In a slight defence of Lee - they do make some ground breakingly good things, along with some utter crap.
Good things:
Collet neck sizer - better than anything else on the market, but you have to use it as the directions indicate - you will break it if you try it in a progressive press, I use my RCBS single for that job. If you can get by with neck sizing, no other brand, and I have them all (or 4-5 anyway, with bushings, micrometers and other expensive junk on them) - is even close. Truly.
Their "perfect powder measure" really is - and it beats my $200 each custom benchrest meters in accuracy, while also being calibrated in real units, not arbitrary ones. It even beats the robot Lyman powder measure that weighs each charge.
(save your money there - none of them take into account that powder is slightly hygroscopic and you need more weight when damp than dry - just a little hint)
By-weight is handy to publish, but it's volume of powder that matters...truly.
Lee's theories on how to shoot cast bullets are the real deal (match peak pressure to metal yield point), Lyman's are just plain dead wrong (and sometimes a bit dangerous).
Lee bullet casting dies are about the best there are, and I've got the trophies to prove it. Lyman's take a lot of maintenance to stay good (they rust fast). Other nose pour molds are good, but cost like bernanke was buying them.
Lee's single stage dirt cheap C press is what I use to seat bullets in the "lab" setup.
The positive stop gives the best repeatability out there. Their bullet seating die is "OK" if used in that press. All this BS about this or that seating die making more concentric rounds is total, utter BS - you have to get the brass prep right, and if you do, they all work well, if you don't, none work well.
If you use their factory crimp on hunting ammo, it does a better and more reliable job than anyone else's does and leaves the ammo straighter (this matters).
I'd like to hear about exactly what inaccurate data is in the Lee reloading manuals, as I find it reasonable for the rounds I load. If you want hot - Sierra or Hodgden. Conservative - Lyman, Lee. Nosler, speer - just forget that crap - none of it's ever been good for me, anyway.
You usually can't use a Sierra or Hodgdon "max" load - usually have to take 1-2 steps back for accuracy. Speed doesn't matter if you miss!
Lee's junk - anything like priming stuff. Any of their progressive presses. Most of the rest of their dies. They don't get everything right. Their case trimmer is "avoid" for certain as it indexes off the wrong part of the brass. I hear horror stories about their hand priming tool.
The Dillon dies are best for their press in almost all cases. I use an RCBS micrometer seating die, though. Their powder measures are "adequate" for all but Class F super long range shooting (remember to toss out the first few charges, though). Their full length size dies create the least runout of all brands - I've measured that extensively against all comers. I don't crimp target ammo, as you lose a bit of accuracy.
I use Sinclair's expensive priming tool for low volumes. It's almost as fun as sex it works so well and tactile-ly. Else the Dillon. I also use Sinclair's neck turning stuff for high precision, and lyman's inside/outside chamfer tools for rifle. The Sinclair stuf is pricey, but at the time, I didn't care, just the best was what I wanted for competition.
You really should do bullet casting for the older .45's, it's simple, works well, cheap, and at least at my range, I get nearly all the lead back and reuse it. That's what the older ones were designed for and the barrels last forever if you get all things like sand out of your lead (easy, it floats).
You should get at least the Sierra and Lyman and Lee reloading manuals, and perhaps those cheap "data from everyone for this one round" ones at Midway. Between them, you'll get a better overall picture of what's good and what's possible.
You will of course make mistakes, so a bullet puller is key to own (imagine a pencil without an eraser). A few other things I have - a way to measure the net round length when the bullet is just at the lands (several tools work for this), a runout indicator (I like the Hornady one), a case trimmer that goes by total length (forget the brand I have, but you can unscrew the handle and use a drill to turn it).
Case trimming is crucial for anything going to be shot in a semi-auto, particularly if you're full length sizing. Brass gets longer in that case and may pinch the bullet if forced into a tight chamber, or worse, refuse to go all the way in, reseat the bullet, all sorts of bad stuff can happen if the brass gets too long. For AR type stuff, I trim to minimum length, and again when it hits the max length. After that, it's time to think about the maxim "the trashcan is a reloader's best friend" - Safety! Knowing you've made substandard ammo leads to "half-ass-ism" when developing shooting technique and no one wins there, just ditch anything not perfect.
In almost every case, handloaded ammo will beat factory by about double in accuracy, or more. It's not that they don't know how to make ammo, it's that they have to make it at the low tolerance size limits for SAMMI so it'll fit every gun, and you make stuff that really fits your particular gun, therefore no rattle fit or misalignment. A bullet that doesn't start out straight will be deformed going down the barrel and won't fly straight after that.
So it's not just about being ready, or saving money (that latter is debatable unless you do a few k rounds/year), it's about quality and results.
I don't use my Dillon in full-progressive mode on rifle loads that need lube on the brass. I size (but not prime), then remove the lube in lizard litter in the tumbler before doing the rest. Most of the available lubes work well - I like the Dillon for convenience, but they all get gummy later on - so you need to get them off before stashing the ammo or it all glues together or gums up your gun.
And oh yes, you'll need a tumbler and media separator, or some other way to clean the brass before you start. It's not just a case of looking nicer. There's a difference in burning rate of powder in clean vs dirty brass, and this is crucial to repeatability which means accuracy. I happen to have the Dillon stuff, but most all of it is good.
If you have neighbours or friends who shoot, more often than not you can get them to spring for a Dillon toolhead and dies for their calibers - stored and used at your house, of course. Nice way to be ready for anything. All you usually have to do is show them how much better your own gun shoots with reloads than factory ammo.
