Vibrator vs Tumbler +/- ??

[blujax01]

Which way to go? Rotating drum or vibrating bowl? I'm just getting started and if the tumbler is superior, I'm not opposed to putting more money up front.

Plusses and minuses for each? Brands and models preferred?

Thanks for sharing your knowledge!

 

[FrankD45]

I can't speak of the vibrating kind since i have never owned or used one. I did buy a Thumler's Tumbler about 40 years ago. It is a rotating drum type driven by a belt from a small electric motor. In all that time I have had to replace only one belt. I should add i am anal about polishing my brass. I use about a 50/50 mix of crushed walnut and corn and add some liquid polish occasionally. I typically run it for three or four hours at a time and have been well satisfied.

I hope that helps,

Frank

 

[Smith357]

Vibrating tumblers are loud, I don't know how much noise a rotating drum tumbler makes but it has to be quieter than the vibrating style. I saw and handled an RCBS Sidwinder at Tulsa and it looked like a very good piece of equipment. But then it costs as much a 4 vibrating tumblers.

I use a Lyman 1200 vibrator and I too use a 50/50 walnut-cob mix it takes about an hour to clean once used brass, a little longer if it's really dirty.

 

[BE Mike]

I've been using the Lortone QT-12 for 30 years. It is not loud. One can use dry media or liquid when using it. I use ground walnut shells which I buy at the pet store (sold as reptile litter). I add a little liquid Flitz. It makes the cases look like new. The Lortones are built for rock polishing, so they are way over-engineered for brass tumbling. I never had any reason to switch to a vibrating tumbler. My Lortone is a serious piece of equipment. One advantage the Lortone seems to have over the Thumbler Tumbler is that the Lortone only has one "nut" to hold on the lid. The nut is a knurled knob and can be removed with only the fingers. The Thumbler Tumbler has several wing nuts to unloosen to remove the lid.

Check out the Lortone tumblers here:Lortone, Manufacturers of Tools for Lapidary & Jewelry Artists

 

[OKFC05]

Vibrators are cheap, loud, and fast; not worth a hoot for polishing rocks, but the "cost-effective" answer for cleaning brass. The last one burnt out the motor after 12 years of hard use, and I bought another one like it.

 

[n4zov]

They will both do the job, but I prefer the rotary tumblers because they are almost silent and will last much longer than the vibratory type tumbler. On the other hand, the vibratory tumblers are much faster than the rotary types. I have been using a Thumlers Model B rotary tumbler since the 1960's and have tumbled a jillion rounds of brass and never done any maintenance except replace a few inexpensive belts. Thumlers makes commercial and consumer grade vibratory and rotary types and you can check them by Googling thumlers tumblers.

 

[Skip Sackett]

I've got two vibratory ones. One I am sending home with the son in law today.

My Lyman, I think is a 1200, has served me well for a long, long time. The Frankford Arsenal one didn't move as well as the Lyman but it did work.

In either one, I use the Lyman treated material in a 50/50 mix as described by others. Works very well.

 

[longranger]

Thumlers Tumbler Mdl. B with stainless steel media is the cats meow.It cleans primer pockets so I don't have to.It is as fast as the vibratory and much quieter.My vibratory is going to my son.The S.S. cleans better than anything I have used,inside and outside.

 

[mkk41]

There's no comparison. I had one of those Thumblers Tumblers for a few years. Then about 16yrs ago I bough a Dillon 1200 vibe-type. With walnut , it'll clean 1000 of the dirtiest cases in about 1 1/2 hrs. The rotating red thing took overnite to do about 250. I actually gave that Thumbler thing away. And Dillon does mean it when they say no-BS lifetime warranty.

 

[Cary]

My take on this is that if you like to buy something once and have it out last you then get one of the rotary units. You can get parts for the rotary units when and if they need them which doesn't sound like very often. The vibrator units are toss away units pretty much. I don't think there are many replacement parts available for most of them and they will usually need repair before the rotary units need it. Another issue as mentioned is the noise the unit makes while in operation. If you have a place to run your unit where the noise is not an issue then the vibator units are fine. If noise is an issue then look at the rotary units.
Cary

 

[Bob R]

Hornady has made ultrasonic cleaning affordable.

Hornady Manufacturing Company :: Reloading :: Metallic Reloading :: Tools & Gauges :: Lock-N-Load® Sonic Cleaner™ and Accessories :: Lock-N-Load® Sonic Cleaner™ 110 Volt

And when you have your brass clean you can use it for all sorts of small parts, including your wifes jewelry. I think Sandy Claws (the cat gift giver) will be bringing me one.

bob

 

[BoDog]

I have both if time and quanity are not a concern tumblers are ok, as far as I am concerned nothing beats a vibrator. I can clean 500 rounds at one time. I have the large Dillon and it keeps up with my Dillon 550. Together they keep me in quality and quantiy ammo.
As to noise put it in the garage and close the door.

 

[BE Mike]

Hornady has made ultrasonic cleaning affordable.

Hornady Manufacturing Company :: Reloading :: Metallic Reloading :: Tools & Gauges :: Lock-N-Load® Sonic Cleaner™ and Accessories :: Lock-N-Load® Sonic Cleaner™ 110 Volt

And when you have your brass clean you can use it for all sorts of small parts, including your wifes jewelry. I think Sandy Claws (the cat gift giver) will be bringing me one.

bob

The only question, I'd have, is how long the cleaning solution lasts. It ain't exactly cheap, at $20 plus per quart.

 

[blujax01]

Wow!! Quite the bi-partisan split. It appears that both types have their fans and that I won't go "wrong" with either choice. Thanks for the responses folks.

 

[Maximumbob54]

Small side note here on vibratory case cleaners - If you look at all the major brands latest models you start to notice something. They all look like the same thing in different colors and different stickers. They look suspiciously like they are suddenly all coming from the same factory somewhere.

 

[SMSgt]

I have a small Thumblers Tumbler from many years ago (1975?). It's very quiet. I use the ground walnuts from the pet stores (BIG bag, low price), which for me works better than corn cob. I also use a couple drops of Kit liquid car wax to make them really slick and shiny. Keeps the dust down too.

The trick with tumblers is do NOT overfill. Less is better in this case.
My small tumbler works best when only one box of cases (.45 ) is loaded. A couple of hours and even the dirtiest of range brass is spiffy. It would be nice to have the larger size, but I'm in no hurry.

 

[blujax01]

Follow up total Noob and probably stupid question - do I clean brass with the spent primers left in?

 

[OKFC05]

Follow up total Noob and probably stupid question - do I clean brass with the spent primers left in?

I don't remove primers from pistol brass before cleaning, because the media will get into the primer pocket, and I don't clean primer pockets on pistol brass.

On the other hand, I DO run rifle brass after the primers are out, and I clean the primer pockets after I'm all done with putting the brass into the media.

So you can choose whatever is suitable for what you are doing.

 

[m657]

I was in the same quandary about 1979 or so when I started reloading.

I searched all the products then available (pre internet times) and settled on one that I could afford instead of the one I thought I wanted.

So I bought it figuring when it went belly up I would be justified in then getting what I wanted.

The Lyman 1200 continues to run perfectly now after 30+ years and uncountable hundreds of thousands of cases all sizes.

Walnut shell and either Dillon's blue stuff or another citrus flavor works fine for me. A life time supply of walnut shells came from Harbor Freight for under $10 about 5 years ago. I still have most of it.

You'll develop your own favored way of doing things. Just keep reading & asking questions.

 

[SMSgt]

Follow up total Noob and probably stupid question - do I clean brass with the spent primers left in?

Not stupid at all! Yes. The idea is to clean the brass (primarily the outside) to prevent sand, etc. from damaging the dies or brass. I used to clean primer pockets but no more. On a rare occasion I run a pocket scraper in a few (when really bored), but rarely. It seems as if the next firing burns out any crud left from the previous.