Dillon reloader

[Ugly Dwarf]

If your thinking of buying a 550 dont. Get the 650.

http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/s...t=double+chage

I'll agree that for volume reloading, the 650 is the way to go. That said, I disagree that the 650 is the only Dillon press to consider.

Don't take my word for it, ask a guy who sells both. HERE is a FAQ at Brian Enos' site that describes why you should get one over the other, and suggests most people start with a 550B. I have always felt that if someone selling two items points me towards the less expensive model, I should take a second look at it.

Just a thought.

Dwarf

[jwest]

I think the following post sums it up for me as referenced in the post by Ugly Dwarf:

http://www.brianenos.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=10092&st=0&p=149349&#entry149349

[Toolbox X]

Okay, that makes it a total of TWO people I have seen who like 550 better than the 650. Compared to around ONE HUNDRED people I have seen who really regret buying the 550 and wish they had bought a 650.

But to each their own.

[ivanimal]

Okay, that makes it a total of TWO people I have seen who like 550 better than the 650. Compared to around ONE HUNDRED people I have seen who really regret buying the 550 and wish they had bought a 650.

But to each their own.

I have 2 550's and one 650. I wish I had 3 650's

[domokun]

Dillon 650 is the way to go... I wish I had the cash to get a 1050 instead of the 650...

[Ugly Dwarf]

Okay, that makes it a total of TWO people I have seen who like 550 better than the 650. Compared to around ONE HUNDRED people I have seen who really regret buying the 550 and wish they had bought a 650.

But to each their own.

I'd get another 550 if I were looking to replace my progressive press right now, for the same reason I got my current 550... interchangability of tooling between presses - My brother has a 550 with a bunch of conversions for oddball ammo I load a little of.

If I were starting over from scratch, had a decent budget and didn't have anyone else to share costs / tools with, I'd get a 650 for sure.

That said, I think the 550 works well for some people. I have more than once caught an issue in my reloading process that I was able to fix before advancing to the next stage. In those cases, auto index would have taken that option away from me. Perhaps this means I need to pay closer attention than I would with a 650, but (as a possible silver lining) it serves as a reminder I cannot become complacent when loading.

For the beginer who plans to start by loading one cartridge at a time to understand each stage of the process (sort of a reverse turret press), I think the 550 is more interactive. The 650 add's another layer of mechanics into the mix (not bad once you know what you're doing, but not ideal when learning).

Cost is another factor for some. To start, the 650 costs an extra $100. To make the 650 to really fly, you're looking to add the case feeder(s) to your budget. Then you also need to figure that tooling (shell plates, tool heads, etc...) cost more. In the grand scheme of things, the extra cost isn't that big a deal, but it WILL cost more.

I've seen 650's in action, but will admit that I have never had to convert from one caliber to another. That said, I understand it takes longer to make conversions. Perhaps someone here who loads on both can contradict this. Baring that, the 550 may have another advantage for the person who plans to load 100 of this, 50 of that, 100 of the other.

Lastly, if someone starts with a 550 and finds they just can't load fast enough, they can turn around and sell it here (or on eBay or many other places) for very close to what they paid.

I'm not saying the 550 is the end all be all. I'm just saying someone starting out should look at the pro's and con's of both. The OP didn't state his level of experience, how many calibers he was loading for, or what quantities he will be loading, so I felt a need to offer a counterpoint to the 650 argument.

[Toolbox X]

The 550 is hands down better to learn on than the 650. Brian Enos says you should only get the 650 as your first press if you have someone who can literally hold your hand through the process.

The problem with getting the 550 as your first press is you very quickly lose your beginner status and become ready for the 650. Unfortunately, most people who get a 550 become so invested in the 550 that switching over to a 650 becomes too expensive.

As someone who's first press was a 650, I recommend the 650 for beginners with the absolute understanding that you MUST watch the 650 video. That retarded video is fantastic for beginners using a 650.

[jwest]

Okay, that makes it a total of TWO people I have seen who like 550 better than the 650. Compared to around ONE HUNDRED people I have seen who really regret buying the 550 and wish they had bought a 650.

But to each their own.

How many reload .50AE? To me that is a no brainer.

Which Dillon reloaders handle .50AE?

Fact is - these are the types of 'arguments' or discussions every vendor dreams of - Dillon is a quality up-front vendor/manufacturer - what they make is good/great. For me and my shooting/reloading requirements - the 550 is perfect.

I wanted to pick up a 500 at I&S but they sold the two they had. I was going to use that as a single-stage until I could upgrade it or was just going to keep it single stage.

Again - if Dillon reads these threads - I hope they don't get the big head.

[Ugly Dwarf]

The 550 is hands down better to learn on than the 650. Brian Enos says you should only get the 650 as your first press if you have someone who can literally hold your hand through the process.

The problem with getting the 550 as your first press is you very quickly lose your beginner status and become ready for the 650. Unfortunately, most people who get a 550 become so invested in the 550 that switching over to a 650 becomes too expensive.

As someone who's first press was a 650, I recommend the 650 for beginners with the absolute understanding that you MUST watch the 650 video. That retarded video is fantastic for beginners using a 650.

Agreed, for the person who reloads a lot (but not quite 1050 volumes) the 650 makes sense.

I disagree that most all 550 users come to feel buyers remorse that they didn't get a 650. I rarely shoot more than 200 rounds of .45 in a month, and I can load that in less than 30 minutes on my 550. Even if the 650 could cut that time in half (which I doubt - I think it's going to start to shine when we're talking about loading 500+ rounds at a sitting), it would take me a while to make up the cost difference. Yes it does the job faster, but at a cost. I would guess a lot of reloaders are in a similar situation as I am.

Beyond the economics, the 550's selling point for me is the ability to switch calibers quickly. For some reason (not entirely sure, probably ADD ), I rarely sit still long enough to load up more ammo than I expect to shoot in the next month or two. Provided I plan my caliber swaps to minimize powder bar / primer swaps, changing calibers takes about five minutes.

I'm sure if I had spent the extra money for a 650, I'd be a rabid fan. I'm not sure how much of my defense of the 550 is due to the fact that I own one. I just wanted to make sure the OP got the right press for him. The right press should be based on his needs and not on the needs of the many people who love their 650. The 650 may very well be the right one, but he should know it's not the best 'starter' nor is it necessarily the best one for loading small amounts for a bunch of calibers.

Dwarf

[mvpatriot]

Anyone on the fence between the 550 and 650 needs to watch these videos, actually these are the BEST videos I have found on reloading in general. He uses a 550 (slower and much more work with hands) and makes it really clear how the casefeed/auto index/powder check make the 650 a no brainer.

Great info for all types of Reloading, WATCH ALL 4 VIDEOS!

[Ugly Dwarf]

I'll check those out when I've got some more time. Just what I need to give me reloader envy and make me want to spend more money.

[GW]

I'm one of those folks who bought a %%) and upgraded to a 650
I had ZERO problems unloading my 550 & accessories and got what I paid for it new albeit a couple years and price hikes after I bought it.

There will always be someone out there who will buy your Dillon press and you probably will make back your original investment.

A couple years back I bought some Square Deal B's on e-bay. In each vase I had the seller ship it directly to Dillon where for a small fee, Dillon overhauled it, replacing worn parts and such and then shipping it on to me.
Dillon service is a big reason why Dillon is the gold standard for reloaders.