Just buy the darn thing and learn to use it. It will last forever and your time matters, too, right?
Just go ahead and single load 500 rounds of AR ammo. Then crank the same amount through that progressive you set up properly. If you like mindless handwork (where you still have to concentrate) then single stage.
If you want to sit down for a couple of hours and have stacks of ammo, then go blue. You'll never go back.
And get the 650 while you're at it. The marginal cost is a no-brainer.
I think I dumped about 1200 for the machine and various accessories when I first bought my XL back in 1998 or so. I keep it clean and lubed -- absolutely nothing has broken or worn out on it, it just keeps ticking along.
