Casting ? - Why the cost difference..?

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Leftheart

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You will find Richard Lee's philosophy is that most products are overpriced and over-engineered. He made it his life's work to take every nickel out of a thing until it no longer worked then put a dime back in.

That's why his molds are 1/4 the cost of the other ones.

I have not owned any Lee products therefore have not had any problems (or good experiences) to report. I have no further opinion.
 
I have several Lee molds in .38, .44, and .45 caliber as well as some Lyman and RCBS. I don't own a lube/sizer, so used to used the pan and cookie cutter method for traditional design cast bullets with one or two large lube grooves. The Lee sizer die sets work well enough for the limited quantity. For higher volume target shooting, the Lee Tumble Lube designs are nice - very convenient and fast. If you're just getting into casting, the Lee products make an economical way to get into it -- and I think you'll find many satisfied users who see no need to replace those molds with other brands. Don't get me wrong, I really like my Lyman and RCBS molds as well and have no problem with owning a mixed bag. For some reason, it just seems right to shoot a Lyman 429421 out of my single action Super Blackhawk, but with most of my applications, the pedigree doesn't seem as important.

Midway is a fine supplier and does a lot to support the shooting sports, I order frequently from them.

For a wealth of info on bullet casting, search for the "cast boolit forum" (spell it like that). Good luck and enjoy! John
 
I have Saeco and Lyman. The Lyman are nicer in that they have a set screw on the sprue adjustment screw. Seems to work better than the mold without. Both of my brands are very well made, and fit my "buy it once' philosophy. Can also buy rebuild kits for the Lyman as far as screws and sprue plates.
 
It's like the price of cars...some people just want to get from point "A" to point "B" so we drive Chevy and Fords. Some folk's want to go from "A" to "B" in style and want to impress others with how much money they have , so they drive Cadillac's, Mercedes-Benze and Porsche's. Both get where they are going it just depends on how much you want to pay or can afford. I prefer Lyman moulds but all the new moulds I have bought in the past 15 years have been Lee. For the price they are great. The 6 cavity moulds are of excellent quality and the best value around. I am greatful for Richard Lee's affordable bullet moulds , sizing kits and electric furnace's. I need moulds for 41 magnum and 303 British and have narrowed down my search to Lee's because of price and availability.
Gary
 
Lee blocks are aluminium and Saeco are cast iron. I have both types but mostly cast iron from Lyman and RCBS and Hoch. Cast iron being much sturdier! Like all LEE stuff you get what you pay for.
 
Find a source of lead before you start casting, realize there is more to it than you think. Much more to it than just filling mold cavities with lead and opening it and letting the drop out. I own half a dozen or so of the lee moldd and have no issues. I like my lymans better. The lees are nice and light and make many bullets fast but aluminum heats and cools rather quickly and will give you some headaches, the numner one thing to keep in mind is never let water get into the pot when hot it will turn to steam instantly and you will be wearing that 750deg faster than you can blink an eye. Wear a face sheild and protective clothing like long sleeves at least.
 
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I have owned two Lee molds. They didn't cost much and that was about what they were worth. Neither one cast a decent boolit. Castboolit.com has several stickies telling how to rebuild Lee molds so they do a reasonable job. I don't want a mold that needs major rebuilding.

I have six Redding/Saeco molds and they do pretty good job of casting decent boolits, without going to a lot of fuss and bother. I also have six molds from Accurate Molds, which are custom made molds, and they are works of art that cast perfect boolits. In the boolit casting game, you pretty much get what you pay for when it comes to molds. It is not cheap to produce a top quality mold, so don't expect a top quality mold for a cheap price. Lyman molds are hit and miss. Some are top notch and some are not so good. I have heard RCBS molds are pretty good. Any of the many custom mold makers produce top drawer stuff.
Life is too short to mess around with finicky skanky molds.
 
You can find some decent used Lyman moulds on Ebay and occasionally gunbroker all the time for under $100. I know my #358156 single cavity mould cost me about $30 and then I spent another $30 getting it turned into a HP mould. I also have a second single cavity mould for the 358156 SWC mould I left alone, I paid $25 for that one. As far as the cost, well I was given well over 50 pounds of wheel weights and I still have plenty of them. My Lee Lead pot was $30, pretty basic but it works for me. I found a little Lee bottom pour for $20 at a gun show. I have cast a couple thousand bullets over the last year which doesn't sound like a lot but there was several months out of each year where I wasn't casting at all. Figure even $25 for those same bullets per 100 from a company like Montana Bullet Co. and you can see where the saving comes in. I figure I have cast over $750 in bullets for a lot less than I spent doing it.
 
As far as Lee mold go,, Not too bad & I have 3 or 4. Lyman molds are great I have 4,, But I do use the Lee molds problem free & many a Boolits cast from them ; ) PS I had 350 lbs of lead give to me to start years ago

Y/D
 
Lee molds

My Lee moulds prior to 2013 (1992 to 02005), about 8 of them, could be accurately described as junk. The moulds are delicate, poorly machined, don't drop the bullet from the mould -- if it can go wrong it does. :mad:

I just got a Lee 6 cavity, .358 diameter 148 grain wadcutter tumble lube mold -- WOW ! ! It casts perfect bullets after the third filling, opens easily, bullets fall out without pounding/picking at the mould -- everything the others don't do. I also have new 45 acp, 44, and 40 S&W 6 cavity moulds to try out. Quality in Lee molds has improved. :eek: :D
 
Nframecollector said:
Lee blocks are aluminium and Saeco are cast iron. I have both types but mostly cast iron from Lyman and RCBS and Hoch. Cast iron being much sturdier! Like all LEE stuff you get what you pay for.
Click to expand...

Only Lee product I own for casting is their 20# ladle pour Magnum Melter furnace. Works very well, and a good deal at the price of about $50.
 
I have SAECO 4 cavities that I've used for forty years. They continue to produce great bullets. They are real quality. I regularly use Lee molds. They are inexpensive and don't hold up like a SAECO or RCBS. For the price, they are adequate. I love to see the bullets pile up when casting from the Lee 6 cavity mold. Your choice.
 
I have a little bit of everything. I wouldn't spend money on a Lee 2 cavity. I also wouldn't spend the money on a Lyman or Saeco that is a common design. Lee 6 cavity molds are hard to beat for price and production. You can run them hot and pump out a lot of good pistol bullets in a short amount of time. My biggest beef with the 6 cavity is the aluminum sprue plate. I run the so hot and push them so hard they want to warp or bow.
 
blujax01 said:
You will find Richard Lee's philosophy is that most products are overpriced and over-engineered. He made it his life's work to take every nickel out of a thing until it no longer worked then put a dime back in.
Click to expand...


That is stating it about as eloquently as I have ever seen it said. :)

The Lee 6 cavity molds are a bargain. They work well and I have some that have cast many thousands (upwards of 25,000 easily) and are still going strong.

That said, a SAECO mold is a Cadillac compared to Lee's Chevy. Using one is an absolute pleasure.
 
Lee molds are aluminum. They are not cut with expensive cherries but machined. The problem, for me, was the aluminum. it heats and cools very fast, thus you need to cast fast to keep the mold hot or you need to dip a corner in the molten lead all the time to keep it hot. Also, aluminum is soft and easily damaged.
I own several Lee molds and they work quite well. They are cheap enough to replace if you screw them up.
I really prefer steel molds, particularly Lyman and RCBS, but the cost is high. Thus, I look for old ones in good shape at gun shows.
 
Leftheart said:
So i would like to try casting.. but i am really curious to the cost difference... is it just brand. or quality?
$39 bucks and 6 cast...... Lee 6-Cavity Bullet Mold 401-175-TC 40 S&W (401 Diameter) 175 Grain

or $169 for 4 cast --> Saeco 4-Cavity Bullet Mold #047 40 S&W 10mm (401 Diameter) 200 Grain

do you know of a better place to purchase?
i know most everything is backordered.. but wanted to find some that i could order on backorder... searching for something good for 40SW for my M&P 40c
Click to expand...

Price difference: Brand and Quality. Both are capable of casting some really good bullets. A high quality mold is a thing of beauty, just like a fine firearm.

Purchase advice: I've purchased most of my iron and brass molds from various online auction sites. The good molds don't really wear out if cared for. Make sure the seller has posted lots of pictures of the cavities and "face" of the mold. They need to be perfect and free of rust. Dings and dents on the outside of the block don't really hurt anything. Quality used molds have much higher resale value. Used Lee molds are very inexpensive and I wouldn't purchase a used one unless I could inspect it first. I view the Lee molds as pretty much disposable.
 
I have just started casting. I bought a Lee 2 cavity mold because they had the one I needed on the shelf at a LGS for less than $25. Even if they had been available, I would not be getting one of the $100+ molds to get started with. I want to make sure I will still be casting in a couple of years before dropping that much money on molds.

I consider the Lee molds to be a consumable. I have also found that they work. Mine will produce bullets decent enough to get very small groups at 7 yds with my model 10.

If I am still casting next year, I may look into better quality molds. In the meantime, I will be using my cheap Lee mold and make bullets, learning, and enjoying shooting.

To get the whole casting ball of wax could easily run me over $500. Between a couple of high quality molds, a lead melter, and a lube sizer, it adds up. I am a firm believer in getting started with equipment that works, but won't break the bank. Once you know what you are doing, you can spend the big bucks, having a better chance of knowing what will work best for you. Others believe in buying the best right from the beginning. That is OK too. I just prefer to get to know what I am doing before dropping the big bucks.
 
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