Dillon's No B.S. Warranty has too much B.S.

#11 · November 17, 2010, 9:02 pm

jwestmoreland,

Broken bullet pullers are under warranty. We do require that the broken one be sent in before we send a replacement is all. Decap pins are considered a comsumable, at least in rifle calibers. We will usually mail a replacement pistol decap pin if someone tweaks one, as when this happens it sometimes damages the retaining cap.

#12 · November 17, 2010, 9:26 pm

Dillon,

OK - that is good to know.

I am OK on pullers in case you are wondering.

I can send the damaged one back, but in all fairness that was 100% my fault.

I also have bent some decapping pins, but again, I thought that was par for the course.

It is good to know about the pistol calibers - I am reloading .44 and .50 AE, I am sure I will take you guys up on that in the future.

I don't like to see people bashing over what is really a trivial issue. If, on the other hand, there was something really wrong with the main mechanical piston on a 650 and Dillon said they would not replace it - then that is a real issue - but that is not what we are talking about here.

Thanks,
John W.

#13 · November 30, 2010, 6:30 am

How about some down home honest advice. I am getting ready to order a new dillon xl650 with a lot of extra goodies to go with it. I have always wanted one, but this situation with warrantee issues worries me a bit. I purchased another brand a couple of years ago and had very serious issues that the company would do nothing about. So, are the great majority of 650 owners satisfied or do I have something to worry about.

#14 · December 18, 2010, 5:07 pm

I have been loading since the early '70's, and while I own all of the equipment, we have a club that gets together to use it. There are 14 loaders, 6 scales, two tumblers, a pocket swager, multiple moulds, two large lead furnaces and a star sizer, and many other items too numerous to mention. There products from several manufacturers, and I have dealt with the customer service for all of them. I have been using Dillon Products since they first hit the market. I cannot say enough about their customer service. If you are looking at buying a product from them, but hesitate because of worries about their warranty, you are wasting time. Their warranty and customer service is something that you can hang your hat on.

Captain Tom Beckham

Pawleys Island, SC

#15 · January 5, 2011, 11:05 am

Here's a thought. A lot of time and space wasted here over operator error, for a frigging decap pin. Just my thought though.

#16 · January 15, 2011, 3:04 am

I too have needed to replace several parts on my 650 that broke during use. Every time I have called and spoke to a customer service tech she had the part being sent out before I ever even asked for a free replacement.

I too have also broken my fair share of decapping pins but never thought to try and call Dillon and attempt to have a warrantly cover the replacement, I bought a few replacements and went on.

I don't know if there is a difference between warranties for the reloaders and the loading dies, but the dies aren't part of the machine anyway. Like someone else mentioned, I too believe a decapping pin is a consumable item and not intended to last forever. In fact, the entire die is consumable and will eventually wear out.

It seems like Dillon may want to investigate the matter further if they like their reputation, however. I have learned that a good reputation taken years to earn but can be torn down in a matter of days or weeks, and once it is gone it is near impossible to get back. Sounds like Dillon may have a couple of employees that need to be "refreshed" on proper etiquite when dealing with customers.

Now that it has been mentioned in the Dillon monitored forum, it shouldn't come to a shock to them later down the road if it is not addressed and ends up becoming a larger issue.

#17 · February 24, 2011, 7:58 pm

The rules haven't changed. Like others, I have used Dillon reloaders for over 20 years. Since the beginning the rules were that they would fix or replace anything that goes wrong with their machines except for consumable parts such as de-priming pins. Not sure why that is hard to understand.

I have had everything replaced on my machines short of the main castings by Dillon over the years and never had a complaint. It sounds more to me that you are simply expecting royal treatment above and beyond Dillon's "standard" customers. I meet guys like you every day while selling guns. Guys who expect to trade a $100 gun for a Barrett straight up, and then start talking down the company because you don't receive $10,000 on your $100 investment.

I'll agree. If you are breaking decapping pins regularly, you aren't setting up properly. I break a decapping pin maybe once every two to three years, and typically because they wear out. I reload over 100k rounds a year of every caliber I shoot and set up three machines for eight different calibers regularly.

My best advice to you is to listen objectively to those who try to tell you what you are doing wrong, and then remove your ego from the situation and simply change what you are doing to break decapping pins so often. I've had the Dillon guys on the phone on more than one occasion and been thoroughly embarrassed because I missed something simple, and felt absolutely stupid when they suggested it, but they were right every time and each time have been good enough to say something simple like, 'Don't worry about it, I've done it too.'...

You aren't going to convince any of Dillon's true customers that they are slipping.

By the way, I'll take any of the Dillon equipment you have off of your hands if you are done with them.

#18 · February 24, 2011, 9:11 pm

Buy a decapping pin a bag of ten is next to nothing, don't be a tight ass. I've had a square deal since 1984 and it's been replaced once with no BS. I've broken decapping pins and it is almost always user error.

#19 · April 21, 2011, 8:47 am

Well I have had my XL650 since April of 92 I believe, (Mike correct me if I am wrong). Only issue I have had that was a problem was the crank puller behind the handle. Anything I have broken, and twice I told them I was trying to free up my machine, no knowing something had gotten stuck inside the primer feed, which bends the lever, they replace no questions asked. I have called numerous times for advice and always gotten an answer. Most of those guys own what they sell, and have loaded with what they sell. Yeah once or twice I felt like I was back in VO TECH but they were right. Mostly was me rushing to load lots of ammo for an upcoming shoot, or I was too tired to see what was right in front of my eyes.

Only once was barked at, when asking about 6.8 dies and case gauge and I assumed that person was having a bad day. Never reoccurred. I have so much faith, a Buddy got an XL 650 on my recommendation this last Christmas with all the bells and whistles on it. He is happier than ... oh don't want to go there, he is just pretty happy. I deal with some stubborn issues (30.06 shell plate that was machined wrong- That I used to have to stick my fingers into make sure it went into the decap station) spend time on the phone on Mike's dime and a sales /service rep and I went through making sure it was level, that the shell plate was not bent, that the screw in the middle of the plate was true. Finally out came the calipers and we found that the rim was turned wrong. I got a new one and it was fixed.

I truly cannot say enough good things. I buy Snap On Tools because of the warranty, I buy Dillon because of the warranty. And the warranty is honored every time..

Jeffer

#20 · April 23, 2011, 6:34 am

Decapping pins are covered by warranty? Really? Why would they be considered a warrantable item by Dillon?

I've bent and broken a couple in the nearly 25 years I've owned the first of my six Dillon presses but I never even thought of asking for a replacement for free. But that's all I've damaged-- a couple-- in 25 years and probably 150,000 rounds of ammo. Anyone breaking a pin more than once a year or so is doing something wrong, either setting up wrong or trying to decap Berdan brass. Check what youi're doing before complaining about Dillon's warranty.