As for actual "LEE economy," I've had the privilege of working with almost all the old reloading stuff; Lyman, RCBS, Pacific, Hornady Redding, Bair and others. Growing up, my dad quite an assortment. One of my favorites, was the old Tru-Line Junior turret presses. Once I was on my own, I was over 2k miles away and living on a GI's pay, so a good man in a Salinas, CA gun shop heard me out over the course of a few visits and set me up with a RCBS "kit" that had all of what I needed (and more), plus a LEE Turret press, which was new at the time. I think it was $47 for the press and one turret.
After about ten years, I was making somewhat better money and "graduated" to a Lyman turret press (love the concept) and used that for about a year. My best friend fell i love with that press and offered it to him for what I paid (well over $100) and ended up unbolting it from my bench right then and there. I went back to my LEE Turrent press and am still using it. I got a Lee single-stage, O-type press once on special for under $30. I use that for sizing bullets and lengthy decapping sessions.
So, since 1982, when I bought the Turret press for $47, and the O-type LEE press for $30, about ten years later, I've reloaded tons of excellent ammo for Under $80' worth of presses.
I still kick myself for passing on used, $15 LEE Turret presses I've seen at gun shows. I've picked some up, kept the extra turrets and sold the presses with one turret, making the extra ones free to me. I've also bought a few and given them away to get someone started. Funny thing - my dad, who's "good" reloading presses I cut my teeth on as I grew up are all still around, but when I checked on his place for the first time a couple years ago, what did I find mounted and set up on his bench, but a LEE Turret Press. He opted for the 4-hole press though.
I've seen some level of "false economy" in original LEE 2Cs and 1Cs, but they were still a good value, even if some were stinkers, but I have seen nothing but value/economy from their presses I use. Note that I do not, have not, don't an to use any of the automated functions for indexing their turret presses and none of the other fancy stuff.
I'm still waiting to see who will be the first to offer Blue-Tooth, Phone Synching and USB charging ports on their casting pots....