JerryO
03-22-2008, 11:33 PM
Often, it is asked what the differences between the pro1000 and loadmaster are.
These are very different presses, I have both.
Most obvious is the pro1000 has 3 stations, while the loadmaster appears to have 5 (1 station is lost to the priming function, letting you use only 4 for normal operations.
The pro1000 primes on the back stroke (as the ram goes down, like most presses) while the LM primes in station 2 as the ram goes up. I believe the LM primes best with the resizeing die above the primer, but requires an extra deprime die in station 1 to do this.
The pro1000 has gravity feed of primers. the LM uses gravity, then has a primer slider which has been known to stick, then get cut up by the primer pin.
Both require the primer trough to be kept full (and clean) or the primer feed will fail as the primers run out.
The pro1000 has a plastic ratchet to drive the auto advance (which has worked very well for me) while the LM has a square peg that is pushed by the handle (this happens after the ram is near the bottom, which allows much longer shell length), it also works well.
The pro1000 case slider is driven by a wire link, the LM case slider is driven by a friction pad on a square bar, which changes friction as time goes by.
The pro1000 can scatter used primers, while the LM drops the old primers into the hollow ram, without fail.
The pro1000 has a ramp for the loaded rounds to slide down, but mine won't (I pluck and box the rounds from the shellplate). The LM eject works.
So the pro1000 can NOT use a powder check die or a separate crimp die. The LM is intended to use a separate crimp die, but I have found it possible to use a powder check die in station 4 if station 5 uses a bullet seating & crimping die. But I have only done this by running the press left handed (that is running the handle with my left hand and setting the bullets with my right hand). I do have more room to set the bullets than most as I don't have the case feeder tubes installed. I drop the empty cases behind the case slider with my right hand as the ram is going up.
Caliber change is quite easy on both, just lift off the turret, remove the shellplate nut, lift off the shellplate (I don't use the eject wire on the pro1000), lift out the primer unit (all only if needed). BUT the pro1000 has instructions that are much more difficult. Lee also wants you to buy a pro1000 shell plate carrier for each caliber.
The LM ends up costing me 1/2 again what the pro1000 cost (remember the decaping die) and has NO feel of the primers seating. On the other hand feeling the primers seat takes me about 1 second per round, so the pro1000 is that much slower (maybe 10%).
JerryO
These are very different presses, I have both.
Most obvious is the pro1000 has 3 stations, while the loadmaster appears to have 5 (1 station is lost to the priming function, letting you use only 4 for normal operations.
The pro1000 primes on the back stroke (as the ram goes down, like most presses) while the LM primes in station 2 as the ram goes up. I believe the LM primes best with the resizeing die above the primer, but requires an extra deprime die in station 1 to do this.
The pro1000 has gravity feed of primers. the LM uses gravity, then has a primer slider which has been known to stick, then get cut up by the primer pin.
Both require the primer trough to be kept full (and clean) or the primer feed will fail as the primers run out.
The pro1000 has a plastic ratchet to drive the auto advance (which has worked very well for me) while the LM has a square peg that is pushed by the handle (this happens after the ram is near the bottom, which allows much longer shell length), it also works well.
The pro1000 case slider is driven by a wire link, the LM case slider is driven by a friction pad on a square bar, which changes friction as time goes by.
The pro1000 can scatter used primers, while the LM drops the old primers into the hollow ram, without fail.
The pro1000 has a ramp for the loaded rounds to slide down, but mine won't (I pluck and box the rounds from the shellplate). The LM eject works.
So the pro1000 can NOT use a powder check die or a separate crimp die. The LM is intended to use a separate crimp die, but I have found it possible to use a powder check die in station 4 if station 5 uses a bullet seating & crimping die. But I have only done this by running the press left handed (that is running the handle with my left hand and setting the bullets with my right hand). I do have more room to set the bullets than most as I don't have the case feeder tubes installed. I drop the empty cases behind the case slider with my right hand as the ram is going up.
Caliber change is quite easy on both, just lift off the turret, remove the shellplate nut, lift off the shellplate (I don't use the eject wire on the pro1000), lift out the primer unit (all only if needed). BUT the pro1000 has instructions that are much more difficult. Lee also wants you to buy a pro1000 shell plate carrier for each caliber.
The LM ends up costing me 1/2 again what the pro1000 cost (remember the decaping die) and has NO feel of the primers seating. On the other hand feeling the primers seat takes me about 1 second per round, so the pro1000 is that much slower (maybe 10%).
JerryO