Best Large Capacity Tumbler?

[SILENTSOUL308]

I'm looking to buy another tumbler, I reload for large rifle (300 winmag) and I want to get a large cap tumbler to speed up my brass processing. What is the best out there? I want quality, price isn't a big deal (I'll spend what I have to in order to get a large tumbler that will last me several years). Your opinions are much appreciated, Thanks in advance.

 

[RustyFN]

I have never used one but I hear these are the best.
Rusty
http://cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/links/link.jsp?id=0003101212488a&type=product&cmCat=search&returnPage=search-results1.jsp&No=0&noImage=0&Ntt=tumbler&Ntk=Products&QueryText=tumbler&Ntx=matchall&N=4887&Nty=1

 

[Bad Flynch]

I have a friend, a dealer, whose money-making activities include polishing old brass and reselling it. He runs his tumblers for days on end, sometimes. His experience is that Thumlers are the ones to have.

BTW, there is at least one larger than the previous post would suggest, but you're not gonna like the price.

 

[ClarkEMyers]

Best I've ever seen started life as small cement mixers - not very portable and maybe annoyed the neighbors in a residential neighborhood but stout as it gets and well cooled motors for constant duty.

 

[Ala Dan]

Don't think of a vibratory tumbler, as all it does is shake the brass while
in the media~! I learned from experience, after buying an RCBS
model.

 

[pinkymingeo]

Thumler's Model B rotary. About $150 from Cabela's. Huge capacity, and you'll wonder why you ever owned a vibratory.

 

[Otto]

Thumler's Tumbler Model B is $136.95 at Buffalo Arms...this is the high speed version like the one sold by Cabelas. I agree that this is the best rotary.
Deciding which vibratory is the best is a harder decision.

 

[evan price]

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=90123

Add 50-lbs crushed walnut; 1/2 bottle nufinish, 5-gallons of brass.

 

[Noxx]

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=90123

Man don't post things like that, my wife was walking by and said "No..." on reflex alone.

 

[donttellthewife]

Dillons CV-2001. Bought mine used 4 years ago and I have ran it at least 200 hours.

 

[Lloyd Smale]

another vote for the big dillon. Mine runs an average of about 2 hours a day and has never given me a lick of trouble.

 

[trueblue1776]

Man don't post things like that, my wife was walking by and said "No..." on reflex alone.

You must be a newly wed! After a few years they wait until you want it, so they can crush your soul.

 

[Noxx]

You must be a newly wed! After a few years they wait until you want it, so they can crush your soul.

yeah we're just over one year. nice to have something to look forward to tho.

 

[SILENTSOUL308]

Looks like the consensus is that a "rotary style" is the best, from Thumbler's I gather. are they that much better than the vibratory style cleaners? pros/cons? thanks again, your input is much appreciated.

 

[SILENTSOUL308]

oh yeah, one more question: does anyone know what the warranty is on the dillon tumblers?

 

[dcloco]

1 year....not that great of warranty.

 

[SilentArmy]

Jury is still out

I run two Dillon CV2001 case vibrators almost constantly and They are quick and hold a large volume of cases per load but I have not ben impressed with durability. They admitted to me that they had been having issues with Motors when I called to get a return autorization on my second unit after running it for only four days! They both have new motors on them and my only cost was 7 bucks to ship them each back to dillon and a little downtime waiting for them to return. I had a Lyman Turbo mag go a yr at commercial use before it crapped though! Only half the price of my Dillons at that. We'll see how I feel about the Dillons in a few months. They should be the same No Bull warranty as all their products though!

 

[pinkymingeo]

I went with the Thumler's because I was tired of the vibratory noise. Couldn't share a room with that thing, and you could hear it all over the house. Durability is not an issue. Guys have been using them for +20yrs without a hiccup. Rock tumblers run them continuously for weeks on end. The Model B has a huge capacity. 600 45acp cases disappear in the thing. Does fine with less than half the media I was using in the vibratory. I was surprised to find that cleaning time is cut in half. It's not silent, but worlds better than a vibratory. The noise it makes is the muted sound of brass rattling rather than a floor-shaking buzz. My only gripe is that the lid closes with 6 wing nuts rather than one, but I can live with that. I'm told that Lortone units use a single nut, but I don't know for sure.

 

[Linear Thinker]

I have both the rotary tumbler (RCBS) and a vibratory (Dillon 2000). Dillon does a better job in the same amount of time. After many hundreds of hours of use, there's never been a problem with the 2000, other than a frayed power cord. I can't say enough good things about Dillon service.
I've delegated the rotary to moly'ing the bullets.
LT

 

[Lone_Gunman]

I have used a $50 Frankford Arsenal vibratory tumbler for a couple of years. I have probably tumbled 15,000 pieces of brass in it. I would estimate a minimum of 300 hrs of use. Its cheap, its loud, but it works, and gets my brass nice and shiney.

 

[evan price]

Ya know, that 1.5 cubic foot cement mixer costs LESS than a Thumbler's Tumbler large size unit, holds more cases and media, and would be useful for other stuff besides just tumbling shells, in case the spousal unit objects to the purchase of a single-task machine. Put in a walkway or patio for her. Then clean it up and use it for your brass. Marital Bliss!

Midway 1292 I picked up on eBay for $46 to my door holds 300+ .357 cases or 200+ .44's, no sweat.

 

[eliphalet]

pros/cons? thanks again, your input is much appreciated.

Thumblers can be used wet, which is how mine is used 99% of the time now. No more separating brass and media or cleaning primer pockets. I use a Lee universal decaping die then clean in a model B if needed or wanted.

 

[jmorris]

I've had a small Midway tumbler forever that has never had any problems. The large Dillon (2001) will hold 1300 rounds of 357 and 550 30-06 cases. Also I have a friend that had the older version (2000 I think) that the bowl wore out and Dillon sent him a brand new 2001 two years ago. Thats when I bought mine and the media separator. Burned up two hundred bucks but is so much faster.

Edit: the guys that are telling you to try a cement mixer haven't tried one (I tried an old sears one once...once)

 

[stubbicatt]

Eliphalet, what do you use for your "media" when you tumble wet? Soap and water or.....?????

 

[jrhines]

My brass tumbler...

I'm sure you guys have seem something like this before...

Once fired .223 brass, free from a well protected source...
Cement mixer, $100 from harbor Freight...
Ground walnut shells, $12 from PetCo...
The results, Priceless!

There is also some Franklin Arsenal polish in there. The mixer takes a full .50 cal can of .223 at a time, runs about 3 hours in the garage, then it's inside to the reloading bench. My kid shoots about 1K rounds per month, we can reload match ammo for about .25/round. So is it worth his time to pull the Dillon 650 handle for a quarter?, you bet!