Brass Tumblers--Quiet??

[115scott]

I am planning on getting a new tumbler as my older Hornady is about ready to give up the brass cleaning days. I was wondering if any models are more quiet than others. I had my sight set on a Lyman but I have heard that they can be rather loud. I have to use it in my basement so having a quiet one is a must. Thanks for any info.

[Nnobby45]

I suspect the best ones vibrate more. However, the two I've owned (Lyman and Dillon) were both reasonably quiet when used with enough media to mute the sound.

Both were quite noisy when not enough media was used and the cases rattled around. Haven't noticed any difference between the old Lyman and new Dillon.

People have been known to forget their tumbler was running out in the garage, and didn't remember 'till next morning. Of course, I've never done anything like that, but I hear cases can be real clean by then---especially if you used a little polish.

[LHB1]

Scott,
I replaced my old Lyman tumbler last year with a Berry's tumbler. One example may not be definitive proof but my Berry's tumbler is MUCH quieter than the Lyman was. Also the solid top doesn't spread tumbling dust over everything in the vicinity. Trick for reducing the tumbler noise even more is to set the tumbler on a thin, soft computer mouse pad.

[DBotkin]

My Lyman is a little noisy on concrete, but when it's on the rubber floor mat I have in front of the bench it's quiet enough. It's in the house, and if I'm not in the basement with it I'll forget it's plugged in. And, yeah, those cases get REAL clean after being in there all night! No ill effects, though, and I'm using walnut shells.

[ZX10Aviator]

I have a frankford arsenal, its loud, if you tumble in the house dont get one.

[JT-AR-MG42]

That is even with my hearing, I can hear it in the attached garage. So to muffle it, I got a piece of carpet remnant ( you get some of these FREE when you buy new carpeting for the house! ) 5'x2' and tied it in a roll that I place around the tumbler. Another small piece for the lid makes for a quiet running unit that I can only hear standing right by the garage door.
My .02

[cgaengineer]

I have a cheap Cabelas brand tumbler and its medium loud. I put it in the garage on concrete and I cant hear it inside. I would suggest tumbling outside of living quarters anyway due to the dust and mess from the media.

[gwalchmai]

I have a Frankford Arsenal, and it can be pretty assertive, so I got a 3/4" rubber mat to put it on, and built a 15" cube out of 3/4" MDF (medium density fiberboard) with an open bottom to cover the tumbler. I added a 1/4" "mouse hole" to fit the cord through, and this muffled the tumbler very effectively. I've never had any problem with it overheating. MDF is very dense and soaks up sound like nobody's business. It also makes an effective stepstool.

[cchardwick]

I never compared more than one side by side so couldn't give you an idea of a comparison. I bought the cheapest one, works great. I just put it in the basement in a separate room on the floor on the carpet and just close the door. Can't hear it upstairs at all. I run mine constantly and usually run brass or loaded ammo in there about 12 hours at a time (overnight or all day long). I usually run the brass for 12 hours after I shoot it then when the ammo is loaded I run it another 12 hours. I use the Lee Alox bullet lube for my cast lead bullets and a 12 hour tumble takes all the exposed sticky wax off of the lead. They come out super shiny when I'm done, brighter than new in the box factory ammo!

[bcarver]

Set your tumbler on a timer. I set mine for two hours. Then I have 22 hours to remember to cut it off. If I forget for a week it only runs for 14 hours.
You can also use it to tumble while you are away. Cut it on, Set timer, go to work, come home to clean brass.
My rcbs and frankford seem about the same noise-wise.

[Superhouse 15]

Super quiet, only a little hum of the motor and the brass and media rolling around is muffled by the rubber lining. Mine is super old and I've only replaced the belt once in better than 15 years. The only drawback is you have to remove 6 wing nuts and washers to get the lid off.

http://www.thumlerstumbler.com/rotary.html

Actually, the sound is a little like a cross between white noise, the ocean, and cartridge brass. Very relaxing, you could fall asleep listening to it.

[Sport45]

Superhouse,

How long does the rotory tumbler take to clean brass? Is it faster than the vibratory kind?

[swmike]

I use a Lyman find it is only noisy when I don't have enough media in it while it is operating. I fill it about half full with brass and add enough media to cover it. I then start it and add media through the "sifter/cover" until it quiets down.

As for the dust issue, I use Nu-Finish and it seems to keep it under control.

[oneounceload]

I use a Thumler's as well, in my garage - hums, not exactly baby-nap quiet, but not like drying shotshells in the dryer.....

What might work is getting something like a large styrofoam cooler, (like what Omaha steaks come in), and place it in there

[Theojt]

I use a Lortone rotary tumbler (QT12 but there are many models) - the barrel is molded rubber so it is not very noisy at all. Expensive, but worth it IMHO.

http://www.therockshed.com/tumbler4.html

Jeff

[Inspector3711]

I used a double drum tumbler from Harbour Freight (45 bucks). I've used it for over a year with no problems. It's very quiet and does a batch of brass (150 .223, 200 .40, 100 .25-06) in about two hours. I use corncob media from the pet store and nu finish car polish.

[CrustyFN]

I have a Cabela's tumbler and am very happy with it. I reload in my garage and can load the tumbler and start it up, go into the house and when I close the door I can't hear it anymore. My bedroom is directly above my reloading area and one night I forgot the tumbler was running and went to bed and couldn't hear it running.
Rusty

[Unclenick]

The rotary tumblers are all quieter. It seems to me, having both, that the rotary takes twice as long as the vibratorys do. The case mouths also get banged around a little more. A plus is that most of the rotary tumblers are designed for rock polishing. That means they seal against liquids so you can do a very thorough liquid media cleaning job if you want to? I occasionally do that with a little vinegar in the mix to fizz the primer residue carbonates out. Of course, I've also got a 2.5 gallon ultra-sonic cleaner I've been known to do that in, too. None of it necessary. I just like to play.

To dampen the sound of a vibratory tumbler, as the others have suggested, you need enough media in it. You need a tightly clamped solid lid. My Lyman's does that just fine, so I'm not sure what the problem with LHB1's Lyman was?

Anything you do that quiets a vibratory tumbler usually will also slow its cleaning action because it is damping or absorbing vibratory energy to lessen the noise. An open lid (only do this outdoors in s breeze away from where kids play because of all the lead-containing primer dust that will be in the air and on the ground near the machine) is fastest and by far the loudest. The lid has mass, so that reduces the vibration level a little. The floor gets loud because the vibration transmits through the feet which try to keep the unit in place. If you take a carpet remnant with medium shag and turn it upside down and set the vibratory tumbler on it then very little will transmit through the pile to the floor. Instead the carpet will vibrate on top and the pile will act like little wobbly legs or as a sliding surface that let the carpet scrap move. Unfortunately, vibrating the carpet scrap consumes vibratory energy too, so it gets quieter but cleans more slowly.

[LHB1]

Quote: "To dampen the sound of a vibratory tumbler, as the others have suggested, you need enough media in it. You need a tightly clamped solid lid. My Lyman's does that just fine, so I'm not sure what the problem with LHB1's Lyman was? "

My Lyman was an older model and came with a ventilated lid which spewed dust everywhere. Also probably contributed to the noise factor.

[daywalker627]

I just got home off the road from Colorado and finally got to try out my brand new tumbler. The brown Santa delivered my order while I was gone. I had ordered while it was on sale at midway the Lyman 2500 Turbo Magnum for 68.00. My neighbor and I was sitting in the basement drinking coffee and was tumbling 247 .45 brass and I have to say I am impressed with it. We were able to have a conversation without asking to repeat or having to shout. I asked my wife if she could hear it up stairs and she said no she could not. It has a 2 gallon bowl with a 7lb media capacity. I would recommend it. Hope that helps.

[DKA]

Don't think that you will find a tumbler, that's very quiet, given the fact, that it is a vibrator and tumbling brass.