Best case trimmer??

[Blackhawk]

About eight months ago I purchased the Lyman Brass Smith Case Trim X- Press Tool
The reason that I purchased this motorized case trimmer is that it trims cases locating off the shoulder instead of the cartridge case length. This ensures that each case will be uniform in length providing you do your part. ( unless I'm mistaken this is the only case trimmer that locates brass from the cases shoulder which will yield similar results from case to case )
Did I mention that this unit is motorized ! Oh yeah I did already. Am I bad?

Additionally I also own two more Lyman Universal Cases Trimmers which work very well but are slower to process brass shell cases with.( changing mandrels out and setting up for the correct depth of cut, is time consuming in my book)

The unit comes complete with supplied bushings to trim all but the most custom of calibers.( can even trim them if the parent case bushing is supplied with this case trimmer)
Additionally it is supplied with a plastic shroud that when rotated will ketch any and all of your brass shell case shavings making clean up very easy.

This is nice because there are no hidden extra charges for bushings ,cutters or collets!

Unit is supplied with a set of carbide cutters that will last a lifetime and has one of the smallest footprints on any power case trimmer allowing it to sit almost anywhere you have a little room to spare.

This unit also has a variable speed control which allows you to get a nice smooth and square face to your trimmed brass.

You can average a trimmed case between every five - seven seconds which makes your case trimming a snap.

Just check out the videos on the internet and you'll agree!
Food for thought!
I know that there are many case trimmer models and brands to choose from and they all will work providing you put in the effort, however some will function a little easier and smoother than others.

So in the end I suggest that you choose wisely, making a sound decision based on your particular needs!

 

[GLTaylor]

Another vote for Wilson

 

[LoneTraveler]

I have used a Lyman and RCBS case trimmers they seem to be a little time consuming. Put the case in the unit just to trim the case.

Years ago I settled on the Lee Case trimmer. I silver soldered an attachment to a hand shell holder fixture,
So I could use a power screwdriver or drill for power. Bought a Lee case holder with hex drive when they hit the market.

I Run new cases through FL sizing die. When I put the case in the Lee case trimming shell holder, Run case trimmer in, Then outside chamfer case, Inside chamfer case, Then run Flash hole uniformer, All in 1 setup.

On fired cases, A swipe of 0000 steel wool on the case, While turning. Then run the case length trimmer, If the case trimmer cuts the case shorter, Inside and outside chamfer case.

 

[QuietTexan]

unless I'm mistaken this is the only case trimmer that locates brass from the cases shoulder which will yield similar results from case to case

I believe the Little Crow Gunworks trimmers index off the shoulder also. But those are mostly caliber-specific, and I only use them for high volume 223 and 300 Blackout work.

For precision work, I'd vote the LE Wilson system. I'll be voting that way with my wallet when the time comes. I figure you can be fast or accurate, but not BOTH without spending a mountain of money. So I'll settle for accurate and a pile instead. My LCG trimmers are fast and a pile each, not so sure on the accurate part. Enough for blaster ammo.

 

[cape cove]

Been using the Forster original for appx 35 yrs. Works good for me and can get attachments to add to it to do other jobs.

 

[Patriot007]

Me, I love my Sinclair/LE Wilson Stainless Ultimate Case trimmer. Repeatable 99.9% of the time and dead up accurate. The down side is, I'm cheap and I hadn't bought the drill attachment yet, After 5 years of owning it.
The Carbide cutter makes trimming a breeze, Really no need for the drill, I can rip through a 100 cases in no time.
I preferer to chamfer and deburr by hand on my precision rifle cases. I find that some trimmers that preform all functions to be to aggressive or not aggressive enough in that department. I want a very light non aggressive
smooth bevel surface, not a 60* sharp as a knife bevel. That can cause neck tension issues , and leads to brass shortening quicker over multiple firings. There are some good units out there that are powered like Giraud, and Henderson. But get ready to open that wallet up. I'm just shy $300.00 on my set up, 5 years ago.

 

[DartonJager]

I have used a Lyman and RCBS case trimmers they seem to be a little time consuming. Put the case in the unit just to trim the case.

Years ago I settled on the Lee Case trimmer. I silver soldered an attachment to a hand shell holder fixture,
So I could use a power screwdriver or drill for power. Bought a Lee case holder with hex drive when they hit the market.

I Run new cases through FL sizing die. When I put the case in the Lee case trimming shell holder, Run case trimmer in, Then outside chamfer case, Inside chamfer case, Then run Flash hole uniformer, All in 1 setup.

On fired cases, A swipe of 0000 steel wool on the case, While turning. Then run the case length trimmer, If the case trimmer cuts the case shorter, Inside and outside chamfer case.

I hope this doesn't expose me for having gross ignorance, and I'm apparently in the minority here, but I must say I've been using the Lee Deluxe Quick Trim for 5-6 years now for all my calibers and have been very satisfied with it, very consistent per my Starrett calipers.
But although I try to make extremely precise reloads, I must admit I am not in the same class as those that are dedicated precision reloaders and my accuracy goals are likely below that of many here as I strive for for and usually achieve 0.5" MOA at 100 yards which I feel is very realistic given I own strictly factory rifles and my budget for reloading equipment is limited. By that I mean no A&D digital scales, 21st Century Concentricity gauges or Redding T7 turret presses in my even distant future and as much as I'd love a Lab Radar my Caldwell chrono will have to due.

 

[TheLongRanger83702]

I had a Lee case trimmer with all the inserts for various calibers and eventually got so disappointed, I threw the **** thing away! It wasn't trimming the cases evenly. I contacted Lee and they sent me another bushing that the trimmer arm rests in. No better. It's just not good enough for precision reloading. What is the consensus for the best, most uniform trimmer you can buy?

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[JPro7mm]

I used the classic Lyman trimmer for 25 years or so. It finally wore the bushing so bad it would not trim square (this is after tens of thousands of cases, so no issues with Lyman). It was reasonably fast with the drill attachment. I came across an RCBS Trim Pro 2 at a small LGS that was going out of business and got it for 1/2 off. I think it only cost me $55 for a brand new unit. I don't do 1,000 piece batches anymore and the RCBS is perfect for smaller lots of 50-100 cases at a time. It is very repeatable. However, I am considering purchasing the 3 way trimmer head for .224 and .264. Anyone have any experience with the 3 way trimmer head?

 

[Rooks]

Forster original is excellent. Simple design, very rigid, no slop. Exact length to the .001" every time. My shooting buddy uses the RCBS unit that has a quick release design that is very dependent on force used. We get different results with small changes in technique. That thing will drive you crazy.

 

[PNWdude67]

I had a Lee case trimmer with all the inserts for various calibers and eventually got so disappointed, I threw the **** thing away! It wasn't trimming the cases evenly. I contacted Lee and they sent me another bushing that the trimmer arm rests in. No better. It's just not good enough for precision reloading. What is the consensus for the best, most uniform trimmer you can buy?

Henderson Precision 1/2 thousandths consistency for me.

 

[drahthaars4ever]

I upgraded to a Wilson (with the micrometer) from my 40 year old RCBS. The Wilson is very nice, maybe the only negative is having to but the case holder, but I think it's worth it. On a side note I'm a Draht fan. I got my first one back in 2004 and currently have a 7 year old and a 8 month old pup.

Thanks for the reply. Yes, very much like the drahthaars!

 

[drahthaars4ever]

I also use a Giraud (like @Beluebow ). It is very fast because it trims/chamfers/deburs simultaneously. The unit indexes off the shoulder; you feed it like sharpening a pencil. I can rip through 300+ in a very short time. However it is costly and would be overkill, in my opinion, if speed was not of prime importance....ie- having to prep hundreds of pieces in a sitting. Forster makes a 3-way trimmer that can be powered with a cordless drill that will perform all three operations in a single step. It is not as quick as a Giraud (marginally slower but a little more work to chuck the case) but it is spot on in precision and less that 1/4 of the price. If I had smaller numbers to trim the Forster would be my go to.

Accurate cutting vs speed is more important to me with my long range loads. Good info! Tks

 

[srogerson]

I use the Giruad Power Trimmer for everything I can use it for. I tried to buy a 26 Nosler case holder from him in 2015, but he told me it wasn't worth his time to make case holders for "non-standard size".

So, for that I use the RCBS Trim Pro, which works fine, too. Just slower.

I see that Doug now makes a case holder for the 26 Nosler.