I have the large(r) Harbor Freight Model. Looks just like the Lyman cleaner. Probably is the same thing they look so much a alike...but at half the price.
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Is it quiet? Or at least quieter than a tumbler (which to be honest wouldn't be hard)
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I'd say they're about the same. But definitely in different registers. The tumbler has a deep rumble while the sonic cleaner has a high pitch buzz.
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Would i be able to use it to clean my handguns (assuming they fit?)
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I have but the liquid solution is different. Hornady makes one for cases and one for gun parts. Interchangeable? Never tried.
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What is your overall experience/opinion of sonic case cleaning?
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Best tool (or toy) I have to clean INSIDE my cases and for cleaning primer pockets of my rifle ammo. I still use my tumbler a lot for: Removing lube, pistol ammo (dont care about how clean my pistol ammo gets), etc. So for me sonic cleaning is an adjunct not a replacment for my tumblers.
My cases get REALLY clean with sonic cleaning. Now, the sonic cleaners I have tried have had only one transducer right in the middle units' tubs. Cleaning action decreases towards the edges of tubs. Nature of the beast. Happens at my work too. I found on the "internets" someone who recommended using a repurposed beaker (I use a repurposed salsa jar) filling it with the cleaning solution, filling sonic cleaner with water, and playing with how high off of the transducer to suspend the jar to get the best cleaning action. I drilled a hole in the top of my jar and used an eye-bolt and nut, used string tied above my cleaner to lower and raise the jar. You can hear the cases vibrate in the jar and I set the height in the water for the loudest vibration I can get. Even see the cases swirl in a circle inside the jar.
For me, this works better that just filling the cleaner with water, solution, and cases, takes forever. Since I need to use more cycles this way and my cleaner automatically shuts off if I use too many cycles close together. So I have to wait for cool down and that takes even longer. With the jar system I find I can get the cases in the jar clean in 1-2 eight min cycles. I can about 20-25 308 cases in my jar.
After 100 cases the next morning you can see how much crud I removed by the layer of dirt that settled to the bottom of my jar.