What Tumbler Are You Using?

[AJ]

I am a bit old school and use media tumblers. Started with a Lyman and used it for years, Came into possession of a Midway Model 1292 Tumbler and have used it for several years. For some reason I decided to look it up on line and found out that they were recalled in 1998, for failures and fires. No problems with this one in the last 10 years, but decided to call their Customer Service. Was told to send it back and they will send me a new tumbler. Was surprised to say the least, considering the recall is 25 years old.

Right now I am using a Thumbler's Tumbler Ultra-Vibe 18. While it does get the job done it is more noisy than the Midway. Also have a Lyman Cyclone Tumbler and it is even more noisy.

So my question is who make the least noisy media tumblers. Don't want to do pins or liquids, just media. TIA

 

[max]

Mine is a Midway also. I tumble outside, so I don't notice the noise. You probably shouldn't use the tumbler inside due to the heavy metals from the primers.

 

[AJ]

Mine is a Midway also. I tumble outside, so I don't notice the noise. You probably shouldn't use the tumbler inside due to the heavy metals from the primers.

What model?

 

[kraynky]

Mine is the same Lyman I started with 30 years ago. Not necessarily quite, but it does a good job. No pins or wet solutions for me either.

 

[rockquarry]

I've had a very large Dillon vibratory tumbler for more than thirty years but don't use it nearly as much as the smallest, cheapest Midway vibratory machine. I'm not one to recommend Midway-branded (Frankford Arsenal, etc.) products, but the first of their tumblers that I bought lasted more than fifteen years and I often tumble brass several times a week and have done so for many years.

No ritualistic cleaning, just media and occasionally a polish, but when I finish the bottle of polish I've had for years, I'll likely buy no more. It's just not needed for clean brass.

 

[Protocall_Design]

I tumble mine in a small Harbor Freight cement mixer with walnut hull media. It's pretty quiet, also outdoors due to the dust.

I have several Frankford Arsenal items, and every one has been a quality tool. I feel they are a good value.

 

[pantannojack]

Thumler's Tumbler model B. Tru-Square metal Products, Auburn, Wa. Rotary type. Very quite. Been using 40 years now.

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

Thumbler's Rotary (maybe a model B) with wet pins. Started with a large Thumbler's vibration and corn cob. when it died a Lyman, and Midway, then a RCBS. Then went wet. I can use it dry with corn cob or walnut shell but prefer the better job of the SS Pins.

Ivan

 

[Yendor357]

I wore out my old Lyman a few years back. The motor was shot. It was a weird size motor. Nothing matched up.

I bought a Dillon 750, I think. It's out in the garage. It does a good job.

 

[Alk8944]

An early Lyman 1200 that I bought new sometime before 1974. I have had to repair the motor 3-4 times as the rubber bushings for the bearings wear out. Tried silicone sealer the first time and finally epoxied the bearings into the carriers. It has many thousands of hours of operation on it and will still be around when I no longer am pretty soon.

 

[sophie]

I'm using the same old Thumler's Tumbler w/20 lb drum and crushed walnut shells that I bought in 1979. Always has done a good job. I'm never in a big hurry anyway. Motor gets a little warm but keeps on tumbling. About 15 years ago I put some of that gripper tape, anti skid type tape around the edges of the drum and it brought that little low RPM motor back to life. It's been a good one.

 

[AJ]

I'm using the same old Thumler's Tumbler w/20 lb drum and crushed walnut shells that I bought in 1979. Always has done a good job. I'm never in a big hurry anyway. Motor gets a little warm but keeps on tumbling. About 15 years ago I put some of that gripper tape, anti skid type tape around the edges of the drum and it brought that little low RPM motor back to life. It's been a good one.

had a rotary like that about 40 years ago and used it for tumbling rocks for my Wife and Daughter. Gave it to a friend in one of our many military moves.

 

[mckenney99]

I've been using a Lyman 1200 & a Lyman 2200?/3200? since the mid 1980's. I eventually bought the Dillon 2000? when it still had a lifetime warranty and it ran untold 1000's of hours before the motor finally died. I contacted Dillon via e-mail and they shipped out a brand new CV-2001 without any questions. I did have to return ship the old dead tumbler in the box the new tumbler came in. Several years ago I acquired a large amount of .308 brass so I bought a small electric cement mixer from Northern Tool and I use it to clean large batches of brass.
For brass cleaning, I get bushel bags of crushed walnut blasting media from Grainger and add a couple squirts of Midways citrus scented case polish, as it is very economical when bought by the quart bottle.
For removing lube from rifle cases after sizing, I run the cases through a short cycle of tumbling in crushed corn cob (also obtained from Grainger in bulk) with a splash of mineral spirits sprayed onto the corn cob media.

 

[AJ]

I've been using a Lyman 1200 & a Lyman 2200?/3200? since the mid 1980's. I eventually bought the Dillon 2000? when it still had a lifetime warranty and it ran untold 1000's of hours before the motor finally died. I contacted Dillon via e-mail and they shipped out a brand new CV-2001 without any questions. I did have to return ship the old dead tumbler in the box the new tumbler came in. Several years ago I acquired a large amount of .308 brass so I bought a small electric cement mixer from Northern Tool and I use it to clean large batches of brass.
For brass cleaning, I get bushel bags of crushed walnut blasting media from Grainger and add a couple squirts of Midways citrus scented case polish, as it is very economical when bought by the quart bottle.
For removing lube from rifle cases after sizing, I run the cases through a short cycle of tumbling in crushed corn cob (also obtained from Grainger in bulk) with a splash of mineral spirits sprayed onto the corn cob media.

Sounds like a professional set up!

 

[Kenna]

Mine has Bourbon in it!!

 

[venomballistics]

Right now ... a 6 oz tumbler with egg nog and irish cream

 

[dwh]

I'm using the same Thumbler's Tumbler Ultra-Vibe 18 that I got for Christmas in 1985 as a 15 year old. After thousands of hours of run time and a couple hundred thousand cases the motor finally gave out last year. A quick call to the company and they sold me a motor at cost with free shipping. As it turns out I was outside the warranty window. Ten minutes after it arrived at home we were back up and running. I have wet pin tumbler and find it to be a messy pain in the ***. I only use it for very dirty range pick up brass. My favorite tumbler is also 6oz. and holds ice with an ample amount of 1792 small batch

 

[Skeet 028]

I've tried 'em all and right now I have a Dillon 750 and a Dillon 2000?...big 'un. . I also have a wet pin tumbler by Frankford Arsenal I got complete at a yard sale for 35 dollars...less than a week after I bought a new in box Lyman wet pin tumbler set up...which I haven't taken out of the box. Of all I like the wet tumbler best but the Dillon 750 is pretty quiet and gets used for most of dry cleaning. The 2000 gets used with corn cob to get case lube off everything...about 10 minutes per batch

 

[Mike SC Hunter]

An early Lyman 1200 that I bought new sometime before 1974. I have had to repair the motor 3-4 times as the rubber bushings for the bearings wear out. Tried silicone sealer the first time and finally epoxied the bearings into the carriers. It has many thousands of hours of operation on it and will still be around when I no longer am pretty soon.

Me too. Bought my Lyman 600 in the 70's. Wore holes in the bowl. Patched them. The counter weight on the motor shaft came off. Cut into the bottom and fixed it.........It's still going strong.

 

[dmar]

I'm on year 16 of a Lyman, no problems with it, and it works great. I recently bought a a Hornady, just to be able to run two batches at once to save time. I put larger calibers (.45acp, .44 mag, 10mm) in one machine, and smaller calibers (9mm, .38spcl, .357 mag, .380) in the other, so the smaller cases don't get inserted into the larger cases. Works out as a pretty good system and does cut down on time.

I bought a Dillon case sifter a few years ago after suffering with the RCBS unit for years. The Dillon design is soooo much better! The plastic latches, and the hinge design on the RCBS sifter were terrible.

 

[Roofuss]

Been using a Hornady tumbler for the past 3-4 years , no issues .

 

[Nightowl]

About 50 years ago, my brother bought a Lortone Lapidary tumbler. It has a rubber drum and sits in a frame. After he quit reloading I ended up with it and it gets a lot of use. I had to replace a belt about 5 years ago, but the firm is still in business and they still had the belt for it!! I mostly use walnut media and tumble for around 4 hours. Works great.

They still make them, the model I have is similar to the model 3A and they are reasonably priced.

 

[Engineer1911]

Removing case lube after resizing

I use a Thumbler's Tumbler Ultra-Vibe 10 with ground walnut shells and triangular ceramic tumbling media, about a double handful of triangles to a batch.

After the dry media and lubed brass have mixed, I spray water and Dawn dishwashing liquid onto the media. One teaspoon of Dawn to 16 ounces of water in a spray bottle. I cover the tumbler bowl with a flat plastic bag that has a center hole, install cover, and tighten the nut. 1-1/2 to 2 hours later I have dry, gleaming brass ready to load.

Yup, I violate all the rules of "Polished Brass" but it has worked for 10 years for me. No more wiping down individual cases or trying to remove black gunk from the outside of cases.

 

[max503]

Tumble schmumble. My cases get washed with water/salt/Dawn/citric acid. I ain't had no complaints.

 

[BE Mike]

Lortone QT-12. I can't recall how many decades I've owned it. It is a beast!

 

[Buzzzer]

Wow, interesting thread! I never thought about different tumblers until I read this. I also have a Midway 1292 that's ran for years (it's the only one I have). Quite a while ago, like 20 years or so, it just quit working. I took it apart and found a wire had shaken loose from the motor. I soldered it back up and it was off to the races. It still works like the day I got it. Dang it, now I really need to open it back up to take a closer look. Maybe give Midway a call, who knows...

Thanks to the OP for starting this thread as I knew absolutely nothing about that recall!

 

[AJ]

Mine has Bourbon in it!!

Right now ... a 6 oz tumbler with egg nog and irish cream

Supposed to be shaken not stirred or so says Mr.Bond.

 

[AJ]

Tumble schmumble. My cases get washed with water/salt/Dawn/citric acid. I ain't had no complaints.

That was not the question.

 

[Skeet 028]

Not that I am really cheap but a question. When I polish the case lube off in te big tumbler after 4-5 batches the corn cob media gets to where it seems to get loaded up with lube. Kinda wasteful...Anyone have a method fpr getting the lube out of it?? ...well yeah...I guess I am being a bit cheap

 

[zeke]

this one replaced the old Midway blue
Graf Brass Tumbler 110 Volt - Graf & Sons

Been working fine for last coupe years, and is more effective/quieter than the Midway was. A little (maybe tbsp or 2) added to the walnut media helps with the dust, and cleaning. Am surmising the walnut helps by increasing the friction coefficient, judging by the water vaporizing and condensing on bottom of lid. A closed media separator and dust mask also helps.