wat. (or, "is this reloading press junk?")

[Mabs2]

Been thinking about getting into reloading 12 ga since I really like shooting skeet and hate seeing all those shotgun hulls just sit unloved.
I've been browsing around the intertoobs and have drooled over the Mec hydraulic and electric reloaders, but the 600 Jr was much closer to my price range at about $150...then I see this thing at Midway:
http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.exe/showproduct?saleitemid=436640
Wat?
I'm pretty new to reloading, so I'm not familiar with prices.  And I was lucky enough to get a free single stage press and .270 dies but...$35 seems a tad cheap for what this thing is described as.  Most of it seems to be plastic.  What's the deal?  It doesn't come with the primer feeder, doesn't appear to come with a 'wad guide' (How could you reload without one?) and it seems to be missing a few stages...but I dunno.

I was going to hold off and wait for the $150 to be less hurting than it'll be now (but that return sure halps!), but if this press'll work for a few hundred rounds here and there (definitely not looking for high quality reloads, just for shooting at skeets) then I could get it and move up later.  Watchu think?

[ilbob]

Years ago I acquired one as part of a trade. I never used it because I don't shoot enough shotgun shells to make it worthwhile, and back then it was actually cheaper to buy the shells then to reload them.

I have read the instructions and I think it will produce some pretty fair ammo, but not anywhere near as fast or easy as a more expensive unit. I have heard from some people that do reload with them that some hulls are not suitable for reloading in them. Don't recall why.

[Mabs2]

There's a lot of positive reviews on the website, as well as a lot of negatives...
However, Lee's a pretty good company no?  If I get one with a problem I imagine they'd help me...
I think for a few hundred shells every other month it just may get me by until I can afford a Mec 600 Jr.

[K Frame]

I bought one (a Load All I) for my father for Christmas around 1978.

He and I loaded quite a few thousand rounds of 12 gauge on it and never had a single problem with the device itself.

Is it fast? No.

Is it effective? Yes.

Is it durable? I'd say yes.

After shotshells started dropping in price (after the 1986 FOPA) we really cut back on the amount we were reloading and were buying the lossleader shells, but I'm seriously thinking about firing it up again.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again, for the casual reloader, Lee products simply cannot be beaten.

Even for the moderately serious reloader they are hard to beat. I've got a Lee Classic Cast turret, and I fully expect it to be the last press I ever have to buy.

[Mabs2]

Well I guess that settles it.  If it sucks I know who to blame.

[K Frame]

"I know who to blame"

Fistful, of course.

[Ben]

I've had a 600JR for a few years now and it's an awesome press. That being said, for nearly 20 years before that I was using the Lee Load All, and for part of that time shooting a lot more than I do now.

Absolutely no reason not to get the Lee while you save up for the Mec. Maybe some day you'll be reloading for a couple of different gauges and you can keep a press setup for each gauge, or just keep the Lee as a backup.

[Mabs2]

I've had a 600JR for a few years now and it's an awesome press. That being said, for nearly 20 years before that I was using the Lee Load All, and for part of that time shooting a lot more than I do now.

Absolutely no reason not to get the Lee while you save up for the Mec. Maybe some day you'll be reloading for a couple of different gauges and you can keep a press setup for each gauge, or just keep the Lee as a backup.

Agreed. 

"I know who to blame"

Fistful, of course.

Of course, was there any doubt?

[K Frame]

Perhaps the biggest single impediment to my buying a 28-gauge side by side has been the fact that Lee doesn't make a 28-gauge Load All.