RCBS case tumbler

drvector · January 1, 2006, 02:09 PM

Greetings all,

I'm just getting starting in re-loading - picked up a RCBS rockchucker supreme reloading kit and RCBS vibratory case cleaner. Have any of you used the RCBS vibratory case cleaner? I tried it out a couple of days ago with about 200 38 cases and the crushed walnut media. The thing is as noisy as all-hell!

A friend of mine picked up a tumbler by franklin (I think that was the name) and only spent about $40 and his was very quiet. Anyone out there have any experience with these? Thanks and happy New Year

gary2905 · January 1, 2006, 03:59 PM

Have used the Frankford Arsenal tumbler for over 2 years now and am very satisfied. It does just what it is supposed to do- cleans cases par excellance.
I think I paid around 45 bucks for it from Midway. Cannot go wrong for the price.

Tim R · January 1, 2006, 04:31 PM

Did you tighten down the lid enough? Might sound silly but my Dillon makes a lot of racket until I get the lid screwed down tight.

smedley · January 1, 2006, 05:06 PM

More media may help too.
I don't like the noise or the dust so I tumble in the garage.

Smedley

Hairtrigger · January 1, 2006, 05:20 PM

I had a Midway tumbler for more than 10 years. When the motor gave out (it was under water once, very noisey after that) I called Midway looking to purchase a replacement motor.
They GAVE me a new tumbler after I sent my old one to them.
I now have been sending more orders their way

Bob - S.C. · January 1, 2006, 08:03 PM

One thing I would suggest that might cause that problem. Remove the bowl from the tumbler and check to insure that the threaded rods that hold the motor to the tumbler base are tight. They usually have four small nuts with lock washers. If they are not, that might be your problem. As previously mentioned, a loose lid can also cause a whole lot of racket.

gary2905 · January 2, 2006, 05:35 AM

Just an aside to the noise question and lid on the tumblers, Midway sells a neat little washer and "quick release"nut for the vibrating tumblers that is slick.
No more turning that godawful thumbscrew to tighten down the lid- it is faster, easier on the fingers and snugs down the lid nice and tight.

steve4102 · January 2, 2006, 08:00 AM

I have both RCBS and Midway Tumblers. The noise is about the same for each. Make sure you have enough media and all screws and wing-nuts are tight. IMHO the RCBS is a much better tumbler. It is much faster and better built the my Midway. RCBS also has a lifetime warranty.

RERICK · January 2, 2006, 08:00 AM

Love the Frankford.Its fairly quiet and no problems with it at all.

ulflyer · January 2, 2006, 08:27 AM

My midway is noisy as heck and i think thats par for the course. I don't bother to put the lid on...doesn't help the noise factor much.

ditty22 · January 5, 2006, 08:36 PM

Iv been using mine for the last month and its the ****!

drdirk · January 7, 2006, 05:03 AM

I have the RCBS and don't mind the noise. Reminds me that it is still going. I leave it in the basement and it runs all day. At night, when the house gets quiet, I hear it and it reminds me to go down and shot the thing off

Foxman · January 7, 2006, 08:28 AM

RCBS make 2 one like the Midway/frankford and a hexagonal one the runs on wheels on a base, that one is noisy whatever you do, the vibratory one is the same really as the other two. Midway/frankford is same machine different colored drum, I hae two and they are fine, the Midway is ten yrs old still going, the frankford 2 yrs and fine. I fill 2 thrds full with corn cob and add a half packet of the RCBS polish powder, ( which works better than anything else ive tried and doesnt harm the brass) the other has walnut in and a little polish powder for final finishing. I just dont pile cases in until there is no room left, but put reasonable number in like 100-150 rifle cases and leave it for a couple of hours , then move them over to the walnut media for the same time, they come out like shiny gold. Hornady and Lyman make bigger ones if you want to polish a lot of handgun cases at once.
I dont leave the lid off because you quickly lose the polish out of them as dust and it cannot be good for the lungs either. You can see the difference, if you put cases in and it doesnt rotate media and cases , just trickle in a bit more polish powder and it immediately starts to rotate everything round properly, when it starts to not polish so quick do the same again. that way a packet lasts for ages. the liquid stuff just makes a mess and doesnt work as well in my experience, plus my cases arfe dry and a dustoff with a little compressed air or a vacuum and they are ready to load. All the car restorer compounds contain ammonia which weakens the brass and shouldn't be used on cases anytime. IMHO

22bore · January 15, 2006, 12:46 AM

You should place the lid on the tumbler to contain any dust, not to reduce noise!

Use pleanty of media is my suggestion to reduce noise.

Plated · January 19, 2006, 12:39 PM

I have found that the combination of not enough media and too much brass has the biggest effect on the noise lvl for me.

more media and a little less brass = less noise.....

Check the instruction manual that came with it(if you still have it)It gives guide lines as to how much of what caliber brass can be added for best effect.

Question here as well, my manual says to not clean the brass for more than about 2 hours....What is everyone else doing? I usually clean a little longer than this to get the desired results.

January 1, 2006, 02:09 PM	#1
drvector Member Join Date: March 28, 2005 Location: Northeast Posts: 69	RCBS vibratory case cleaner Greetings all, I'm just getting starting in re-loading - picked up a RCBS rockchucker supreme reloading kit and RCBS vibratory case cleaner. Have any of you used the RCBS vibratory case cleaner? I tried it out a couple of days ago with about 200 38 cases and the crushed walnut media. The thing is as noisy as all-hell! A friend of mine picked up a tumbler by franklin (I think that was the name) and only spent about $40 and his was very quiet. Anyone out there have any experience with these? Thanks and happy New Year __________________ Regards kdb Last edited by drvector; January 2, 2006 at 07:29 PM.

January 1, 2006, 04:31 PM	#3
Tim R Senior Member Join Date: November 30, 2004 Location: God's side of Washington State Posts: 1,601	Did you tighten down the lid enough? Might sound silly but my Dillon makes a lot of racket until I get the lid screwed down tight. __________________ God Bless our Troops especially our Snipers.

January 2, 2006, 08:00 AM	#9
RERICK Junior member Join Date: July 9, 2005 Posts: 369	tumbler Love the Frankford.Its fairly quiet and no problems with it at all.

January 7, 2006, 05:03 AM	#12
drdirk Senior Member Join Date: July 1, 2004 Location: houston, tx Posts: 179	noise I have the RCBS and don't mind the noise. Reminds me that it is still going. I leave it in the basement and it runs all day. At night, when the house gets quiet, I hear it and it reminds me to go down and shot the thing off

January 7, 2006, 08:28 AM	#13
Foxman Senior Member Join Date: August 13, 2005 Posts: 466	RCBS make 2 one like the Midway/frankford and a hexagonal one the runs on wheels on a base, that one is noisy whatever you do, the vibratory one is the same really as the other two. Midway/frankford is same machine different colored drum, I hae two and they are fine, the Midway is ten yrs old still going, the frankford 2 yrs and fine. I fill 2 thrds full with corn cob and add a half packet of the RCBS polish powder, ( which works better than anything else ive tried and doesnt harm the brass) the other has walnut in and a little polish powder for final finishing. I just dont pile cases in until there is no room left, but put reasonable number in like 100-150 rifle cases and leave it for a couple of hours , then move them over to the walnut media for the same time, they come out like shiny gold. Hornady and Lyman make bigger ones if you want to polish a lot of handgun cases at once. I dont leave the lid off because you quickly lose the polish out of them as dust and it cannot be good for the lungs either. You can see the difference, if you put cases in and it doesnt rotate media and cases , just trickle in a bit more polish powder and it immediately starts to rotate everything round properly, when it starts to not polish so quick do the same again. that way a packet lasts for ages. the liquid stuff just makes a mess and doesnt work as well in my experience, plus my cases arfe dry and a dustoff with a little compressed air or a vacuum and they are ready to load. All the car restorer compounds contain ammonia which weakens the brass and shouldn't be used on cases anytime. IMHO __________________ Better the man suspected of being a fool keep his mouth shut, than to open it and remove all doubt.

January 1, 2006, 03:59 PM	#2
gary2905 Member Join Date: December 20, 2005 Location: Rural-not for long- Virginia Posts: 60	Have used the Frankford Arsenal tumbler for over 2 years now and am very satisfied. It does just what it is supposed to do- cleans cases par excellance. I think I paid around 45 bucks for it from Midway. Cannot go wrong for the price.

January 1, 2006, 05:06 PM	#4
smedley Member Join Date: June 21, 2005 Location: NW washington with property in E. Washington Posts: 43	More media may help too. I don't like the noise or the dust so I tumble in the garage. Smedley

January 1, 2006, 05:20 PM	#5
Hairtrigger Member Join Date: December 1, 2004 Location: NW OHIO Posts: 39	I had a Midway tumbler for more than 10 years. When the motor gave out (it was under water once, very noisey after that) I called Midway looking to purchase a replacement motor. They GAVE me a new tumbler after I sent my old one to them. I now have been sending more orders their way

January 1, 2006, 08:03 PM	#6
Bob - S.C. Member Join Date: March 13, 2005 Location: South Carolina Posts: 19	One thing I would suggest that might cause that problem. Remove the bowl from the tumbler and check to insure that the threaded rods that hold the motor to the tumbler base are tight. They usually have four small nuts with lock washers. If they are not, that might be your problem. As previously mentioned, a loose lid can also cause a whole lot of racket.

January 2, 2006, 05:35 AM	#7
gary2905 Member Join Date: December 20, 2005 Location: Rural-not for long- Virginia Posts: 60	Just an aside to the noise question and lid on the tumblers, Midway sells a neat little washer and "quick release"nut for the vibrating tumblers that is slick. No more turning that godawful thumbscrew to tighten down the lid- it is faster, easier on the fingers and snugs down the lid nice and tight.

January 2, 2006, 08:00 AM	#8
steve4102 Senior Member Join Date: December 23, 2005 Location: Minnesota Posts: 2,952	I have both RCBS and Midway Tumblers. The noise is about the same for each. Make sure you have enough media and all screws and wing-nuts are tight. IMHO the RCBS is a much better tumbler. It is much faster and better built the my Midway. RCBS also has a lifetime warranty.

January 2, 2006, 08:27 AM	#10
ulflyer Senior Member Join Date: December 30, 2004 Posts: 154	My midway is noisy as heck and i think thats par for the course. I don't bother to put the lid on...doesn't help the noise factor much.

January 5, 2006, 08:36 PM	#11
ditty22 Member Join Date: December 1, 2005 Posts: 24	Iv been using mine for the last month and its the ****!

January 15, 2006, 12:46 AM	#14
22bore Junior Member Join Date: January 15, 2006 Location: VA Posts: 11	You should place the lid on the tumbler to contain any dust, not to reduce noise! Use pleanty of media is my suggestion to reduce noise.

January 19, 2006, 12:39 PM	#15
Plated Member Join Date: January 18, 2006 Location: Alabama Posts: 26	I have found that the combination of not enough media and too much brass has the biggest effect on the noise lvl for me. more media and a little less brass = less noise..... Check the instruction manual that came with it(if you still have it)It gives guide lines as to how much of what caliber brass can be added for best effect. Question here as well, my manual says to not clean the brass for more than about 2 hours....What is everyone else doing? I usually clean a little longer than this to get the desired results.