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
