Harbor Freight, Chicago Elc Tumbler?

[mrblue]

Does anyone use this type of tumbler? How does it hold up and do you like it? Was thinking about trying one out. Thanks

[jcwit]

I purchased one, returned it 3 times, finally got my money back.

The Berry tumbler sold by Cabela's both under the Berry name and under their own name model #400 is in the same price range and made right here in the USA except for the motor which no one supplies. Also consider the fact that if purchased from Cabela's you get a lifetimsatisfactionon guarantee.

Once again "same price range".

Course if one wishes to support the Reds, there is the other option.

[KinkBreaker]

I've got the little one. And I use it a lot because its so little. If I'm at home it's probably running.
I've had it for 2 1/2 years

[mrblue]

I checked the Cabelas website, no luck, Is it in store? Or do you have a link?

[jcwit]

I checked the Cabelas website, no luck, Is it in store? Or do you have a link?

Coming up in a second.

This is badged Cabela's and a complete kit
http://www.cabelas.com/product/Shooting/Reloading/Tumblers-Scales%7C/pc/104792580/c/104761080/sc/104661180/Cabelas-Model-400-Vibratory-Case-Tumbler-Kit/731769.uts?destination=%2Fcatalog%2Fbrowse%2Ftumbl ers-scales%2F_%2FN-1100197%2FNs-CATEGORY_SEQ_104661180%3FWTz_l%3DSBC%253Bcat104792 580%253Bcat104761080&WTz_l=SBC%3Bcat104792580%3Bcat104761080%3Bcat10466 1180

This is the tumbler by itself.
http://www.cabelas.com/product/Shooting/Reloading/Tumblers-Scales%7C/pc/104792580/c/104761080/sc/104661180/Cabelas-Model-400-Vibratory-Case-Tumbler/731767.uts?destination=%2Fcatalog%2Fbrowse%2Ftumbl ers-scales%2F_%2FN-1100197%2FNs-CATEGORY_SEQ_104661180%3FWTz_l%3DSBC%253Bcat104792 580%253Bcat104761080&WTz_l=SBC%3Bcat104792580%3Bcat104761080%3Bcat10466 1180

There you go.

Not sure about right now but they offer free shipping many times and with fathers day coming up that may be the case.

[gefiltephish]

Are you asking about this one?
http://www.harborfreight.com/dual-drum-rotary-rock-tumbler-67632.html
I have two of 'em. Been using them for about a year now. No problems so far.

I'm considering this one though. It'll be lots faster :)
http://www.harborfreight.com/1-1-4-quarter-cubic-ft-compact-cement-mixer-91907.html

[mrblue]

Lol, yeah sorry, should have pointed out I was looking at the rock tumbler. I have a franks arsenel vibration tumbler and wanted to try out the rock one.

[jcwit]

I started out with that little "rock tumbler" from HF. Takes longer and doesn't hold much, but it does work. Be prepared to get O rings to replace the belt, not a big problem but they do wear out. Particularly if you overload it weight wise. I got my o rings/belts from Motion Industries, an industrial bearing supply outlet.

[KinkBreaker]

oh yeah mines the vibrating one

[dbosman]

I was in an HF store the other day. That 1.25 cubic foot cement mixer isn't as large as I thought it was. It could tuck in under a tall work bench. The Lowe's Kobalt won't tuck in under any bench.

[bangerjim]

I have and like the Horrible Freight vibrator 5# unit and it works well. Does not "take a walk" off the bench as some have complained about. Noise level is not bad.......hey it's a vibrator!!!!!

Load it up with walnut shells and let-er-crank.

For the sale price and -25% coupon ......not bad.

bangerjim

[DxieLandMan]

I have one that I tumble coins in. It works great! I'm very pleased.

[Foto Joe]

FYI, if you're a Cabela's Club member they've got $5 shipping for the rest of the year.

As far as using a cement mixer I would think that the dust might get irritating.

[gefiltephish]

... As far as using a cement mixer I would think that the dust might get irritating.

No dust. It's for wet tumbling with SS pins.

[mikeyjones]

I was also on the fence about the Chicago Electric one, but I think i'm going to go with an RCBS instead.

[Oreo]

I use the little hf vibratory. It gets the job done just fine. There are nicer units at higher prices, of course. If I were planing to spend more then a hundred bucks on a tumbler I'd be looking at options for wet tumbling with stainless pins. Those are rotary tumblers though, not vibratory.

[Foto Joe]

No dust. It's for wet tumbling with SS pins.

I've never had the inclination to try it. What advantage do you see from wet tumbling? I would think that you would have to rinse the brass when done wouldn't you? Personally I buy my media in 40 lb sacs and put a couple of capfuls of NuFinish in with the batch and a used dryer sheet. I pretty much can go from tumbler to press with no prep other than to tumble out the media.

[DLCTEX]

I have a Frankford Arsenal vibratory that I bought in 1992 and it has done more than 100,000 cases easily and is still going. I once forgot it and left it running for a week, that batch of brass was shiny!

[gefiltephish]

I've never had the inclination to try it. What advantage do you see from wet tumbling? I would think that you would have to rinse the brass when done wouldn't you? Personally I buy my media in 40 lb sacs and put a couple of capfuls of NuFinish in with the batch and a used dryer sheet. I pretty much can go from tumbler to press with no prep other than to tumble out the media.

There are numerous advantages. There are also quite a few threads on this. I actually started doing it because of the dust - no matter how many times I try to chase them away, both of my granddaughters would come out to the barn to "help" me, and it always seemed to be when I was tumbling. I did not deprime with dry media and was mostly concerned about airborne lead dust, so, the wet solution works out for me on that alone. With dry media, I always tumbled with walnut shells because it's much faster than corn cob. I was never interested in the appearance, just wanted to clean them to prevent die damage. Walnut media always leaves a red dust inside the brass, although I'm not aware of it hurting anything. For wet tumbling, first depriming with a universal die allows the primer pockets to be cleaned surprisingly well. Not a deal breaker but welcome anyway. Wet tumbling with ss pins, a little citric acid, a touch of dawn, all in hot water, makes for super clean brass inside and out in about 1 - 1 1/2 hours. The citric acid cleans any tarnish off as well, if that's important to you. Follow by a rinse in hot water. The only disadvantage I've found is that you have to wait for the brass to dry. Also, the brass will lose it's like new shine within a couple weeks unless you then tumble in corn cob with some kind of polish. I skip that step as I'm not interested in impressing anyone. The target never knows the difference.

<edit>Also, I can wet tumble in the garage (house) instead of traipsing out to the barn in inclement weather.</edit>

[Foto Joe]

I can see the reduction/elimination of dust as a definite plus. Using my Frankford Arsenal cheapy tumbler with the lid on doesn't really produce much in the way of dust, that and adding the used dryer sheet really makes it moot for me. Since I added a Cabela's tumble separator to the list of reloading tools I'm getting even less exposure when getting rid of the media too. Whatever works for your application, I'm always interested in learning new useless stuff to clog up what few brain cells I have left.

[gefiltephish]

Prior to the wet tumbling I didn't have a media separator, I just used the sieve lid on the vibrator and dumped into a box, using a dust mask. This of course was unacceptable when the kids showed up. Even with dry media, popping out the primers prior to vibrating reduces the lead in the dust, in theory anyway.

[mdi]

I never worried about the "lead poisoning scare" concerning dust from my brass cleaner, 'cause I don't put my face over it and breathe the dust.

Harbor Freight tools, all of them, are low bottom, inexpensively made tools. Harbor Freight (If I remember correctly) started by buying "over-runs" and refused/freight, salvage,etc. and selling them at a discount. Then they started buying the low bottom, Chinese stuff. Nothing wrong with that. As a new employee I had little money so a lot of my tools came from H.F. and most worked long enough for me to save money to buy quality tools. So you takes yer chances, a Harbor Freight tumbler/vibrator may work 20 days or 20 years, and the small rotary one I had lasted until I "improved" it, 13 years or so...

[jonp]

I was in Harbor Freight this morning looking at both the double drum and the vibration tumblers. I've bought a ton of knock around tools in there. Defiantly not Snap On quality but they don't claim to be. I leave them at my hunting camp and have set of sockets and screwdrivers in my truck to use if I need to. Solid, cheap tools.
I think that after looking at both of them I will buy a Frankford Arsenal tumbler until I save enough to get a wet thumbler tumbler. The double roller one at HA looked about right to tumble maybe 30 or 40 45acp each side. If I was just going to shoot some rounds at the range and tumble them I might get it. The vibration tumbler looked to be made well but the small one seemed...small to me but I'm sure you could do at least 100 or more at a time in it.

[Dale in Louisiana]

When I was managing a high voltage service office, on several occasions we needed odd-ball things. One time it was a 2" 3/4-drive impact socket. Just that one socket in Craftsman was sixty bucks. Harbor Freight had a whole set for that price. No, it wasn't Craftsman or SnapOn quality, but I don't think that the forty year old circuit breaker we used it on cared even a little bit.

dale in Louisiana

[John Boy]

Have 2 of the rotary double barrel tumblers. Using for 3 years - no issues.

[jonp]

Have 2 of the rotary double barrel tumblers. Using for 3 years - no issues.

How much brass can you fit into each drum on those?

[Elkins45]

I don't have the tumbler but I did buy one of their extra bowls to use on my 20+ year old Lyman 1200 along with some of their ceramic media. My tumbler came with a sifter lid and the HF bowl has a solid one, so I thought I might like to have the option of throwing some solvent into the bowl with rusty parts or something like that someday.

[mdi]

I was in Harbor Freight this morning looking at both the double drum and the vibration tumblers. I've bought a ton of knock around tools in there. Defiantly not Snap On quality but they don't claim to be. I leave them at my hunting camp and have set of sockets and screwdrivers in my truck to use if I need to. Solid, cheap tools.
I think that after looking at both of them I will buy a Frankford Arsenal tumbler until I save enough to get a wet thumbler tumbler. The double roller one at HA looked about right to tumble maybe 30 or 40 45acp each side. If I was just going to shoot some rounds at the range and tumble them I might get it. The vibration tumbler looked to be made well but the small one seemed...small to me but I'm sure you could do at least 100 or more at a time in it.

I still have a two drum rotary from HF and I'm experimenting with media and wet tumbling now. Last night I put 65, .38 Special cases, about 3/4 cup of plastic pyramid media, a teaspoon of Lemoshine, two squirts of 409, and water to cover + 1/4". Worked quite well. The time before, I used 80-90 .45 ACP cases with same amt. of media, 409, lemoshine, and water and the cases were a semi-matt, not real shiny finish when done. Still trying to find the right mix of stuff...