I bulk load all the time. I don't actually care much which loader - I only use those to store the film. I pull some film off the spool in the dark and wind it by hand. I hate the plastic cassettes - they don't fit well in some cameras. There are plenty of reusable cassettes you can get, if you look for them. Old Ilford and old Kodak films came in reusable cassettes - although the older the cassette, the more likely it is to have cruddy velvet or leak light somehow.
Bulk loading allows you to make short rolls, which a lot of people (including me) like. However, every roll has the same amount of waste, so the more rolls you make from a 100 feet, the more you waste (4 inches of each roll, roughly, making the leader - add 1-2 inches to the other end if you use the actual loader to load the film).
Bulk loading is mainly for people who do their own developing. Otherwise, you need to tell the lab to give you back your cassette - which may slip their mind (or yours).
It is definitely cheaper to bulk load. Even if you buy the outrageously-priced Kodak bulk rolls of Tmax or Trix, you save a bit of money over buying factory rolls.
Get the full benefit of an one hundred foot by reusing tails and tongue from preloaded rolls of films.
Save long tongues and simply leave in place the tail, on its original spool.
Square up both connection points (some additional old processed film may needed to make a tail a bit longer for attaching live film.
A tool I wish I had for this is a 35mm cine film splicer, which will cut films square and operated in the dark when cutting raw films, so if you've the opportunity to learn to use one of these, give it a try.
Though I've some of the plastic cassettes, the tops of which I secure with a tiny bit of tape, use the factory spools you've set up for reloads and save the new spools for the future, you'll never know when you'll need them.
For example, say you've only one or two bulk loaders, and know you want one or both of the tools, spooled to a specific frame count for use in cassettes.
Prep the spools by putting on tails of old used films, if you don't have any more preloaded spools left, and spool on the raw film.
Cut off of the loader, when finished with this step.
Add the tongue, by exposing a minimum amount of raw film, while still in the loader bay and, with the lights out, pull out the roll, tape the tongue snugly wrapped around the roll and place it up into a light proof plastic bag, like the enlarging paper comes in, or the original spool's black bag and close it up while you do the next roll.
You'll likely run out of tin can space if you've got more than five of six rolls of film left, so mark clearly whatever light proof bag you are using.
This way, you've freed your loader(s) for new films and you've extra rolls to take on long or heavy shooting trips, or to leave at home/studio.
You'll, of course, need a shot film bag for each type of exposed film you've shot and a strip of tape to hold it in a spooled configuration, when you transfer a fresh roll to now empty reloadable cassette.
TIP;
If you have any extra cassette lids, pack them along, as you'll never know when you might mislay one in or around a dark changing bag or tent.
The use of tounges and tails is, as far as I know, the ONLY way to get the maximum frames out of a roll of film, for individuals doing their own bulk loading.
Merry Christmas and Godspeed to ALL!
No cost savings to speak of, but it is fun! Good used loaders are readily available, be careful that the case isn't chipped, especially the old Lloyd's Bakelite version. I have the Watson version, even closes up Leica cassettes.
