Lee Classic 4 Hole Turret Vs. Lyman all-American 8??

[DaveTN]

These look like comparable products between Lee and Lyman. I see a lot of reviews on both but can't seem to find a comparison of the two. Any thoughts from anyone that has maybe seen or used both?

Obviously there is a difference in what's in the kits linked below, but I'm wondering about the presses themselves.

I've never done any reloading. Money isn't as big a factor to me as getting something that will do what I need and only buying once. I'll mainly be reloading pistol calibers (.38/357, .40S&W, .45ACP) with the occasional rifle caliber (.308Win, 223, .243).

Thanks.

Classic Turret Press Kit

Classic Turret Press Kit and a set of dies is all you need to start reloading

leeprecision.com

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[EastTNHunter]

Don't know anything about these specific presses, but overall Lyman is usually better quality and will have a better warranty than Lee. Not that Lee is a bad product, but it is usually entry level quality

 

[dogsled]

I have a Lee Classic, a Lee progressive and a Lyman turret press. I use the Lee for all things pistol. I use the Lee turrets and the Lee powder through die and powder measure on those presses. Makes for quick loading of pistol ammo that I shoot a lot of. Also changing calibers is quick and easy, more so than the Lyman. For rifle reloading, I use the Lyman. I think it is a stronger press and while much slower, I really take my time with rifle calibers anyway, weighing each charge, etc.

 

[dogsled]

Don't know anything about these specific presses, but overall Lyman is usually better quality and will have a better warranty than Lee. Not that Lee is a bad product, but it is usually entry level quality

I bought a used Lee press that later broke. Contacted Lee to buy replacement parts. They wanted a picture of the broken part so I sent them one. They sent me a replacement free of charge. That's a pretty good warranty in my opinion.

 

[EastTNHunter]

I bought a used Lee press that later broke. Contacted Lee to buy replacement parts. They wanted a picture of the broken part so I sent them one. They sent me a replacement free of charge. That's a pretty good warranty in my opinion.

That's good to know. I know that many of their items list a 1 year warranty, whereas Lyman and RCBS are lifetime. RCBS has given me phenomenal customer service in the past, so I buy their products whenever I can.

 

[Omega]

I bought a Lee 3-hole press in the mid 80's, reloaded everything including my 270 ammo. Then, it was because of the money, I just couldn't afford the other brands, and the kit had everything except the consumables. Now, I can afford better, so I got a Lee 4-hole press, and converted it to a 3-hole due to all the turrets I had. I like that it can now load taller cases and the base seems much sturdier. I do have a Rock Chucker, but that I use it to swage with, because I don't want to mess up my Lee.

 

[skipperbrown]

I bought a Lee 3-hole press in the mid 80's, reloaded everything including my 270 ammo. Then, it was because of the money, I just couldn't afford the other brands, and the kit had everything except the consumables. Now, I can afford better, so I got a Lee 4-hole press, and converted it to a 3-hole due to all the turrets I had. I like that it can now load taller cases and the base seems much sturdier. I do have a Rock Chucker, but that I use it to swage with, because I don't want to mess up my Lee.

I too bought the Lee 3 hole in the early 80s (due to the money) and reloaded thousands of pistol and rifle rounds up to .270 using mostly Lee dies. I always wished for a more sturdy press as I move to more quality ammo and recently bought a Redding Big Boss II when it was on sale at Midway. The Lee gets the job done, but the quality and smoothness of the Redding has removed the Lee from the bench. The difference is like moving from a Yugo to a Mercedes. They both get you there, but the quality of the ride doesn't compare.

 

[Omega]

I too bought the Lee 3 hole in the early 80s (due to the money) and reloaded thousands of pistol and rifle rounds up to .270 using mostly Lee dies. I always wished for a more sturdy press as I move to more quality ammo and recently bought a Redding Big Boss II when it was on sale at Midway. The Lee gets the job done, but the quality and smoothness of the Redding has removed the Lee from the bench. The difference is like moving from a Yugo to a Mercedes. They both get you there, but the quality of the ride doesn't compare.

I never had any quality issues with the Lee, yes, it is a little loose (new one is tighter), but it never translated into a bad round. Now, I hunt with my ammo, so 1" groups at 100 yards is good enough for me, but if I do more during component selection, case prep etc., I could probably produce even more accurate rounds. Redding, RCBS, Dillon, etc, do make good equipment, but it is pricy and since I do not compete, or make money off my rounds, it is way overkill for my needs.

 

[kamml]

I have used Lee for over 50 years with the exception of the mid 90s where I was using an RCBS press. After the RCBS I bought the Lee turret press and never looked back. Good equipment, for a good price. There are certainly better presses out there, but I have a history with Lee equipment. My first reloading was using a simple Lee hand loader kit for 243 cal. My father-in-law-to-be and I loaded ammo at the kitchen table scooping powder out of a plastic margarine bowl with the scooper that came in the kit. 103-grain round-nose Speer bullets and IMR 4895 powder in a purple can were all I used for years hunting groundhogs and deer. That was a lot simpler life back then, no doubt.