Got a trimmer you like?

[Cam]

I'm in the market for a new case trimmer. Who has used any of the electric ones and are they worth the cash? If not, what do you like?

 

[LongRangeBushy]

I used the "Worlds Finest Trimmer" it fits in any standard 3/8" chuck and it is very fast and very easy to adjust for length and trims to about +/- .001
The cutters are also replaceable.
They make models that are caliber specific and family groups like .20 -.30 also they will make specific wildcat cailbers if requested... Ive been very please with mine but Im also caliber specific and dont load lots of different sizes.......

 

[william]

I tried the rcbs trimmer with the electric box on it and I sent it back. It was harder to use than just chucking a drill onto the standard rcbs case trimmer. If you do a google search on the Giraud case trimmer you will find nothing but positive reviews. At least I didn't. It is like $400 but I guess you get what you pay for. Trimming and chamfer/deburr is by far my least favorite part of reloading. When I started all I did was pistol rounds and 45-70 never needed to trim a case. Now that I am loading a lot of 308, 223 and some other rifle rounds trimming is necessary all the time. As soon as I quit buying other stuff and have some extra money I am going to order the Giraud. Good luck! I am also interested in hearing if there is a product I have missed.

 

[kolob10]

I have a manual RCBS and a manual Forster. I've never seen the need for an electirc - I can trim pretty fast with the manual models. If I was burning large amounts of ammo - say 1000 rds/week, then I would invest in the Dillon electric trimmer. They are very efficient but rather expensive. Good shooting

 

[Broom_jm]

I have a Forster lathe-style trimmer and a Lyman trimmer that requires the use of a drill press. Both work and get used when I have a large volume of trimming to do.

For the vast majority of my trimming needs, I use the simple Lee case length gauge and cutter system. Chuck it up in a cordless drill and you get fast, smooth cuts with a perfect, consistent length, every single time. The only disadvantage is that you need a separate pin for each cartridge you will trim. At ~$8/ea they are affordable and effective. Unless you're trimming a lot of cases, or trimming a lot of brass off quite a few cases, I think they're the best option available, hands down.

 

[red_zr24x4]

We've got the RCBS electric one and it works pretty good, kinda slow but easy on your fingers.
We borrowed the Dillon trimmer that screws in like a set of dies. It works great, the only trouble with it is you have to have a separate die for each caliber, and it tends to under size the mouth of the case (makes them small) loading boat tails isnt bad but a flat base you will have to resize the case mouth.
If I were buying one, I'd go with the Dillon

 

[shadow6492]

Ive been using the Lee case length gauge and trimmer for 308 and 458 socom. It's cheap, simple, and gets the job done!

 

[boljr01]

Have 2 I like...

Dillon Rapid trim and Hornady cam lock trimmer. Between the two I can do anything except 50 bmg. The Dillon attaches to a full length sizing die which eliminates that step during the reloading cycle/session. However the expense of the Dillon size/trim die isn't justified for small quantities.

 

[BE Mike]

I have a Possum Hollow case trimmer I use for my .223 brass. I chuck it in a drill press and it works very well for its low cost.

 

[Dave Doehrman]

I'm in the market for a new case trimmer. Who has used any of the electric ones and are they worth the cash? If not, what do you like?

I bought the RCBS 110 volt power unit with the 3-way cutter head.

Trim Pro Power Case Trimmer Kit 110 Volt

It is one of the best investments I've made in case prep hardware. There are some drawbacks: initial set up and the cheap crimp type hose clamps that secure the motor shaft to the trimmer. Once you get a round set up, save one prepped case for a template and it makes changing calibers easy. I think the cheap hose clamps may be a safety device. If you don't have the case seated correctly in the shell holder, the cutter bit digs in. The crimp type clamps slip and prevent any damage to the equipment.

If you go with the RCBS power or manual trimmer, invest in the 3-way cutter head. It trims to length, chamfers the outside of the neck and deburrs the inside of the case mouth, all in one step.

I load in batches of 500 and I run all my brass through the trimmer every reload.

 

[PMY]

I LOVE my Giraud trimmer. I used to dread trimming cases when I used the RCBS trimmer. Now it's just a few minutes to do a couple hundred cases.

Yes, it is expensive. But if you value your time, fingers and sanity at all, it more than pays for itself right away.

 

[ISP 5353]

Wilson

 

[william]

I LOVE my Giraud trimmer. I used to dread trimming cases when I used the RCBS trimmer. Now it's just a few minutes to do a couple hundred cases.

Yes, it is expensive. But if you value your time, fingers and sanity at all, it more than pays for itself right away.

I wish I would have bought it in the first place. It's only about $100 more than the electric RCBS trimmer.

 

[Cam]

Thanks for the help guys. I hadn't heard of the Giraud. It is pricey, but I'm reading good things about it.

 

[Broom_jm]

Forgive me for asking, but...how does a trimmer ever "pay for itself"? I mean, other than having to throw brass away if it's too long and you can't trim it down, what fiscal impact is evidenced by the cost of one trimmer over another? A good trimmer can certainly save you a bunch of time, and I don't doubt the Giraud is a good unit, but other than spending less hours at the bench, what real advantage does it offer over a simple lathe or even the lee cutter/case length gauge system?

 

[chipdog4]

A bunch of people put a monetary value on their time. If you're happy trimming 100 cases an evening with a lathe trimmer, then great. If you can trim 1000 cases in an hour and half, then there's more time to spend shooting or with family.

Trimming is usually the most labor intensive process of reloading. With the Giraud trimmer, it's one of the least.

 

[mospeada]

Forgive me for asking, but...how does a trimmer ever "pay for itself"? I mean, other than having to throw brass away if it's too long and you can't trim it down, what fiscal impact is evidenced by the cost of one trimmer over another? A good trimmer can certainly save you a bunch of time, and I don't doubt the Giraud is a good unit, but other than spending less hours at the bench, what real advantage does it offer over a simple lathe or even the lee cutter/case length gauge system?

For the same reason people buy riding mowers. Push more or scissors will get the job done, but some people value time.

 

[jonny4523]

I LOVE my Giraud trimmer. I used to dread trimming cases when I used the RCBS trimmer. Now it's just a few minutes to do a couple hundred cases.

Yes, it is expensive. But if you value your time, fingers and sanity at all, it more than pays for itself right away.

+1

The price tag was definitely scary at first, but if you are doing any volume at all it is well worth it. I would say I do a pretty high volume of cases. Before my Giraud, I was using a Lee Zip Trim. If I were to value my time at $10/hr it has already paid for itself. I let a neighbor borrow it and he easily went through a bucket of brass that he had in a short amount of time. Not to mention it removes an extra operation by chamfering the inside and outside of the case also. Check YouTube. Lots of videos of people using them.

 

[Broom_jm]

A bunch of people put a monetary value on their time. If you're happy trimming 100 cases an evening with a lathe trimmer, then great. If you can trim 1000 cases in an hour and half, then there's more time to spend shooting or with family.

Trimming is usually the most labor intensive process of reloading. With the Giraud trimmer, it's one of the least.

I place a lot of value on my reloading time. I run the corporate rat race 8-5 so when I head to the reloading bench I'm not overly concerned with getting done as quickly as possible. This may sound odd to some folks, but I feel a true sense of "let-down" when I've done everything I can at the bench. When all the cases are sized or loaded; when all the bullets are seated or the powder can empty; when I've found the PERFECT load and have 50 or 500 of 'em just sitting there; then what do I do?

To hear some folks tell it, they'd have enough rounds loaded up in an hour or two, to last them the entire year. Maybe I just don't shoot enough, but I'm pretty happy with the time I spend reloading and haven't yet found a need to "get it done" faster. I'm more likely to drag it out.

 

[william]

I place a lot of value on my reloading time. I run the corporate rat race 8-5 so when I head to the reloading bench I'm not overly concerned with getting done as quickly as possible. This may sound odd to some folks, but I feel a true sense of "let-down" when I've done everything I can at the bench. When all the cases are sized or loaded; when all the bullets are seated or the powder can empty; when I've found the PERFECT load and have 50 or 500 of 'em just sitting there; then what do I do?

To hear some folks tell it, they'd have enough rounds loaded up in an hour or two, to last them the entire year. Maybe I just don't shoot enough, but I'm pretty happy with the time I spend reloading and haven't yet found a need to "get it done" faster. I'm more likely to drag it out.

I hear what you are saying. I really enjoy reloading as an escape from daily life too. Personally brass trimming chamfer/deburr is the only part of reloading that I hate. I usually load in big batches and I find trimming to be really tedious. That's why I want the Giraud.