[Inkballer27]

Looking to buy another reloader. I have an old 650 mec that I use alot but would like to have something a little nicer. Been looking at the mec 9000
Or a hornady. What else is out there?

 

[Jet setter]

Lots of options. In no particular order:

Spolar
Hornady 366
PW Patriot
PW 800+
PW Variants
RCBS Grand
Lee Load All

Top two are my preference. YMMV

 

[redfin1956]

i just got a 9000 with a auto mate, I miss my 650

 

[smokintom]

Been loading on a 9000G since they first came out. Great loader

 

[dws]

Lots of options. In no particular order:

Spolar
Hornady 366
PW Patriot
PW 800+
PW Variants
RCBS Grand
Lee Load All

Top two are my preference. YMMV

Jet Setter pretty much nailed it...

Depends on your budget and what features are important to "You".

I've owned or used most of the above with the exception of the Lee and you already mentioned Mec.

The Spolar is my favorite from a quality and fit/finish perspective - I have one on my bench now.

As many have mentioned in the past, RCBS and Dillon have free parts for life if needed.

You can add the Dillon SL900 to the mix.. not as popular but a darn good machine and spooky fast for a manual.

Dillon is the only one that I'm aware of that has a 30 day "try it" policy and if you don't like it return it. However, a new Dillon with Case Feeder goes for about $1600 ish.

 

[jsraney]

Jet Setter pretty much nailed it...

Depends on your budget and what features are important to "You".

I've owned or used most of the above with the exception of the Lee and you already mentioned Mec.

The Spolar is my favorite from a quality and fit/finish perspective - I have one on my bench now.

As many have mentioned in the past, RCBS and Dillon have free parts for life if needed.

You can add the Dillon SL900 to the mix.. not as popular but a darn good machine and spooky fast for a manual.

Dillon is the only one that I'm aware of that has a 30 day "try it" policy and if you don't like it return it. However, a new Dillon with Case Feeder goes for about $1600 ish.

WOW! They've really gone up in price. I bought my Dillion when they first came out and they were giving out a $100.00 discount. I paid, as I recall $595.00 for it with the case feeder, shipped. I don't know how many rounds I've made on it in 25+ years but a lot. I've replaced a few plastic pieces and springs (no costs) and I think the thing is faster today than when I bought it. Other than an adjustment occasionally, it runs perfect. Perhaps, I've lapped it in over the years, smooth as silk.

 

[Nebs]

There is a NIB Hornady 366 on eBay for $600. A real bargain as new ones today are retailing for ~$800.

 

[Inkballer27]

There is a NIB Hornady 366 on eBay for $600. A real bargain as new ones today are retailing for ~$800.

Thanks. I will check it out

 

[pheasantmaster]

Looking to buy another reloader. I have an old 650 mec that I use alot but would like to have something a little nicer. Been looking at the mec 9000
Or a hornady. What else is out there?

What are you looking to spend? That will be the primary indicator with secondary being volume that you shoot.

 

[losclay]

Have Spolar 12, I thought Id be clever & by a 366 to load some 20ga. Dressed it up with Skeels excellent hi cap reservoirs & ultimately ended up hating it. First off the method in which the advancement plate holds the shells is way too jiggy. Second should you want to check or correct anything you must override the ratchet pawl & reverse the entire base plate then most importantly get everything back to their correct previous stations. Ugh :1581:. I immediately dumped it on ebay at luckily only a $100 loss. Took the proceeds & bought Spolars 20ga head & never looked back. Spolar's are pricey but worth every penny in value & relative ease of use. I almost always end up loading more than I intended too because its just that much of a pleasure to use.
Edit
I almost forgot the 366's initial sizing step & priming method really suck big time. Hornady sells some add on accessory to prevent imminent primer spills. Whatever you decide on avoid the 366.

 

[Nebs]

Conner:

When weighing the pros and cons of each make and model, keep in mind the more bells and whistles a loader has, the more complex it will be. Sometimes, simpler might be better.

 

[mattcabi]

Looking to buy another reloader. I have an old 650 mec that I use alot but would like to have something a little nicer. Been looking at the mec 9000
Or a hornady. What else is out there?

I like the 650 best, and use mec supersizer if I want sizing done.
The super sizer is mounted on a board that I can sit on my
lap. I can size a 100 cases in about five minutes while listening
to talk radio, or while watching TV. That way no extra time
sizing while actually loading, and I never miss the time it takes
to size, and the time is very small anyway, maybe 5 minutes for
a 100 cases.

Also, if you use nice shells like STS, and only one gun,
I don't have to resize anyway.

What this does is keep my loader much more simple. The
650 requires very little fussing with it, and it works very
easily and smoothly. Being simple it does not require much
effort because of wear of whatever.

There is a cost if you get a loader that is "nicer", like a grabber
or 9000. They require more effort to operate, also more things
can get out of kilter, and that means time required to fix or
adjust it.

I first started loading with the 650 maybe 50 years ago, did
both 20 and 12 gauge. Then started getting something a little
nicer and went through these.

PW 800B,
PW 600B,
Hornady/pacific 366
Mec 9000
PW 900
PW 950
PW 2000
Mec 9000 Automate
Mec 650, back to where I started.

I found that nothing was perfect, but I find no
big objection to just keeping it nice and simple.

Sometimes less is more.

 

[b12]

I have 4 men's. 1 grand. The grand is a tank. If for any reason you would need a part. No hassel. Usually next day in the mail. No charge. If you have to skip an operation you just keep going . No spills.
New one is no more in price than 9000. Ill take grand any day. Unload hoppers quick with no spills.

 

[Apex]

I just use my 366, works just fine, never has been a problem that hasn’t been directly been operator error, (my screwup)

 

[Frank12us]

All the reloaders mentioned will get the job done, but I ended up going with Spolar. I believe you save time, money, and aggravation by doing things once, right, and never again. Not to say that Spolar is the only "right" way, but for me the deciding factors were: (i) quality of manufacture, (ii) locked down settings which do not migrate, and (iii) ability to run multiple gauges off the same machine.

 

[Trail]

A lot depends upon what you want to spend....as outlined in some of the other posts. Also depends upon how much you shoot!
If you're shooting ATA and burning through 5000+rounds per year, spend some $$$. If you shoot local leagues and the occasional Lewis, there's no need to do that.

The best VALUE (not necessarily the best loader), I believe, is a MEC Grabber. It's a true progressive...it just doesn't auto-index. It's plenty fast enough for most low to medium volume shooters, at 1/2 the cost. Lots of them out there used.....many people buy a Grabber, then graduate to something more automated. I still have one which I leave set up for 1 oz loads. MEC support is very good...and they will re-hab an old Grabber (not sure about cost) if you find one.

Good luck.

 

[losclay]

Cost vs Use is always a wise consideration. What degree of time/patients & energy your willing to expend loading is another. You could choose a reel mower to cut the grass or a powered or even a riding mower for that matter. Each will get the job done but the riding mower would make cutting even a medium plot of grass more fun. Spolar's are the riding mowers of shotshell loading, they are well thought out, their design is incredibly simple & reliable. If I need to load for league i can knock out a flat in less than a half hour without breaking a sweat, for ATA's a little longer but never a drudgery & always enjoyable & most important indescribably easy. Considering the loading I've done & plan for in the future I consider my purchase money well spent. Additionally Spolars hold their value & are easy to resell if you should ever decide to quit loading.

 

[Inkballer27]

I shoot mostly reloads for singles and doubles and factory for caps. I shoot about 5000 registered singles and doubles
A season and probably that many practice but when June or July rolls around there's not much time for reloading so I switch to a factory shell. I think I would still shoot reloads later in the season if I could keep more loaded

 

[Popsracer]

With that volume a Spolar will pay for itself in less than two seasons and if you shoot the little guns (28 ga. & 410) you get your money back a lot sooner. You won’t have a problem keeping up with reloading.

 

[Charlie Becknell]

I shoot mostly reloads for singles and doubles and factory for caps. I shoot about 5000 registered singles and doubles
A season and probably that many practice but when June or July rolls around there's not much time for reloading so I switch to a factory shell. I think I would still shoot reloads later in the season if I could keep more loaded

Connor, several fine machines listed here. Personally, I would not buy a machine that did not self index. On my Spolar I can reload a box every two minutes and if you are in Lexington sometime, you are welcome to reload on mine to see how you like it. I'd say after two or three thousand on mine, you can make an informed decision and I'll have two or three thousand reloads. I had a MEC Hustler, a self indexing hydraulic. Good machine , more finnicky. RCBS, Dillon, and PW are good, dependable loaders, a little cheaper, but high quality. IMHO, Spolar is the Cadillac of loaders.
I've loaded on my Spolar for about 25 years, still going strong. A Blue Grass farm has gone down the barrel but I'm not planning on taking any with me.