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Dillon SL900?

5K views 38 replies 22 participants last post by  stokinpls 
#1 ·
Anyone have first hand experience with the Dillon SL900? I was set on getting a Mec 9000G after getting rid of my PW800+ but the SL900 is tempting me. The ability to dump in an entire 25lbs of shot and the fact that the unit comes with a hull feeder as stock equipment is a huge positive in my mind but if the quality isn't there I don't want a press that constantly has something wrong with it or needs to be adjusted constantly in my reloading room.

So should I go with the SL 900 or MEC 9000G.
 
#7 ·
The case feeder is a joke. 80 hulls. I was filling it every 10-15 minutes or so.

I could not get factory crimps even after sending the thing back to Dillon for them to tweak.

You made a mistake getting rid of the 800+. It is a better machine than the Dillon. Just my opinion but I have owned both.

Don Verna
 
#9 ·
The Dillon will cost about $1,050 with the hull feeder. I can drop 100 hulls in it with no trouble. In my opinion, the hull feeder makes it better than the 9000G. I can load about 500/hr taking my time. With my MEC I was loading at about 250/hr. It is expensive, but it's worth it in my opinion.

<iframe width="480" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/LHQjGU0cRkg?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
 
#10 ·
gotta' love youtube. what does a m134 cost? anyway, it's kind of cool how in the early 80's mike began making a progressive reloader in his garage and by 1990 he was making a 4000 rounds per minute (that's 66 rounds per second!) minigun for the military. mine makes perfect crimps, but then again, i don't try to reload rio's on a dillon: that's what a mec is for. good luck with it. btw, they cost about $20k each and he does about $40m worth a year
 
#12 ·
I started with a MEC 250 and went all the way to the 9000G, which at the time I bought for $195. For that price it was hard to beat (or even at todays price). However, if you have the cash, the Dillon is light years ahead of the MEC and it's not just the case feeder. Having 25lb of shot on board, adjustable shot and powder measures, a real leverage system designed to make operation a breeze, and no switching hands on and off the handle will make you wonder why you waited.


Like Don said, 80 hulls in the case feeder doesn't last long (with mine they'd only last 5 minutes) and the powder and primer capacities seem small, but that's because of the speed. You can leisurely crank out a box of shells in well less than 2 minutes and you don't let go of the handle to pick up a wad like the MEC. The amount of effort required is so much less than a 9000, it's not even funny. About the only thing that slows me down is how long it takes to pick up a wad and get it oriented with my left (weak) hand.

If you decide to go to the MEC, in my opinion, the Grabber is every bit as good as a 9000. My Grabber always crimped better than the 9000. Good luck.
 
#13 ·
Rich
I started out with a 366 Hornady (had two of them) great presses, best primer feed on the market. Great crimps.

Decided to try a PW800 plus. Had problems with PB powder bleeding into the top gears jamming it up every 150 rounds, primer feed was hit and miss and felt clumsy to use.

Switched to a 9000H Mec and still have it,great reloader. Had to tweak the primer feed a little but with the new primer feed almost foolproof. The pump makes a little noise but the Automate makes it quiet, I still like the pump the best.

Found a Dillon SL900 and use it for my handicap loads, very smooth reloader and works great. Primer feed took a little tweaking but now with a nice smooth motion no problems at all (seems like it has to be used a little to break it in)
The powder and shot micro adjustment measure is the best on the market. I put about 100 hulls in at once and have a small barrel next to loader and keep dumping them in as I reload. Customer service is fantastic, only had to use them once for a small plastic part on the powder return rod.

Spolar, never owned one but tried one at the grand when it was in Vandalia, seems like a nice loader.

Good luck with your search
 
#14 ·
Thunder:

How did you tweak your 9000H primer feed? I have the larger capacity tray and the primers not landing in the hole are my prime issue and focus of my attention when loading (9000H). I like the press a lot, and I have spent a lot of time adjusting the feed and this is as good as I have gotten it. Maybe you have a better idea.

Dan
 
#15 ·
I was in the same place you were.

I have a PW 900 and it does make nice shells but too many little issues. I too wanted a hull feeder and when I looked at a new PW plus the hull feeder, the cost was up there. I looked at a Spolar and I must say it is all that it is represented as but more $ than I wanted to spend for a loader without a hull feeder.

I have owned several Dillon presses including the Super1050 and with their customer service reputation, I felt very comfortable buying one. I got lucky and found a new dealer that was having a "group buy" in order to make his initial purchase from them and got it at a huge discount. I think i paid just under $ 900 delivered.

I will say it has not been without its issues and seemed to need a breaking in period but I would not trade it for anything at this point. I don't mind the capacity of the hull feeder. I think I throw 70 or so at a time. I have a small bucket that holds just about that I fill and dump.

The advantages of being able to adjust the powder & shot is a great feature. I know others have it too but I think it is great. The powder & shot only drop when a hull is present. You can pull a shell out and put it back at any station. The crimp is as good as the PW. Adjustments are easy and repeatable.
 
#16 ·
I had the Dillon.

I had problems with the primers dropping consistently; and had problems with consistent powder drops and even shot drops at times. Never could tweak out the inconsistencies. The only thing I didn't try was a vibrator aka Spolar, which may have helped.

The Dillon was very fast, and the hopper was a help, but the inconsistent drops drove me crazy.

That's why I now have the Spolar; not quite as fast, but extremely consistent loads with a factory look.
With the Spolar, I can also change heads to load 20, 28 and 410 in about 10 minutes.

Since I shoot trap, skeet and sporting, the Spolar is what I am most satisfied with. As to initial cost, over time the difference is minimal, especially when you go to sell it.

Best of luck to you in finding what works well for you.

Dave
 
#18 ·
Dan,
Adjust the angle on the primer feed tube, loosen the bolt on the loader, turn slightly and keep doing it until it drops perfectly in the primer hole on the press. Also put some pledge or wax on the primer tray where the primers lay on and then wipe dry. This really worked for me and I did it once or twice and never had to do it again. I do wipe out the tray with glass cleaner now and then, about every 5000 or so reloads. As with all loaders I still make sure a primer has dropped and in the primer hole in the press.

As stated the 366 was the only press I ever owned that I didn't have to worry about, Hornady has the best primer feed ever made.
 
#19 ·
Look, I've got a couple of Dillon's, and have made 100,000 plus reloads on them. They are a great reloader. But, I would rather own a Spolar with an electric drive or maybe one of the new PW with electric drive. It's just a question of dollars. And those are to rich for my blood, and I dought either can run as fast as the Dillon's. just easier on my old tired body.
 
#20 ·
I've had an embarassing number of reloaders over the past 40 years. Pacific 366 (before it was Hornady), PW 375 and a couple of 800s, Dillon SL 900, RCBS Grand and all the MECS including Automate and Hydraulic. No Spolar though. Of all these reloaders, I had the most misery with the Dillon.

For a single station reloader, the PW 375 was a jewel. For a progressive, the MEC Grabber (in sub-gauge where you have to tinker more) and 9000G (in 12 and 20) gave me the most reliable results.
 
#21 ·
correct me if i'm wrong, but aren't all shot shell reloaders of 1950's design, except for spolar and dillon? and now both of those are 30 years old. name for me a 30 year old technology that is still in use today. and don't say farming. todays farmers use 8 wheel, 500 horsepower, 36 row plows. good luck with it
 
#22 ·
There are many adjustments on the Dillon. It took me a while to get mine dialed in. Of course it's not perfect. What is? The reason I went with the Dillon over any motorized loader was feel.

In any reloading operation, you will get a hull out of alignment now and then. Maybe a primer won't drop or you forget to reload components. With the Dillon I can feel the primer as it's seated. If a primer doesn't drop properly, I know it without looking. With the electric/hydraulic version if a hull is misaligned it will either crush the hull or blow the fuse.

Also, if I want to load just one shell, I can do it without worrying about extra shot or powder being dropped in an empty space. You can't do that with a MEC.

I'm not bashing other presses. They are good, and have loaded millions of shells. I'm just stating why I went with the Dillon.
 
#23 ·
Rich, I have loaded on almost all shotshell reloders starting with a Herter's model 72. I currently use a Spolar after having used a Dillon for the past 6 years. The Dillon is definitely faster and I found it to be a consistant loader with respect to shot and powder. You need to watch what is going on but I think that statement applies to all reloders. The one area where Spolar is far and away superior is crimps. Nothing I have seen can touch a Spolar crimp. I used to shoot an 1100 and a spolar reload would feed flawlessly. Spolar not only makes a better crimp but also seems to me to reduce the circumfrence of the crimp end. If you want speed, the Dillon, if you want consistant crimps and a better looking shell the Spolar. George Miller
 
#24 ·
You know why Pacific/Hornady haven't changed the 366 in that many years? You don't fix what ain't broke. My old Pacific DL366 keeps chucking out reloads and i can't remember the last problem that could be blamed on the machine other than a broken spring which Hornady gladly replaced for free(actually sent me two). Built like a Sherman Tank. I bought mine used for under $200 delivered. That leaves $800 to blow on supplies. There are many deals on 366's on here from time to time. Tough to beat in my opinion.

I think all the loaders have their own little quirks and advantages. For me its a money thing but i'm just not sure i could replace the 366. Now if i wanted to go all out, the case feed available on the Dillon would make it hard for me to pass up. I tried one at the Grand 2 years ago. It was different than my MEC's and Pacifics yet very easy to use. Seemed well built.
 
#26 ·
Quartering
The Spolar is not 30 year old technology. We shipped the first ones in 1995. The majority of the Spolar is the result of years of market research and development on our part. We started out with Patents developed by Frank Simpson that he had never used. We improved on those, and then spent years asking the reloading public what they liked about current reloading machines, what they didn’t like and features they would like to see, then we developed them. Like any piece of equipment of any kind, a few features we borrowed from previous reloading machines, but the majority of the Spolar is all ours. Since 1995 we have continued to add improvements to the Spolar as we came up with them or in some instances the ideas came from customers. Our technology will get old, we don’t believe in planned obsolescence, we will never drop a model and tell you that you need our new one, if there is a need we will incorporate into this reloader.

They say that the sincerest compliment is imitation. The number of our features that have been copied by competitors who were around for years before us, and copied by those that make aftermarket improvements for other machines has been interesting, kind of fun to watch and a real ego booster, after all we are the new kids on the block in the reloader industry. Much to their credit, RCBS who had been building metallic loading machines for years, starting in 2000 bought several of our reloaders, directly from us to peruse in their development of their Grand. The RCBS Grand was introduced around 2002. To the best of my knowledge it is the newest shot shell reloader with the newest technology.

Dicksie Spolar
Spolar Power Load, Inc
800-227-9667
 
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