tumbler recommendation..

[rmaster14145]

ok i burned up my old frankford arsenal tumbler. i ran the fool out of it now it just will not work. anyone have a recommendation for a man on a tight budget?

rm

[jcwit]

Cabelas, about $40. They claim a 1 year warrenty but if you're close enough to a store to go in person they'll quarentee forever as customer satisfaction. At least thats what they told me when I bought one.

[klw]

The RCBS one can be factory repaired when it wear out. Cost about $80 I think. No other one that I know of can be factory fixed.

[Patrick L]

Tight budget aside, my Ultra Vibe 18 (Thumlers) has been going strong for over 20 years now. The purchase price is not cheap, but with that kind of longevity they may very well be the cheapest in the long run.

[Sprue]

Wally World, Harbor Freight

[Firebricker]

Berrys mfg $60.89 Made in Utah. I bought a rotary media seprator from them had good service. fb

[jack19512]

anyone have a recommendation for a man on a tight budget?







Well, some of you may laugh but several years ago I purchased one of the HF units that you would use like in polishing rocks, it is the double unit and it is still going strong. I even use the tumbling media they sell. It has worked great but I will admit I don't run thousands and thousands of cases through one like some here might and you are limited to a smaller number of cases that you can do at a time.

[jcwit]

No laughing here. When I first started tumbling thats what I used, worked fine till I wanted more quanity. Gets you going for $15--$20.

[DaveInFloweryBranchGA]

Thumbler's tumbler or a Dillon

[1hole]

"... anyone have a recommendation for a man on a tight budget?"

Yeah. Repair it. It's easy, inexpensive.

If the motor hums but doesn't run the windings are not yet burned out. Take the bottom apart far enough to allow you to put a few drops of oil on the two brass bearings on the motor shaft. Turn the shaft by hand until the oil gets into the bearings and it turns freely. Use a good grade of light oil that won't dry and gum it up again. Do NOT use WD-40! I prefer Automatic Transmission Fluid from Walmart, it's cheap, easy to find, doesn't gum. (Works great as a gun oil too, better than most that are sold for guns.)

If the motor doesn't hum it's shot, you must replace it. Take the bottom apart, remove the motor and take it to any electrical supply house for a size match. Tumblers use the same motors that are used in bath and stove hood exhaust fans, easy to find and cost maybe $10 last I checked. Some Lowes and H'Depot stores will have them too.

IF your tumbler doesn't have a power switch this is the time to add one. Pick up either an inexpensive toggle switch and install it on the wall of the base or put a simple "line switch" on the power cord.

[Dale53]

1hole has excellent advice here.

I have the large Dillon vibratory tumbler and have had it for many years with GREAT satisfaction. However, it may not fit your budget.

I would certainly try 1hole's advice.

Dale53

[klw]

Loved my Dillon but, finally, the motor burned out.

[rmaster14145]

i have ran the lil tumbler for about 1 year. it looks as if something has rubbed not the motor but the metal thing around it not the windings. i have limped it along for some time now. it will run for a little bit then it just stops and sits there and hums.

guess the strain was more than it can bear. [smilie=1:

rm

[Idaho_Elk_Huntr]

ok i burned up my old frankford arsenal tumbler. i ran the fool out of it now it just will not work. anyone have a recommendation for a man on a tight budget?

rm

How about another Frankford Arsenal? :mrgreen: Mine is 6 years old and not long ago I left it in shop running for over a week. Still vibrating.

[Patrick L]

guess the strain was more than it can bear.

What was it, a Ringo brand tumbler?:)

[Firebricker]

Midway USA had frankford arsnel tumbler on sale when I looked tonite. FB

[Hardcast416taylor]

My first tumbler was a large crisco can attatched to a BBQ rotersiery motor suspended on 2 sets of roller skate wheels with 2 sticks e-poxied inside the can and the lid taped on. I tumbled brass in that rig for nearly 3 years till I could afford a "store" bought tumbler. I wasn`t being "cheap" that was being poor! :mrgreen: Robert

[7of7]

i have ran the lil tumbler for about 1 year. it looks as if something has rubbed not the motor but the metal thing around it not the windings. i have limped it along for some time now. it will run for a little bit then it just stops and sits there and hums.

guess the strain was more than it can bear. [smilie=1:

rm

The contact areas that you mentioned suggests that one of the bearings was gummed up and started spinning...my Hornady did that... I took the motor off, and found that one of the bearings had gummed up a bit, and was spinning in the spacer used to retain the bearing. I just used a narrow strip of paper in it to take up the space.. reassembled the motor, and away it went.... works better than it did before.
The motors are very easy to take apart, 4 bolts, and the top and bottom bearings and housings come right off, of course you have to take the fan off, and the weight, The bearings should be tight in the housings, and should stay there. If they don't, or if there is more 'crud' on one than the other, then remove it, clean it all up add a couple drops of oil in the bearing, cut a strip of paper, enough to go completely around the the inside of the housing, and reassemble with the paper, retainer/spacer, and bearing...

[y5e06]

new to reloading, but I just picked up the ~$66 Hornaday vibrating unit from midway. I was surprised at how quiet it was, relatively. when full of media and brass it doesn't walk itself around like some others might. Can even leave the lid off, no problem with making a mess. Comes with two lids, one solid, and one w/ slots which makes easier on dumping media out and retaining the brass. Also has on/off switch in the cord so its not necessary to unplug all the time.
Ran about 600-800 mixed pistol and rifle cases through it the last couple days with good results. I'm quite pleased with it.

[Dale53]

Robert;
I was never "poor" but there were many years when I sure didn't have much disposable income! I learned to "scrounge" and "make do" and still have a bit of that talent left:mrgreen:.

Your actions in building your tumbler sounds more like, "Where there is a will there is a way!" than anything...

Good show!

Dale53

[afish4570]

Loved my Dillon but, finally, the motor burned out.

Thought they had the no BS Warranty. I'd call them up and see about a new motor under the no BS warranty. Love my Dillon 2000 its big and a real workhorse compared to my little Midway unit I started with. afish4570:drinks::drinks:

[jack19512]

Can even leave the lid off, no problem with making a mess.








You don't say where you keep your unit and use it but I wouldn't leave the lid off if it is in a area where you (occupy)live.

[EDK]

Do you shoot black powder cartridges....or plan to? If so, get a THUMBLERS TUMBLER (rotary) so you can use the ceramic media to clean your brass...the ceramic worked good on some really nasty range pick up brass I bought on an internet auction; the guy wasn't exaggerating when he said it needed serious cleaning, but the price was right and the competition for it got scared off!

I've had my rotary tumbler so long the model number is worn off. I've replaced the drive belt and the little nylon bushings once in about 20 years of serious use.

Easy for me to say, but I'd wait and save a little longer to get the THUMBLERS. I got by without a case tumbler for quite awhile and survived...but clean shiny brass sure is nice.

:cbpour::redneck::Fire:

[Down South]

I've used the Lyman Turbo Twin for more than 20 years if my memory serves me correct. I’m sure that the price on the Lyman link can be beat. If I had to replace it though I’m not sure what I would go with. I really haven’t given it much thought.
http://www.lymanproducts.com/lyman/tumblers/turbo-twin-tumbler.php

[Aegis]

Has anyone tried the 5lb tumbler at Harbor Freight? I was thinking of getting one.

[Hardcast416taylor]

Dale. Actually you are more than a little right. What with a family starting and money tight I just thought there had to be an economical way to make a tumbler. As my pay increased by a management position I finally retired "old crisco".Robert

[alamogunr]

Not a recommendation for any particular machine, but my Midway vibratory case cleaner has given me good service. A couple of years ago someone on this board recommended venting the bottom plate to allow air circulation to the motor. I had some chassis punches left over from my days of building radio equipment and used one to punch holes in the sheet metal bottom. We'll see how long it lasts. I don't know if this applies to any other machines.
John
W.TN

[Echo]

+1 for 'Fix it'. A modicum of 'fixit' ability is enough for these silly machines. Not much to 'em. Take the motor out and replace it...

[rmaster14145]

i opened it up and cleaned it in the sink. let it dry out then began shimming the back plate that the bearing fits into, lubed the motor with gun oil. it has been working fine ever since. it now has a companion, a twin actually. both are tumbling away right now.

rm

[BigBlack]

Thumler Tumbler, cheaper if you buy it from a hobby store as a rock polisher. I got the 12 gallon version.

[WildmanJack]

Thought they had the no BS Warranty. I'd call them up and see about a new motor under the no BS warranty. Love my Dillon 2000 its big and a real workhorse compared to my little Midway unit I started with. afish4570:drinks::drinks:

The no BS guarantee does not cover electrical items.. At least that's what I've read here on this board..
Jack

[hoosierlogger]

The no BS guarantee does not cover electrical items.. At least that's what I've read here on this board..
Jack


I think that makes a no BS warranty slightly smell like BS. LOL

[Willbird]

Thumler Tumbler, cheaper if you buy it from a hobby store as a rock polisher. I got the 12 gallon version.


That is a very large tumbler ?? 12 gallons ??


Bill

[wills]

Compare the price of a big Thumbler, 15 pound capacity, to a small concrete mixer, 275 pound capacity.
http://www.therockshed.com/tumbler2.html
http://store.sagesupplies.com/pocemi15cuul.html

[BigBlack]

That is a very large tumbler ?? 12 gallons ??


Bill


12 lb was pouring water from my daily gallon jug I take to work and had gallons on my mind.