Case capacities for Thumler tumblers

berkmberk1 · March 19, 2008, 10:39 PM

I'm thinking of getting my first tumbler......and hopefully my last. I want something durable and not noisy (if at all possible). I don't shoot cases of ammo. When I go to the range its usually a box of .45 Colt, one or two of 9MM. I also scrounge 9 while I'm there.

I like the specs and reputation of Thumlers machines and I like the idea of being able to use it as a ball mill.......if you catch my drift!

I can get my hands on a Model T pretty inexpensively and I know where I can get a B model for a bit less than $100. The one seems sort of small and the other might come in handy if I ever start using my M1 again, but it seems a bit much for a few boxes of pistol ammo...........maybe I could use it as a washing machine......

Anyway......can anyone give me a basic idea of useable case capacity for the Thumlers tumblers. They're rated in pounds, referring I guess to the rocks they were built to polish.

TexasSeaRay · March 19, 2008, 11:07 PM

I've got an A-R12 Thumler's Tumbler I bought back in 1987. Only thing I've ever changed on it are belts. It just keeps running and running. They're not the largest capacity tumblers you can get, though, nor are they the fastest at cleaning your brass.

They just keep running and running.

It's rated for "twelve pounds" capacity, but I've never bothered to weigh my cases before loading them in. I'll usually load up around 300 9mm cases, a hundred-fifty 44 cases, etc.

I like to leave a little room for the media to slosh around when tumbling--especially when I toss in some torn up rags to help with the polishing bit during the treated media stage.

Jeff

berkmberk1 · March 19, 2008, 11:14 PM

Do the tumblers themselves interchange at all? Or are the frames spcific to each model? I think I can get a model T rack and motor dirt cheap......it needs a tumbler. Considering 100-200 pistol cases and medium is probably a heck of a lot lighter than a can of rocks, would a larger tumbler fit on a smaller frame?

TexasSeaRay · March 19, 2008, 11:55 PM

That I couldn't tell you.

I know that there is a "conversion" kit for, I think maybe the B model, that has TWO separate smaller tumblers instead of one large tumbler--obstensibly so you could tumble large brass in one and small brass in the other at the same time.

Kind of a pain to get the needle-nose pliers out and pull 9mm cases out of 45 cases with all that media scrunched in.

In theory, since the tumbler is round, it SHOULD fit on any frame in which the axles are close enough together. Not sure if there are different sizes of motors, though.

What I do know is I absolutely love the way my tumbler cleans brass. Like I said earlier, it ain't the fastest and it don't hold the most rounds, but dang will it clean it like factory new never fired brass.

My tumbler runs pretty much for twenty or more hours a day, seven days a week. It's been running like that for years and years. (I scrounge a lot of brass, clean it, then trade it.)

Jeff

mc223 · March 20, 2008, 01:50 AM

I recently ordered a new bowl for my "T". Can't quote the exact price but it was like $15.
I also could not tell ya how many. I just throw in what looks about right and let it run overnite.
You might want to google Thumlers Tumbler get the phone number and call em.

March 19, 2008, 10:39 PM	#1
berkmberk1 Senior Member Join Date: January 10, 2008 Location: Springfield, IL (formerly TX) Posts: 187	Case capacities for Thumler tumblers I'm thinking of getting my first tumbler......and hopefully my last. I want something durable and not noisy (if at all possible). I don't shoot cases of ammo. When I go to the range its usually a box of .45 Colt, one or two of 9MM. I also scrounge 9 while I'm there. I like the specs and reputation of Thumlers machines and I like the idea of being able to use it as a ball mill.......if you catch my drift! I can get my hands on a Model T pretty inexpensively and I know where I can get a B model for a bit less than $100. The one seems sort of small and the other might come in handy if I ever start using my M1 again, but it seems a bit much for a few boxes of pistol ammo...........maybe I could use it as a washing machine...... Anyway......can anyone give me a basic idea of useable case capacity for the Thumlers tumblers. They're rated in pounds, referring I guess to the rocks they were built to polish.

March 19, 2008, 11:07 PM	#2
TexasSeaRay Senior Member Join Date: November 20, 2007 Location: Texas Posts: 810	I've got an A-R12 Thumler's Tumbler I bought back in 1987. Only thing I've ever changed on it are belts. It just keeps running and running. They're not the largest capacity tumblers you can get, though, nor are they the fastest at cleaning your brass. They just keep running and running. It's rated for "twelve pounds" capacity, but I've never bothered to weigh my cases before loading them in. I'll usually load up around 300 9mm cases, a hundred-fifty 44 cases, etc. I like to leave a little room for the media to slosh around when tumbling--especially when I toss in some torn up rags to help with the polishing bit during the treated media stage. Jeff

March 19, 2008, 11:14 PM	#3
berkmberk1 Senior Member Join Date: January 10, 2008 Location: Springfield, IL (formerly TX) Posts: 187	Do the tumblers themselves interchange at all? Or are the frames spcific to each model? I think I can get a model T rack and motor dirt cheap......it needs a tumbler. Considering 100-200 pistol cases and medium is probably a heck of a lot lighter than a can of rocks, would a larger tumbler fit on a smaller frame?

March 19, 2008, 11:55 PM	#4
TexasSeaRay Senior Member Join Date: November 20, 2007 Location: Texas Posts: 810	That I couldn't tell you. I know that there is a "conversion" kit for, I think maybe the B model, that has TWO separate smaller tumblers instead of one large tumbler--obstensibly so you could tumble large brass in one and small brass in the other at the same time. Kind of a pain to get the needle-nose pliers out and pull 9mm cases out of 45 cases with all that media scrunched in. In theory, since the tumbler is round, it SHOULD fit on any frame in which the axles are close enough together. Not sure if there are different sizes of motors, though. What I do know is I absolutely love the way my tumbler cleans brass. Like I said earlier, it ain't the fastest and it don't hold the most rounds, but dang will it clean it like factory new never fired brass. My tumbler runs pretty much for twenty or more hours a day, seven days a week. It's been running like that for years and years. (I scrounge a lot of brass, clean it, then trade it.) Jeff

March 20, 2008, 01:50 AM	#5
mc223 Senior Member Join Date: January 20, 2007 Location: n/w Wisconsin Posts: 365	I recently ordered a new bowl for my "T". Can't quote the exact price but it was like $15. I also could not tell ya how many. I just throw in what looks about right and let it run overnite. You might want to google Thumlers Tumbler get the phone number and call em.