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Old December 15, 2012, 03:59 PM   #1
FLChinook
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What is the best $-value tumbler?

I'm in the market for a tumbler to clean about 200 rifle cartridges per month. I've read several good threads on media but can't find one on the best tumbler to get. I like to buy quality but am willing to temper this need to accommodate my relatively low-volume needs. Thanks
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Old December 15, 2012, 04:04 PM   #2
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Frankfort Arsenal should do for you.
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Old December 15, 2012, 04:08 PM   #3
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seconded
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Old December 15, 2012, 04:09 PM   #4
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thirded
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Old December 15, 2012, 06:05 PM   #5
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fourthed.
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Old December 15, 2012, 06:21 PM   #6
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I bought a cabelas brand tumbler several years ago and its worked great for me, looks like an RCBS and probably is?
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Old December 15, 2012, 06:28 PM   #7
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There are two types of "tumblers" the vibrator style and the rotary style.

The vibrators are cheaper and they clean the brass so it shines very nicely.

The tumblers can use the same media and cost more, but when stainless steel pins are used, thats where the big difference is.

The brass deprimed and processed with the pins comes out just as shiney as the media tumblers, BUT the brass is clean inside and out. The inside of the cases look like new unfired brass and the primer pockets are clean.

From the start it may cost more but in the long run it is cheaper.
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Old December 15, 2012, 07:40 PM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jaguarxk120 View Post
From the start it may cost more but in the long run it is cheaper.
I dont follow. Steel pins are great for making cases look like new (which can be argued is purely cosmetic), but how are they ever going to be cheaper? I could spend several lifetimes trying to use up enough walnut and cob media to make up the price difference. A few scraps of cut up used dryer sheet keeps my media clean for 10s of thousands of cases.

Are pins better? If for some reason you want the insides of your cases shiny, and if for some reason you decap before tumbling and want shiny primer pockets shiny, then yes. If you just want the part of the case that touches your chambers and dies to be clean, vibratory is just as good.
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Old December 15, 2012, 08:10 PM   #9
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5th for the Frankfort Arsenal.
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Old December 15, 2012, 08:46 PM   #10
chris in va
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I use a Harbor Freight, along with the 25# bag of walnut media they sell. I'm not happy about being made in China, but it's all I can afford.
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Old December 15, 2012, 09:54 PM   #11
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Frankfort Arsenal, Harbor Freight, made in china.

Berry's, Cabela's, Graf's, all made by Berry Mfg. made right here in the U.S. of A, except for the motor which has no one making one here in the U.S.

Berry's are in the same price range, and if you order $49.00 plus you get FREE SHIPPING currently, from Cabela's.

Plus with Cabela's satisfaction guarantee forever, why buy elsewhere.

Why would one not support U.S. manufacture in todays economy when the product is in the same price range?
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Old December 15, 2012, 09:59 PM   #12
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Quote:
I use a Harbor Freight, along with the 25# bag of walnut media they sell. I'm not happy about being made in China, but it's all I can afford.
Harbor Freight--------------------$54.99 current price

Cabela's--------------------------$54.99 current price/free shipping
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Old December 15, 2012, 10:03 PM   #13
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I use the Harbor Freight, with the walnut media that they sell. It's cheap but functional. And I notice that several of the more expensive ones you can buy look EXACTLY like the Harbor Freight one. What a shock. Just go to Bubba Central (Harbor Freight) and get one. It works fine and it works pretty darn quick. Of course you can spend more money if you just feel better doing that. Somebody might chime in and say that they'll burn up quick, but that hasn't happened to mine. If it does, just get another one. You can buy 4 for what the high dollar ones cost.
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Old December 15, 2012, 10:33 PM   #14
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good point jcwit. I am ashamed.

and now I hate my tumbler.....
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Old December 15, 2012, 10:50 PM   #15
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Don't go that far, but next time look before you leap.

Sorta comes natural to me, I started purchasing for a hardware store at the ripe old age of 14, and ended up as a procurement officer for the largest RV company back in the 70's/80's.
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Old December 15, 2012, 10:52 PM   #16
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Quote:
Steel pins are great for making cases look like new (which can be argued is purely cosmetic), but how are they ever going to be cheaper? I could spend several lifetimes trying to use up enough walnut and cob media to make up the price difference. A few scraps of cut up used dryer sheet keeps my media clean for 10s of thousands of cases.
Can you not use walnut/cob media in a rotary tumbler?

I don't mind spending a little more for a rotary tumbler if it increases versatility. This thread started out asking about tumblers in general but perhaps I could redirect it to focusing on rotary tumblers...
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Old December 15, 2012, 10:53 PM   #17
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Lyman Pro 1200 Tumbler.

There's lots of tumblers on the market, and this one is for you!

Shopping for media outside of the lizard dept. at Petco, or Petsmart stores is a waste of money!
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Old December 15, 2012, 11:14 PM   #18
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Quote:
Shopping for media outside of the lizard dept. at Petco, or Petsmart stores is a waste of money!
Oh it is? Check Here!

http://www.drillspot.com/products/52...bs_blast_media

$34.48 shipped right to your door, no gas expense getting it, no shipping charges. Plus you get a lot more media per lb. of corn cob than shell media. The 20/40 I linked to will not, I repeat NOT clog primer pockets or flash holes. Plus it cleans just as well. Add a teaspoon of liquid auto polish to the tumbler when first starting, then another teaspoon after 5 or 8 thousand cases.
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Old December 16, 2012, 07:40 AM   #19
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Corncob media is good for polishing , not so good for cleaning ! Walnut is a much better cleaning media !
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Old December 16, 2012, 08:31 AM   #20
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Quote:
Corncob media is good for polishing , not so good for cleaning ! Walnut is a much better cleaning media !
I have that over and over. However my experience has proven that false with over 30 years of cleaning/polishing my cases. Only media I find that will out do either corn cob or walnut is SS pins and wet tumbling.
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Old December 16, 2012, 04:13 PM   #21
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Is the Lyman Pro 1200 made in USA? Lyman doesn't say and nothing in their instructions...
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Old December 16, 2012, 04:48 PM   #22
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I will have to try some media. I've only ever used detergent and water. Shines them up well, but not inside. No dust to clean.
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Old December 16, 2012, 05:53 PM   #23
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If you're looking strictly to get the brass clean and don't care about it being pretty, I'd get a 5 gallon bucket. Fill it with water and your brass. Add Palmolive dishwashing liquid that has the oxy-whatever solution in it. Swirl away by hand or a drill with a drywall mud mixer for a couple of minutes.

Go to your nearest Goodwill store or garage sale and pick up some designated cookie sheets and towels. You don't have to get it super dry via towel. Just lay the brass on a couple of towels and get some of the water off and out of it. Lay them out on the cookie sheets and stick 'em in the oven which should be set at 225-250 or so. This will evaporate the water out of the nook and crannies. After about 30-45 min, you should be good to go. Be sure to let the brass cool off for a while before handling them.

That's a real cheap way of dealing with a small quantity of brass you have. Reason why I wouldn't recommend a vibratory tumbler is by the time you buy one, along with the walnut/corn medias, sifter, and such, you're going to approach somewhat close to $100. On top of that, I think the cheap tumblers such as the Frankford Arsenal, etc. needs to have the brass fairly loaded up in order to get a quick and effective clean & shine. If most of your cartidges are large rifle, this might not be the case (no pun intended).
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Old December 16, 2012, 06:11 PM   #24
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Shane, I had a good friend that swore by the same method you just described, I never did try it as I had a good tumbler to use
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Old December 16, 2012, 06:38 PM   #25
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Your method is solid shane, I have used it. A good FA tumbler and media costs $50 max though, not $100. My batches are quite small- whenever a quart sized ziplock bag of a caliber gets full, in it goes. Works great with small batches.

Still using the same batch of media I put in back in April. Must be approaching 20K cases by now.
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