Priming tools...is there a best value tool that you would advocate?

Hello, 
Ammunition and the associated components are getting rather expensive and i do enjoy the sport and strive to achieve accurate and precise results. 

To date i've always done all my reloading on a single stage Co-Ax press. It works well, however i must admit that the process is rather tedious, changing from SPP to LPP, loading by hand each individual primer etc.

I am wondering if perhaps there is a tool that you might advocate to streamline the process, one that would do a nice, precise, safe job and yet be a good value. 

I wish i could but I just can't afford a $600 tool, $150 or less would be optimal.

thank you in advance.

If you are buying the Dillon 750 or the FA X-10, you will not need any additional priming tools.

Did I miss the memo where you decided not to buy a new press? 

I've tried several different brands and I prefer the Frankford Arsenal unit. $60 on Amazon with free shipping:-

https://www.amazon.com/Frankford-Arsenal-Platinum-Perfect-Reloading/dp/B01B7OYUVC?th=1

Not tried one, but the Lee bench mounted tool looks interesting, but note that you'll need to buy the appropriate shell holder.

I have my grandfathers old Lee hand prime that I like a lot, just old and cheaply made and known to be prone to failure. The more modern version works but isn't as good. 

I load on a progressive but I prime off the press. For me it gives me an extra chance to inspect my brass before loading and I can be sure that I don't have an upside-down primer in a loaded round. This method also means that I don't have to load primer tubes, which is a task I find more tedious than priming the cases individually.

thank you for responding and for remembering, 

shopping for a progressive press has at least for now been placed on hold (our sewer line has decided the issue for us). 

i do share chiz1180's perspective, perhaps because of comfort or routine, I will likely continue to prime separately from the progressive press.

Sigh...

Have you looked at the Co-Ax Primer Seater?
It shows as $135.00 on the Forrester web site. $139.99 at Midway ( plus10% off promo reloading products including bullets, primers and powder currently)

Co-Ax Primer Seater with E-Z-Just Shell Holder Jaws - Forster Products

"Best" can mean different things. 

The tools that do the best job priming brass  are the bench rest / long range rifle primer seating systems, but they can be nearly as expensive as a low end progressive press and they also only seat one primer at a time so they wouldn't be any faster than priming on a single stage press.

I have only used the RCBS hand primer, but I doubt there is a huge difference among all the hand priming systems from RCBS, Lyman, Frankford Arsenal, Hornady and Lee systems with the big flat primer feeder, so you can load a box of primers and just change the case as you prime. My guess is the Hornady, RCBS and Lyman will be a little better made and better finished and the Lee will be cheaper made and have a rough finish and Frankford will be somewhere in between. 

I would avoid the APS priming systems. That was a fad a few years ago, but seems to be dying out.

I'll throw out a curveball here...a primer pocket uniforming tool. Every now and then, consider cleaning out the crud and re-cutting the proper primer pocket depth, flatness, and diameter. After multiple firings, you'd be amazed how much brass (and crud) is removed during that process. Coming from the rifle community, it's a given in my brass prep, mainly to prevent slamfires. After that, the primer seating tool makes little difference.

RoyDean wrote:I've tried several different brands and I prefer the Frankford Arsenal unit. $60 on Amazon with free shipping:-

https://www.amazon.com/Frankford-Arsenal-Platinum-Perfect-Reloading/dp/B01B7OYUVC?th=1

Not tried one, but the Lee bench mounted tool looks interesting, but note that you'll need to buy the appropriate shell holder.

I use the bench mounted Lee for all my rifle reloading. It’s fantastic and incredibly simple and easy.

A star reloader

john bickar wrote:Sigh...

I mean... I have tried the Darth Vader method, still can't figure it out.

I apologize and i understand that many many of my questions are naive, though while i've been reloading for bolt action longer range rifle for many years the volume of cartridges i would reload per session pales in comparison to the volumes of reloading i anticipate for pistol or semi-auto rifle use.

I really want to learn from the great knowledge base represented here and i appreciate everyone's help. Even failed experiences and results can be valuable if shared, as such may i ask what is the Darth Vadar method?

brand-new, 

No worries about asking questions, everyone started somewhere. 

As far as the Darth Vader method, it was a fairly bad joke.

I’ve had several of the “hand priming” systems as well as the “bench” systems.  When I loaded for Highpower I used a RCBS bench tool.  It worked well especially dealing with tight primer pockets.  I still use all of them, but I tend to use the hand primer systems if for no other reason that it allows me to prime in otherwise “dead time” like watching TV.   Of those, I like the RCBS and the Hornady.i used to use the Lee tool but the new ones seem to be a shadow of what the original ones were.  So my recommendation is to be flexible, but I like the two mentioned.