I like my RCBS. Wouldn't ever pay retail on one. I waited for a sale coupled with RCBS rebate then paid difference with my Cabelas points.
Use it for working up pistol loads or single stage rifle hand loads. Can't live without it now although it is slow and quirky.
I did this at Midway. It was on sale for $290. I had to buy $10 more worth of product to get the $75 off $300 or more. So basically coast me about $225. I use mine with a single stage press. I dispense a load, dump the load in cartridge, begin dispensing next load, seat bullet, then repeat. Usually when I am ready for the next powder dump it is done.
I have been using the Chargemaster for the last month or two (played the rebate game as well), and in this short time, it has worked flawlessly.
What I mean by "flawlessly" is that the scale seems to be dead nuts on. I compare weights vs. my check weight set and then also compare to my RCBS 5-0-5 beam scale, and it has been 100% right on so far. I also check about every 5th to 10th throw from my powder drop on the scale, and for a while, I was confirming weights on the beam scale, but I stopped doing that since they have been perfectly in sync so far.
I have used the dispenser function to work up 2 sets of loads, and I am really amazed at how few "overs" or "unders" I had (maybe 1 or 2 out of hundreds of throws). I did add the brass reducing sleeve off of eBay, and I am not sure how much this has helped since I have never used it without it.
In my *very* limited time with this instrument, I am 100% satisfied, and honestly could not live without it. I am about to start working up some rifle loads, and I know it is going to get a real workout.
It's really satisfying reading of your experience getting into reloading for the first time, first asking questions from the folks on here with decades of experience for suggestions, then getting the equipment that will serve you best the first time round.
There's nothing more satisfying when it comes to shooting than seeing nice and tiny groups from rolling your own ammo, and even more so should you go hunting with your hunting loads.
I own a PACT digital scale and powder dispenser, bought it MO over 20 years ago. It has literally thrown 1000s of charges for me. Yes it is a little slow and have often considered sending it back to PACT to be updated to be faster, but I use it so much I don't want to part with it. Only quirk it has it will endlessly throw dead nut accurate loads but ALWAYS 2 grains heavy, never more or less but always 2. What sold me was PACT's reputation and lifetime basically unconditional warranty.
I do wish it were easier to empty it of unused powder, but over all I am totally satisfied with it.
I have my Lyman 1200 DPS 3 located on a separate bench from my presses. It is a little inconvenient when setting my powder measure, but works out very well when I throw each charge separately for rifle loads and some high velocity pistol loads.What I mean by quirks is it overthrows all the time and is real sensitive to bench movement caused by me seating the next bullet. I had to do the McDonalds straw mod and make sure bench is secured to the wall tightly. I keep all my bullet boxes on the bench top as ballast and built a shelf where I stack bulk loaded ammo in cans also as ballast. I put a rubber pad underneath the unit to help absorb vibrations. As far as the scale goes it throws dead nuts with my beam scale. Once you understand the quirks you can make it work.
These are the reasons I would never pay retail for one. Seem pretty cheaply made to be asking 3 bills for one. Yikes! On sale with rebate coupled with Cabelas points and I think mine was $70 to my front door. That is about all I was willing to pay. Overall a nice tool for working up a few loads and helps speed the process.