I need a good trimmer for my brass. My previous one, a Lee, is complete dog crap. I need one that can do a lot of brass quickly and is preferably powered.
Any advice on the best one?
Any advice on the best one?
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I also have a Giraud. I can trim at a sustained rate of 15-16 cases per minute and maintain .001 in length. Oh sure, you fumble a case occasionally or get an extra long case and it breaks your rhythm but once you get the hang of it you can run 15 or more per minute.
Wow. That is really good. How easy/advisable is it to find one used or is it better to just go with a new one?
I would just order a new one. You see them for sale occasionally but they are usually priced at near new prices and they sell really quick. I expect a lot of those buyers are just avoiding the waiting time. You have to be in the right place at the right time to find a used one.
What's your budget?
World's finest trimmer (trim only) $70 works in a drill
The following are 3 in 1, trim/chamfer/debur.
Trim-it for a drill $150
Trim-it motorized deluxe station $400
Giraud trimmer for a drill $100
Giraud Power trimmer $500
You could also get something like a LE Wilson or Forster classic trimmer and a drill attachment. Which can be used for other things.
World's finest trimmer (trim only) $70 works in a drill
The following are 3 in 1, trim/chamfer/debur.
Trim-it for a drill $150
Trim-it motorized deluxe station $400
Giraud trimmer for a drill $100
Giraud Power trimmer $500
You could also get something like a LE Wilson or Forster classic trimmer and a drill attachment. Which can be used for other things.
I have a Giraud bench top, my friend went with a Henderson and it looks good. First I'd heard of one. He trimmed 80 pieces of brass in about 10-15 minutes. The overall lengths were within .001 so, I said "pretty cool". In his haste to show me how quick it was, he had accidentally mixed some sized and unsized brass. He had to check the headspace on each piece to sort them. Now, that could be a plus for the Giraud because I check OAL after trimming and if I find an oddball, I recheck headspace on that one. That little HS double check has yet to fail me and is a much faster way than measuring HS on every one. Just my .03.
The Giraud and Henderson have the best ergonomics and speed of workflow.
I also like the FA unit for flexibility. It doesn't require additional tooling or pilots. It is a straight cut, not a three way, so the other motorized stations are used for the ID & OD chamfers, and primer pocket clean-up. It is also quick and simple to change between calibers. I leave the Giraud units dedicated to one caliber task to avoid the adjustment. The brass necks must also be at the correct size diameter for the chamfers to come out pretty.
I also like the FA unit for flexibility. It doesn't require additional tooling or pilots. It is a straight cut, not a three way, so the other motorized stations are used for the ID & OD chamfers, and primer pocket clean-up. It is also quick and simple to change between calibers. I leave the Giraud units dedicated to one caliber task to avoid the adjustment. The brass necks must also be at the correct size diameter for the chamfers to come out pretty.
Depends do you want to trim some weird caliber/wildcat or standard 208 and 6.5 creedmore?
Henderson grabs the brass by the ass, Giraud indexes off the shoulder.
Henderson grabs the brass by the ass, Giraud indexes off the shoulder.
I had a Trim-It 2 and to me it was a pain to set up. It also never got me as great of a result as I was looking for. I gave it to a more patient friend of mine who uses it for bulk 223 and 300BLK reloading.
I now have a Giraud and couldn't be happier. I can trim 100 cases in 10 minutes, and they all come out perfect. One of the best reloading things I have spent money on.
I now have a Giraud and couldn't be happier. I can trim 100 cases in 10 minutes, and they all come out perfect. One of the best reloading things I have spent money on.
