Cabela's Tumbler

I have two Berry tumblers each with several years of service on each. I like them. No issues.

I had a shipping claim from something I purchased from Berry, not a tumbler, that Berry replaced promptly. The shipper must have had gorillas at one of their sites.

I have had my Cabela's tumbler 5 or 6 years now. It works like the day I bought it. This is the first problem I have heard about the Cabela's tumbler. Hope you have better luck with the next one.

45acp brass and it broke!

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"What" broke???

Berry's use the "400" tumbler marketted at several places with different paint colors. It has good features. I had a lot of cases processed through mine over several years of regular and increased reloading until the motor fried.

The tub and top from Cabella's (400) is warranted forever---the motor NOT. The tub and top are still in great shape on my old one--now spares.

I bought another 400 tumbler - this time from Berry's.

Only problems I've had were minor. I thought it stopped working so well, one time. But I finally noticed the tub was spinning around; it just needed the nut tightened down. And the lid is warped and cracking from being left in the sun. I'll build a new one, one of these days.

Don't forget Cabela's products carry a lifetime satisfaction guarantee. Thats in addition to Berry's 3 year guarantee.

BTW I owned and used a Cabela's/Berry's tumbler for 10 plus years and over those years it has been used at least once a week, normally more often.

The only thing on the Berry's 400 tumbler not made in the USA is the motor and it's not for trying. There are no companies in the USA that can supply them for Berry's.

They will replace it with no problems at all BUT, since it's so new I'm sure Cabela's will replace it even faster, especially if you bought it at the store instead of online.

Just a thought rikman, how full did you have the tumbler with media and how many cases were you trying to process? In other words, did you overload the bowl or tumbler?

jcwit said:

Just a thought rikman, how full did you have the tumbler with media and how many cases were you trying to process? In other words, did you overload the bowl or tumbler?

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I don't think overloading a brand new tumbler would crap out the motor, especially on a quality tumbler like that one.

Maybe, maybe not. Either it was defective, very possibly, or it crapped out for a reason. Hard to tell at this distance.

Yeah, I see what you mean. It's a good thing a weak motor went right a way this way he can get it replaced without a hassle.

I say just swap it out at cabelas. Mines worked like a champ for a little over 5 years.

That's with even forgetting in on for 2-3 days in a row a couple-three times!

I just bought a Thumler's Ultra-Vibe 10 tumbler and I'm glad I did. This this thing is quiet, and really does a great job on brass with corn cob media and a dab of Mother's Mag Wheel polish.



This is a batch of Greek HXP .30-06 from the CMP. On the left is a batch I did with fresh walnut media. On the right is brass I did in fresh corn cob media. Corn cob wins hands down. My Thumler's did it all while maintaining the sound level so low that I could run it in the house if I wanted.

I do however own a Cabela's media separator that I like very much!

My Thumler's did it all while maintaining the sound level so low that I could run it in the house if I wanted.

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As does my $39.00 Cabela's/Berry's tumbler, in fact one can carry on a conversation standing beside it. And being as it's a Cabela's brand it carries a Lifetime satisfaction warranty.

I also have had a great experience with my Cabela's branded Berry's Mfg tumbler. My brother also purchased one too with great results.

Had mine for about 4 years now.

There's no way anyone can tell if an electric motor, Chinese or American, will last long. Most short term failures seem to be broken power wires. If so, it's an easy fix with a soldering iron.

Berry and Lyman seem to use the best Chinese motors they can get; a large drive shaft, 1/4" instead of 1/8", and ball bearings instead of simple bronze sleeves.

Every maker has a defect that passes through QC now and then. Cabela's will replace the unit.

I have a total of THREE of these tumblers, Berry's and Cabela's, and I run them nearly continuously during brass season for weeks and months at a time.

I had ONE fail ONCE....and it was my fault- I was trying some bulk crushed walnut bedding from Kaytee (Never buying that again, too much dust!) I left the lid loose, and dust and media got into the motor due to the cooling fan. Ran fine until I shut it off to empty it, then would not start up. Took it outside, blew it out, put some 3-in-1 oil on the bearings, and it took right off and hasn't missed a beat- and that was three years ago.

By way of comparison I have eaten the motors out of a Midway 1292, a Frankford Arsenal and a Lyman Turbo 1200 in less than a year. That Midway 1292 I went through three bowls (one because the cat knocked it off the table).

The Frankford Arsenal was really disappointing. Thin motor shaft, small bearings, no cooling slots in the base, and it went quick. I would rather have the Harbor Freight than another one of them. The motor's rotor ate downwards through the bearings (not thrust bearings, just sleeve) and then ate the zinc end plate and literally fell out the bottom of the frame. I needed one now and it was in stock at the store. My fault for thinking it was anything more than a cheapie.

The cheapest tumbler (other than the Berry's/Cabela's) that impressed me? The Harbor Freight 5-pound job that's the same size as the Frankford Arsenal. Totally different motor design. Same bowls as Midway 1292. Noisy, like machine-shop noisy, but it works. The center threaded shaft (It's actually a long bolt) where the wing nut goes is soft and strips the threads or stretches after a lot of use so a piece of good made-in-USA allthread and some nuts and lockwashers is in order.

Bear in mind that I am basically a commercial tumbler user, so the average guy who tumbles a few times a month for an hour or two isn't going to see the same accelerated wear I see.

My cabelas branded tumbler will quit every now and then. All I have to do is take the bottom cover off and spin the motor a few times by hand. This will start it back up and it will run along time before I have to do it again.

I bought one of the Cabela/Berry tumblers and didn't use it for about five years. Quit about the second or third time I used it. I then bought a Lyman 1200. I liked the quiteness and action of the Cabelas over the Lyman. One day, with nothing to do, I took the bottom off the Cabelas and found a wire broken at the solder connection. It worked fine for a while. It is now down for the fourth time with a broken wire. The Lyman keeps chugging along.

"I took the bottom off the Cabelas and found a wire broken at the solder connection. It worked fine for a while. It is now down for the fourth time with a broken wire."

You fixed the broken wire but you didn't fix the viberation problem that breaks the wires. Next time put a big blob of RTV Silicon Rubber or heat shrink plastic tubing over the repaired joint so it bridges from well over both the motor terminal and the wire insulation, that support will keep the wire from breaking off the terminal again so quickly.

Try tightening the nut that holds the bowl on the shaft of your Lyman 1200 a bit and see if that doesn't quiten it down a lot, most tumbler racket seems to come from the rattle of a loose bowl over the base.

Thanks Ranger, I will look at both of your suggestions.

Its not a prefect world. If you live close to a Cabela's retail store take it back and exchange it. If you don't call their CS and they will send you a shipping label or tell you where to send it for an exchange. I have spent thousands of dollars with Cabelas and I've never had them refuse to refund or exchange anything that broke.