud for match ammo. Hornady lathe style for odd ball calibers that I don't have the Giraud conversions for. ETA: On your budget I would seriously look at the Giraud tri-way or the TRIM-IT at Brownells. I have a lyman also. I've noticed it can creep. Or maybe flex I'm not sure. I have it set to a length and sometimes it will cut 0.01 or so more. I don't know if its my technique, or the trimmer. Thinking of a wilson because I like their gear. I have .22-250. .25-06. .270, and .300 win mag to trim so I'd need three case holders. I have a trimmer similar to the wft for my .223. ETA: I think I found the problem - the cutter head is chipped and (probably) dull. I sharpened it to get by for a few days - and ordered a replacement carbide cutter for it. |
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Thanks all!
Good options colt! I have looked at the WFT, Possum, but the Giraud Tri way seems like a great way to go! Indexing off the shoulder - pardon the ignorance but does that work well for precision bolt gun reloading (within reason, no match shooter but I like one hole groups)? The lee hand trimmers work but dang... too much else I need to be doing rather than screw with them anymore. Maybe when I am old(er). |
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Quoted:
Thanks all! Good options colt! I have looked at the WFT, Possum, but the Giraud Tri way seems like a great way to go! Indexing off the shoulder - pardon the ignorance but does that work well for precision bolt gun reloading (within reason, no match shooter but I like one hole groups)? The lee hand trimmers work but dang... too much else I need to be doing rather than screw with them anymore. Maybe when I am old(er). Yes, indexing off the shoulder works well for precision work .... "fact" (a relative term) is it's what you want. Reason ... when loading for ultimate precision in a bolt, you will likely be fire forming your brass to that particular gun and either neck sizing only ..... or carefully resizing your brass to a very specific, and very consistent headspace, when it requires sizing. Because your headspace (in rough terms the distance from the base of the brass to the middle of the shoulder) will be super consistent in that instance ....... using a good trimmer indexing off the shoulder will produce super consistent brass length. Conversely....if you end up with brass lengths that are all over the place with trimming with a good shoulder indexed trimmer ....... it likely won't be the trimmers fault ... it will be telling you you need to do a better job of sizing brass to a consistent headspace. Short answer ... shoulder index is preferred. |
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greenheadcaller I appreciate the explaination. After submitting my last post and thinking about it, I came to that conclusion as well. I don't necessarily bump shoulders but make sure they are set back enough for a "good fit".
After a while of fidgitting I figured the Hornady trimmer out and got them finished. After srewing up a few cases I got the adjustments correct and it works great. I just don't think a lathe trimmer is for me. Will be looking at the Giraud Triway for sure! Thanks all! |
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You will like the Tri-Way if you end up going that route.
My setup cost me around $130 since I got the motor for free. Even with the cost of the Harbor Freight motor this setup was just over $200. 
Here's a source for quality couplers. They can be hard to find in certain sizes. couplers |
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Quoted: You will like the Tri-Way if you end up going that route. My setup cost me around $130 since I got the motor for free. Even with the cost of the Harbor Freight motor this setup was just over $200. https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5730/22520665906_48cb603cf8_b.jpg https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5680/22359837529_fceb07d774_b.jpg Here's a source for quality couplers. They can be hard to find in certain sizes. couplers im new to reloading so pardon the ignorance. do you just feed the case neck into the trimmer by hand until it is trimmed? couldnt that be dangerous or are you putting enough pressure on the case into the trimmer to keep it in place? |
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Quoted:
im new to reloading so pardon the ignorance. do you just feed the case neck into the trimmer by hand until it is trimmed? couldnt that be dangerous or are you putting enough pressure on the case into the trimmer to keep it in place? Quoted:
Quoted:
You will like the Tri-Way if you end up going that route. My setup cost me around $130 since I got the motor for free. Even with the cost of the Harbor Freight motor this setup was just over $200. https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5730/22520665906_48cb603cf8_b.jpg https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5680/22359837529_fceb07d774_b.jpg Here's a source for quality couplers. They can be hard to find in certain sizes. couplers im new to reloading so pardon the ignorance. do you just feed the case neck into the trimmer by hand until it is trimmed? couldnt that be dangerous or are you putting enough pressure on the case into the trimmer to keep it in place? It's not dangerous at all. These style trimmers (Tri-Way, WFT, Trim-it, FA...) all require the user to hold the brass while trimming. Some just work better while accomplishing more at the same time. I got sick of using a drill with my old WFT, so when the Tri-Way came out I made this. |
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Quoted: It's not dangerous at all. These style trimmers (Tri-Way, WFT, Trim-it, FA...) all require the user to hold the brass while trimming. Some just work better while accomplishing more at the same time. I got sick of using a drill with my old WFT, so when the Tri-Way came out I made this. Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: You will like the Tri-Way if you end up going that route. My setup cost me around $130 since I got the motor for free. Even with the cost of the Harbor Freight motor this setup was just over $200. https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5730/22520665906_48cb603cf8_b.jpg https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5680/22359837529_fceb07d774_b.jpg Here's a source for quality couplers. They can be hard to find in certain sizes. couplers im new to reloading so pardon the ignorance. do you just feed the case neck into the trimmer by hand until it is trimmed? couldnt that be dangerous or are you putting enough pressure on the case into the trimmer to keep it in place? It's not dangerous at all. These style trimmers (Tri-Way, WFT, Trim-it, FA...) all require the user to hold the brass while trimming. Some just work better while accomplishing more at the same time. I got sick of using a drill with my old WFT, so when the Tri-Way came out I made this. Awesome, thanks! is there a minimum speed that you need a motor turning to properly trim the brass? |
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Quoted:
Awesome, thanks! is there a minimum speed that you need a motor turning to properly trim the brass? Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
You will like the Tri-Way if you end up going that route. My setup cost me around $130 since I got the motor for free. Even with the cost of the Harbor Freight motor this setup was just over $200. https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5730/22520665906_48cb603cf8_b.jpg https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5680/22359837529_fceb07d774_b.jpg Here's a source for quality couplers. They can be hard to find in certain sizes. couplers im new to reloading so pardon the ignorance. do you just feed the case neck into the trimmer by hand until it is trimmed? couldnt that be dangerous or are you putting enough pressure on the case into the trimmer to keep it in place? It's not dangerous at all. These style trimmers (Tri-Way, WFT, Trim-it, FA...) all require the user to hold the brass while trimming. Some just work better while accomplishing more at the same time. I got sick of using a drill with my old WFT, so when the Tri-Way came out I made this. Awesome, thanks! is there a minimum speed that you need a motor turning to properly trim the brass? 1750rpm works great for me. I have a 3000rpm motor too. I tried it with my old setup and it was too much. Looking back I think that was because I had a spare chuck from a drill mounted to the shaft via a motor arbor. It had too much run out/wobble and would make sloppy cuts and put marks on the brass. Now that I just use a simple coupler it's perfect. |
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Shell 'holding' can be a problem with a power trimmer, I see Dillon recommends case lube for the trim die -- so it must be pretty tight.
The "Giraud Carbide Trimmer Blade" looks like it will quickly ruin any cases with dented case mouths; Could someone give a report on this? I just put a power trimmer together yesterday for a single stage setup. With a 'case kicker' it should be fast, but will still need the deburr. It's a Harbor freight trim router with a straight trim bit. I have a lathe and drill press, but it could be adapted with hand tools. I'll post more after I've trimmed a few hundred, I arrived at a very effective solution to the 'shell holding' probem. [ETA: OK, I guess the dented mouths are resized when they get to this stage usually. My 'pile' will be trimmed first, tho. I think the Giraud unit would be worth the money just for the deburring stage -- I have never found a good way to do this.] |
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Shell 'holding' can be a problem with a power trimmer, I see Dillon recommends case lube for the trim die -- so it must be pretty tight. The "Giraud Carbide Trimmer Blade" looks like it will quickly ruin any cases with dented case mouths; Could someone give a report on this? I just put a power trimmer together yesterday for a single stage setup. With a 'case kicker' it should be fast, but will still need the deburr. It's a Harbor freight trim router with a straight trim bit. I have a lathe and drill press, but it could be adapted with hand tools. I'll post more after I've trimmed a few hundred, I arrived at a very effective solution to the 'shell holding' probem. You trim after you size .... therefore there are no dented case mouths. |
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Shell 'holding' can be a problem with a power trimmer, I see Dillon recommends case lube for the trim die -- so it must be pretty tight. The "Giraud Carbide Trimmer Blade" looks like it will quickly ruin any cases with dented case mouths; Could someone give a report on this? I just put a power trimmer together yesterday for a single stage setup. With a 'case kicker' it should be fast, but will still need the deburr. It's a Harbor freight trim router with a straight trim bit. I have a lathe and drill press, but it could be adapted with hand tools. I'll post more after I've trimmed a few hundred, I arrived at a very effective solution to the 'shell holding' probem. Harbor Freight rubber faced/cotton gloves fix the 'shell holding' problem. $1.00/pr too. |
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DILLON XL650 with 1200B electric trimmer
fill gallon zip-lock bag with once fired 556 brass spray home-brew dillon style lube into bag and toss pour all 500 into DILLON casefeeder pull handle 500 times.....switch arms if you get tired now you have 500 resized, trimmed, decapped brass 
toss in corncob tumbler for 20mins to clean off case lube you fingers are not tired and dirty your done really quickly . |
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Quoted: You trim after you size .... therefore there are no dented case mouths. Quoted: Quoted: Shell 'holding' can be a problem with a power trimmer, I see Dillon recommends case lube for the trim die -- so it must be pretty tight. The "Giraud Carbide Trimmer Blade" looks like it will quickly ruin any cases with dented case mouths; Could someone give a report on this? I just put a power trimmer together yesterday for a single stage setup. With a 'case kicker' it should be fast, but will still need the deburr. It's a Harbor freight trim router with a straight trim bit. I have a lathe and drill press, but it could be adapted with hand tools. I'll post more after I've trimmed a few hundred, I arrived at a very effective solution to the 'shell holding' probem. You trim after you size .... therefore there are no dented case mouths. This is the correct answer above. |
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I am sure this has been reviewed a lot here but despite my best search effort here nothing is coming up. I am giving up on the Lee hand/drill trimmers, have used them since I started reloading. My price range is $100, less is better, more is ok if it is that much of a benefit. I know about the higher end but with the kids into everything that is just not in the budget for now. I don't trim pistol brass, rifle only and that is pretty much limited to .223, .308, and .30-06 for now. More to come I am sure as the kids get older. I am looking at a WFT for .223/5.56 but for my bolt guns I was thinking a lathe style trimmer. From my review on other sites, YouTube, etc (so far), the Lyman Universal looks pretty good, so does the RCBS II, Forster, and Hornady. I tried a buddies Hornady last night and while I like Hornady stuff, something was moving and I just didn't care for it. Case lengths varied by hundreths and that won't work. The end that holds the head of the case moves/adjusts as does the cutter... I didn't want to overtighten and break it so I quit for the night. I am sure it is operator error and I intend to revisit this weekend. Between the Lyman Universal, RCBS, and Forster (others in the price range) what do you all have, like, dislike, what would you buy again, what you wouldn't... Thanks in advance! Sir, first let me apologize for not responding sooner, but each time I tried I got interrupted by some one. Regardless, there have been a few comments that I believe some clarification to ensure a clear picture of the options available is needed. I've used a number of trimmers on the market over the years including some of the lathe type. I still have a Wilson trimmer for cartridge cases that I can't use a power trimmer (.30carb). I had a Gracey trimmer a long time ago but sold it once I determined the variation of case length was just plain excessive and there's nothing that can be done about it. I replaced it with a Dillon 1200 back well before Doug Giraud had a trimmer on the market. The Dillon is an excellent trimmer but keep in mind that it does not deburr the case neck inside or out. Also the Dillon trim die is a sizing die, that's why they say to use case lube. Therefore after sizing and trimming on a Dillon trimmer you subsequently have to deprime the resized and trimmed cases. FWIW, I never used the Dillon trimmer with my 650 press with case feeder as I wanted to avoid the case lube clean up when trimming was done. I used the Dillon trimmer mounted on a single stage press. The comment that the axial tolerance of the finished product being as much as .004" is not consistent with my experience. I suspect that's a result of using the trimmer in conjunction with the loose tolerances of the Dillon shell holders. If you're getting that much case length variation on a Dillon trimmer something else is awry and needs to be addressed. I bought a Giraud trimmer a few years ago and sold the Dillon on the EE. My primary reason for replacing the Dillon is because the Giraud also champfers the inside and outside of the trimmed case neck. While there is a school that believes this is unnecessary I do not share that opinion. For the budget minded such a yourself the Giraud Triway seems a reasonable way to go but I've never liked using a drill chuck to power these type devices. A properly coupled motor like some of the pics already posted is the better way to go IMHO. Lastly as our Mod has already pointed out, size before trimming unless you're using a Dillon. HTH, 7zero1. |
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Quoted:
This is the correct answer above. Quoted:
Quoted:
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Shell 'holding' can be a problem with a power trimmer, I see Dillon recommends case lube for the trim die -- so it must be pretty tight. The "Giraud Carbide Trimmer Blade" looks like it will quickly ruin any cases with dented case mouths; Could someone give a report on this? I just put a power trimmer together yesterday for a single stage setup. With a 'case kicker' it should be fast, but will still need the deburr. It's a Harbor freight trim router with a straight trim bit. I have a lathe and drill press, but it could be adapted with hand tools. I'll post more after I've trimmed a few hundred, I arrived at a very effective solution to the 'shell holding' probem. You trim after you size .... therefore there are no dented case mouths. This is the correct answer above. I'm shortening a couple bucketfuls of brass to 308, with a bandsaw and trimmer. They are primed, and new. I won't be sizing them until I load them up on my progressive press. Hopefully I can anneal them before that. The Dillon 650 setup at the top of this page is wonderful, but won't work without conversion on my 308 brass. It would be real nice if I only loaded for one cartridge, but it's too late for that to happen. I need tools that are versatile, as well as productive. I just trimmed about 500 cases with my modified trim router mounted on an old RCBS RS press. It was scary fast, and did a nice job, but I still need to deburr the insides. The trim router runs at 28,000 rpm and made almost as much noise as the vacuum cleaner attached to it. I think at this point it's fairly obvious that the Giraud tri-way is a great choice for the money -- But I'd be a dead man if I put five on the charge card! ETA: edit removed -- zero interest |
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I expect my next large batch of brass will be trimmed on an RCBS lathe trimmer with the power head and the three way cutter, I can't tolerate the nerve damage in my fingers from the Possum Hollow trimmer again.
What we need is some method for quickly grabbing the cases for presentation to the Possum Hollow type trimmers with a tool or maybe a glove; I don't want to fumble around or need to handle every case with both hands to get it ready to go into the trimmer. |
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I have a Gracey on the way with the Bjones 3 way carbide cutter. All reports say setting the stock 2 piece Grasey cutters is a major PIA. Also, since I'm doing just 223 cases, I shouldn't have to upgrade the motor.
I had ordered the Giraud and his back order was a week passed thanksgiving. The Gracey were next day shipping. The Giraud was $500 to my door.. one caliber. I'll be into the Gracey $390 with upgraded cabide cutter. I'll give you guys a report once I get it set up and going. I'm curious about case length as well. But the upgraded 3 way single carbide cutter should be the ticket. |
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I have a Gracey on the way with the Bjones 3 way carbide cutter. All reports say setting the stock 2 piece Grasey cutters is a major PIA. Also, since I'm doing just 223 cases, I shouldn't have to upgrade the motor. I had ordered the Giraud and his back order was a week passed thanksgiving. The Gracey were next day shipping. The Giraud was $500 to my door.. one caliber. I'll be into the Gracey $390 with upgraded cabide cutter. I'll give you guys a report once I get it set up and going. I'm curious about case length as well. But the upgraded 3 way single carbide cutter should be the ticket. Sir, as I mentioned in my previous post I once had a Gracey trimmer and yes setting the two blades was a major PITA. Once you got it set you never want to change it so that makes it cartridge specific. I've seen the Bob Jones cutter blades but never bothered taking a closer look because I had already sold my Gracey trimmer. Bob Jones sets up shot on Commercial Row at the National Matches every year since I've been going there. The main problem with the Gracey trimmer is the variable axial thrust which results in the trim length being a variable up to about .004". The thrust bearing in the cutter assembly is an ancient design. The last time I saw such a design was on a steam reciprocating engine of a ship built in 1917. There's no way to eliminate the thrust and the result is the variable length. I even had Doyle Gracey adjust the cutter for me once. Even he couldn't do it any better than I and he just dismissed my complaint as me being "nit picky", his words. Mr. Gracey also used to set up his inventory in OK Weber's shop on commercial row during the National Matches at Camp Perry, Ohio. I knew he would be there so I took my trimmer with me when I went to the Matches that year. I hope you have better results than I. HTH, 7zero1. |
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Quoted:
I have a Gracey on the way with the Bjones 3 way carbide cutter. All reports say setting the stock 2 piece Grasey cutters is a major PIA. Also, since I'm doing just 223 cases, I shouldn't have to upgrade the motor. I had ordered the Giraud and his back order was a week passed thanksgiving. The Gracey were next day shipping. The Giraud was $500 to my door.. one caliber. I'll be into the Gracey $390 with upgraded cabide cutter. I'll give you guys a report once I get it set up and going. I'm curious about case length as well. But the upgraded 3 way single carbide cutter should be the ticket. As I have reported, I enjoy my Giraud Tri-Way. However, a friend of mine has a gracey, and yes, he was fed up with attempting to adjust the 2 piece gracey cutter. Once he saw the blade on the Tri-way, he got to looking and located the 3 way carbine cutter blade replacement for the Gracey you referenced. While it took a little adjusting to get it right, his Gracey has new life. My bet is you will like it with that blade too. Good upgrade. |
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I started trimmer with a Forster lathe type and then went to a Wilson. After getting tired of hand trimming I went to CTS trimmers mounted in a bench drill press. They all worked but required hand chamfering/deburring. When Giraus came out with the tri-wqay I tried it. I now have three of them. I run them in the drill press and they work fine.
I found the CTS trimmers to work well, just too lazy to hand chamfer. The CTS trimmer is good if cost is a factor. |
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Thanks for the information, guys.
I'm utterly baffled when a company like Gracey, that has been around for awhile refuses to change design elements of their invention. It's been obvious for who knows how long the 2 piece cutter is hard to work with and only lasts so long. There is a vastly vastly superior system he could use, yet is stuck on using the 2 piece cutter. Makes NO sense what so ever unless bjones has the "patent" and is the only one who can produce those cutters. Also people have complained about motor speed and strength. Zero concern or even options to upgrade. I would have bought a Giraud, but 5 weeks out? He either has a supplier problem or a help problem. If my products were in that high of demand.. I would get help and order in LARGE quantities. |
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Quoted: Thanks for the information, guys. I'm utterly baffled when a company like Gracey, that has been around for awhile refuses to change design elements of their invention. It's been obvious for who knows how long the 2 piece cutter is hard to work with and only lasts so long. There is a vastly vastly superior system he could use, yet is stuck on using the 2 piece cutter. Makes NO sense what so ever unless bjones has the "patent" and is the only one who can produce those cutters. Also people have complained about motor speed and strength. Zero concern or even options to upgrade. I would have bought a Giraud, but 5 weeks out? He either has a supplier problem or a help problem. If my products were in that high of demand.. I would get help and order in LARGE quantities. Doug is a one man shop. Trimmers are a second job, other job is an engineer. The quality is worth the wait. |
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