Help me select a brass sorter

I have a LOT of brass to sort (rifle and handgun brass are separated though) and need a sorter. After looking at numerous You Tube videos I have narrowed down my choices to the Shell Sorter 3-tray set and the Berry's brass sorter rotary-type device. Both look like they will do a good job but I would like to ask those handloaders who have used both products what they thought and which one they liked best.

So which product do you think is the most productive time and accuracy wise?

Thanks.

 

do you have kids?

 

I use and like the 3 tray set with the optional 380 sort tray!

 

I haven’t used both. I have the three-tray set and the additional 380 insert and they work well.

 

What is a "lot" of brass? Will you always have a large amount? I ask as I have the Shell Sorter and it works great but you can not over load it. Small batches work better. You can not just dump and fill up each tray.

I do not know about the Berrys.

 

The shell sorters work but it’s still a pretty hands on task. I am with Rule3, what’s “a lot”?

There has been many tons of brass across the sorter I built, was used by two different business for awhile. That’s the best method by far, load out equipment and have buckets of clean and sorted brass given to you.

Anyway it sorts more than what the baskets can do with less hand work.

 

This fellow is using the Berry’s and the shell sorter.

 

Here's my demo of the three tray type for any interested. Comments above are right on. It works but is labor intensive and you can't overload it. A handful or two at a time works best.

 

That video is skewed. Plus he makes me dizzy. He takes sorted brass from the Berrys (9mm) and them dumps those in the Shell Sorter and the Shell sorter sill pulls out some brass other than 9mm. Seems the Pans work better just from that. It seems like a PITA to spin the Berrys so many times, plus have to adjust it for every caliber.

The Shell Sorter is Simple and flat out works. It also will take any brass like 38 and 357 and hang them upside down in the slots. The Aluminum insert for 380 ACP will also sort out those after 9mm is sorted.

Here is the guys first video of the Berrys. Round and round it goes, pans are faster than that!

 

I put my trays over two 5 gal bucket (they fit perfect) Start with the largest and get those, then dump the remaining into the next size tray etc.

What remains, 22lr, dirt and stuff gets pitched,

Always run a strong magnet over all your range "brass" Pulls out metal cases. Hand pick aluminum

 

I have 1 & 1/2 55 gal drums of rifle and handgun brass. The rifle & handgun brass are separate. I will have to process about half a 55 gal drum of brass every 2 months.

 

Hire some "illegals" or get a Brass O Matic , "Just set it and forget it!"

 

That machine I posted in #6 sorts 5 gallons in under 20 min. With a break or two a half a drum would take about 2 hours.

Really depends on what your time is worth. Lots of folks find sorting “relaxing”, it’s not my idea of fun though.

There are commercial machines out there too.

 

Three gallons a week or so. If it were me, and I could obtain it every week I'd go with the ShellSorter.com set.

 

I only have the shell sorter set but
#1 - wear hearing protection while using it
#2 - don't just stack them together - I cut the rims from 2 other buckets to put in between each sorter and I fill the top one about half full and roll it in a circular motion.
#3 - run a magnet over each tray as I have even found steel cases on the .45's that way. The aluminum ones just have to be plucked by eyesight.

 

I also have the shell sorter plates. They really speed up the process of sorting brass. As the guys mentioned above it's still labor intensive and you have to pour a little brass in at a time to keep from overloading the trays. You'll find out pretty quickly what works and what doesn't. Overall, it's much faster than doing it completely by hand.

I've never used the Berry's, but watching him in the video I can tell you that the plates work better than what he was doing with the Berry's.

 

???

I just have to ask. Why hearing protection? What is the decibel level of shaking some brass??

How about gloves, eye protection and a respirator?

 

It's pretty loud actually and it can go on for hours depending on how much you have to sort. I wear earmuffs... noise plus duration equals hearing loss.

And I do wear gloves and a basic mask. Airborne lead dust isn't good to breathe. Feel free to do otherwise, bathe in lead oxide, lick the cases clean, whatever

 

My shell sorter does not require hearing protection. Hearing aids are an added benefit.
For lubrication a glass of good craft beer is needed.
But output is an issue. A 5 gallon bucket could easily take a month.

 

I have decided to get the 3-tray shell sorter set. I'm sure it will serve the purpose well.

Lots of good suggestions especially about the ear, eye and breathing protection. Sometimes we tend to forget about the unseen lead that is floating in the air and shaking these trays will just stir it up. IMO the noise generated by the shaking of the brass definitely is detrimental to hearing and I will definitely wear ear plugs.

Thanks to all who contributed to this thread.