|
|
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 4,344
Campfire Tracker
|
OP
Campfire Tracker
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 4,344 |
My digital scale was stolen during a party my 18 year old son threw last month when we were away and I am thinking of upgrading.
First, does anyone use the Lyman 1200 DPS?
Second, what's the difference between the DPS II and 3?
Life's too short to hunt with an ugly gun.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 3,218
Campfire Tracker
|
|
Campfire Tracker
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 3,218 |
Mar..,
My first reaction to the 1200 DPS II was pretty negative. Being cheap, I decided I had $200 in the thing and I would make it work.
You need to BE VERY CAREFULL while using it. More so than with a balance scale. It has a lot of nooks and crannies and parts that have to be CAREFULLY brushed out. They supply a ridiculas little artist's brush - I swiched to a 1" paint brush. Static cling holds powder granules everywhere.
Once I worked out a technique, things went pretty well. It isn't faster than a RCBS powder measure for small pistol loads. Where it shines is with rifle loads - say over 40 grs. There it is quicker than anything I've used. For loading .223 in volume the Dillon press/measure is much faster.
If you only load a hundred or so rounds a year for deer hunting, it's a waste of money. I load 100 or more rounds of .243,6mm,25/06,270 or 30/06 at a setting - in that application - it's great. It's really overkill for the casual reloader.
Detractors hate the 30 minute warmup time also the fact that doing anything else on the reloading bench will mess up calibration. Neither is a problem for me. My bench is 10' long and very heavy/stable. I can prime or resize while waiting out the warm up period with no ill effects.
DPS II has a large memory which will hold numerous loads. Again, this is unnecessary as it's easily programable for the load you want.
Don't know anything about the DPS III. Would I buy another DPS II if I had it to do over again? I dunno.
P.S.
I would hunt down my son's "friends" and kick some @ss.
Hope this helps.
Too old to suffer fools
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 4,344
Campfire Tracker
|
|
OP
Campfire Tracker
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 4,344 |
Mar..,
My first reaction to the 1200 DPS II was pretty negative. Being cheap, I decided I had $200 in the thing and I would make it work.
You need to BE VERY CAREFULL while using it. More so than with a balance scale. It has a lot of nooks and crannies and parts that have to be CAREFULLY brushed out. They supply a ridiculas little artist's brush - I swiched to a 1" paint brush. Static cling holds powder granules everywhere.
Once I worked out a technique, things went pretty well. It isn't faster than a RCBS powder measure for small pistol loads. Where it shines is with rifle loads - say over 40 grs. There it is quicker than anything I've used. For loading .223 in volume the Dillon press/measure is much faster.
If you only load a hundred or so rounds a year for deer hunting, it's a waste of money. I load 100 or more rounds of .243,6mm,25/06,270 or 30/06 at a setting - in that application - it's great. It's really overkill for the casual reloader.
Detractors hate the 30 minute warmup time also the fact that doing anything else on the reloading bench will mess up calibration. Neither is a problem for me. My bench is 10' long and very heavy/stable. I can prime or resize while waiting out the warm up period with no ill effects.
DPS II has a large memory which will hold numerous loads. Again, this is unnecessary as it's easily programable for the load you want.
Don't know anything about the DPS III. Would I buy another DPS II if I had it to do over again? I dunno.
P.S.
I would hunt down my son's "friends" and kick some @ss.
Hope this helps. Thanks The tricky bit is, my son isn't the pinnacle of self control when youthful exhuberence takes over and he's not sure who was at the party.
Life's too short to hunt with an ugly gun.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 1,126
Campfire Regular
|
|
Campfire Regular
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 1,126 |
With the 1200 DPS, for God's sake read the manual. (RTFM) Do not unplug the machine before turning it off. You will fry the internals. (Been there and done that!) I suspect a power outage would give the same result. Your room temp must be at least 70 degrees or the machine will not calibrate. It is an absolute bitch to clean. I have a server in my shop and it will drive the DPS nuts, so I had to move the DPS to another room. My next will be the RCBS.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 4,344
Campfire Tracker
|
|
OP
Campfire Tracker
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 4,344 |
With the 1200 DPS, for God's sake read the manual. (RTFM) Do not unplug the machine before turning it off. You will fry the internals. (Been there and done that!) I suspect a power outage would give the same result. Your room temp must be at least 70 degrees or the machine will not calibrate. It is an absolute bitch to clean. I have a server in my shop and it will drive the DPS nuts, so I had to move the DPS to another room. My next will be the RCBS. I load in my garage, which is heated, but in winter never gets anywhere near 70 degrees F. I think I'll just get another dillon Intimidator and do the drop and trickle thing.
Life's too short to hunt with an ugly gun.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 3,006
Campfire Tracker
|
|
Campfire Tracker
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 3,006 |
I have one of these and have not used my old scale and powder measure since getting it. Once you work out a routine for cleaning it, it is not all that hard or time consuming. My biggest mistake was to not close the little powder dump door after cleaning. Then the next time I put powder in it ran straight out the back. (I know, pretty stupid huh?)Mine is kept on a heavy cabinet right next to my bench so anything I do on the bench has no affect on the 1200. As for warm up, that takes care of itself while sizing the brass or getting out your stuff.
Biggest word of caution: Wipe it down with a used dryer sheet before every use. Static will make it do very strange things! Use only a used dryer sheet so you don't get any oily smelly stuff on the unit.
I load in an unheated sun room and have loaded in temps as low as 55 and did not seem to matter. I will look, but don't recall a mention in the manual about having to be 70 degrees.
Id hate to go back to the old measure/scale way and love the fact that each charge is weighed. As far as I know the II model has more memory and the III is faster.
"An open message for all Democrats; "Look you are nothing and your work is worthless. Anyone who chooses you is detestable."
Isaiah 41:24 (HCSB)
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 1,325
Campfire Regular
|
|
Campfire Regular
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 1,325 |
I got the DPS 1200 about a year ago. I got the Lyman over the RCBS because the Lyman had a smaller footprint. RCBS was to large for my bench. I have had no problems with mine to this point. I have been guilty of leaving that sliding door open a couple of times. I did modify the height of mine by using a couple of CCI 22 rf 100 rd clear plastic boxes glued under the bottom. It really made changing and removing the powders much easier and faster. With it being higher, that small brush works great, all you have to do is tip it towards the back to empty the powder and brush it out. Same thing for the feed tub, tip it up on the left and hit the fast button and the feed tub is empty. I found a fairly shallow plastic bowl at Wal-Mart to use for a powder catcher. You don't have to wait for a 1/2 warmup unless you're shutting it off, I leave mine on as it gets used alot during the warmer months.
Dick
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 501
Campfire Regular
|
|
Campfire Regular
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 501 |
I have an original that I just upgraded with the III's powder feed internals and tube. I never had a problem with it. I use it for test loads as I can get 5 at 46.5, 5 at 47.0, 5 at 47.5 etc. with little effort. Never left the door open. Never had that much problem cleaning it out. New internals make it even easier. Half hour warmup just takes a little pre-planning. It is on a smaller bench next to my big bench, so vibration is not a problem. I have a computer about 3' from the DPS and it doesn't affect it at all. Good tip to wipe down with dryer sheet. Static works against all powder measures, even manual ones.
Fast Ed
Define your manhood not by success, but by significance.
NRA Benefactor
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 4,344
Campfire Tracker
|
|
OP
Campfire Tracker
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 4,344 |
Thanks for the comments guys, I decided against the automatic dispenser and just bought another Dillon Terminator electronic scale.
Life's too short to hunt with an ugly gun.
|
|
|
|
Forums81
Topics1,191,387
Posts18,469,726
Members73,931
| |
Most Online11,491
Jul 7th, 2023
|
|
|
|
