The Star is an excellent machine. I'm sure if one of the larger companies made it, they would be in far greater use by this time. Oweing to simply the advertising visibility alone.
I have a flat top punch and run the bullets through nose first, checks or no. Works very well.
As far as sizing dies, I standardized on the largest diameter I need for an individual gun in a specific caliber. If I need a smaller diameter in the same caliber, I run the already lubed bullets through a Lee sizer die to size them to the specific diameter as needed.
Have 2 Stars right now and counting (grin)
Would love to latch onto a Pitzer sizer but they are quite rare as the gent that made them passed on a number of years back. This is like a horizontally mounted Star. Wish one of the bigger companies would buy the manufacturing rights for it.
As far as a conventionally designed sizer/luber, the Saeco is a very nice machine also.
Regards