Lyman DPS 3

laurent · Member Joined: Sep 07, 2006 Posts: 65 Location: Quebec

I'm about to buy a digital powder dispenser/scale unit and after reading the reviews at Midway, it looks to me like Lyman's 1200 DPS 3 is the one on top of the heap.

Anyone on the forum own a DPS 3? What do you think about after having used it?
Have you used other makes of digital dispenser before buying a DPS 3 so as to give some comparison?

FALPhil · Posted: Mon Dec 10, 2007 4:05 pm Post subject: Re: Lyman DPS 3

Well, the fastest is the RCBS Chargemaster. The cheapest and easiest to clean is the PACT. Unless Lyman speeded the DPS up, it used to be the slowest of the lot, but someone told me recently that Lyman had changed the gearing a to help in that regard.

Pumpkinslinger · Posted: Tue Dec 11, 2007 1:42 am Post subject: Re: Lyman DPS 3

Sorry, can't help with the Lyman, using a PACT here and I like it. My only complaint would be that its "tuning" seems to cause occasional overshoots. It "learns" as it goes to kept the load time fast but the corrections can cause the overshoot. Then the next load is too slow. I do have a free software upgrade that I haven't used yet, maybe that will fix this problem. All that said, I am happy with the PACT.

TRBLSHTR · Posted: Tue Dec 11, 2007 11:44 am Post subject: Re: Lyman DPS 3

I've got a dps2,and it is slow,and i'd like to upgrade it to a dps3.But speed is not the only problem I see with it.The powder pan is too close to the powder drop/trickle tube(about 3/8")which causes odd loads when you try to remove the pan from it's cradle/electronic scale and accidently touch the pan to the powder tube causing a few extra granules of powder to drop into the pan.Looks like it could do with a bit of reengineering to me.
With the amount you pay for a dps2/3 -I would check around for one that is easier to get along with,or at least make sure that you can live with the physical characteristics of a dps. Sad

GUTS · Posted: Tue Dec 11, 2007 11:53 pm Post subject: Re: Lyman DPS 3

I've used the DPSII for ayear now and I've had pretty good luck with it. I use an RCBS 505 as a quality check for certain loads and have found the unit to be acceptably accurate. Mine is as advertised, +/-.1grn. When I load plinking ammo I check every twenty loads or so and it's usually right on the money. When I load for my .308's I basically use the DPS for a powder charge and take the pan from the unit to the 505 avery round and adjust if needed, which isn't often. I've gotten used to it so I think it's a pretty good machine. I however have not had the chance to use any of the others so I can not give you any educated fact or opinion about them.

cgaengineer · Rookie Member Joined: Nov 05, 2008 Posts: 2

I just sent my DPSII back for repair. I have owned it for about 5-6 years and used it about 10 times...needless to say I was a bit upset that it broke. That being said the unit works good and is not too slow and surely faster then my balance beam scale.

cgaengineer · Rookie Member Joined: Nov 05, 2008 Posts: 2

TRBLSHTR wrote:

:-? I've got a dps2,and it is slow,and i'd like to upgrade it to a dps3.But speed is not the only problem I see with it.The powder pan is too close to the powder drop/trickle tube(about 3/8")which causes odd loads when you try to remove the pan from it's cradle/electronic scale and accidently touch the pan to the powder tube causing a few extra granules of powder to drop into the pan.Looks like it could do with a bit of reengineering to me.
With the amount you pay for a dps2/3 -I would check around for one that is easier to get along with,or at least make sure that you can live with the physical characteristics of a dps. Sad

I think Lyman has an upgrade program for the DPSII to the DPSIII...if I recall correctly it was $150.

English Mike · Posted: Mon Dec 29, 2008 6:38 am Post subject: Re: Lyman DPS 3

I have the RCBS Chargemaster combo & I'm impressed with its performance.
The only minor niggle is the powder drain because I have been known to leave it open.........

Here's a comprehensive review of the RCBS, Lyman & Pact dispensers: www.6mmbr.com/powderdi...ers02.html