Beware of Lee.

[CK_32]

So I've always been a RCBS user just by chance and it was nice having all my eauipment green. I do have some hornady and Redding stuff. But mostly RCBS and everything I've used has worked fine.


So I finally purchased something by lee with the 3 die 223 die set.

Got it yesterday and its not bad just like any other standard die set. So I take them out look them over getting excited to start depriming some 5.56 brass. So I take the bullet seating die appart and clean and slightly lube it. Then I get to the FL die and I can't screw out the depriming adjustment.

No biggy it has a bolt head. So i grab a few wrenches and give it a tug. Nope still in there. Get some WD40 and then try it again. Nope so I give it a few good pulls with some good force and not even a budge. Now I'm starting to mar the bolt head for the adjustment head.

Not I'm a little bothered so I contact lee to see if they will fix and replace. They say sure send it out. Ok send me a RMA and ill send it today if possible.

Got a response a few min later saying they are a small company and can't afford RMAs but I can ship it to them still and they will unstick it or replace it. Which will probably need replaced being its not budging so I'm assuming its probably cross threaded or binded threads.


Well this sucks. So I'm stuck with die that I can't adjust fresh out of the box and pay extra to have it work.


Again this isn't a stay away from lee thread. Just a head up that they are a "small company" that can't afford to back their dies if they don't work out of the box.

But this is just a bad first and maybe last experience trying Lee dies for me.


Going to try and contact midway later today and see if maybe Mr Potterfield will help make it right.

[bobgengeskahn]

Had the same issue in my universal decapping die I got from Lee recently. Didn't think much of it since I don't plan on breaking the pin anytime soon. But I did get a spare and wanted to break it down just to take a look...

[gunboat]

My first reaction is that you are using a crescent wrench where you need a box wrench -
Lee stuff is just like everyone else's - It is a production item and sometimes things just go wrong -
Spend the couple bucks to send it back, sometimes it is just the cheapest and easiest way.

[CK_32]

Yea I know stuff like this happens but how I judge a company is how they act when a product doesn't work or isn't as advertised. Being a $32 set I'm not too worried by know I won't be buying any high end stuff from them knowing I might have to eat it if it doesn't work right. But again its no one fault really I worked as a CNC worker and a Machine and auto shop for a couple years in high school and know production isn't flawless on every product a few out of spec or broken parts slip through every now and again.


But that being said I called midway and they said send the whole kit back and they will refund me shipping and die set. So hopefully the next set works fine and I can get to loading my 223.

And the wrench I used was the same as pictured in their given instructions. Again no biggie I'm sure the dies still work fine just sucks that they couldn't make it right for a few bucks. Glad Midway could tho. But I think my Lee buying days are over, just a little sour taste in my mouth after this.

['ol shooter]

Mine are tight too, but the proper tool makes it a breeze. Every reloading bench needs a good set of wrenches and a vise with padded jaws. Be well.

[Blademan21]

I have a couple of Lee die sets. Never had a problem with the dies. I did break a lid on their hand priming tool. Called them up and they sent me two replacement lids. I don't understand why you didn't spend a couple of dollars like another member suggested and be done with it.

[nastyhabts26]

Yeah send it back lalalala
The main issue is that someone spent their hard earned money to buy something that doesnt work.

Manufacturer should step up and take care of this include shipping both ways or just replace the item outright.
I dont want to have to spend 120 dollars for a 100 dollar item not to boot my time to go somewhere to ship it.

[ivanimal]

Yes customer service makes a big difference to me as well. I have had few issues with Lee over the years but they are priced so well that it makes little difference to me. I have a thread about bad customer service. It makes the difference between ever doing business with them again. You need to decide how big of a deal it is. Lee used to be worse, there was a time when I tried to get a person by phone for 4 days in a row and just gave up. YMMCV.

[A and O]

Yeah send it back lalalala
The main issue is that someone spent their hard earned money to buy something that doesnt work.

Manufacturer should step up and take care of this include shipping both ways or just replace the item outright.
I dont want to have to spend 120 dollars for a 100 dollar item not to boot my time to go somewhere to ship it.

Don't know of any legit argument to counter this. Not that I'm looking mind you, I'm amazed that some do not understand the simplicity of your statement.

The truth is always so simple.

That said, I would have contacted Midway first, then Lee if need be. Bet Midway get's a return authorization from Lee for returns.

All major retailers have RTV clauses in their contracts with suppliers where suppliers will receive back with no questions asked any item returned for any reason or no reason at all.

To not go that route retailers would clog up quickly with returned items.

It is also to the benefit of Manufacturers and suppliers to go this route. Returned items show where the weakness's are located in their product lines. Assuming of course that all Manufacturers are looking to improve their product line.

[mrkubota]

.....

So I finally purchased something by lee with the 3 die 223 die set.

Got it yesterday and its not bad just like any other standard die set. So I take them out look them over getting excited to start depriming some 5.56 brass. So I take the bullet seating die apart and clean and slightly lube it. Then I get to the FL die and I can't screw out the depriming adjustment.

No biggy it has a bolt head. So i grab a few wrenches and give it a tug. Nope still in there. Get some WD40 and then try it again. Nope so I give it a few good pulls with some good force and not even a budge. Now I'm starting to mar the bolt head for the adjustment head.

Not I'm a little bothered so I contact lee to see if they will fix and replace. They say sure send it out. Ok send me a RMA and ill send it today if possible.

Got a response a few min later saying they are a small company and can't afford RMAs but I can ship it to them still and they will unstick it or replace it. Which will probably need replaced being its not budging so I'm assuming its probably cross threaded or binded threads.

.....

Lee sizing/decapping dies aren't made with a separate decapping pin/expander rod assembly. They are usually one piece held in place by the large collet that screws into the top of the die body. How tightly it's held is determined by how tightly you adjust the collet tension around the decapping rod shaft.

You'll definitely need to use medium/large adjustable or box end wrenches to avoid damage to the collet in particular. Pliers/channel locks won't work!
You shouldn't have to remove the collet to adjust the rod. Just loosen it up enough to move the rod up or down, then re-tighten.

[Bumslie]

Where are you at in Orange County? You can borrow my lee or hornady 223 dies.

[Divernhunter]

I have had problems with lee on their products also. Life time warr that they wanted a reciept for and send it back. It was a $3.95 item. Cost more to do that compared to its worth. Besides I never save reciepts.
Other items needed reciepts or were only warr 1-2 years.
Never had this with RCBS or Hornady or Dillon.
Heck Hornady sent me parts free twice on a die I told them I got off e-bay. Then found out it was no longer made like the one I have so no parts even existed. They sent me a whole new die free and I never had to send them the old one.

Service is important.

lee is not all that small and are making good money selling allot of cheap stuff. Maybe that is why they always make so many hoops for you to jump thru. That way you say the heck with it and do not do the warr. They make much more profit when they make you pay for their mistakes.

[DelDanko]

go to the gym....

just kidding, return it

[Dark Mod]

Ive had similar problems with 3 or 4 of my lee dies. The damn thing just doesnt want to unscrew.

Heres a sure fire way to fix it:

carefully put the die into a vice after spraying the threads down with wd40, then put the wrench on there and whack it with a rubber mallet.

It will come loose, most of mine unscrew fine after that. I do have a set of .308 dies that ive had to repeat this process with but its no big deal.

[ExtremeX]

Mine was also tight, but I just used a small 1/4" impact gun, broke free easy.