Got tired of waiting for my old Lyman 20 pounder to heat so decided to bite the bullet and try a Lee. Figured for $75 delivered I wasn't risking too much. Was surprised at how quickly it melted a potful of alloy. Used a lead thermometer to check temps and experiment with the thermostat settings until I found the temp range I wanted. Used some anti-seize on the flow linkage and had no issues with it, minimal dripping. Very happy with it overall, only bitch was the cheesy mold guide. Easy fix, positioned a Lyman guide on the base and marked location, drilled two 3/8 holes in the base and used 1/2 in shoulder bolts to serve as supports. Only issue now is clearance, works well with everything except NOE, so will have to remove the mold guide and shorten it about 3/8 in. May not be the pricy new Lyman or the really pricey RCBS, but I don't think the alloy or mold really cares, and replacement parts are readily available and easy to install if ever needed (over the years have spent more on replacement thermostats than I paid for the Lee).