time to buy an annealer, which one?

T

TackDriver284

Handloader
Feb 13, 2016
2,569
2,158
I confronted my wife today and said " Honey, remember you said long ago that if I don't drink or smoke and I could use that saved money for my hobbies such as hunting, fishing and reloading, etc., remember that?" She says " That is right", with a concerned look and I said, thank you and I'll be researching for an annealer. :lol: She asked, how much is it? Upwards of 300 to 500 dollars, lol.

Kidding aside, I am in the process of buying an annealer, which annealer do you guys depend on? Please no AMP Inductions, they are too expensive. Benchsource is about 600 dollars, are there any reliable that is cheaper than Benchsource like the Annealeez or Giraud? Looking for a safe, consistent and quality machine. Hopefully I stop chasing accuracy because most of the time my loads using new brass shoots sooo good and after 3 to 4 firings it throws a flier here and there. I assume the reason is neck tension since new brass is annealed before being sold.
 
I picked the Annealeez, so far it is worked pretty well. It takes a little get it adjusted for the correct flame position and time but once you get it set it is very fast.
 
I have the two torch " ballistic edge " . it works just fine for me . I bought it new , as a blem . it had a small discolored spot on the aluminum table top .

if you are handy and want to mess around , google up "skips annealer " I've read guys build these for under $100 in just a few hours . someone is building and selling , one like Skips machine . I think they are priced reasonable .
 
I have great results with the Benchsource. I know and shoot with the owner of Benchsource and he's meticulous in everything he does. I hung out with him at his CNC shop in Olive Branch, MS and he took me through the design, manufacture, and operation of the unit before I bought mine. They are simple to adjust and make for fast work. Ultimately it's up to you to operate them correctly though.


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I would think it depends on how much shooting you do like a couple hundred rounds per week where you need to do large volume.
I don't have that problem and all of my shooting is recreational and developing loads so the money spent for a annealing machine for me would be a waste of money I could use for other things. ( bullets , primers, powder and such )
I learned to anneal here by reading what others have done and to be honest I get by very well with a simple propane torch, deep well socket (3/8) with a short extension and a cordless variable speed drill/driver.
I watched Scotty's video demonstration a few times and experimented with junk brass till I got it figured out.
This is simple cheap and since I already had everything it was easy to get started. I do believe it has helped me make better ammo and it sure has saved me money on brass since it extends the life of it.
 
benchsource , seems to be the popular one . lately I have seen a few used ones sell for around $450 on accurate shooter forum .
 
I will say it is awesome just stacking cases in there and letting it do its thing. That Bench Source looks like a great machine as well.
 
viewtopic.php?t=29680&p=311863 I have a lot of opinions on annealing... this link and my other two linked discussions within this link

I own a Benchsource and love it...and have no problem recommending. Back when I bought it, Giraud wasn't making one.

If I was wanting one today .... I would buy another Benchsource ... or make one (the DIY'ers in this link have worked a lot of bugs out. https://www.ar15.com/forums/t_6_42/4340 ... tml&page=1
 
I thought about buying an annealing machine, but I don't do that much large volume. I just do about 50 cases at a time, so I use the candle method.


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I just looked at Mike's Reloading Bench annealer, but wanted to contact Mike but does not seem to give me a contact number on his website.

I spoke with a Giraud rep and gave me some info, its about a little over 500 bucks with accessories plus shipping. Lifetime warranty.

Contacted Annealeez, around 300 bucks plus torch heads and one year warranty on electrical and rest is lifetime.

Ballistic Edge has not answered yet. I like the Model 400

Benchsource have not answered the phone yet.

Is two torch heads really needed or just one torch with a rotating case is sufficient?

Which would you choose between the BenchSource or the Giraud? I don't mind paying a little more or is the Annealeez just as good as the Giraud?

I am going nuts on which to choose,,,,
 
I bought the BenchSource. You could do it with just 1 head if you wanted to. Using 2, I found that the times required by my setup were a lot less than predicted. I use Tempilaq almost every time I set it up just to be sure, and keep spare cases around as "dummy" cases for testing. I'd highly encourage you to play with whatever setup you buy, and see what happens if you overdo it on purpose.

I put an old 9x13 bake pan for the brass to drop into, and fashion a "ramp" out of cardboard for the brass to slide from the annealer to the cake pan. This works much better than letting the cases just drop.
 
TackDriver284":2mevokuj said:
I just looked at Mike's Reloading Bench annealer, but wanted to contact Mike but does not seem to give me a contact number on his website.

I spoke with a Giraud rep and gave me some info, its about a little over 500 bucks with accessories plus shipping. Lifetime warranty.

Contacted Annealeez, around 300 bucks plus torch heads and one year warranty on electrical and rest is lifetime.

Ballistic Edge has not answered yet. I like the Model 400

Benchsource have not answered the phone yet.

Is two torch heads really needed or just one torch with a rotating case is sufficient?

Which would you choose between the BenchSource or the Giraud? I don't mind paying a little more or is the Annealeez just as good as the Giraud?

I am going nuts on which to choose,,,,
Click to expand...

I only have experience with two torch heads/benchsource. IMO, one would likely be sufficient with small rifle brass (I don't run the two torches full bore when doing small rifle)...but I do appreciate being able to "aim" two flames on larger rifle brass. I am bias'ed though, and one would likely be just fine on all. I have the two torches plumbed to a larger/grill propane tank so I don't have to worry about pressure diff changing after I get it set when I have a bucket of brass to anneal. Same could be done on the Giraud I assume. I like two torches, personal pref, not a deal breaker.

Other Differences ..

When I bought my benchsource, it didn't come with nozzles, guessing they still don't. The plus side is, you get freedom to choose your own nozzles from bare bone to upgraded (subjective) valve. Downside is, you have to get your own nozzles if you don't have any. I am not aware on if the Giraud comes with a nozzle, or if you can easily attach one you buy if you prefer another one....guessing you can, worth clarifying though if you don't know.

I put no benefit in the hopper, as I don't walk away when I am annealing anyway. If the hopper somehow appeals to you, the Giraud has one, the Benchsource doesn't. Personal pref...I anneal a lot of brass in a year, and have never thought ..boy it would be nice to have a hopper, but some do like that feature, and that's what makes the world go round - I get it.

Other difference... you adjust for different calibers on the benchsource by easily adjusting the table it comes with. (I don't reload 50 cal, but might need to purchase a special table on the benchsource for the 50) On the Giraud, I am not sure, but I think it's different feeder disks for caliber groups. Probably just as easy, but more parts. Both ways apparently work, but different.

When I bought mine, benchsource was hard to get ahold of, sounds like they still are lol. Benchsource responded better to email back when I bought mine,,,Graf's also sells the benchsource I believe. Giraud answers the phone when called direct (I bought a trimmer from them). That is a difference.

I am not sure which one has the smaller footprint, if space is a concern. The benchsource is compact..you can probably get dimensions on Giraud somewhere if that is a consideration. Probably no real advantage either way if you have plenty of space, but with the hopper, the Giraud is certainly taller.

So..to your question... I would get the benchsource, because that is what I have and I love it. But I don't think you can go wrong either way.
 
ballistic edge , was a one man shop . I'm not sure if it's a side job , or full time . I'm not making excuses , I get impatient too .
 
Thanks for the advises guys. Good write up greenhead. I'll give Benchsource a call in the morning. (y)
 
If any of you all wanna see the Annealeez send me a PM with your cell number and I'll send you a couple small vids I did.

Again, it probably isn't the best but it does work pretty easy
 
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