Dillon 550 catastrophic failure!!

Glad your up and running Randy. The metal looks crystalized because it is un heat treated cast iron, which has large grains, looking at one of the first pictures you can see it had a crack for some time. New break all clean and shiny old crack dark
 
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Years ago the same thing happened to my 550. I blamed the problem on a "phase" I went through at the time when I was doing a lot of revolver shooting and got suckered into the "crush fit Federal primer" craze. I was applying a lot of force on the up stroke and after many thousands of rounds the crank broke. Or at least that's what I think they called it. Dillon never asked me to send back the whole press. They sent me a replacement part and a rod that was used to align all the parts. Replacement required the complete disassembly of the press, since it was the last part. The press has worked fine ever since. Interestingly, the low primer alert mechanism that attaches to the primer tube had been broken for years. Being a cheap plastic part it had fractured and a piece broke off, due to heavy use. Dillon refused to replace it. So they don't replace everything.
 
When you take into consideration Dillon's no "BS" warranty, I bet they will replace the whole unit (and probably) with 550C.
 
I own and use two different 550's and have cracked two cranks. I noticed that primers were not seating fullu and found the cracks in both. The last crank was returned to Dillon as it exibited multiple cracks and spoke with an engineer but received no return call. Beautiful machine and recommend it highly. Lots of rounds loaded so it earned its stripes. Dan
 
I must be ugly or something.
Years ago I was changing the powder measure to a different die.
I dropped the measure and broke the reservoir.
I called and the man asked “How did you do that?”
I explained what happened and he was happy to send a new reservoir.
For around $30! IIRC.
No “No BS” warranty for me.
 
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ACORN said:
I must be ugly or something.
Years ago I was changing the powder measure to a different die.
I dropped the measure and broke the reservoir.
I called and the man asked “How did you do that?”
I explained what happened and he was happy to send a new reservoir.
For around $30! IIRC.
No “No BS” warranty for me.
Click to expand...


Maybe like a lot of other companies. If you broke it you own it. If it fails due to normal use then they own it and will replace it. I guess they look at it as your negligence is not our problem.
 
AJ said:
Maybe like a lot of other companies. If you broke it you own it. If it fails due to normal use then they own it and will replace it. I guess they look at it as your negligence is not our problem.
Click to expand...

Could be, but I’ve read where people say they’ve lost small parts etc. and they were comped them.
I bought my press in the late 80s(86-87).
No doubt it was my fault for not tightening up the screws that clamp the measure to die sufficiently, but I don’t consider that to be “No BS”.
RCBS on the other hand sent me a new reservoir, cap and screw in powder funnels, no charge, for a Little Dandy powder measure body I bought from a LGSs “junk box”.
I also ordered the seating stem lock nuts from RCBS. No questions asked why I wanted them. Just sent them no charge.
RCBS treated me well!
 
ACORN said:
Could be, but I’ve read where people say they’ve lost small parts etc. and they were comped them.
I bought my press in the late 80s(86-87).
No doubt it was my fault for not tightening up the screws that clamp the measure to die sufficiently, but I don’t consider that to be “No BS”.
RCBS on the other hand sent me a new reservoir, cap and screw in powder funnels, no charge, for a Little Dandy powder measure body I bought from a LGSs “junk box”.
I also ordered the seating stem lock nuts from RCBS. No questions asked why I wanted them. Just sent them no charge.
RCBS treated me well!
Click to expand...


I lost a screw out of a Millet Rear Sight about a million years ago. Just so happened that Millet was in Huntingdon Beach and I was just north of them in Seal Beach. Drove over figuring to buy some. Told the receptionist what I needed and she went in the back and came back with a half dozen in a ziplock bag and handed them to me. I asked how much and she said free of charge. Sold the gun years ago, but still have the bag of screws.

Same with Ruger. Bought a used SR1911 10MM and of course the special tool to take it apart was missing. Called their customer service and asked to purchase one. Gave them my address and was ready with the CC to pay for it. Was told no charge. Even told me how to use a paperclip to do the same job. The sent me two of the clips.
 
A couple of years ago, my older 550B, purchased in 1989, started getting tough to fully seat primers. There was a lot of "sponge" when pushing the actuating handle forward. I tried everything I could to figure out what was causing that "sponge". Finally found a crack all the way through that same part.

glenwolde said:
Be aware that part has been redesigned. I think yours is the old style. The new one uses a different Link Arm Shoulder Pin. If your pin is a straight one, that's the old style. The new style is not all one diameter and has lubrication grooves cut into it. So you'll need one of those too.

Mine didn't break, but I wore out my link arms to the point they were flexing and the press was binding.

But yeah, that's quite the failure.
Click to expand...

Learned this the hard way - ordered the new part from Dillon then had to order the associated parts. Doh.
 
My 550B I think is older than that one. I think 1985, 39 years old. It doesn't get used that heavily now, but when I was shooting Bullseye and IPAC, and PPC it was cranking out several thousand a month. I did up grade to to a "B" some years ago, They have replaced several smaller parts including a powder measure over the years. Just a phone call and a new part shows up in your mail. Great company.
 
I think the compound "crank" is aluminum. At least that is what I think what the ones on my 550B are. I purchased my 550B in the early 1980's, I have no idea of the tens of thousands, possibly a hundred thousand rounds I have loaded on mine. At some point, possibly in the 1990's, the compound crank cracked.

Aluminum has a finite fatigue life, the thicker the aluminum section the greater its fatigue lifetime, but still, given enough stress cycles, it will fail. This is a real issue with aluminum aircraft, they have to be inspected for cracks and at some number of flights, rebuilt.

Anyway Dillion told me to send them the press, I did so, and the original press came back with a new compound crank for free. I think that was just great.

Dillion really has a "NO BS" warranty. They have replaced other parts that just wore out. I am still cranking pistol and rifle rounds on my 550B.
 
A rare occurrence with a Dillon, but it can happen to any product and any brand. The good news is Dillon will make it right and you will be back in business better than ever. Send the press to them and what you receive back will be a virtual new press. They go through everything and replace pretty much all parts that get any amount of wear. It will even look new- lol.
 
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