Problems with the Dillon Powder Measure
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- Опубликовано: 4 окт 2024
- I talk about the problem that I had with the fail safe rod for the Dillon Powder Measure. I made this video just in case someone else was experiencing a similar issue. Thanks for Watching.
Wish I had thought to check youtube on this issue first! I followed everything to a tee and was very frustrated it wasn't working right. I had to majorly bend mine to even attach it and thought this can't be right. I talked through the issue with a buddy and I just decided I would bend the rod and see if that solved the issue. Boom! Instantly solved my problem and now it runs like a champ. Disappointing for sure when you spend that kind of money but it sure runs a thousand times smoother than my my ol' single-stage Lee!
Very frustrating for sure. Glad you got it working. I love mine too, now that it's working.
Ive had my 550c for over a year reloaded over athousand rds of 9mm and found your video. The rod has never been straight . Bent it to 90deg. Man its so much smoother. Thanks !
You're welcome, glad it was helpful.
Glad to see I was not the only one. The fail safe rod was not quite at a 90 degree angle; perhaps 60, with the same symptoms you describe. I applied some heat and bent to 90 degrees on both turns and now it works as advertised. Thanks for the video.
Thanks, glad you got it working.
I had same issue on the new powder cylinder drop kit I ordered almost 2 years back so I could have a separate head for rifle and pistol calibers. Dillon offered to send me out a new replacement rod, almost like they knew what part had the problem. Still during the 1 week wait for delivery I bent my rod using long nose vise grips and my bench vise. The rod is rugged and almost seems tempered. Finally adjusted the two corner bends to much sharper (matching the rod on the original powder cylinder). That made it work perfect. When the new part arrived it was like the bends were perfected, almost like they knew they had a problem. I kept the new rod as a backup. Sorry you had the same issues as me, and I agree that for the price invested in the machine and kits there should be no issues or hiccups getting it to work. At the time I had my issue i spoke to a manager who explained how the press operated; how to adjust for the powder bar to function optimally, and I was well-served for sure.
Thanks for the comment, I appreciate it. The customer service issues that I encountered were due increased volume and decreased staff during the start of covid. I did receive a new rod and finally got someone to call me back. Main thing is the press is working great now and I am happy.
Had the same problem with my new 750. Played with it for hours and it would bind if I had it vertical and the large linkage would get hung up on the powder charge slide. I watched this video and read the comments. Went out and bent the end piece (just slightly) to make it more 90 degrees and everything suddenly worked. No binding or rubbing. I wouldn't have believed that such a small adjustment would correct it all. Thanks!
I am glad the video helped and you got your press running. Thanks for the comment, I appreciate it.
I had the same issue and I contacted Dillon. The said that was in there design to assist in not uniform powder drops. Basically causing a settling vibration each time making the powder throw more uniform.
Great video.. I had the same problem and wound up having to bend better angels on the rod like you did.
Im glad to see that some one else did a home made mode like you and me did. with success.... Thanks
It seems to be a somewhat common problem, makes you wonder why can't fix it. They are sending me a new rod after much correspondence back and forth. We will see what I get and how it works. Glad you got yours going, thanks for commenting.
I HAD THE SAME EXACT PROBLEM!! I DID THE SAME THING
I’m having the same issue I messed with it all day today. Kinda got it running and will mess with it some more tomorrow. But yes I agree all the money these 550’s cost you would think that they would have the manufacturing process down to a tee.
@@Johnny-jr2lq The problem in a nut shell is that the rod is bent and so the angles are not sharp 90 degrees. This allows the two bell crank pieces on the powder drop unit to not being able two move freely independently. They are jamed together,so what is needed is two bend the rod so it will move the bell crank parts to move freely p and down independently.. Its not hard to do..Good luck with it..
Now I'm happier more than ever with my 550b...Have never had the binding issue...good luck
Had issues setting up the bar on my 650 last year but finally got it going after talking with a couple of people, Dillon is usually really good about sending parts surprised the didn't just send new bar
I thought maybe they would send me another one just to get rid of me, but they didn't. The last emial just said " tweak the bend" so that's what I did.
I’ve had my 550b for 35 years and the best part is that it’s still under warranty, even after 20K rounds.
Yes. I bought mine right before covid and customer service went to crap with everything else. They finally took care of me and it’s a great machine.
Thanks! I have the exact same issue that you had! I bent the bar a bit and it seems to be working better. Thanks for posting!
Glad the video helped you out. It was very frustrating and Dillon was not very helpful. Thanks for commenting and hope it keeps working good for you.
My old 550 does/did that. I can hardly wait to see what my new 1050 does.
I have the same problem on a new 550c contacted Dillion and they sent me a replacement rod, never a problem with their customer service but it does the same thing. So I just emailed them again and attached a couple of photos I agree with you the bend in the rod should be 90 degrees and it's not. Hopefully Dillion will fix this small issue love my Dillion sdb have loaded over 10000 rnds on it and its still like brand new. Thanks for the video now I know I'm not the only one.
Thank you for the comment. I thought that I was a complete idiot for a couple of weeks. Hopefully, you can get your 550 working.
"Slight" bends are better than "Extreme" bends.
I let mt powder measure "float" and it finds the path of least resistance on it's own during cycling.
I also used "Super Lube" in Dillon-recommended areas throughout the machine.
I used "Dry Lube" on the powder measure slide to allow for freer travel of the Powder Bar.
I hope it stays right as I hear nothing but good things about Dillon...Nice follow up and keeping at it to solve it...Good share....Good stuff....
Thanks. I think it is working good now. Hopefully, I can make another video about it soon.
Wait wait wait... This isn't correct.
Without a case in the powder thrower die you can't set it to operate otherwise everytime you pull the handle you'll throw a powder charge..?
Or are talking about a different problem?
I had the same issue with my xl 750. I'm still messing with th consistency of the powder measure. I'm trying to tell myself that it's part of the reloading experience but just once I'd like to buy something that I didn't have to modify.
Dillon is supposed to work perfect right? I had people tell me that I was stupid over this, but they mad a bunch of fail safe rods that were not bent correctly. Hopefully, that is the only problem that you have. Thanks for the comment.
Just got my 550c and I had the exact same problem and figured I had to bend the rod, It solved it. One could maybe expect some tinkering like this to make a lee progressive work 100%, but from a dillon that was kind of disappointing.
I know Dillon is aware of the problem with the rod. I just can't understand why they haven't fixed it yet.
Thanks for the Video. Im super frustrated at my 550C yes that rod should run perpendicular to the machine but sure as hell doesn't .. I tightened the nuts the have said and now only way i get it to run properly is at about 10 to 15 degree difference off of zero
I have a couple videos on this. The bend in the rod should be at 45 degree angles. You can put in a vice and bend it or file it down or both. That is what I had to do to get it to work right. I know how frustrating it is and I hope you can get it working.
Thank you for making this video, I've been up all night pulling my hair out trying to get mine to work properly. I'm gonna give Dillon a call and see if they will send me a new one, in the meantime I'll try bending the damned thing.
I am glad it helped. You are better off just bending the rod and maybe filling down the corners a bit. Dillon sent me a new rod after 3 months and it is no better than the original one. Hope you get it working, thanks for the comment.
The powder measures on my two 550's just work. They required no hammer bending heating and forging or anything. The measure should be tight on the powder die after you set the case mouth bell. Thee spring when compressed should have a slight clearance between the coils and not be completely compressed. .
I know all of that. My failsafe rod was not manufactured correctly. They had a run of bad rods for a while, hopefully they have it fixed now.
Well I've been trying to put my 550c that was delivered today. Guess what? I 've had exactly the same problem. So frustrating after following all their instructions to the letter. Thanks for making this video to show what you went though.
Glad it was helpful. The bend angle of the op rod was my main problem. Hope you are able to get it working.
@@kyfirearms Hey, is it right for the white plastic sleeve to just slide up and down the rod or should it be holding? There is no pressure on the upward movement. If I put some pressure on it with my had it works.
The sleve should slide up and down the rod. The bullet case should active the powder measure and the the rod should pull down the fail safe and reset the measure on the way down. It took me a while to get the bend just right. You might need to file the bends on the bar.
@@kyfirearms Thank you!! Ok, I've got it working!
I had the same problem last year, i went with the lee Auto drop and have load 5,000 rounds so far with out a problem. i love my Dillion but their power drops leave a lot to be desired. I believe the simplest design is the best
It seems to be working now. I and going to run 20 charges or so and weigh them before I start running it. Thanks for commenting, I appreciate it.
I had this problem with my 550c out of the box and it turned out that the failsafe rod wasn't bent properly up top. Looking at your video you have the exact same problem. I called dillon and they immediately knew that was the problem and sent me a new failsafe rod. While waiting for that one to arrive I bent the top of the rod (as you mentioned) and it functioned perfectly afterwards.
Sounds like some of the rods simply aren't bent to spec from the factory.
I am glad you were able to get in contact with Dillon easily. It was a struggle for me to get someone to help me. They sent me another rod, but it was the same and didn't work. Bending and filling the original was the only way I was able to get mine working. I love my 550 except for that for little problem.
this was very helpful i have the same prolem
Glad it helped, hopefully you got it working.
Funny watched this video after fixing mine in the vise. Same issue and apparently nothings changed because I just got mine in March of 2024
I would have hoped they fixed it by now. Glad you got it fixed.
Sounds like my kind of luck. Seems I can buy what most people just love and I'll have problems from the word go. Glad to see you got it going. I see Chico put out a VR for you. Gotta love this community!
Yeah, it seems stuff never quite works for me like it does for everybody else. We have some great people in this community that always ready to lend a hand.
ive bought 2 550Cs in the past 3 and a half years no issues but if they are both supposed to be 45 degrees than thats probably it
I run the fail safe bar straight up and down on mine . I think the bend was your problem . I'm surprised they didn't offer to send you a new one .
The guy emailed me back and said "make sure both bends are 90 degrees. If necessary tweak the bend a little". I was starting to get a little upset, but I was able to bend it enough for it to work.
Okay, whatever you say. I'm sure Dillon will correct it.
Hey that flat tab that you say should slide beside the powder bar is supposed to hit on vertical protrusion that is about 5/15 wide and an inch and a 1/4 tall.
I learned that after the fact. The bolt was too tight and it was not able to move freely. Thanks for commenting.
@@kyfirearms Sure thing.Ive only had my 550 since last June and have added and changed a few things.Its running pretty smooth now.A clickable powder Knobb wit number I got off Ebay where there is just a bolt head to turn for more or less powder was a big help and a longer shim with a side roller for thge primer bar that I bought off Ebay was a improvement as well..That stupid cotter key in Primer Drop Chute was the 1st thing to change.I was dropping old primer all over the floor.And some good lights too was another add on. For as much as we pay for the Dillon 550C you would think they would do a better job.
what I found was the the top of the fail safe rod is not bent at 90 degrees for the rod to drop vertically. I put it in a vice and bent the top and wallah it became vertical and parallel to the press casting.
Exactly. I don't know why Dillon can't make sure the rod is bent right.
Thanks bro I have the same problem
Glad it was helpful, hope you get it working.
We should not have to adjust anything. I have the 550 and the powder drop is a piece of crap. It spills no matter what I do. I may go back to single stake lee equipment.
Dude, you have the fail-safe bar ran through the wrong side, It goes on the other side of the mechanism of the powder measure, it is an easy mistake. Just run it through (Hook wise) on the other side. that should fix it, Btw, that piece that makes contact (The flat that hits the measure), it is supposed to do that, it makes a physical "Tap" go through the mechanism and shake the measure so your powder throws are consistent when it throws the next charge. -Dave
That's the way it's supposed to go on a 550. I sent lots of pictures in the emails and they said it was set up correctly. I don't know, but it seems to work after I bent the curve a little more.
@@kyfirearms You have it in there backward. believe me. You have it set up wrong.
Those people follow flow charts. trust me. you have it in there wrong. mine will do the same thing if I set it up like yours. and I have two of those, both are the same way. and both will do the same thing that yours was doing with the bar run through the other side.
@@Thorsaxe777 I looked at my setup and agree with Thors Axe . My bar goes through the small hole first and works fine .
On my 750, it goes in from the slotted side. Not sure if the 550 is different, but mine is just like KFW has it.
The directions show it the way I have it and the rep from Dillon said it was right. The Dillon rep said to bend the rod, I should have just asked some of you guys first.
Thanks for the video I am seriously thinking of dropping some cash on a Dillon. Have always heard the best about them. Right now my work schedule I don't get to shoot as much as I want. But 3 more years and my hillbilly ass is done😄😄. That's when I will want the Dillon. Thanks👍
I have been on the fence about getting one for a while. I hear you, three months ago I had time to shoot, now I don't. Hopefully things will calm down soon and hang in there man, sounds like you are almost ready to enjoy life.
Im having the same problem guys with this new upgrade on the powder measure upgrade kit. My old 550 is from the 90's and the system was completely smooth, no issues at all. Putting it in from the other way, the small hole, opposite of what dillon tells you to do just made matters worse, that made the nylon square bushing pull out every time because it was pushing too hard on the crank no matter how I aligned the rod. Placing it in from the back side as dillon states, it will not go vertical/aligned with the press like its supposed to and made the crank bind up against the powder body when I raised the ram and lowered it...and I adjusted the nut to fine tune it just like dillon stated in the instructions. Nothing worked. I'm beginning to think I should have never taken off the old assembly.
The fail safe bars are not right. You can bend it a little more or file it down on the flat part where the bend is. That's the advice I got from Dillon. They are extremely hard to get on the phone. I put mine in a vice and bent it until it hung straight. I hope you can get some help or fix it yourself. I know it is frustrating, good luck.
KFW your right I had to do the same thing the rod was not bend correctly
hello I saw your video I'm Italian and I practice clay pigeon shooting and I have the same problem with my DILLON SL 900 for 12 cal but unlike you I use a discoidal powder i.e. the VECTAN 206V I can't make the weigh-ins constant or not of 1.25 grams or more does anyone have the same problem?
Your bar is inserted on the wrong side of the powder drop mechanism
No. It’s correct.
I just got one and having same problems!! Directions with it sucks
The op rod for the powder measure needs a 90 bend and you may need to file it flat as well. Good luck with it.
I purchased a 550c and had the same issue. I called Dillon and they said they have never heard of the problem before.
They sent me a new rod and its bent the same way, didn't resolve anything. This was about 2 years ago, still using the machine but disappointed in their quality control.
My powder funnels also stick in the brass sometimes so bad its almost impossible to push the ram back down.
This is a known issue as well.
Dillon finally sent me another rod and it was no better than the one it came with. It's hard to believe that you don't hear about this more often and they should try to fix the rods. My powder funnel sticks as well. Thanks for commenting.
Use some Mother’s liquid car wax in the tumbling media and you won’t have sticking brass. Some people like Nu Finish also, it also stops cleaned brass from tarnishing. I’ve had brass polished with Mother’s sitting for 4 years now and it’s the same as I wrapped it up, looks fresh out of the tumbler.
Thank you
You're welcome
Im having the exact same issue with my 550c however im also getting inconsistent powder measuring, any idea how i can remedy this problem?
Make sure the bend is 90 degrees and the rod hangs straight then tighten it down. It may be the powder. It likes fine powders from my experience.
Failsafe rod needs tightened
The problem you’re having is the depth of the powder die. When the case is in the shell plate and the lever is pulled down, the shell will hit the die and actuate the powder mechanism. If the die isn’t lowered to the correct depth, you’ll experience your symptoms. There’s no need to bend the rod at all.
Wrong it's the bend in the rod.
Yep having the same issue
I have made several videos on it, hope you are able to modify the rod and get it working.
@@kyfirearms I’m going to check out your other videos and see what I can come up with. My press was bought used from a older fellow. So I decided to get the updated stuff I had to wait 5 weeks just to get the powder Measure update kit. I’m still waiting on the 550 extra parts kit even though I ordered everything together.
Failsafe needs to parallel with blue dillon body
Got you a VR brother, it may be helpful...hopefully
Thanks brother
Your bell crank screw is too tight. the tang should rest against the powder measure bar guide as you move the handle up. at some point, the spring tension overcomes the friction on the tang and the hopper should drop and the powder bar moves back to the fill position. on the bell crank screw is a saddle spring washer, it only needs a little compression to keep the bellcrank against the powder measure. the powder measure should drop under the force of gravity, not by the force of the handle pulling the bellcrank down.
I went through all that. The bell crank was too tight, too lose, etc. It was the return rod not having the proper angle and putting pressure on the fail safe mechanism. Thanks for the comment.
My rod came with an off set bend.
Hopefully it will work for you.
Try putting your rod in on the opposite side, mine runs better like that.
I tried that early on and it didn't matter. The rod was not bend correctly so it didn't make a difference.
Throw that piece of shit rod away and tie wrap the brackets in the far downward position. Now all u need is the old powder measure springs so it will return to the closed position. This also give u the option to put the measure in different positions within the toolhead so you can use a bullet feeder die or other configurations. You will be glad you did.
You are missing the springs….That’s why it’s not coming back like it should
The new model doesn’t have return springs.
@@kyfirearms I didn’t not know that. Interesting. Thanks
You should only do your videos when you are rested. Have two Dillons. Never had parts that did not fit. Also there is a thing called the “phone” it makes instant contact with help. That means you don’t have to wait for email.
Have you tried calling Dillon lately? Good luck with it.
Dennis Parker well I'll tell ya I have the same issue and sleepy or not the rod is bent wrong. The rod when installed should hang straight up and down and it doesn't.
I've had one Dillon and I've had 2 known issues already. Paying this much for a machine from "the best" and having to make modifications for it to run correctly is bullshit.
this video need to be deleted, its making people ruin their machines
My videos about the faulty return rods have actually helped a lot of people get their machines working.
@@kyfirearms no, they didnt, all they did was tamper with a intentional design, not understood by you and them. you actually ended up messing up the intentional design. If that bent piece doesnt crash with that corner, then you get random charges
So annoying mine was wrecked too !!!!!!!!!!
Yes, it is very annoying. Hope you can get it working. Thanks for the comment.
Why has my 750 not given me a prob? Is this really common?
I guess they had a bad run of fail safe rods at some point.