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FINALLY fixed 3-4 related issues with Dillon 650 Press - Short Video Explanation

BrokeLink.jpg

Do you think Gorilla tape or glue to fix this? 🤣 Cheap crap pot metal casting.. I mean you spend a lot of money on these things, the least they can do is make some solid metal parts! haha here's a link to an older 1050 aftermarket part https://fastandfriendlybrass.com/product/ffb-link-arm-for-the-dillon-super-1050/ explaining how it's crap.. Nobody makes one for the 650/750. I'm thinking of drawing one up in TurboCAD and having a few milled in high quality aluminum or even hardened steel. On a Good note, Dillon's rep on the Reloading Discord (yeah they have a rep that hangs out on there and takes care of customers practically 24/7) had my order put in instantly.. Downside is that this happened on Dec. 23rd.. So I didn't get it until Friday (30th). Back at it, like a reloading addict.
 
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Do you think Gorilla tape or glue to fix this? 🤣 Cheap crap pot metal casting.. I mean you spend a lot of money on these things, the least they can do is make some solid metal parts! haha here's a link to an older 1050 aftermarket part https://fastandfriendlybrass.com/product/ffb-link-arm-for-the-dillon-super-1050/ explaining how it's crap.. Nobody makes one for the 650/750. I'm thinking of drawing one up in TurboCAD and having a few milled in high quality aluminum or even hardened steel. On a Good note, Dillon's rep on the Reloading Discord (yeah they have a rep that hangs out on there and takes care of customers practically 24/7) had my order put in instantly.. Downside is that this happened on Dec. 23rd.. So I didn't get it until Friday (30th). Back at it, like a reloading addict.

I have used the Dillon rep on the Discord several times. He’s much quicker than calling Dillon. There is an easy fix for your broken press is called the Super 1050 or the 1100. They are made SO much better than all the presses below them. I could not believe the difference between the presses till I moved up. And shortly after moving up to their big press, I had to get another one 3 weeks later. I kick myself in the ass for not getting them sooner.
 
After years of loving my Dillon 550B I switched to 650 because so many friends raved about them and they seemed great. A year into the 650 I was miserable. I had sent the 550B to Dillon for a complete remanufacture before selling it. I wished I had kept it. Long story short I sat down with great determination this week and finally removed some of the fancy upgrades and made the factory configuration work. I created my own fixes and now solved at least 4 related issues with the same root cause. Many of you may have never induced these self inflicted problems and may be a hell of a lot smarter than me but I made a single take 4-5 minute video trying to explain what would be impossible with this text. If this helps even one person well worth my time. For the first time ever I'm getting 100 out of 100 good rounds. I had realigned the press and done a dozen things recommended my Dillon and none of them worked until I focused on the issue the good old fashioned redneck hillbilly way. Thanks for all the help I've gotten from ODT people over the years. Many of which are brilliant on reloading.

There is a set screw under the plate, near the indexing piece, that keeps the shell plate from tightening..yes the 650 can make u nuts, if everything isn’t working in concert, I think I have 1 of the first, I’ve had mine for 25 yrs, and have done all kind of little things of my own, and seem to always go back to what the factory put together. 1 crushed primer, and the shell plate won’t work right..1 powder dump, the same results..as after a while u get real good at taking that bitch apart and cleaning it..lol..I like spray brake cleaner,that piece that’s puts your brass into the shell plate, it has 1 side for riffle and 1 side for pistol, check to see if your using the right side, when u go from riffle to pistol it needs to be changed, and it will slap
 
View attachment 5156645
Do you think Gorilla tape or glue to fix this? 🤣 Cheap crap pot metal casting.. I mean you spend a lot of money on these things, the least they can do is make some solid metal parts! haha here's a link to an older 1050 aftermarket part https://fastandfriendlybrass.com/product/ffb-link-arm-for-the-dillon-super-1050/ explaining how it's crap.. Nobody makes one for the 650/750. I'm thinking of drawing one up in TurboCAD and having a few milled in high quality aluminum or even hardened steel. On a Good note, Dillon's rep on the Reloading Discord (yeah they have a rep that hangs out on there and takes care of customers practically 24/7) had my order put in instantly.. Downside is that this happened on Dec. 23rd.. So I didn't get it until Friday (30th). Back at it, like a reloading addict.
 
It just broke mid processing 9mm brass. De-capping with FW Arms Popper die. https://fwarms.com/shop/reloading/d...popper-auto-case-centering-decapper-deprimer/ highly recommend it if you don't already own one. I was using Lee Universal and Squirrel daddy pins, but after suffering primer draw back.. I tried sanding the tips over and over to reduce it.. Finally coughed up the dough for the FWA, I just wish I had from day one with the XL750. Sizing in a Lee die, and expanding just enough to accept a bullet, but still case gauge. Back when I was running a turret press and single stage I thought "I'm going to stop picking up 9mm brass once I have a 5gal bucket full." Well since I got the XL750 (Mid-July) I now have 6 - 5gal buckets full of fully processed 9mm.

Besides the processing, I've loaded lots, so I'd say it's had about 67,000 strokes in 160 days! I already did another 1,100 tonight after work.. I also spent the time waiting for the link arm to sort 6 buckets of .223/5.56. They're about to get processed with the RT1500. I still have about 4,000 pieces of 300blk, that I time consumingly hand chopped, converted, and trimmed.. I need to sell those before I make any more :) An old buddy just showed me that you can use the 300blk trim die to make 300 HAM'R!

The Dillon rep told me that my press looked dirty, suggested I clean it while I was waiting. Well I completely broke it down, cleaned and lubed all of the proper parts. I got it all put back together, tuned, timed, and aligned.. Now, It freaking seems to run like crap! I'm hoping once it gets a little dirty, she'll start purring along again hahaha. I like tinkering, I'm getting to know the press and function more and more.. But we've certainly had our moments.

Early on I broke two of the plastic indexer rings, from jammed up drawn back primers.. Dillon replaced the original and the one from my spare parts kit for Free. I seen this machinist on ebay offering cnc'd ones for the 650
I read somewhere that he was supposedly going to make one for the XL750. I sent him a message inquiring about it months ago, still no response.

I'm not knocking the company by any means. They make a well designed product, waaay better than a Lee, RCBS, or Hornady progressive.. Customer service and their "NO B.S. Warranty" is well.. NO B.S. I went with an XL750 so I could load 30-06, 35 Whelen, and other big cartridges. Plus the cost factor, Hell, I just got a .38/.357 Caliber Conversion kit for $95 shipped! Try that with a RL1100.

I'm not sure if I ever showed a picture of my bench setup.. BF556 Custom made pistol caliber bullet feeder, Hornady .223 & .308 feeder, 6 - Quick change setups, Lots of Inline Fabrication, and all sorts of Upgrade do-dads from day one..

XL750.jpg

Happy & Safe Blue Team reloading!
 
It just broke mid processing 9mm brass. De-capping with FW Arms Popper die. https://fwarms.com/shop/reloading/d...popper-auto-case-centering-decapper-deprimer/ highly recommend it if you don't already own one. I was using Lee Universal and Squirrel daddy pins, but after suffering primer draw back.. I tried sanding the tips over and over to reduce it.. Finally coughed up the dough for the FWA, I just wish I had from day one with the XL750. Sizing in a Lee die, and expanding just enough to accept a bullet, but still case gauge. Back when I was running a turret press and single stage I thought "I'm going to stop picking up 9mm brass once I have a 5gal bucket full." Well since I got the XL750 (Mid-July) I now have 6 - 5gal buckets full of fully processed 9mm.

Besides the processing, I've loaded lots, so I'd say it's had about 67,000 strokes in 160 days! I already did another 1,100 tonight after work.. I also spent the time waiting for the link arm to sort 6 buckets of .223/5.56. They're about to get processed with the RT1500. I still have about 4,000 pieces of 300blk, that I time consumingly hand chopped, converted, and trimmed.. I need to sell those before I make any more :) An old buddy just showed me that you can use the 300blk trim die to make 300 HAM'R!

The Dillon rep told me that my press looked dirty, suggested I clean it while I was waiting. Well I completely broke it down, cleaned and lubed all of the proper parts. I got it all put back together, tuned, timed, and aligned.. Now, It freaking seems to run like crap! I'm hoping once it gets a little dirty, she'll start purring along again hahaha. I like tinkering, I'm getting to know the press and function more and more.. But we've certainly had our moments.

Early on I broke two of the plastic indexer rings, from jammed up drawn back primers.. Dillon replaced the original and the one from my spare parts kit for Free. I seen this machinist on ebay offering cnc'd ones for the 650
I read somewhere that he was supposedly going to make one for the XL750. I sent him a message inquiring about it months ago, still no response.

I'm not knocking the company by any means. They make a well designed product, waaay better than a Lee, RCBS, or Hornady progressive.. Customer service and their "NO B.S. Warranty" is well.. NO B.S. I went with an XL750 so I could load 30-06, 35 Whelen, and other big cartridges. Plus the cost factor, Hell, I just got a .38/.357 Caliber Conversion kit for $95 shipped! Try that with a RL1100.

I'm not sure if I ever showed a picture of my bench setup.. BF556 Custom made pistol caliber bullet feeder, Hornady .223 & .308 feeder, 6 - Quick change setups, Lots of Inline Fabrication, and all sorts of Upgrade do-dads from day one..

View attachment 5161538
Happy & Safe Blue Team reloading!
How do I like your mr Bullet?
 
I had a main link on my 1050 break while processing 380s. Dillon would not cover it under warranty because the press was more than a year old. Costs $200 for a new one.
 

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How do you like..oops
Yeah if you do a Google search or are on the Reloading discord "BF556" makes them (I believe it was/is a big group effort from tons of people on castboolits.com) with adapters for all sorts of feeders. I already had every flavor of Hornady bullet feeder dies that I was using with a turret style bullet feeder on my turret press, so it was cheapest to go that route. It works flawlessly, aside from the very rare upside down bullet. I can't remember off the top what I paid for it, but it was about half what a MBF setup would have cost me. The Hornady setup works really well too, I had to modify it a bit to work with 300blk/300hamr length brass (there's a really good video on yt that details the process).

Jackie Graham Jackie Graham
That's also one of the Huge reasons I went with the XL750. I'm not in the Reloading business, but I do enjoy lots of loading and processing.. so the real "Lifetime warranty" had me sold. Of course the case feeder is only 1yr. I've seen some people discussing "total rebuild cost" from Dillon on the 550's being $50 (2010) to $75 (2015) $100 (2018).. I wordered what the total rebuild cost on the 1100's would run? But hearing about them wanting $200 for the link, I can't imagine that it's cheap.. Might as well buy a new one, put the broken parts on the old and send it in while it's still under warranty 🤣 I'm kidding, I would never do anything like that :rolleyes:
 
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