tumbler recommendation

I'm not familiar with the McMaster-Carr, but I've got a FART and Thumbler's style unit. I like the FART better. It holds more, spins faster, has a timer, and I like the strainer-style plug. I dump my cleaning solution, put rinse water in and shake, and dump the rinse. The strainer makes this easier. Once thoroughly rinsed, I just turn the drum over a large bowl and shake it with the strainer plug in to get the pins out. I find I can rinse and get the pins out of a load (which is twice as large as practicable with the Thumbler) much more easily with the FART.

About the only upside to the Thumbler is it's quieter. I've quit using it and just use the FART now.

I have had the new Hornady Brass tumbler on back order since 29 Oct. I am supposed to be getting it on the 17th of this month. I will be doing a side by side test with my FART. And I will let everyone know my thoughts.

I am partial to my Lortone QT12. It is a true rock tumbler that is American made and meant to run for weeks at a time. For a reloader, cleaning batches in 1 or 2 hour increments, it should be an investment that lasts a lifetime.

Best price I found when I bought mine a few years ago was $175, but now the best I see is about $190 to $200. Currently out of stock here, but should be back soon I bet: https://therockshed.com/tumbler4.html

I bought pins but stopped using them. Got tired of separating them after running a batch, so I tried without the pins. The brass comes out almost as nice as when pins are used, but there is no hassle in separating pins now.

The only one I've ever had is a Thumbler. I've replaced the belts but that's all I've needed to do for 35 years.

If your looking @ the Mcmaster-carr. this is The same as lortone commercial 20 Or 40lb. Mcmaster is just rebranding them. You should go On The Rock Shed . and view there stuff, Lortone , thumler ,Covington, Diamond pacific . there prices are very good and VG service

I have had a Thumbler's for almost forty years. Primarily a lapidary tool back then. I changed a motor long ago and just (vacuum cleaner) belts now as needed.

I have a Thumler's UV-10 and it's a very well made and quite tumbler. Thumler does make a wet version that can either dry tumble or wet tumble. Some think the Thumler's too pricey but the Thumler I have now has outlasted two of the cheaper brands I have owned and in the long run has been a better bargain for me.

I've been eyeing the Franklin for over a year now, I'm just waiting until I get more brass that I can load the thing up with until I get it. As for now, I'll stick with my little Hornady ultrasonic. Not the best case cleaner in the world, but I like the versatility of an ultrasonic.

At my work place we have a Thumblers that is at least 25 years old and runs 6 hours/day, 5 days a week. When my green tumbler dies, which it will, I'm getting a Thumblers.

I would say not to fool with a dry media. I still run a dry tumbler (harbor freight special), but when it dies I will probably transition to wet just to free up space currently taken up by corncob and walnut media.

I have the FART and a STM tumbler , the FART is priced good but it is noisy the STM is much better built and way quieter also serviceable if needed
the stm,lortone,thumblers are all well built and will last many many years. It also depends on how much brass you clean at a time and how much you want to spend IMHO

I have a Thumler's Model B and I LOVE it. That said, I don't have experience with any other rotary tumbler units. I'll never go back to a vibratory tumbler though.

I've got a Thumler's that I dry tumble with. Works well.

The one gripe I have is the edge of the drum that contacts the stop wheel on the rotation bar is not totally flush. So it tends to make a rhythmic metallic sound. It might be that it's not entirely level though. I'm thinking through a fix for it.

I got the FART kit from Cabela's at the end of last December when they were selling for $119.99. Couldn't resist and I'm glad I did it.

So far I've cleaned 60 lbs of 9mm and am getting ready for warm weather shooting.

JO JO said:

I have the FART and a STM tumbler , the FART is priced good but it is noisy the STM is much better built and way quieter also serviceable if needed
the stm,lortone,thumblers are all well built and will last many many years. It also depends on how much brass you clean at a time and how much you want to spend IMHO

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JO JO, I was wondering about capacity on the STM. The one I read about says 4 lbs of brass in the unit. I've been doing up to 8 lbs in the FART with not problems. Are you doing more than 4 lbs in the STM?

Dave

it has a 17 lbs load so up to you how you get to the 17lbs , 5lb brass and 4 lb pins and a gal water or however you get to 17lbs , sometimes I dont even use the pins and I can do 9lbs brass
the stm is a solid unit with serviceable parts if needed I like it better then the fart. they have a 40 lbs model but its not cheap, the fart does well now they have competition with the lyman cyclone that is belt driven
instead of the gear drive.

http://www.stainlesstumblingmedia.com/reloading-products/tumblers.html

Thanks, JO JO!

Dave

That Hornady rotary tumbler looks pretty nice!

drband said:

Hornady rotary tumbler

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this is the first time I seen this , looks like the reloading industry is going this direction RCBS has one too now,

FART, but I won't say it is quiet...

So how loud is it? The jet airplanes that fly over my house have filed a complaint because they can't tell if their engines are still running???

Maybe I'm just cheap, but I have a wet tumbler from Harbor Freight.
Don't forget to get a 20% off coupon

https://www.harborfreight.com/dual-drum-rotary-rock-tumbler-67632.html

Doublehelix said:

FART, but I won't say it is quiet...

So how loud is it? The jet airplanes that fly over my house have filed a complaint because they can't tell if their engines are still running???

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Heh, it's pretty loud. But yesterday I did a load of 1,000 9mm, 8lbs. of pins, and filled the drum to the top with water and they came out great in 90 minutes. No longer than it has to run I find the noise a reasonable compromise. As long as it doesn't die (knock on wood) I'm well satisfied - especially since I got it on sale for $119.

Doublehelix said:

FART, but I won't say it is quiet...

So how loud is it? The jet airplanes that fly over my house have filed a complaint because they can't tell if their engines are still running???

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Doublehelix: I too have a FART and it is also loud but I didn't let it bother me too much and just ran it at the end of the day. Well, this one day my Brassmonkey that helps me in the reloading room was taking being an ass hole to the next level. So in order to drown him out, I loaded the FART. Now, I found a styrofoam cooler that must have flown out of the back of someone's boat. The lid was broke but the bottom was still good. So I flipped it upside down and put it over the FART, and told my grandson that he had to sit on top of it to keep it from getting away. I am going to tell you that cut the sound down to almost zip. So now I use the cooler every time with a small spare tire on top. Life is once good again.

drband said:

That Hornady rotary tumbler looks pretty nice!

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If you think the rotary brass tumbler looks nice take a look at the new Hornady rotary media sifter. I got one of those on order too. That too is on back order with no expected delivery date. And to think I ordered them both in hopes that they were going to be my X-Mass gift.