I understand that rotary tumblers are easier to use and can use stainless steel “pins” or liquid solutions to clean cases, and without the harmful dust and mess associated with vibratory tumblers.

Do you have any recommendations for a decent rotary tumbler?

Also, what cleaning mediums do you use in yours?

Other tips are also appreciated.

Thank you all!

I’ve got a Lyman Cyclone and love it. Thumbler’s Tumblers get rave reviews too. I picked mine up cheap, so that was the deciding factor. I’ll never go back to dry tumbling only, but I do still use it for tumbling finished bullets sometimes. I decap before tumbling and use water, dawn detergent, and a little bit of Lemi-shine. Brass comes out looking brand new.

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USS Brewton FF1086
SWCA#3597

Going the wet tumble route

I just got the Frankford Arsenal tumbler. I filled it to the brim with 9mm deprimed cases. In less than 3 hours I had the cleanest brass I've ever seen! I did some 223 & 38 spl too. All are like new. I use stainless steel pins (5#), Turtlewax Zip car wash & LemiShine. The Zip car wash w/wax helps prevent any sticking issues.

I wouldn't say it's easier because your dealing with tiny pins and dirty water. One you get a system down to deal with the pins and water it's routine.



Living the Tech Life

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Improvise, Adapt, Overcome

I currently use a Thumbler's Tumbler, with SS pins, and hot soapy water with a 1/4 tsp of Lemi-shine per batch. You clean 2 pounds of brass casings, so the number get smaller as the cases get bigger! It takes about 10 to 15 minutes per batch of set up and separating (combined time) and 1 hour of tumbling cases. (2 hours for cases stained with Black Powder)

Personally I size and deprime rifle cases before cleaning, that leaves the primer pockets and the interior, as well as the exterior brand new clean!

Handgun brass usually gets a cleaning unsized. Sometimes every other loading..

The liquids from wet tumbling are poured down the toilet as opposed to down the sink drain. (the pins are rinsed at least twice every batch. dirty or stained pins don't clean well!- hard learned lesson.) The cleaning water starts as hot as I can stand and after 1 hour, it is still prey warm so aside from being filthy (BLACK) it hurts to be sloppy. The liquid when done is sometimes thick like paint other times water thin, but will stain clothing or towels it gets splashed on, Always rinse all containers the liquid has come in contact with while still wet, and clean up is easy.

Cases need to dry before reloading... how long? If you dump them in a bucket, they could be wet inside 3 weeks later. Just left laying flat, 2 days is usually good. A couple hours in a heated environment does great, I have used a warm oven, sitting on hot blacktop driveway in summer and sitting on hot wood stove in winter, all were done at 2 hours.

From 1979 to 1984 I had a large home made dry tumbler and used walnut shell media. From 1984 to 2011 I used vibratory cleaners and burnt up 8 of them ( I replace motors on several of those also). From 2011 to now I'm on my first Thumbler's Tumbler, the only replacement was a $5 drive belt (giant O-ring) last summer.

After 8 years, I have lost a few pins in the carpet and down the drain, but way less than 1/2 ounce.

I have cleaned straight walled cases from 32ACP to 458 Win Mag and bottle necked from 22 Hornet to 375 H&H. In this aspect: SIZE DOES NOT MATTER.

I hope this extra information fills in some of the gaps not talked about, and you choose wet pin tumbling. It has been the most expensive at start up but least expensive overall that I have used.

Ivan

I have a Frankford Arsenal and it works well. Right now Cabela's has the FA stuff on sale 20 percent off. The Lyman Is just kike the FA tumblerr. I have dry tumblers too. Doing a batch of coated 24 calibers bullets to clean 'em off right now. A fellow gave me 7000 coated bullets and I'll bet the wet tumbler would work better and quicker

I bought the complete setup from Frankford Arsenal. Including case/pin separator, pins, cleaning solution, case dryer and of course the rotary tumbler itself. Couldn't be happier!! Cost for all was about $167.
No more "dusty" cases or media stuck in bottle neck cases. I remove the primers prior to cleaning and it gets the carbon out of there too. Cases look factory new. All tarnish is removed from fired cases picked up at range. Highly recommend!!

I’ve started with Thumler’s tumbler and few belts later switched to FA tumbler - couldn’t be happier. TT was usually started to struggle with a little over 300 9mm cases, with FA I’ve loaded 600 10mm and it didn’t notice it, plus FA has built in timer for up to 3 hrs.


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If you’re looking for cheap, check garage sales and thrift shops for a rock tumbler. I bought one 30 years ago for $15.00, and it’s still working fine.

Frankford Arsenal Platinum Series 110V 7L Rotary Tumbler and Media Separator for Cleaning and Polishing for Reloading - ML6AP7

70 bucks.

Delivered for $74.99. I'll see how it goes.

BURN!!!
Fake tracking numbers and a Pay Pal dispute. 10 days to make it right or a refund.

I have a Lortone QT-12 that I bought in the 80's. I've used it to dry tumble brass. The only part I've replaced is the drive belt. It is perfectly suited for wet tumbling, too. It is built for rock polishing and nearly continuous use, so will obviously last a long time as a brass tumbler. It is fairly quiet. The average current prices seem to be somewhat less than $250.00. https://www.ebay.com/i/171182282047?...CABEgLHE_D_BwE

I have a Thumblers Tumbler since 1977. Only changed one belt. Got that one from a vacuum cleaner shop and it's still running. I use a big Dillon vibrator also, but not so much as I no longer shoot IPSC.

I do not understand why you pour the tumbling water in the toilet. All the drain water from any drain pipe in the house ends up in the sewer or septic tank.

I bought the RCBS rotary model. I’m very happy with it. Buy the Frankford Arsenal magnet and the Lyman separator pans. These accessories make it very easy to use.

I bought a Thumbler's Tumbler more than 40 years ago. At that time it was used mostly by lapidary enthusiasts.
Put a new motor on it a couple years back. It's got a lot of use.
I tumble dry.

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"from my cold dead hands" C.H.

Cleaning with the wet tumbling gets brass clean as new but if you use it for pistol brass you can bet the brass will drag going through the carbide resize die and will require a light lubing. Otherwise you will end up with galling leaving a brass fouling on the carbide ring. Rifle brass it does not matter because it has to be lubed to be resized then removed depending on what lube you use.
When I use my buddies FA tumbler, after filling the tumbler a couple times to rinse things off I then dump the brass and pins into my Dillion media separator with the tub full of water and spin for a couple minutes. The pins work their way out of the case while they are submerged and fall to the bottom of the tub. Just watch for pins falling to the bottom, when you don't see anymore pins give it a few more turns and should be good to go. The past few times I have done this I have not found any pins left in a case. Then it is just a matter of getting them dry.

I made up a box about 4 inches high 10 wide and 20 long on the sides with some screening in the bottom I dump my cases in it and put two bricks in the bed of the pickup and put that box on the bricks. Sunny day even in the winter the brass dries PDQ. Just go by and give it a shake 2 or 3 times and voila

To mitigate any galling I use Turtlewax Zip car wash w/ wax in it instead of Dawn.

Living the Tech Life

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Improvise, Adapt, Overcome

I like that idea and will give it a try. My cases come out a little too squeaky clean.

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USS Brewton FF1086
SWCA#3597

Does this surgically clean brass shoot smaller groups than run of the mill brass with a dirty interior and encrusted primer pockets?

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S&WHF 366

Over half of the internet combined info in the cloud is on Brass cleaning, they other half is best bore cleaner!

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Still Running Against the Wind

Use a telescoping metal wand with a magnet on the end to pick up SS pins off the floor and pins that went down the sink drain.

Sure it does...and if it doesn't... it looks really good not doing it

As has been said before pistol brass can be a bit sticky...even in carbide dies. It is somewhat redundant but I give my handgun brass a light spritz of lube anyway whether super clean or not. Makes for a very smooth run through the dies and smoother press operation specially when using the progressive presses

The "squeaky clean, surgical brass" actually sticks more so than regularly cleaned brass, More so in longer cases.


I just dry tumble brass but also give everything a spritz with diluted water bass lube. I don't remove it wither.

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Still Running Against the Wind

Bought a Harbor Freight dual drum tumbler a year or two ago and it works perfectly. $30 as I recall and I think the pins were like $15. A bit of dawn dishwashing liquid and a little lemishine and the brass looks brand new. I won't go back to a vibratory dry cleaner.

Pay Pal got me a refund and I'm cleaning cases in the old Harbor Freight vibrator thing again. Sigh!

I have the Frankford arsenal unit and absolutely love it. The dry tumbling used to really irritate my sinuses.

If I may make a recommendation, and if your Mrs. will let you, get yourself a cheap baking dish from good will to dry your brass in. 45 minutes in the oven at 250 will make sure its bone dry. Food dehydrators also work well.

I got bit too! I went ahead and picked one up off of Amazon after I got my refund from PayPal.

Living the Tech Life

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Improvise, Adapt, Overcome

I've been using the same Thumlers Tumbler model B some 35 years. It makes a grating sound irritates some but reminds me of the most joyous hobby allowed to free men. It was from Tru-Square Metal Products, Auburn, Wa.

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"Don't Give Up the Ship"

I owned an RCBS rotary tumbler long before the SS pin cleaning method became the thing. That machine is too expensive now, it is a good machine if you can afford it.
I use low sudsing Cascade dishwasher machine detergent in this tumbler because the RCBS tumbler has a small vent hole in the lid. High sudsing detergents like the automotive wash and wax will cause suds to ooze out the hole.
I still use the Simoniz wash and wax I swirl 50 cases at a time in a 2 pound margarine tub in a litre of water The waxed cases seem to greatly reduce the amount of brass that gets bonded to the nose of the expander die plug.
A Lyman case separator fits perfectly into a home depot 2.5 gal bucket.
I punched 8 half inch drain holes in the side of the side of the bucket just below the sieve. This lets rinse water flow out while the pins get sluiced through the sieve to fall to the bottom.
I dry the case on a couple of cheap Walmart grade cotton hand towels over night, or in a warm oven on a large banking pan.
I dry the SS pins so they don’t grow a mold or get stinky. I dump the SS pin on one end of a large baking pan. Elevate that end so all the water flows out of the pile of pins an down to the low end of the pan.
Sponge out the water, spread out the pins across the pan and bake them in the oven till there dry. A paper cup with the rolled rim cut off makes a great scoop to get the pins off the baking pan and into their plastic storage jar, a magnet collects the stragglers.

I used to use TSP mixed with the detergent but I found it made the wash water too slick and oily feeling. I think the slickness interfered with the pins ability to scour the brass and extended the time spent in the tumbler.

Tumbling does peen the case mouths a little bit. I check the degree of peening and run a LEE de-burring tool on the case mouth to clean up peening I can feel or see with a magnifying glass.
I like the LEE de-burring tool because it not an aggressive cutter.

Thanks for the insight. Considering how unimportant cleaning brass is, especially for loading pistol ammo, which is about 90% of my reloading, I'll continue to avoid the wet tumbling process. It'll continue to be ground walnut shells and liquid Flitz for me in my old Lortone QT-12.

I've been cleaning brass in a tumbler or vibratory machine for about forty years. I use walnut or corncob media, but have never dealt with the dust many complain about. I shake the brass/media mixture outside to separate the two. Brass needs to be clean enough to keep dies from being scratched.

There seems to be an obsession with making brass look like virgin factory stuff. Some here have already admitted that "surgically" clean brass is too clean and may stick in a die. Hard for normal folks to associate "surgical" with cartridge brass and I don't really understand the need for liquid cleaning rituals, drying brass, steel pins, etc., but then, I also fail to understand the compulsion to wax a handgun and take pictures of it.

However, we live in America. If we can't make something complicated and time consuming beyond all practicality, we often don't want to get involved. I suppose I'm too busy with handloading projects and shooting to get involved with the ancillary busy work that seems to thrill others.

My aren't you condescending! Pride in ownership has varying degrees. Some are higher than others.

I prefer to see Americans as innovators. If one doesn't attempt to "make it better" than it will always be the same.

In America you have the right to stagnant or innovate, to succeed or fail, to make smart helpful remarks or condescending remarks.


Living the Tech Life

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Improvise, Adapt, Overcome

Nothing was intended to be condescending, but it seems some can't pass up an opportunity to be offended by another's fact-based opinion. None of this is worthy of argument.

I have used both types , I've cleaned them both ways , each way will get the job done .
1.) wet tumbling creates a water mess , I don't hhave water or sink in my reloading room . They do clean but now you must get every case completely dry.
Any moisture left in a case is unacceptable... now you have to dry them in an oven or buy a case dryer and go through the extra drying process .
2.) Dry tumbling...for me , has no downside . They get cleaned and polished , sifted out the dry media they are ready to deprime and resize.
I do clean the primer pockets while watching TV with a little hand tool .

If you have dust...you aren't using the correct polishing media .
If you use crushed walnut shell treated with red polishing rouge it will NOT be dusty . I get mine from Midway, the shells are ground to the correct size , very important, and the proper amount of liquid polishing agent is correctly mixed in....
Pet bedding and liquid car wax isn't going to work properly...use the commercial polishing media .

Done it both ways and cleaner and easier for me to use the dry polishing media in the vibrating unit with proper walnut media. It will not be dusty and every unit I have owned has a lid...put the lid on and NO DUST !
Gary

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The Lyman green tinted corn cob media I dry tumbled with always left my cases slimed with a film that I didn’t want to remain on the cases.
So I would wash the cases to remove the this slimy film.
Since I was already washing the cases I though I may as well be wet get into tumbling with SS pins.
I do the wet cleaning at the basement laundry tub. The short 3 ft hose on the faucet does the work of sluicing the pins through the sieve to the bottom of the bucket and general rinsing. Drain holes punch in the bucket side just below the floor of the sieve are a must have.
Drying the cases is not a problem, spread them out on a towel and forget them for a day. If your in as rush to dry the cases baking in the oven at low temperature or in the clothes drier with the cases spread on a towel that has been placed on the stationary rack in the drier.
( the stationary rack allows you to dry things like shoes or hats that you don’t want to tumble, the rack has been included in every home clothes drier I’ve purchased).
If anyone is not into shinny as new brass just wet tumble with the SS pins for a brief period of time, one hour.
Good clean but not new looking brass will emerge, ready to dry.

This is true, which is why I use it! The cleaned brass slides thru the dies like butter.

Also, when I buy used brass that has been wet tumbled, I run it thru my vibratory tumbler with the Lyman media so I don't have to lube the cases.

Here’s by far the best brass tumbler I’ve found. I use dry media and it does a great job. Harbor Freight mini cement mixer.

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Where we go one, we go all

When I was back east I sold my shotmakers to a friend and that is what he used to tumble the shot in graphite.. He had 7 shotmakers he was using just prior to his death...in a hunting accident of all things. You know...you could put about 15 lbs of SS pins 50 lbs of cases and the liquid media in one of those...WOW LOL

It’ll do a good job on two and a half, 2lb coffee cans full of brass at a time. I never weighed a coffee can full of brass. It’s not as big as it looks. Just right I think.

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