I am going to use this thread to chronicle the pros and cons of the Hornady Lock n Load Auto Progressive vs the Dillion XL 650. I have been using the Hornady for a while now for 9mm, 357 mag, 44 mag, 45 ACP and .223 and don't really have any major complaints. The reason for my purchase was I have read and heard how much better the Dillon is than the Hornady so I want to see for myself. To begin the comparison I purchased the 650 in .223 with the 9mm conversion kit and began installing it on my reloading bench. At the end of this evaluation period, I intent on selling one press and keeping the other. I really like the Hornady case feeder and bullet feeder and intent on repurposing them on the Dillon 650, both look like they will be pretty straightforward to do. The temporary setup:
The bench is glued and screwed doug fir 4x4s that is shimmed perfectly level, it doesn't budge an inch. It is a very stable platform that has made my LNL AP run better.
Everything was going along swimmingly until I tried to mount the spent primer catch cup, someone in the factory forgot to install it, less than 4 hours of ownership and I already need to call Dillon support before I made one round of ammo. Didn't have this problem with the initial setup of my LNL AP.
Hornady 1
Dillon 0
Initial thoughts:
The Dillon seems to be quite a bit more robust and precise. The case feeder does not work correctly yet, but the case retention seems tighter than the LNL AP. The shellplate spin is quite "snappy" due to the slope of the ramp that actuates it, I can see how people have issues with powder spilling. Overall the Dillon appears to be a more complex machine with a surprising amount of plastic parts that are generally metal on the LNL AP. The Dillion is also drenched in grease everywhere and is stinking up my basement. I really like the primer feed "wheel" system, as many have pointed out with large flake powder like Unique, the Hornady LNL primer slider can get clogged with powder and stick, I don't think there could be any issue with the Dillon. The primer insertion anvil on the Dillion is quite a bit more robust than the LNL AP. It appears that caliber changes with the Dillion will be quite a bit more expensive.
Hornady Caliber Change
Shell Plate ~$30
Quick Change Bushings ~$15
Dies ~$40
Total $85
Dillon Caliber Change
Caliber Conversion Kit $75
Toolhead $25
Dies $40
Total $140
Dillon does sell a Toolhead kit with a powder drop for $100 which to me seems like the much better deal in the long run. The Dillon Toolhead design is really slick, just two pins allow you to remove the reloading dies and powder measure and put them aside, everything stays in perfect alignment. Hopefully I will finish assembly tomorrow evening.
Chris
The bench is glued and screwed doug fir 4x4s that is shimmed perfectly level, it doesn't budge an inch. It is a very stable platform that has made my LNL AP run better.
Everything was going along swimmingly until I tried to mount the spent primer catch cup, someone in the factory forgot to install it, less than 4 hours of ownership and I already need to call Dillon support before I made one round of ammo. Didn't have this problem with the initial setup of my LNL AP.
Hornady 1
Dillon 0
Initial thoughts:
The Dillon seems to be quite a bit more robust and precise. The case feeder does not work correctly yet, but the case retention seems tighter than the LNL AP. The shellplate spin is quite "snappy" due to the slope of the ramp that actuates it, I can see how people have issues with powder spilling. Overall the Dillon appears to be a more complex machine with a surprising amount of plastic parts that are generally metal on the LNL AP. The Dillion is also drenched in grease everywhere and is stinking up my basement. I really like the primer feed "wheel" system, as many have pointed out with large flake powder like Unique, the Hornady LNL primer slider can get clogged with powder and stick, I don't think there could be any issue with the Dillon. The primer insertion anvil on the Dillion is quite a bit more robust than the LNL AP. It appears that caliber changes with the Dillion will be quite a bit more expensive.
Hornady Caliber Change
Shell Plate ~$30
Quick Change Bushings ~$15
Dies ~$40
Total $85
Dillon Caliber Change
Caliber Conversion Kit $75
Toolhead $25
Dies $40
Total $140
Dillon does sell a Toolhead kit with a powder drop for $100 which to me seems like the much better deal in the long run. The Dillon Toolhead design is really slick, just two pins allow you to remove the reloading dies and powder measure and put them aside, everything stays in perfect alignment. Hopefully I will finish assembly tomorrow evening.
Chris