best tumbler

My recommendation, get the Berry or Cabelas tumbler, they are the same and a very good value.

BTW you should have taken the H/F tumbler back, I did and got my money back. One of the few times I've ever had a problem with anything from H/F.

Just a tip, going to the store with other customers present is a whole different ball game than calling up on the phone. They sure don't want to come across as the bad guy in front of a group of customers.

How do I know? Experience, 60 years in the retail business.

I have the Cabelas Tumbler. It was a good price and it works great. I have tumbled tens of thousands of pieces of brass through it without any issues.

I have a Lyman 1200 Turbo.
I've had it for just over 2 years & it's cleaned thousands of cases.

I like to go to the range 2x a week & usually shoot 3 or 4 boxes each time.
4 boxes = 200 x 2 per week = 400 x 52 weeks = 20,800 x 2 years = 41,600 cases cleaned

Even if I've taken a couple of weeks off, it's still a LOT of cases.

No problem so far.

I have a Cabela's and an old tumbler from Midway - both work great, I don't see a difference in the job they do. I would highly recommend both.

I have the Cabela's 400 tumbler (green) which is made by Berry's MFG. It is a great tumbler with good capacity (1000 9mm cases, 650 .38 cases, etc.).

If you want different color, they come in blue and red also.

BTW, they normally go on sale for $49, but Cabela's got the kit on sale for $49 which includes the tumbler, media, polish and shifter.

I have the Lyman Pro 1200 tumbler and I don't know if it's the best as I've not tried the rest of them, but I can say that I'm satisfied with it. It works very well for me and has worked great for me. The top is kind of open. The top looks almost like the media separator in the picture above. It does let some dust out this way, but I've not found it to be too bad.


This being said if mine ever dies and I'm to do this again, I'd spend a little more up front and instead of getting a vibratory tumbler, I'd get a drum type and use SS media in it. IMO that's the way to go instead of a vibratory one.

Cabellas 400 works great for me.
Clear top, on-off switch, reasonable quiet, warranted at Cabellas for free exchange. (Mine was on sale at $3?:00 when I bought it )

I have approx. 18K 9mm cases in coffee containers and shoot about the same as HONDO-200+/week avg, ALL done with the Cabellas with zero problems.

" i might step it up to a tumbler with stainless media."

Some of us would say that's not so much a 'step up' as just a step sideways.

I stepped sideways and I am glad i did. It is more work than dropping them into a vibratory tumbler but the way I was doing it I save a couple steps processing on the press AND the brass comes out looking like it is brand new--primer pockets, inside, and all. Should have done it years ago.:banghead:

1. There is no "best" of anything.
2. You get what you pay for.
3. Take a look at Dillon's. You can't beat the warranty (life).

2. You get what you pay for.

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Not necessarly a factual statement. Many times extra value is involved. Have you never heard of someone getting more than they bargained for as in getting the Savage .22 that outshoots everyone elses whatever, or the car off the lot that gets 5 more miles per gal. than others of the same model.

Cost of a product is not a measure of quality. With that logic we should ONLY buy Dillion, Rolls Royces, Land Rovers, ect., ect., ect.

I think FROGO has the "Best" way to go!

If I had it to do all over again I also believe in the SS media and rolling wet tumbler method.

But seeing as I'm all set up with a vib. unit and a huge bag of fine corncob media and limited time to use it all up because of age, well I think where this is going...............................

jcwit said:

Cost of a product is not a measure of quality.

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Right, a measure of quality is how well a product meets specifications. High cost does not mean the product meets specifications.

Kevin R, read your Dillon warranty. Electrical/electronic stuff is only warranted for a year. The motor is the most likely component to fail in a tumbler.

hvychev77 said:

well, i ended up ordering the kit from cableas today. i didn't figur e it was a bad deal for only fifty bones. not to say that later on i might step it up to a tumbler with stainless media. thanks for all the replies and advice guys........hvychev77

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I believe you will be happy with the choice, not that others would be adequately serviceable.

I have been happy with my Berry Mfg tumbler. I also have an early 1990s vintage Midway that is still going strong. The Midway broke a wire once and was easily repaired.

A Frankfort Arsenal tumbler i have failed after a few years. After several more repairs and failures, it has been retired as a backup. I will trash it when I retire the Midway from regular service.

But, hey, remember these are VIBRATING tumblers. Industry spends millions to remove vibration from their rotating equipment and here we have something that is designed to vibrate. Something will fail eventually. Hopefully not until many years of happy service.

One thing about tumbling: long term shooters/casters/re-loaders diagnosed with lead ailments have been found to have gotten their excess lead intake not so much from shooting or lead- casting, but from dry- tumbling and/or handling media in a poorly ventilated space. Primer compound contains lead and that fine lead dust in the media is the culprit that did 'em in.

I wet tumble with a Thumbler's using brass media cut from 1/16" and 1/8" brazing rods, purchased cheap at the local weldor's supply and then cut into 3/4" pieces. The media will never wear out and cost less than a bag of dry media.
Fill the tumbler about 1/3 way w/brass and media and cover just barely w/water with a small squirt of detergent and a teaspoon of cream of tartar (which gives dried cases a slick feeling.) Then, rinse and run them through a media separator before drying. Dry cases in winter in the oven at low temp (150F- helps warm the house) and in summer on an old table cloth, or the like.
This is a bit more work, but is faster and safer than using dry media; best to dry tumble outside and take care during the process to avoid breathing the dust.

Not sure about you, but having already significantly diminished my original stockpile of brain cells with various stunts and habits over the years; my aim now is to give the remaining few a break.

why bother

I did a whole bunch of brass of various calibers and starting condition in a Lyman 1200 , and HATED every second of it.
The tumbler was 2nd hand me-down from my brother who used it extensively also. No problem with the machine, it was just a punishment having to deal with the dust and such. Never again.
If you insist on putting yourself through it, get some Kaytee walnut bedding at the pet store. It is much more effective for cleaning.
Then use up your corn cob with some polish afterwards. Corn cob removes case lube well also.
I bought a Thumler's and SSM and I have never been happier. Spotless, quiet, heathful.
If you've got to go the vibratory route, Lyman has been selling them longer than anyone, but do yourself (and your health) the favor and wet tumble/StainlessMedia and forget the aggravation.

One thing about tumbling: long term shooters/casters/re-loaders diagnosed with lead ailments have been found to have gotten their excess lead intake not so much from shooting or lead- casting, but from dry- tumbling and/or handling media in a poorly ventilated space. Primer compound contains lead and that fine lead dust in the media is the culprit that did 'em in.

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Give us links providing proof of the above statements.

I use a vib. tumbler with corn cob, have for years, in the past 10 years I have had my blood tested as often as 4 times a year to the present of twice a year. I've yet to have high numbers regarding heavy metals.

hvychev77, there's a FA tumbler available on Amazon for $36 including shipping.

http://www.amazon.com/Frankford-Ars...GLJC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1317617858&sr=8-1