I am looking into a luber/sizer, I am not real interested in using tumble lube and i like the idea of hard lubes (less mess) any reccomendations? I was thinking about the saeco. the stars look nice, but they are too pricey at the moment

I am looking into a luber/sizer, . . . any reccomendations?Saeco has always had a reputation for quality. If their lubricator/sizer is half as good as their molds, I would have no problem with choosing the Saeco. The Star is the fastest to use since each pull of the operating handle turns out a fully sized and lubed bullet. It is really a commercial level tool. I have a Star and am very happy with it. Check out ebay and see if a good used Star is within your budget. An alternative would be to try for a good used Saeco on the same site. If you're looking for a new tool, both the RCBS and Lyman are very popular. Good luck in your search.

Whoops, klw says DON'T buy the SAECO! He has owned one and lists it's problems.

I started out with a lyman years ago. When I moved to the tumble lube system I never looked back. Mess is not a problem if you put on a pair of rubber sergical gloves.

It's about a hundred times faster and no leading. After all the idea is to be able to shoot without lead build up. It's much less expensive, way quicker and that to me means less time sucking one bullet at a time thru a lubri-sizer and more time out shooting.

I've been using this system now for 20 plus years and would never go back to a lubri-sizer.

when I first started out loading for handguns I bought a used Star progressive and a star lubri-sizer from one of the local police departments that started buying ammo instead of reloading. The star is the best of the pressure lubers, at least til I found Mr. Lee and his stuff.

Good luck with which ever one you get, but take a look at the Lee it puts the lube on the outside of the bullet where it contacts the rifling instead of down in grooves in the bullet. Their sizer, gas check installer system is also very fast.

I haven't used my lubrisizer in so long I can't even remember when I used it last. Lyman 450 and the biggest gripe I have with was that no matter how careful you are, lube builds up under the bullet base & in the top punch and it starts egging them. Was the biggest reason for the accuracy problems I ran into numerous times.

For the occasional times I even size, the Lee push through system has worked better than anything else I've tried but I do not lube with it, size dry. 90% of my lubing is done in a pan and 99.5% of my bullets are shot as-cast.

I'm not thrilled with the OTC lubes anyway but of all the different hard ones lubes I've tried, most were even less impressive than the old grungy soft lubes. Still working out some kinks with my own blend but it's getting there, 2700fps and climbing.

Put some serious thought into this before you spend a lot of money on something you may not be all that thrilled with. The Lyman works fine for doing bulk volumes of pistol bullets that you don't require a lot of accuracy from but I'm definitely not happy with it for anything else.

DO NOT BUY A SAECO. I really love SAECO bullet moulds and everything else they make EXCEPT their lubricator/sizer. It is horrible!

Friends who own older SAECO L/S's indicate that they work just fine. BUT not the newer ones. The main gasket in the current model tears. Also it inverts. So when you open it up to see what is wrong, and probably see the main gasket for the first time (the first time you have paid attention to it) you see it in the machine backwards.

Worse yet the SAECO repair kit has a part in it you do not need. That's confusing! And they don't send you a picture showing how to put it back together so naturally you try putting it back together in the manner you found it. BUT when the main gasket tears it also inverts.

Then too it is just hard to use.

I had a SAECO. I sold it. I explained its shortcomings to the guy who bought it from me BEFORE selling it to him. He believed me, eventually, but only after he bought it and tried it.

If you really want to use wax, then the Magma/Star is the way to go. If you want to use grease then both the RCBS and Lyman 4500 are nice machines.

I will put in a quick plug for Lyman.

I now have 2 Lyman 45 sizers. One for smokeless (Felix lube) and one for BP (homemade lube or SPG) that I can swap out in a moments notice. I need to get a heater for the smokeless unit. (saw some neat designs online)

I use a Lyman 450. I have never had any problems with it and I bought it used off ebay. Not the fastest method but I don't like the tumble lube for a number of reasons. If you use a hard lube you have zero mess and the bullets don't stick together. Some will say that if a lube aint sticky it aint lubing. Hogwash. I have been using Rooster Red for several years and love it. Even use it for rifle loads pushing 2000 fps.

MarkKW;
What are you doing and what is the lube you are using to get 2700fps. I've never been able to get more than about 2200.

Will

JB, I'd have to try and sell you a Lyman 45 or 450 or 4500 or what ever they are now. I inherited my Lyman/Ideal sizer from Dad 20+ years ago and he had it as far back as I can remember. Back then it was probably the best there was and you would be hard pressed to outdo it today.

I had problems similar to markkw's with lube building up under the bullet until I had "The Master Caster" help me adjust the upper and lower stops and show me just how far to twist the wrench. It's kind of a feel thing. Like adjusting valves on a Cat 3412.

Using Lyman's own Alox bullet lube, I've hardly experienced any leading with the bullets I cast, size and lube. I'm not saying I never did, because I have and it was all due to operator error. Like not lubing enough or, making the bullet go too fast.

Yes sizing and lubing with a 45 does take more time but my boys, when they were small thought it was alot of fun to "help" make Dad's "silver" bullets. Now about the only thing I can get them to help me do is change the oil in THEIR cars. :rolleyes:

JB, I'd have to try and sell you a Lyman 45 or 450 or 4500 or what ever they are now. I inherited my Lyman/Ideal sizer from Dad 20+ years ago and he had it as far back as I can remember. Back then it was probably the best there was and you would be hard pressed to outdo it today.

I had problems similar to markkw's with lube building up under the bullet until I had "The Master Caster" help me adjust the upper and lower stops and show me just how far to twist the wrench. It's kind of a feel thing. Like adjusting valves on a Cat 3412.

Using Lyman's own Alox bullet lube, I've hardly experienced any leading with the bullets I cast, size and lube. I'm not saying I never did, because I have and it was all due to operator error. Like not lubing enough or, making the bullet go too fast.

Yes sizing and lubing with a 45 does take more time but my boys, when they were small thought it was alot of fun to "help" make Dad's "silver" bullets. Now about the only thing I can get them to help me do is change the oil in THEIR cars. :rolleyes:
I don't have a ton of experience. I've only been using them for a little over a year but I have a lyman I bought years ago and didn't have time to use and an RCBS I just bought used. They are basically the same except I think the RCBS is easier to change the dies in. Probably not worth much but that's my 2 cents! Mike B.