BamaMike63
Active Member
Call RCBS and they will probably replace it for free.
15 yearold RCBS Chargemaster quit
- Thread starter Iron Worker
- Start date
Help Support Long Range Hunting Forum
MarkInPA
Well-Known Member
The new Hornady is supposed to get good reviews.
Knight
Well-Known Member
What model Hornady?
They won't warranty replace a 15 year old Chargemaster. Lone Mountain just repaired mine last year, they only had it about three weeks. I did buy a backup so now I have a Chargemaster and Chargemaster Lite.
MarkInPA
Well-Known Member
Greatgrandad
Well-Known Member
That sounds like the things I do. As someone who has an electronics background from many moons ago, I am always trying to figure out why something quit and repair it, if possible. However, so many things today are SMT and micro, its not always possible. Rarely do I just throw it out without a good attempt to repair first.
MarkInPA
Well-Known Member
Appears the old Chargemaster 1500 setup is the long lasting war horse, and the subsequent RCBS models are iffy. If you can't get ahold of a new(er) old stock 1500 then that Hornady looks to be the mutt's nuts.
The AutoTrickler combo for $1100 that measures to the kernel sounds enticing, but Jim said he burnt one out already.
The AutoTrickler combo for $1100 that measures to the kernel sounds enticing, but Jim said he burnt one out already.
Wachsmann
Well-Known Member
Mine went out a few years ago the powder thrower but o found one on clearance about half price so I snagged it. Only issue I have now is with the load cell drift over a little while by about 1/10 or 2/10 of a grain. So my charges can be off. Mine is about 25 years old. And I do believe leveling it plugged in and own is the best. Mine has spent almost its entire life plugged in and own. Probably has thrown over 25000 rounds during its life so far. I just now check ever charge with a balance beam scale and will balance to the kernel. Doing this long enough you figure out you powders and how many kernel it takes to make 1/10 of a grain. One of these days I will buy something else or an upgraded one.
Sdvldog1371
Well-Known Member
Now, when you all say quit...does it just not come on?
I have a chargemaster lite that is maybe 6 years old. I haven't used it in the last 4 years really. Work got the best of me, and then a little over a year and a half ago I got the super trickler for because I didn't trust the chargemaster due to wild scale drift.
Anyway, went to use it a several weeks back, and it powered up but didn't dispense. I decided to turn the tube manually after hitting go...it struggled at first but got going really slowly. Then I told it to throw 150gr and helped it a few more times...it's back to working. If I leave it more than a week or so it struggles at first. I just input a big charge and it usually breaks free on its own.
Nice to know there is a resource for repair though. I didn't use that thing remotely enough for it to pay for itself.
I have a chargemaster lite that is maybe 6 years old. I haven't used it in the last 4 years really. Work got the best of me, and then a little over a year and a half ago I got the super trickler for because I didn't trust the chargemaster due to wild scale drift.
Anyway, went to use it a several weeks back, and it powered up but didn't dispense. I decided to turn the tube manually after hitting go...it struggled at first but got going really slowly. Then I told it to throw 150gr and helped it a few more times...it's back to working. If I leave it more than a week or so it struggles at first. I just input a big charge and it usually breaks free on its own.
Nice to know there is a resource for repair though. I didn't use that thing remotely enough for it to pay for itself.
Clean and lube with silicone. These things do need maintenance. Leave them plugged in an on but they still need to be cleaned.
If the weight is not stable and you can't get it to be then the unit isn't useful. I can throw 50 charges with a Lyman 55and trickle them up, WAY faster than an RCBS can do it
Sdvldog1371
Well-Known Member
For a while, I was throwing a half grain shy and trickling up with a separate Frankford arsenal hand trickling unit. I wasn't aware, with sealed bearing, that there was a way to lubricate them. I will look into that. Thanks.
