Loading presses ?

[Trickymissfit]

Forster ? Redding Boss is $159.00 at Sportsmens Warehouse . I'll check on the Forster.

I've never seen the big Redding for that kinda money. Most I've seen are similar priced to the Forster, and there's no compairison between them. The Forster is the most powerfull press on the market (has been since day one). The squarest press out there, and probably will last you a couple lifetimes. Maybe Redding moved their manufacturing to Asia like RCBS and Hornaday?
gary

note: I correct myself! I was thinking of their Ultra Mag, and they go for about $289 at Sinclair. You can buy the Redding Boss there for $129. Midway and others sell the Forster for anywhere from about $240 to $270. But with the Forster you don't have to buy shell holders, and it's priming device is very nice, and only exceeded by something like a Sinclair or K&M hand held tool. If you load quite a few different rounds you'll easilly make up a large chunk of that in the cost of sheel holders alone.. If your doing big cases you really want a heavyduty press.
glt

 

[boomtube]

Sully2: "Man...are you ever fooling yourself!!!"

One of us is fooled. If I'm wrong, give us some hard data based on sufficent samples to be statistically meaningful for how the various presses stack up. I don't think you can because I don't think such meaningful data exists because if it did we would surely see it in the 'winner's' advertizing.

Personal opinion based on how purty something is or how it's hyped on the web is insufficent evidence to establish the quality of work that can be done with the tool; without such valid data someone else is "fooling yourself".

 

[Iron Worker]

I've never seen the big Redding for that kinda money. Most I've seen are similar priced to the Forster, and there's no compairison between them. The Forster is the most powerfull press on the market (has been since day one). The squarest press out there, and probably will last you a couple lifetimes. Maybe Redding moved their manufacturing to Asia like RCBS and Hornaday?
gary

note: I correct myself! I was thinking of their Ultra Mag, and they go for about $289 at Sinclair. You can buy the Redding Boss there for $129. Midway and others sell the Forster for anywhere from about $240 to $270. But with the Forster you don't have to buy shell holders, and it's priming device is very nice, and only exceeded by something like a Sinclair or K&M hand held tool. If you load quite a few different rounds you'll easilly make up a large chunk of that in the cost of sheel holders alone.. If your doing big cases you really want a heavyduty press.
glt

Well there's a Redding Boss II that's the one for $159.00. Think I'm going to check it out now.

 

[Sully2]

Sully2: "Man...are you ever fooling yourself!!!"

One of us is fooled. If I'm wrong, give us some hard data based on sufficent samples to be statistically meaningful for how the various presses stack up. I don't think you can because I don't think such meaningful data exists because if it did we would surely see it in the 'winner's' advertizing.

Personal opinion based on how purty something is or how it's hyped on the web is insufficent evidence to establish the quality of work that can be done with the tool; without such valid data someone else is "fooling yourself".

How "purty" a thing is has nothing to do with it. Take a good close look at a Lee presses basic construction and then look at an RCBS...the thickness of materials, the fit of various components...the SERVICE DEPT if you need something ( I know from experience that Lee doesnt even want to talk to most people..let alone assist them)..let alone the vast differences in items that are offered for sale.

Run test to gather date...WHY...thats like asking someone that shot himself thru the left foot..if it hurt more than when he shot himself thru the right foot!!! It doesnt even make sense to gather such data...they speak for themselves.

And I dont stack up the "quality of work that can be done with the tools"...I stack up the quality OF the tools!

 

[Iron Worker]

Can't we all just get along ?

 

[Trickymissfit]

How "purty" a thing is has nothing to do with it. Take a good close look at a Lee presses basic construction and then look at an RCBS...the thickness of materials, the fit of various components...the SERVICE DEPT if you need something ( I know from experience that Lee doesnt even want to talk to most people..let alone assist them)..let alone the vast differences in items that are offered for sale.

Run test to gather date...WHY...thats like asking someone that shot himself thru the left foot..if it hurt more than when he shot himself thru the right foot!!! It doesnt even make sense to gather such data...they speak for themselves.

And I dont stack up the "quality of work that
can be done with the tools"...I stack up the quality OF the tools!

that's why I like the Forster
gary

 

[Sully2]

that's why I like the Forster
gary

Well...as I have already said....Ive always heard good comments about them.....but never had the opportunity to even SEE one..let alone handle / operate one..??

 

[Trickymissfit]

Well...as I have already said....Ive always heard good comments about them.....but never had the opportunity to even SEE one..let alone handle / operate one..??

we're not that far apart (location). If you ever get up to the Indy area let me know, and I'll be glad to let you fool around with it. They're not perfect (none are), but it does about 97% of everything I do very well. The one thing it does better than anything I've ever used is sizing very long strait walled cases, and heavy duty case forming.
gary

 

[Sully2]

My longest straight walled case is a 44 Mag....and I do no case forming as such...

 

[Trickymissfit]

My longest straight walled case is a 44 Mag....and I do no case forming as such...

i was thinking 2" and longer strait walled cases. The pressure really starts to stack up with them.
gary

 

[Iron Worker]

I bought the Boss,looks like its going to take some breaking in .

 

[flashhole]

I had a Forster Co-Ax. It was a nicely built press of high quality but I didn't like the ergonomics at all. I sold it after I bought a Redding Ultramag and now have two Ultramags on the bench. The comments about strength and no comparison to the Co-Ax .... BS with a capital B and a capital S. The Ultramag is stronger. I got real tired of pinching my fingers in the Co-Ax seating bullets in long cases. Blood blisters and reloading are not supposed to be used in the same sentence. Those who own Co-Ax presses and like them ... good for you but please don't make it out to be something it is not. A word about Lee Classic series. These are very high quality presses with lots of good features. I have one Classic Cast single stage and two Classic Turrets. Excellet presses and excellent value. I've had a few other brands on the bench over the years but won't talk about them because they are not being given undeserved accolades of supremecy over other brands. I like what I like and I make excellent ammo. I would recommend what I have over a Co-Ax based on my experience with both.

 

[Trickymissfit]

I had a Forster Co-Ax. It was a nicely built press of high quality but I didn't like the ergonomics at all. I sold it after I bought a Redding Ultramag and now have two Ultramags on the bench. The comments about strength and no comparison to the Co-Ax .... BS with a capital B and a capital S. The Ultramag is stronger. I got real tired of pinching my fingers in the Co-Ax seating bullets in long cases. Blood blisters and reloading are not supposed to be used in the same sentence. Those who own Co-Ax presses and like them ... good for you but please don't make it out to be something it is not. A word about Lee Classic series. These are very high quality presses with lots of good features. I have one Classic Cast single stage and two Classic Turrets. Excellet presses and excellent value. I've had a few other brands on the bench over the years but won't talk about them because they are not being given undeserved accolades of supremecy over other brands. I like what I like and I make excellent ammo. I would recommend what I have over a Co-Ax based on my experience with both.

it's really pretty simple when it comes to strength verses power ratios. The Forster is what is known as a toggle press, the others are known as link presses. A toggle system multiplies the power as it travels with the greatest power being in the secound half of the ram's travel. But the toggles system can also be setup to exert the most power in it's initial travel, or actually where ever you wish. A press designed to use the toggle linkage requires less needed power to get the same amount of force from a conventional press or a link press. If you figure the fulcrum points with the same exterted power into the system you will see that your post is completely in error.

Ever wonder why heavy punch presses a large hydraulic arbor presses have guide rods? Ever wonder why a stamping dies has guide rods? It's called alignment, and counter acting torque. Without them you are exerting a good amount of force sideways as well as up and down. That's a down fall of working off a fulcrum point. Ideally the press ram should be moved strait up and down by a force in perfect alignment with the ram. In most cases this is impractical, and you usually cannot build up the needed power without a very large power souce. In some light duty apps they use a vertical mounted cylinder of a large diameter and a short travel. Some even use ball screws with a measured torque output. None of these work well with sizing a brass case

Ergonomics means nothing when one guy might be a midgit and the next might be six foot tall. Some folks like the long handle of the Forster and others prefer the short handle. Put a ten inch handle on that Redding, and start full length sizing 30-06 cases. Now put a ten inch handle of the other and start sizing 30-06 cases. Will take you about fifteen minutes to know the difference. The real test if something like 45-70 cases, or some of the Nitro Express stuff.

suggestion: goto the Half Price Bookstore, and buy an Applied Mechanics book and a good machine tool design book.
gary

 

[boomtube]

Sully 2: "Take a good close look at a Lee presses basic construction and then look at an RCBS...the thickness of materials, the fit of various components..."

First, I don't have to guess about the RCBS constuction, I use an RC. That said, RCBS makes more than one press, so does Lee so suggesting a "look at a Lee" press without mentioning THE press is meaningless; I was specifically refering to the Classic Cast which is fully as beefy and larger/more durable than my old RC.

Second, so far as absolute quality of a tool goes, it's interesting that anyone should consider absolute "quality" as a meaningful criteria rather than the purpose it will be put to. For instance, American woodworkers often consider the Delta Unisaw as a sufficently high grade table saw. However, European table saws greatly exceed Delta's 'quality' but at a very high price. Still, our wood crafters continue to do excellant work on Unisaws which is, after all, the point of buying tools isn't it? It's also a given that a CoAx is much higher 'quality' press than the RC,so is a Harrel, but they're all far better than is needed for reloading 9mm handgun ammo. Meaning, it's more rational to choose our tools for the task they will perform rather than some subjective 'quality' concept. And Lee's Classic Cast IS a superior tool to my Rock Chucker.