tumbler need one

[cardonasharp]

My frankford Arsenal just quit working today. I would like to buy a stronger one and bigger. I clean a lot of brass any suggestion would be nice.

[rtracy2001]

I would like to buy a stronger one and bigger. I clean a lot of brass any suggestion would be nice.

Well I don't know how durrable it is (I personally have had good luck with Chinatown tools) but it is defiitely bigger...

http://www.harborfreight.com/18-lb-vibratory-bowl-with-liquid-drain-hose-96923.html

[mtgrs737]

If I had the money to spend, I would get the large Dillon and the large media seperator. Thumbler lists for $185 by itself. But they are well built!

[fryboy]

66 bucks

http://www.natchezss.com/product.cfm?contentID=productDetail&brand=LY&prodID=LY7631692&prodTitle=Lyman%202500%20Pro%20Magnum%20Turbo%20Tu mbler

[whitetailsniper]

i have the hornady now for going on 9 yrs,,flawless,with no problems

[mike in co]

define" a lot of brass"..................

i do brass for a living...i do a fair amount..but i'm chicken feed to the commercial brass processers.

i use two large dillons.....five lbs of ground corn cob(14/20 blasting media) a litttle nufinish car polish. up to 14 lbs of brass at a time.

almost of my brass is ready to go in ONE HOUR. only outdoor 223/5.56 brass goes longer.

if you buy the media seperator, buy a second tub to use as a cover to keep the media in the tub...


mike in co

[coleman]

I use the large dillon, got it last year and dont reget it at all. Like mike in co said 1 hour done, You can do alot of brass in a day if you keep at it and you dont have to listen to it for days on end. Coleman

[cardonasharp]

I want to buy one that I can replace the motor if it goes.

[zuke]

Get a Thumbler's tumbler and stainless steel media, you wont be disappointed!

http://i807.photobucket.com/albums/yy356/zuke_bucket/DSCF1256.jpg

http://i807.photobucket.com/albums/yy356/zuke_bucket/DSCF1258.jpg

http://i807.photobucket.com/albums/yy356/zuke_bucket/DSCF1257.jpg

http://i807.photobucket.com/albums/yy356/zuke_bucket/DSCF1259.jpg

[GBertolet]

Lyman sells replacement bases with motors for their tumblers as a cataloged item.

[cbrick]

For simply being the quietest I've seen and if I needed a third one it would be my third Dillon. Yes, of course there are replacement motors but with Dillon's new ball bearing motor it will likely be years before you need to worry about it.

Rick

[Springfield]

My 2 Lyman's are over 5 years old with no problems, and I shoot 2-3 cowboy shoots a month.

[cbrick]

Many years ago I gave away (with apologies) a Lyman simply because of the noise. People several doors down the street complained when I ran it.

Rick

[GBertolet]

The Lyman tumblers are loud, much louder than the Dillons. I have had both. One good point though, using a Lyman you are less likely to forget you left it on.

[RKJ]

I've got a Lyman 1200 that I've had for over 30 years, I cinch the rubber coated nut down and let it run. That thing usually runs all day/night in my basement garage it doesn't seem to bother anyone and it's still going strong. (Having said that and with my luck it will die tomorrow). :)

[cardonasharp]

I went on youtube and the Lyman 2200 seems very lound and vibrates very hard, compared to other brands. Is that a good thing.

[cardonasharp]

Get a Thumbler's tumbler and stainless steel media, you wont be disappointed!

http://i807.photobucket.com/albums/yy356/zuke_bucket/DSCF1256.jpg

http://i807.photobucket.com/albums/yy356/zuke_bucket/DSCF1258.jpg

http://i807.photobucket.com/albums/yy356/zuke_bucket/DSCF1257.jpg

http://i807.photobucket.com/albums/yy356/zuke_bucket/DSCF1259.jpg

What does a thumbler tumbler look like. Is it dry or wet media. sent me infor the brass look great

[docone31]

I use the Midway/Frankfort Arsenal vibratory tumbler.
I have five of them. I polish my silver and gold castings with them. The ones that are out of use for that, I polish my brass.
I have one that is dry, with Walnut media. Does a good job, although it is for light polishing.
The others I run wet. I run stainless media, and ceramic media. One I run both, and that is the best of all for finish.
I use Ultrasonic soap, Dawn Dish Soap could also work.
They are great. Each one has dropped the white lead in the tumbler at one time or another.
I sent one back to Midway. It was bad. They sent me a new one.
The stainless media is faster than the ceramic, but with the ceramic combined, it keeps the crud off the stainless media and the brass.
Midway has them on sale. You will have to get the stainless media on line.
I have had mine for years of constant use. I turn them on during my shop day, and turn them off when I go home. I do this day in, and day out.
Harbor Freight has the Frankfort Arsenal tumblers also.

[mike in co]

if you look closely at the pics of the brass from ss media...you will notice it is covered with small nicks.....very obvious in the pictures.
if you are doing black powder this may be ok...but for the smokeless shooters corn cob(14/20) will give clean polished brass in one hour in all most all cases.....

i cannot post pics of my brass...the glare in the flash washes out all definition.....lol

mike in co

[Rich219]

If I had the money to spend, I would get the large Dillon and the large media seperator. Thumbler lists for $185 by itself. But they are well built!

Get the Dillon, I have the tumbler and separator and they're awesome.

[2wheelDuke]

I just got a sale flyer in the mail today from MidSouth Shooters Supply. There's a couple tumblers on sale in the flyer.

[1hole]

I have a (original) 35 year old Lyman 1200 that's on it's third motor. Also have a newer one. The new one came with a 1/4" shaft ball-bearing motor. Properly tightening the nut that holds the bowl on it's shaft controls the noise of both very well, I get no more than a soft hum from either.

Based on my very long experience, Fryboy's #4 post with the Natchez deal for the bigger Lyman would be my choice if I wanted a bigger unit for a rational price. Even it's costly but there is NO justification for the price of most others (IMHO).

They consist of a simple/CHEAP to make plastic bowl, lid and base, a few springs, an inexpensive motor and a power cord and they sure aren't difficult to assemble. How any company can have the gonads to ask retail prices over $100 for one amazes me!

[RP]

I got the cheap smart loaders same as the midway tumblers I got three of them the more brass I got I just fire up another one. I think they sell for around 30 bucks so it it quits Iam not out alot. I run them a fair amount and dont have much trouble with them. Now if I had the coin I would get a dillion I think but thats another story.

[Gee_Wizz01]

Well I don't know how durrable it is (I personally have had good luck with Chinatown tools) but it is defiitely bigger...

http://www.harborfreight.com/18-lb-vibratory-bowl-with-liquid-drain-hose-96923.html

I am leaning towards this tumbler, with an 18lb capacity it will hold a lot of brass and its a BIG tumbler. I have looked at one at the local Harbor Freight and looks well built and it's heavy. It's frequently on sale for $149.00 and many of the shooting magazines have a 20% off coupon for Harbor Freight. You can also buy parts for it from Harbor Freight's web site. My second FA tumbler from Midway just died. I am a little aggravated that they don't carry replacement motors for them. I found a replacement motor at a local Graingers, but they wanted about $50 for it.

G

[cardonasharp]

more people are using the dillon compared to other brands. I will check them out

[zuke]

if you look closely at the pics of the brass from ss media...you will notice it is covered with small nicks.....very obvious in the pictures.
if you are doing black powder this may be ok...but for the smokeless shooters corn cob(14/20) will give clean polished brass in one hour in all most all cases.....

i cannot post pics of my brass...the glare in the flash washes out all definition.....lol

mike in co

If you can see those nick's, you've better eye's then most people.They might have occured during firing, I've had'em for a number of year's after trying to clean them up in my Lyman tumbler.I gave up with that .
That's not flash you see there, that's sunlight.
If I were doing precision shooting I'd go with this media. The interior is spotless so the internal volume is the same as a new case.

[zuke]

if you look closely at the pics of the brass from ss media...you will notice it is covered with small nicks.....very obvious in the pictures.
if you are doing black powder this may be ok...but for the smokeless shooters corn cob(14/20) will give clean polished brass in one hour in all most all cases.....

i cannot post pics of my brass...the glare in the flash washes out all definition.....lol

mike in co

If you can see those nick's, you've better eye's then most people.They might have occured during firing, I've had'em for a number of year's after trying to clean them up in my Lyman tumbler.I gave up with that .
That's not flash you see there, that's sunlight.
If I were doing precision shooting I'd go with this media. The interior is spotless so the internal volume is the same as a new case.
If anybody would like I can send them the original full size pic's.

[woodyubet]

I thought you guys could use a laugh.....
This is how I clean my brass :

http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/nn292/jerrbearr3000/cleaner007.jpg

I actujally have two more to link to the top tumbler and all three will run at the same time. Yes, it really does work.

[fryboy]

I thought you guys could use a laugh.....
This is how I clean my brass :

http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/nn292/jerrbearr3000/cleaner007.jpg

I actujally have two more to link to the top tumbler and all three will run at the same time. Yes, it really does work.

best use for one of them things i ever saw ! lolz

[mike in co]

If you can see those nick's, you've better eye's then most people.They might have occured during firing, I've had'em for a number of year's after trying to clean them up in my Lyman tumbler.I gave up with that .
That's not flash you see there, that's sunlight.
If I were doing precision shooting I'd go with this media. The interior is spotless so the internal volume is the same as a new case.
If anybody would like I can send them the original full size pic's.

no, look at the brass in the pics.
there is not a smooth surface..the entire surface is covered in small dings .nicks ......
not hard to see at all..and i have a catarac in my left eye.
not a firing result unless you have a chamber done with a hatchet.

mike in co

[NWFLYJ]

.................................................. .............
The others I run wet. I run stainless media, and ceramic media. One I run both, and that is the best of all for finish............................................ ..........




I noticed the surface roughness also. Looks as if it was in a bead blaster, or it has been shot peened. I guess it would be stress relieved!

I like the inside clean like that.
Maybe that's why another poster puts ceramic in with the stainless. Mark

[mike in co]

i agree..that brass is CLEAN.....

but till i see the brass up close or after it has been run thru a sizing die, i'm holding back on an a-ok

mike in co

[cardonasharp]

Thanks to all. I will be buying a Lyman tumbler 2500 it will take care of my needs.:p

[ducktape]

Hi all,

Sorry to say so but I have a 2 years old Dillon CV-500 and the motor quit on me and Dillon want 105$ for a new motor (the price of a new thumbler)

With the amount of use this thumbler has (very, very, very little use) I felt bretrayded by Dillon part scrounging policy.

So now,no more Dillon product for me, they are better alternative available.

Regards,

Ducktape :(

[mike in co]

Hi all,

Sorry to say so but I have a 2 years old Dillon CV-500 and the motor quit on me and Dillon want 105$ for a new motor (the price of a new thumbler)

With the amount of use this thumbler has (very, very, very little use) I felt bretrayded by Dillon part scrounging policy.

So now,no more Dillon product for me, they are better alternative available.

Regards,

Ducktape :(

lol one post and he tapes birds for a living or sells bird tape or something...

sorry to hear your tumbled died

but the price of a small dillon is $140 not $105......

the new motors are ball bearing..so yes they cost more......

my guess is you ran the motor till you felt like turning it off...

most brass is clean in one hour..two at the max.........

buy the new motor, add a 1 hr timer...

anything close to the dillon will cost as much....

mike in co

ps please inform us of the BETTER ALTERNATIVE.....

[1hole]

Motors are the weak link in tumblers but they are all replacable. Check an electrical supply house for replacement motors for bath and kitchen hood exhaust fans, that's what's in tumblers. And ball bearing motors are available too.

How long a motor lasts is luck, not brand. Tthe makers buy motors in large lots and assemble the things in house, they have no way of knowing if any one is better or worse than average. The way most "fail" is the oil drys and seizes the motor shaft, a bit of fresh oil can fix that. Occasionally put a few drops of oil (a non-gumming type, such as Automatic Transmission Fluid from Walmart) on the two cheap bronze bearings most of them have and the motors will last much longer.

Vib. tumblers are noisy due to the bowl bounching and rattling on the motor base. They can only rattle if they are too loose. Simply tighten the bowl's retaining nut and things will quieten down, a bunch.

Second most common tumbler failure seems to be the power connections or switch. Neither problem is difficult to find and fix.

[David2011]

Dillon recently upgraded my DV-500 to the new, bigger more powerful ballbearing motor. The difference is huge. When it's turned on it doesn't "spool up," it starts at full power instantly. The motor is much larger than the original little fan motor. They re-use your base and bowl so it's stilll the same size, just way more powerful. Fortunately, it is not noisier.

Both of my vibratory polishers now run on timers as does my lead furnace, just in case I forget to turn it off. I don't think I've ever left it on but I found Intermatic timers at a good price and bought several. The Thumbler tumblers can run for days on end without any problem so I let them run without timers.

David

[fryboy]

+ 2 on the occasional oil , my old 1292 ( or what ever number it was ) lasted heap long time by oiling at least once a year (two drops top , two drops bottom ) heap long time means that i bought it early mid 90's and for less than 50 bucks it was well worth the investment , the newer FA one isnt quite the tumbler the old midway one was ,worse the lyman 2500 is going to be a lil more fun to get to to oil , heat is also another killer of these things so if u can help keep it running cooler it should last longer ( think airflow and a clear space around the base and never set by a heater/heat source etc )
dillon has dropped their "forever warranty " on the tumbler and i cant say i blame them , i read of this months ago

the replacement motors seem to cost about as much as a new tumbler , trust me i've been this route , and if one has a older tumbler it's even harder as the newer shafts are smaller and that means the fan and counterbalance usually wont fit , but seriously ...how long should a tumbler motor last ? even with ball bearings ? i mean we add the counterbalance to throw it off balance ( that's what makes it vibrate ) if we did that to our car engines they'd be toast in less than a week , even the alternator with ball bearings if we get the belt too tight it will pull on one side and yup too quick it's toast , [shrugz] for a larger capacity get a cement mixer :-P for a large capacity on the fairly economical get the lyman , the replacement motor is way cheaper than the dillon and there's no guarantee either will last longer , one can hope but u have to realize that hoping is all ur doing ..........

[Moonie]

You know, it always rubs me the wrong way when the number of someones posts is used to impeach their comments.

I have less than 400 posts but have been reloading and casting boolits for over 20 years.