I bought one of these several years ago after watching this video. It has thrown thousands of charges since then and is still going strong. Have not had to replace the bushings in it. Mine occasionally throws a tenth of a grain light or over, but this is a small price to pay for the convenience of automation. Clean up became second nature after doing it a few times. Have been very happy with the performance of the Gen6.
Had to order a taller pan. Some powders would fly out of the pan even with the restriction piece installed. Also some ball powders work into the o rings. And it would lock up the aluminum dispenser tube. Did some research. Just add a small amount of oil on the o rings. I bought it based on its footprint. But I absolutely love this thing now. Had it for over five years.
Johnny, I applaud your honesty. I feel that most companies out there have "Time is Money" and relies on customer feedback, testing their product in a more in depth way showing over time the weaknesses that show up in practical use. I believe they have the right guy for the Job and the right audience as well. I have seen you in action, you treat products with a "Testing Company" mindset. Many times I have seen you say "Let's see what it does when we do this or that" Good review, There are other channels that never seem to review a product they didn't like, I feel you will give us the real deal. Dave.
Johnnie, place a large sheet of parchment paper or wax paper under your machine for spillage. Then funnel that paper into your stock bottle at work’s end. Works for me. Also, after emptying, vacuum, carefully, for powder remnants.
I smeared some RTV gasket maker in the pan to deaden the bounce with spherical powders A small piece of paper towel in the pan also works well Thanks for the video! God bless, Nathan
You are the best. I moved away from my form of competition to a place where it isn’t offered. We were all reloaded . Here if I talk about sd’s or bc’s I could see their eyes glaze over. Thank You for speaking my language!
I have a Lyman Gen 2 , brought it in the early 2000's ( 2005 or 2006? i can not remember anymore) I have had zero trouble with it. No overthrow, no gasket gone bad. Best purchase I made .
After watching your review I purchased one of these, I like it, It does over charge a grain or two with some stick powders, but I also keep a digital scale and pan ready to modifynthe load if so needed, I find this easier and quicker than trickling every load. so if a load comes to more or less than, I just add or delete a couple granules sitting in an adjacent pan. I also find this more relaxing than trying to get my scale within .02 of a grain, when I dont think it really makes a difference at the range. I enjoy your channel and find it very entertaining and informational, thank you.
Just watched this. Great, honest review. Regarding ball powders, another way to at least minimize the 'splash' would be to have a tray with taller walls. The particles would still bounce, but the walls would contain most of them. Might be able to make one out of a small plastic cup. Either this or just put some kind of lightweight spacer under the pan to raise it up. Power doesn't fall as far, won't bounce as high.
That just gave me an idea... what if you took a taller container, like a clear plastic cup and cut a hole at the appropriate height for the feed tube to poke into...as long as you could manage the static cling that would solve the bouncing powders escaping...
I have had mine for a year or so, changing powders only takes around 3 min once you get used to it. I lost the tool that came with it about 5 min after I owned it. My Dillon press has all its allen wrenches on a nice holder on the back of the press so I just use the 2nd to the smallest and it works well to hold the motor while you unscrew the powder bar. You are correct about the power plug, I would give a lot to have it come out the back, I have thought about taking it apart and making it that way but have not done that yet. run the restriction on mine all the time, It normally stops .01 lite and I use a trickler to bring it up about 1/3 of the time. It still is ready for me when I am ready another charge. I have found that is I have my air conditioning on it can screw with the scale. Also if you are not going to load hundreds at once what I did was take the clean tube off mine and just put the gray lid on the scale, its easy to add a little more power to it and makes it very easy to clean out. I hope you enjoy yours as much as I do mine.
Johnny! I'm shocked. That three pin plug is for Great British electricity: bigger better and red-white-and-bluer than the low power stuff you get in the colonies. 🇬🇧⚡
Excellent review. I have a 15 year old electronic dispenser/scale. This unit you reviewed is way more advanced. Time to upgrade. I was about to comment early and ask about ball powders, but you covered those as well. Thanks!
Thank you very much! A great review and comparison of the top digital scales that are on the market these days. I'm a big believer in the old fashioned way and will hopefully be working with my beam scale for years to come. One problem. My eyes are getting old so I have been searching for a reliable electronic scale. This video helps a lot in my search. I really can't decide at this point but do appreciate your video. Thanks again. Peace be with you always.
A couple tips, it comes with a short brush. I use a longer small paint brush to Clean up powder's. Also, I store an old dryer sheet in hopper to stop static if need be.
Everytime I look at these the first thought I have is planned obsolescence, just like most electronics. Constantly upgrading for the next gen, or replacement due to malfunction will get old. Yet here I am watching.... I have good measures, scale and trickler. I'll probably keep it simple. I'm still not sold.
This was a truly excellent review of this device with all its pluses and minuses. I've considered getting one of these electronic dispensers but I always get hung up on the digital scale and the trickling I have no control over. Call me old fashioned (and I very much am) but for my rifle loads I'm gonna stick with my Lee balance beam safety scale which with just a little patience is dead on time after time. And after watching this I think I've got the time more than I've got the money for this doodad.
If you get a RCBS or Lyman beam scale you will be glad you did, You can find them used for a good price on Ebay if you watch for it. I used a lee safety scale for a couple years, it works but is more of a PITA than a better quality metal scale. Now the cheap Lee powder measure, I up graded to a new Hornady one after loosing the cap to my Lee but can't get myself to change them out, the lee just works so good once you get it set right and is easy and fast but my Lyman M5 scale is so much nicer than the lee.
I opted for the RCBS Chargemaster Lite and love it. It very rarely ever throws over, almost always right on the money, never low. It's accurate and repeatable, and will do the trickle-up for you. However, the Lyman does look better for cleaning. Great video!
Richard Burton hopefully he tries that. I would be interested but I only use imr 4064 and hp-38 right now. Considering I have to buy powder online, I don't want to lose any. Haz fees suck.
I have used IMR 4064, Hodgdon H4350, CFE223, Reloader 15, Varget and Hodgdon BL-C(2) and have no issues with spillage. You just have to remember to use the restrictor cap for extruded powders and not use it with ball powder.
A few buddies and I do a group buy once a year. We split the haz fee and order the max from powder valley. Depending on how much you reload, you can save quite a bit compared to local purchase per pound. Also, subscribe to midway, midsouth, etc. They all do "free hazmat" promos every now and then.
For your powder splash try using your RCBS powder pan with your Lyman Powder dispenser since the RCBS pan has steeper sides it may not allow the splash to be so bad. Just a thought.
I just got the rcbs 300$ one and i love it i havent figured out the saving charge feature yet but other then tht is great i only had one charge thrown over by 0.1 it trickles very well from what i have seen so far.
Great bit of kit . And best to put the black cover back on befor taking the powder tube out then don’t get powder spillage! Just use a diff pan if it spills on when tricking out easy solution!
Thank you John for the video / review. With regard to the issue with ball powder splashing all over the place the fix would be for lyman to redesign the pan. From a mechanical Eng. point of view = to easy.
Absolutely spot on sir Extremely truthful video, everything you pointed out was fact. I’ve been using mine for a few years and experienced all of the quirks you pointed out
I have a Gen 5 that I used to make up about 3 loads for, I made less than 150 rounds total for it, stepped away from the reloading bench for various reasons and went to fire it back up and the damned thing won't even turn on. I contacted Lyman and was informed they no longer service or warranty them to any degree and offered to let me buy their Gen 6 for a whopping $30 off. I have had amazing service from Lyman casting pots in the past but I questioned them about just a discount for a product that completely failed and they never bothered to contact me back. About pissed with them now and plan to avoid anything lyman in the future.
JRB - Well, that certainly is a much more capable dispenser than Lyman's original model...Looks pretty well thought out...I've been thinking of getting another powder dispenser so that powder charges can be dispensed faster. If you are going to trickle up the charges, then a crank powder measure will get you there more simply...I'm intrigued at using this for the main charge. See ya...And your PID is working splendidly - been doing more casting off camera... Thanks again... FC Steve
I guess that's why we have more than one tool to do the same thing in our reloading hobby :-) That looks like a nice unit if you do a lot of rifle shooting or small amounts of loading.
Ball powders are splashing out at the beginning of the cycle because balls bounce and the more momentum the higher the splasy. Try an O ring to elevate the pan. If you zero the pan and O ring together you still maintain the zero of the pan. At least you've cut out some distance in the fall.
I have two of these. I like them a lot, but there are a couple things: If, like me, the loud beeping drives you crazy... turn it over, remove the screws only at the four corners (under the rubber feet). Take the top cover off the internals. Under the keypad, there is the beeper. It looks like a tall donut. Fill that with hot glue or epoxy thickened with contempt. You have now neutered the beep. Mine make a tiny little mouse fart beep now. Also, I can’t understand why they give you two tools (brush and hook) but only one little hole in the case to hold them. I did have a power supply go bad, but Lyman quickly sent me another one.
I do believe if you used a different bowl the ball powder would be fine. I have a plastic one that has higher sides and actually can fill your case from the side without using a funnel. I am sure you have seen them. It does make it a bit more difficult to verify. You would have to modify your procedure. I found your video to be quite interesting and just maybe I would get one of those instead of another CM Lite. Mine has kind of gone on the frits. It has got inconsistent for some reason and I have to set it for undercharge and trickle. Less than a 10th of a grain won't make a bit of difference in most rifle cartridges. Hand weighing brass and sorting in lots would do more. Case capacity has a bigger difference than a 10th of a grain of powder.
there's a new pan with higher sides that will help eliminate that splashing problem ! in my Hornady powder manual dispenser I use old pill cases and place it right up underneath the outlet. A few splashes but drastically reduced.
I really enjoy your reviews. This subject is one I have been pondering for a long time. I use a RCBS 1500 scale+trickler. I can drop my powder - 2 gr and trickle up and its faster than any of these automatic powder droppers. I live by the KISS theory. (OLD SCHOOL)
For the DC plug get an extension cable with a right angle. Measure the outside diameter and note the voltage. Look on Amazon I'm sure you can get one for under $10.
Nice review JRB, I have no experience with the Lyman Gen 6. I like the way it breaks down for cleaning. Thanks for the honest review. I can say after purchasing the original RCBS charge master this year it has been very good to me. I did place about a 1" section of McDonald's straw in the tube and I get very consistent results, I can throw many many charges in a row spot on. But honestly it was still pretty consistent without the straw. I definitely don't get that kind of splash either. I have never used the Lyman gen 6, I'm sure it's a capable unit that you will get service out of, but after watching you video I think you would be much happier with the original RCBS chargemaster. Thanks for the vid.
Not sure how I missed this one, but I am now looking into getting one of these and I wonder why I haven't seen you using it. Did something happen to make you stop or could you just not break your old ways?
After watching your video I chose the RCBS light and I'm sure glad I did it may be a tad slower but throws a perfect charge every time no trickling and much easier to clean. Got it on sale Cabelas $215.
Wow, that's a good price. I'm seeing the Gen6 and the FA Intellidropper for right around the $200 mark + --... The RCBS CM lite tend to be closer to $300 + --...
I like how fast they work, but for clean up it seems like powder always gets everywhere. Much more-so than when I use my Hornady's. The Hornady's like to overthrow by 0.1 gr and the Lymans like to underthrow by 0.1 gr. But yeah... powder seems to get everywhere...
That large plug is not a monstrosity lol! It is our beloved British standard 1363 plug, it can handle a fair few volts certainly. It is also one of the most carefully designed and safest plug and socket designs in the world...just don't accidentally stand on one bear foot, we all do here at least once and you don't forget it! en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AC_power_plugs_and_sockets:_British_and_related_types
Never had any issues with the Chargemaster with powder leftovers after a powder change. Only issue is forgetting to close the drain before a refill and having lots of powder to drain and a cup that was too small. Overflows really have not been an issue for me, and if necc, I can scoop out with a Lee spoon and trickle it back in, but, I can count how many times I've had to do that on one hand. I've got 7 yrs and likely 5000 loads on it. I only use it with stick powders though, use a thrower with ball powders. It's a nice luxury, convenient, but not really necc.
I have the same unit, it works very well. timing when throwing a charge is as fast or faster than i can load. So i keep a good pace. The auto load is the only way to go for loading 25+ loads.
Overs and unders seem to be 1- or 1+...if I am under I use the small brush handle to tap the tube lightly and it corrects or if over...those yellow spoon hold a small magnetic charge so I hold it above the powder and it corrects...
I'm glad I watched this. I heard about them and was leaning towards a 6 over 5, but now, I'm just going to stick with my modified Charmaster which 9 of 10 throws and often 10 of 10 is spot on throwing Retumbo, Varget, Superformence (very fine pwdr.) 8208 and MagPro also very fine. Having done the program change to the 1500, and using the straw made all the difference. Keep up the good videos.
This video is 5 years old now. I wonder if you purchased a new one today would it still throw a 1/10th light or have they correct that after 5 years? I would think a software update would resolve that.
I still use the gen 3 version after 15+ years of use, it has trickle functions but usually throws over rather than under weight. I usually set .1-.2 gns under and if it throws under weight i just tap end of dispensing tube to trickle to desired weight. to change powder you dont need to pull the tube out, just empty the hopper and hold fast trickle button to empty tube. apart from the size difference the gen 6 seems to be a step backwards in function, also have couple mates that got the gen 6 and touch screen has failed within months....
Really liking these scale reviews. Im currently using a beam scale and want to upgrade to an electronic. What do you think of the Dillon D-Terminator scale? Great video as always, keep up the great work.
I purchased a Lyman Ultimate reloading kit and this powder scale was included with the kit. It worked fairly well for the 1st 70 or 80 charges then it went south. It stops completely at around 4 or 5 grains short of the load. Needs to be re-calibrated way too often. Emptying the unused powder is a huge pain. I parked it in the corner of my bench, went to an RCBS mechanical scale, a Frankford Arsonal powder measure and a Lyman powder trickle. Nothing beats the good old honest and true mechanical products. Electronics are great for some tings but for others it's just no so reliable. It got to the point I just didn't trust the electronic scale"s honesty. Lyman makes some very good products but the Gen6 is not one of them.
i know this is old . and i'm rewatching it again . i gave in and finally got a powder dispenser . i got the rcbs chargemaster . love it but it does the same stuff with ball powders ! they jump out of the pan and make a lot of splash . even ordered a set of nozzles in different sizes and tried them all . the smallest one works good but still splashes powder out of the pan . so i only use it for stick powders now . ball and flake powders i just use my uniflow and my old ohaus 10-10 scale . both the lyman and rcbs units are great ! the hornady my friend has always is to light or to heavy . he even sent it back and they replaced it with a new one and still gets the same thing . if you see this johnny do a update on how it's holding up . lots of people would like to know .
I bought my Lyman just over two years ago for $250. It worked fairly well until it didn’t. One day with no warning it just quit working & wouldn’t zero the scale anymore rendering it useless. It gave readings all over the map. Scale drift was (4) full grains in a minuet. I contacted Lyman support; they gave me some things to try. It was no use. She never worked again. Bottom line… I got maybe 1000 rifle cases charged in the two years of use for $250. Save your money, buy something better. You don’t have to spend $1000 on a scale. But there are numerous other options out there. I went with the Hornady Auto Charge Pro for $340. We’ll see how that works.
I wonder how long the electronics will last before it starts to mess up. I heard of a lot of people having issues with the RCBS ones and older Lyman ones.
Sounds like you didn't pay for that... Good. The Chargemaster 1500 is tried and true and I'm glad I have it. You can fiddle with the advanced "tuning" options and get it dumping your powder as fast as possible. FWIW: I leave the little dump door open on my chargemaster more than once when I went to refill it. :)
Note to potential buyers ; the warranty is only good for the originally buyer period. If you think you can send the machine directly to Lyman and get it fixed for free if you are the second buyer THINK AGAIN !
Thanks for the vid. I am a beginner to reloading and just started to put all the tools I believe I will be needing to start reloading. I’m having a heck of a time trying to figure out what would be best for my purposes. I will be pretty much doing 45 acp and 38 as well as some 10 mm. What scale do you think best for this purpose? Any help will be appreciated.
You should try using the Lyman Powder-Pal Funnel-Pan: it has a bit of a shroud over the pan than can reduce (not eliminate) ball powder from bouncing out! I like it because it then charges any case directly. I just don't use a regular funnel at all. (My personal taste.)
Good review. I like the RCBS 1500 better. I know it's a little more jingle but a lot less stress. Anyway keep up the good work. Your a rockstar in the Reloading world. At least in Backwoods West Virginia.
Love mine. Always drops +.1 to -.1 of desired charge. Only negative I have is powder sticks to the inside of the reservoir. I just tap it and then falls down.
I've got the Gen5 version of this unit and all of the same observations apply but for size. I actually don't use it much if at all now as I find that throwing is, frankly, typically at least as accurate and much faster.
Nice review. The Ability to tear it down is nice and I believe unique to the Lyman design. I like that. Maybe it is reloader OCD and a few grains mixed in will not matter that much... It adds color and character to your reloads. The shaft guide bushings being replaceable is also a nice feature... I think. I don't believe the other designs let the user get into the 'belly of the beast' and replace any consumable parts. Which leaves the owner with a non repairable machine. The OEM says discard and replace after a year as they just buy them from China and cannot repair them. I am wondering if it thru the ball powder because of the angle of your bench ? Or than dark spot on the center of your pan ? Curious if another pan fixes this glitch. The mess is annoying. I think for the most part all Reloading equipment is well made. We are the variable. We just work better with different companies products. My bench looks like a rainbow of equipment. I just evaluate and don't let price be the only factor. When you look at the $30 difference between the RCBS & the Lyman over ten years it is a penny per day.
if youre watching this video in 2022 because youre thinking about purchasing an auto charger, do yourself a favor and buy a Frankford arsenal intellidropper, Its a FAR SUPERIOR unit, more features and thanks to the "powder cal" feature, you will get perfect charges 99 out of 100, almost 100% of the time, regardless of powder. Also will probably save yourself some money, its a no brainer.
Mine also throws reads about a tenth under so I bop the tube with the brush to get a couple more kernels of powder out and it settles out at the desired weight. The big problem is with super fine powder for 300 blackout gumming up the little seals and stalling the motor... Mine has clear plastic seals and black rubber o rings though so maybe they updated the design. Mine was $140 and the rcbs light didn't exist at the time so it was a no brainer...
I bought one of these several years ago after watching this video. It has thrown thousands of charges since then and is still going strong. Have not had to replace the bushings in it. Mine occasionally throws a tenth of a grain light or over, but this is a small price to pay for the convenience of automation. Clean up became second nature after doing it a few times. Have been very happy with the performance of the Gen6.
I have been running a Gen 6 for over a year and I have zero complaints it has preformed flawlessly for me after at least 5 or 6 thousand charges 👌
does it still works today ?
@@trialsdungeons8737 Yes sir it still runs perfectly still haven’t had any issues with it
Had to order a taller pan. Some powders would fly out of the pan even with the restriction piece installed. Also some ball powders work into the o rings. And it would lock up the aluminum dispenser tube. Did some research. Just add a small amount of oil on the o rings. I bought it based on its footprint. But I absolutely love this thing now. Had it for over five years.
Johnny, I applaud your honesty. I feel that most companies out there have "Time is Money" and relies on customer feedback, testing their product in a more in depth way showing over time the weaknesses that show up in practical use. I believe they have the right guy for the Job and the right audience as well. I have seen you in action, you treat products with a "Testing Company" mindset. Many times I have seen you say "Let's see what it does when we do this or that" Good review, There are other channels that never seem to review a product they didn't like, I feel you will give us the real deal. Dave.
Johnnie, place a large sheet of parchment paper or wax paper under your machine for spillage. Then funnel that paper into your stock bottle at work’s end. Works for me. Also, after emptying, vacuum, carefully, for powder remnants.
I smeared some RTV gasket maker in the pan to deaden the bounce with spherical powders
A small piece of paper towel in the pan also works well
Thanks for the video!
God bless,
Nathan
You are the best. I moved away from my form of competition to a place where it isn’t offered. We were all reloaded . Here if I talk about sd’s or bc’s I could see their eyes glaze over. Thank You for speaking my language!
we need an update on this product
Agreed
So glad I bought it in amazon, made it easy to SEND IT BACK!!!
I have a Lyman Gen 2 , brought it in the early 2000's ( 2005 or 2006? i can not remember anymore) I have had zero trouble with it. No overthrow, no gasket gone bad. Best purchase I made .
On the Lyman unit at around 9:00, the power plugs are (in order of showing them): Europe, Australia and UK.
After watching your review I purchased one of these, I like it, It does over charge a grain or two with some stick powders, but I also keep a digital scale and pan ready to modifynthe load if so needed, I find this easier and quicker than trickling every load. so if a load comes to more or less than, I just add or delete a couple granules sitting in an adjacent pan. I also find this more relaxing than trying to get my scale within .02 of a grain, when I dont think it really makes a difference at the range. I enjoy your channel and find it very entertaining and informational, thank you.
Just watched this. Great, honest review. Regarding ball powders, another way to at least minimize the 'splash' would be to have a tray with taller walls. The particles would still bounce, but the walls would contain most of them. Might be able to make one out of a small plastic cup. Either this or just put some kind of lightweight spacer under the pan to raise it up. Power doesn't fall as far, won't bounce as high.
That just gave me an idea... what if you took a taller container, like a clear plastic cup and cut a hole at the appropriate height for the feed tube to poke into...as long as you could manage the static cling that would solve the bouncing powders escaping...
I have had mine for a year or so, changing powders only takes around 3 min once you get used to it. I lost the tool that came with it about 5 min after I owned it. My Dillon press has all its allen wrenches on a nice holder on the back of the press so I just use the 2nd to the smallest and it works well to hold the motor while you unscrew the powder bar.
You are correct about the power plug, I would give a lot to have it come out the back, I have thought about taking it apart and making it that way but have not done that yet. run the restriction on mine all the time, It normally stops .01 lite and I use a trickler to bring it up about 1/3 of the time. It still is ready for me when I am ready another charge.
I have found that is I have my air conditioning on it can screw with the scale. Also if you are not going to load hundreds at once what I did was take the clean tube off mine and just put the gray lid on the scale, its easy to add a little more power to it and makes it very easy to clean out.
I hope you enjoy yours as much as I do mine.
Johnny! I'm shocked. That three pin plug is for Great British electricity: bigger better and red-white-and-bluer than the low power stuff you get in the colonies. 🇬🇧⚡
Love love LOVE that intro with the storm sounds! Could put that on loop and use it as a fall asleep sound!!
Thanks for sharing your knowledge Johnny , I learned a lot about a scale I’ve had for years
Excellent review. I have a 15 year old electronic dispenser/scale. This unit you reviewed is way more advanced. Time to upgrade. I was about to comment early and ask about ball powders, but you covered those as well. Thanks!
Thank you very much!
A great review and comparison of the top digital scales that are on the market these days.
I'm a big believer in the old fashioned way and will hopefully be working with my beam scale for years to come.
One problem.
My eyes are getting old so I have been searching for a reliable electronic scale.
This video helps a lot in my search. I really can't decide at this point but do appreciate your video. Thanks again.
Peace be with you always.
Really sad August is quickly coming to an end. Hope you'll continue churning out the videos.
A couple tips, it comes with a short brush. I use a longer small paint brush to Clean up powder's. Also, I store an old dryer sheet in hopper to stop static if need be.
Everytime I look at these the first thought I have is planned obsolescence, just like most electronics. Constantly upgrading for the next gen, or replacement due to malfunction will get old. Yet here I am watching.... I have good measures, scale and trickler. I'll probably keep it simple. I'm still not sold.
This was a truly excellent review of this device with all its pluses and minuses. I've considered getting one of these electronic dispensers but I always get hung up on the digital scale and the trickling I have no control over. Call me old fashioned (and I very much am) but for my rifle loads I'm gonna stick with my Lee balance beam safety scale which with just a little patience is dead on time after time. And after watching this I think I've got the time more than I've got the money for this doodad.
If you get a RCBS or Lyman beam scale you will be glad you did, You can find them used for a good price on Ebay if you watch for it. I used a lee safety scale for a couple years, it works but is more of a PITA than a better quality metal scale. Now the cheap Lee powder measure, I up graded to a new Hornady one after loosing the cap to my Lee but can't get myself to change them out, the lee just works so good once you get it set right and is easy and fast but my Lyman M5 scale is so much nicer than the lee.
I opted for the RCBS Chargemaster Lite and love it. It very rarely ever throws over, almost always right on the money, never low. It's accurate and repeatable, and will do the trickle-up for you. However, the Lyman does look better for cleaning. Great video!
Lyman looks nicer overall, functions very well, and about $100 less...
@@gerrymatheson4020 perhaps, but my RCBS has never thrown an over charge for me. It's very accurate without tinkering.
Just ordered mine after watching this video. I was on the ropes between the hornady and the rcbs. Natchez had it for $213 so I pulled the trigger
Great video, great info! Keep coming back to relearn what I need to know!
Btw don't use the restrictor end cap when using the ball powder and you will get way less splash if any of the powder.
Richard Burton hopefully he tries that. I would be interested but I only use imr 4064 and hp-38 right now. Considering I have to buy powder online, I don't want to lose any. Haz fees suck.
I have used IMR 4064, Hodgdon H4350, CFE223, Reloader 15, Varget and Hodgdon BL-C(2) and have no issues with spillage. You just have to remember to use the restrictor cap for extruded powders and not use it with ball powder.
Yup, haz fees truly SUCK and does nothing but drain our wallets. Well, guess that was the goal.
A few buddies and I do a group buy once a year. We split the haz fee and order the max from powder valley. Depending on how much you reload, you can save quite a bit compared to local purchase per pound. Also, subscribe to midway, midsouth, etc. They all do "free hazmat" promos every now and then.
For your powder splash try using your RCBS powder pan with your Lyman Powder dispenser since the RCBS pan has steeper sides it may not allow the splash to be so bad. Just a thought.
I just got the rcbs 300$ one and i love it i havent figured out the saving charge feature yet but other then tht is great i only had one charge thrown over by 0.1 it trickles very well from what i have seen so far.
Great bit of kit . And best to put the black cover back on befor taking the powder tube out then don’t get powder spillage! Just use a diff pan if it spills on when tricking out easy solution!
Thank you John for the video / review. With regard to the issue with ball powder splashing all over the place the fix would be for lyman to redesign the pan. From a mechanical Eng. point of view = to easy.
Absolutely spot on sir
Extremely truthful video, everything you pointed out was fact. I’ve been using mine for a few years and experienced all of the quirks you pointed out
I have a Gen 5 that I used to make up about 3 loads for, I made less than 150 rounds total for it, stepped away from the reloading bench for various reasons and went to fire it back up and the damned thing won't even turn on. I contacted Lyman and was informed they no longer service or warranty them to any degree and offered to let me buy their Gen 6 for a whopping $30 off. I have had amazing service from Lyman casting pots in the past but I questioned them about just a discount for a product that completely failed and they never bothered to contact me back. About pissed with them now and plan to avoid anything lyman in the future.
A lot of reviews I read is that's after 1to 3 yrs. These units break down with different issues. I was looking myself at this model.
Slightly under powder throw is caused by the momentum of the last grain of powder hitting the scale.
It's very accurate when calibrated with the windshield ON. And fast when loading 90 grains of magnum powders.
Nice review! I realize the review is 5 years old but the price has gone from $210-ish to $375-is on Amazon meaning the price has gone up 56%!
I agree that the cleaning capability is a huge selling point. Price also helps
JRB - Well, that certainly is a much more capable dispenser than Lyman's original model...Looks pretty well thought out...I've been thinking of getting another powder dispenser so that powder charges can be dispensed faster. If you are going to trickle up the charges, then a crank powder measure will get you there more simply...I'm intrigued at using this for the main charge. See ya...And your PID is working splendidly - been doing more casting off camera... Thanks again... FC Steve
I guess that's why we have more than one tool to do the same thing in our reloading hobby :-)
That looks like a nice unit if you do a lot of rifle shooting or small amounts of loading.
Ball powders are splashing out at the beginning of the cycle because balls bounce and the more momentum the higher the splasy. Try an O ring to elevate the pan. If you zero the pan and O ring together you still maintain the zero of the pan. At least you've cut out some distance in the fall.
I have two of these. I like them a lot, but there are a couple things:
If, like me, the loud beeping drives you crazy... turn it over, remove the screws only at the four corners (under the rubber feet). Take the top cover off the internals. Under the keypad, there is the beeper. It looks like a tall donut. Fill that with hot glue or epoxy thickened with contempt. You have now neutered the beep. Mine make a tiny little mouse fart beep now.
Also, I can’t understand why they give you two tools (brush and hook) but only one little hole in the case to hold them.
I did have a power supply go bad, but Lyman quickly sent me another one.
I do believe if you used a different bowl the ball powder would be fine. I have a plastic one that has higher sides and actually can fill your case from the side without using a funnel. I am sure you have seen them. It does make it a bit more difficult to verify. You would have to modify your procedure. I found your video to be quite interesting and just maybe I would get one of those instead of another CM Lite. Mine has kind of gone on the frits. It has got inconsistent for some reason and I have to set it for undercharge and trickle. Less than a 10th of a grain won't make a bit of difference in most rifle cartridges. Hand weighing brass and sorting in lots would do more. Case capacity has a bigger difference than a 10th of a grain of powder.
there's a new pan with higher sides that will help eliminate that splashing problem !
in my Hornady powder manual dispenser I use old pill cases and place it right up underneath the outlet. A few splashes but drastically reduced.
I really enjoy your reviews. This subject is one I have been pondering for a long time. I use a RCBS 1500 scale+trickler. I can drop my powder - 2 gr and trickle up and its faster than any of these automatic powder droppers. I live by the KISS theory. (OLD SCHOOL)
Old school would be a beam scale.
For the DC plug get an extension cable with a right angle. Measure the outside diameter and note the voltage. Look on Amazon I'm sure you can get one for under $10.
Nice review JRB, I have no experience with the Lyman Gen 6. I like the way it breaks down for cleaning. Thanks for the honest review.
I can say after purchasing the original RCBS charge master this year it has been very good to me. I did place about a 1" section of McDonald's straw in the tube and I get very consistent results, I can throw many many charges in a row spot on. But honestly it was still pretty consistent without the straw. I definitely don't get that kind of splash either. I have never used the Lyman gen 6, I'm sure it's a capable unit that you will get service out of, but after watching you video I think you would be much happier with the original RCBS chargemaster.
Thanks for the vid.
Not sure how I missed this one, but I am now looking into getting one of these and I wonder why I haven't seen you using it. Did something happen to make you stop or could you just not break your old ways?
That big 3-prong plug is for U.K.
Use it for reloading 303. :-)
The two round pegs are Russian Federation, needed for 7.62x54r
I remember the plugs when living in the UK. The only place I lived where I could plug my welder or plasma cutter into a kitchen outlet. 😂
The RCBS trickler is handy in cleanup for emptying the lower powder chamber.
After watching your video I chose the RCBS light and I'm sure glad I did it may be a tad slower but throws a perfect charge every time no trickling and much easier to clean. Got it on sale Cabelas $215.
Wow, that's a good price. I'm seeing the Gen6 and the FA Intellidropper for right around the $200 mark + --... The RCBS CM lite tend to be closer to $300 + --...
I like how fast they work, but for clean up it seems like powder always gets everywhere. Much more-so than when I use my Hornady's. The Hornady's like to overthrow by 0.1 gr and the Lymans like to underthrow by 0.1 gr. But yeah... powder seems to get everywhere...
We could use that rain for about a week,Nice review.Thanks and look forward to more on it.
I seldom need that kind of precision but when I do, I use a manual powder trickler.
That large plug is not a monstrosity lol! It is our beloved British standard 1363 plug, it can handle a fair few volts certainly. It is also one of the most carefully designed and safest plug and socket designs in the world...just don't accidentally stand on one bear foot, we all do here at least once and you don't forget it! en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AC_power_plugs_and_sockets:_British_and_related_types
I'm going to order that restrictor for my Hornady. You can tell by design all the auto dispense scales most likely come from the same factory.
I can personally vouch that that is not the case....
Never had any issues with the Chargemaster with powder leftovers after a powder change. Only issue is forgetting to close the drain before a refill and having lots of powder to drain and a cup that was too small. Overflows really have not been an issue for me, and if necc, I can scoop out with a Lee spoon and trickle it back in, but, I can count how many times I've had to do that on one hand. I've got 7 yrs and likely 5000 loads on it. I only use it with stick powders though, use a thrower with ball powders. It's a nice luxury, convenient, but not really necc.
Have had mine for years and love it
Use the black plastic Lyman powder pan that covers the mouth of the cartridge case. This will virtually eliminate the ball powder splash.
Thanks Johnny. I’ve got an original pact that has about had it. So much for Warranty work.
Program it for 25.1. Compensate for the tenth. Awesome review.
try removing the restrictor when using the ball powders, that may give you the drop needed to reduce the splash.
I have the same unit, it works very well. timing when throwing a charge is as fast or faster than i can load.
So i keep a good pace. The auto load is the only way to go for loading 25+ loads.
Flake powers or ball powders are not as quick and easy as the extruded ones i have found.
Overs and unders seem to be 1- or 1+...if I am under I use the small brush handle to tap the tube lightly and it corrects or if over...those yellow spoon hold a small magnetic charge so I hold it above the powder and it corrects...
I'm glad I watched this. I heard about them and was leaning towards a 6 over 5, but now, I'm just going to stick with my modified Charmaster which 9 of 10 throws and often 10 of 10 is spot on throwing Retumbo, Varget, Superformence (very fine pwdr.) 8208 and MagPro also very fine. Having done the program change to the 1500, and using the straw made all the difference.
Keep up the good videos.
I have the RCBS Charge Master Lite and it is Fantastic!
This video is 5 years old now. I wonder if you purchased a new one today would it still throw a 1/10th light or have they correct that after 5 years? I would think a software update would resolve that.
26:00 Doc Brown has started reloading
Would love to see more on this in your future videos. Have thought about getting one many times now.
I still use the gen 3 version after 15+ years of use, it has trickle functions but usually throws over rather than under weight.
I usually set .1-.2 gns under and if it throws under weight i just tap end of dispensing tube to trickle to desired weight.
to change powder you dont need to pull the tube out, just empty the hopper and hold fast trickle button to empty tube.
apart from the size difference the gen 6 seems to be a step backwards in function, also have couple mates that got the gen 6 and touch screen has failed within months....
The reason the calibration weight doesn't sit down all the way is so nothing sticks to the bottom of the weight and messes up your settings
Good point, I was thinking it was a wedge fit so it didn't fall out while being carried or stored if stored sideways for whatever reason.
Really liking these scale reviews. Im currently using a beam scale and want to upgrade to an electronic. What do you think of the Dillon D-Terminator scale? Great video as always, keep up the great work.
Awsome and thorough review Johnny ! Now can you do the Hornady,and RCBS models :)
I purchased a Lyman Ultimate reloading kit and this powder scale was included with the kit. It worked fairly well for the 1st 70 or 80 charges then it went south. It stops completely at around 4 or 5 grains short of the load. Needs to be re-calibrated way too often. Emptying the unused powder is a huge pain. I parked it in the corner of my bench, went to an RCBS mechanical scale, a Frankford Arsonal powder measure and a Lyman powder trickle. Nothing beats the good old honest and true mechanical products. Electronics are great for some tings but for others it's just no so reliable. It got to the point I just didn't trust the electronic scale"s honesty. Lyman makes some very good products but the Gen6 is not one of them.
Great video. Wasn’t too long at all. Enjoyed every minute of it 👍🏼
i know this is old . and i'm rewatching it again . i gave in and finally got a powder dispenser . i got the rcbs chargemaster . love it but it does the same stuff with ball powders ! they jump out of the pan and make a lot of splash . even ordered a set of nozzles in different sizes and tried them all . the smallest one works good but still splashes powder out of the pan . so i only use it for stick powders now . ball and flake powders i just use my uniflow and my old ohaus 10-10 scale . both the lyman and rcbs units are great ! the hornady my friend has always is to light or to heavy . he even sent it back and they replaced it with a new one and still gets the same thing . if you see this johnny do a update on how it's holding up . lots of people would like to know .
I bought my Lyman just over two years ago for $250. It worked fairly well until it didn’t.
One day with no warning it just quit working & wouldn’t zero the scale anymore rendering it useless. It gave readings all over the map. Scale drift was (4) full grains in a minuet.
I contacted Lyman support; they gave me some things to try. It was no use. She never worked again.
Bottom line… I got maybe 1000 rifle cases charged in the two years of use for $250.
Save your money, buy something better. You don’t have to spend $1000 on a scale. But there are numerous other options out there. I went with the Hornady Auto Charge Pro for $340. We’ll see how that works.
This video is 3 years old now. I am in the market now. Is your Lyman Gen6 still working well?
I decided to buy the RCBS Chargemaster Lite. It throws perfectly as compared to my “5-0-5” balance beam scale - I couldn’t ask for better
If you wanted to use the scale alone, remove the filling powder stem to create a clear vertical path;)
I wonder how long the electronics will last before it starts to mess up. I heard of a lot of people having issues with the RCBS ones and older Lyman ones.
I have had my Gen 6 for about a year now and have had no issues so far.
Richard Burton I may pick one up. I like how precise it is. Will be nice for competition loads and smaller groups.
Sounds like you didn't pay for that... Good. The Chargemaster 1500 is tried and true and I'm glad I have it. You can fiddle with the advanced "tuning" options and get it dumping your powder as fast as possible.
FWIW: I leave the little dump door open on my chargemaster more than once when I went to refill it. :)
Note to potential buyers ; the warranty is only good for the originally buyer period.
If you think you can send the machine directly to Lyman and get it fixed for free if you are the second buyer THINK AGAIN !
Thanks for the vid. I am a beginner to reloading and just started to put all the tools I believe I will be needing to start reloading. I’m having a heck of a time trying to figure out what would be best for my purposes. I will be pretty much doing 45 acp and 38 as well as some 10 mm. What scale do you think best for this purpose? Any help will be appreciated.
Man, we really need this, but for food supplement powders.
You should try using the Lyman Powder-Pal Funnel-Pan: it has a bit of a shroud over the pan than can reduce (not eliminate) ball powder from bouncing out! I like it because it then charges any case directly. I just don't use a regular funnel at all. (My personal taste.)
Good review. I like the RCBS 1500 better. I know it's a little more jingle but a lot less stress. Anyway keep up the good work. Your a rockstar in the Reloading world. At least in Backwoods West Virginia.
I wonder if you put a little pad of duct tape in the bottom of that pan if it would prevent those ball powders from bouncing out??
Do all auto machines have splashing with ball powders?
Joe Jr Every one I've used do have splashing.
It was a big factor in getting a free product. lol Good review, I'm a fan of your channel.
great review, I REALLY want a don't blow your face off bench mat.
Love mine. Always drops +.1 to -.1 of desired charge. Only negative I have is powder sticks to the inside of the reservoir. I just tap it and then falls down.
The big power adapter is for UK 240V.
I've got the Gen5 version of this unit and all of the same observations apply but for size. I actually don't use it much if at all now as I find that throwing is, frankly, typically at least as accurate and much faster.
Nice review.
The Ability to tear it down is nice and I believe unique to the Lyman design. I like that. Maybe it is reloader OCD and a few grains mixed in will not matter that much... It adds color and character to your reloads.
The shaft guide bushings being replaceable is also a nice feature... I think. I don't believe the other designs let the user get into the 'belly of the beast' and replace any consumable parts. Which leaves the owner with a non repairable machine. The OEM says discard and replace after a year as they just buy them from China and cannot repair them.
I am wondering if it thru the ball powder because of the angle of your bench ? Or than dark spot on the center of your pan ? Curious if another pan fixes this glitch. The mess is annoying.
I think for the most part all Reloading equipment is well made. We are the variable. We just work better with different companies products. My bench looks like a rainbow of equipment. I just evaluate and don't let price be the only factor. When you look at the $30 difference between the RCBS & the Lyman over ten years it is a penny per day.
Good review but I like the RCBS 1500
if youre watching this video in 2022 because youre thinking about purchasing an auto charger, do yourself a favor and buy a Frankford arsenal intellidropper, Its a FAR SUPERIOR unit, more features and thanks to the "powder cal" feature, you will get perfect charges 99 out of 100, almost 100% of the time, regardless of powder. Also will probably save yourself some money, its a no brainer.
The hook is to help you start the powder tube back on after you remove it.
the 50g weight must be seated upside down. you could rest the hook tool on top of it. it sticks to the hole at the bottom of your 50g weight. At 8:17
A billion loads!
An long or short billion?
I love my rcbs chargemaster 1500. I use h335 and cfe pistol and they both meter very well.
Mine also throws reads about a tenth under so I bop the tube with the brush to get a couple more kernels of powder out and it settles out at the desired weight. The big problem is with super fine powder for 300 blackout gumming up the little seals and stalling the motor... Mine has clear plastic seals and black rubber o rings though so maybe they updated the design. Mine was $140 and the rcbs light didn't exist at the time so it was a no brainer...