Tumblers?

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armoredman

armoredman

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Well, I am finally through the nice big batch of pretumbled brass that some many people donated too me, so I need to find a tumbler to clean my range scrapings. Any suggestions for a severe budget?
 
I have a vibrator tub cleaner from Midway. I think the same mfg makes them for a lot of different companies. Cheap as anybody when I bought mine. Use pet bedding from pet supply stores for media. Won't do without one now
 
got mine from cabela's... it is the cabela's brand.

i sure wouldn't load again w/o one... i think they are worth the expense. think mine was around $60.
 
MidwayUSA or Berry's Manufacturing probably have the best prices. For a couple of dollars more you might be able to find a similar sized unit at a sporting goods or gun store.

Check out the prices on the web sites for the two companies mentioned above and then see what is at the brick and mortar store.
 
I'll second the kit from Cabela's. Mine came with corncob media, brass polish and the seperator drum with the tumbler. Couldn' beat the price. I plugged my tumbler into and old darkroom timer I had around so I can set the timer and walk away.
 
I've been using a Midway brand for years now, does everything I want it to do. I belive they are now marketed under the "Frankford Arsenal" brand name, about $45 last time I looked.
 
bought my first one from midway, was about $45, worked great, but didnt hold enough when i wanted to tumble like 700 45s at a time, so i eventually got the huge dillon one.

If you're going to be loading a lot, spend the extra money get the huge one, and the squirrel cage media/brass seperator.
If loading is going to be a casual hobby, get the small one.
 
Mine's a Rival

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electric ice cream maker. Five bucks NIB from a local thrift store. Works like a charm.
Click to expand...
Darn! I thought I was going to take the prize for cheapest. I've got one of those cheap rock tumblers (red plastic drum, does about 20 cases at a time) that kids use. I got it at a garage sale for $3. Works, just need to be patient. I think I still get the prize for most pathetic. :)
 
I know a few guys who use rock tumblers, they work pretty good, but they sure are slow. I just finished up 50 pieces of 444, 75 308's and 150 .223's in my "tumbler". Only problem I had was those 223's have a nasty habit of getting stuck in the 444's.
 
I still use the rock tumbler that I bought used at a garage sale 20 years ago. Cost me $10-$15. It works just fine. Mine only holds a little over 100 thirty-eight special cases. Cleaning media I use is crushed corn cobs and I add nothing to it.
 
Severe budget.
Well it depends on how handy you are. Co-worker made a nice rotary tumbler from a copy machine motor,gearbox,gears,chain, and steel rods. Made the frame from scrap plywood,rebber O rings,and 2lb coffee can. He got the copy machine out of a dumpster and scrounged around for all the other parts so it cost him nothing.
As with all rotary tumblers it is slow and takes 12-24 hours to clean brass.
You will be a lot happier if you save up and by one of these kits.
http://www.midwayusa.com/rewriteaproduct/616153
Midway has the best price on tumblers.

http://www.midwayusa.com/rewriteabrowse/2/8940/9315***731***695***
 
I have gone through a vibrating tumbler and moved on to a Thumler (rock tumbler). Quieter and I have less concern about duratility. May take longer, but I don't let myself get into a rush situation anyway.
 
I bought a used Lyman PopTop and updated the bowl to the 1200-size when I scraped up the extra coin. Works super, and I can clean 40+ rounds of 303 or 7x57 at a time.
 
Here's something I wrote on tumblers a while ago. Hope it helps...Creeker

The Midway USA Model 1292 Tumbler
A Creeker Test

midway_polisher.jpg
Midway 1292 in blue on right

Many of us use tumblers to clean and even polish our fired brass. For years I used a rotary tumbler to clean my cases especially after resizing rifle cases to remove the case lube. I very seldom took time to polish them. This tumbler was hardly used for pistol cases since I usually shoot alone and care little about the looks of them. Well things changed and I decided to start polishing some of my cases but wanted something faster and larger in which to accomplish the task. While I was looking for larger capacity I didn't want something that would take up a lot of valuable bench space. Perhaps something just a little larger and a lot faster.

I began looking for something to meet my needs. I found several tumblers in different catalogs. While going through the Midway catalog I found a tumbler on sale I thought would do the task. The Midway USA Model 1292 Tumbler which came with a kit that included the Rotary 7 Brass Sifter was what I chose. With the tumbler I ordered 15 pounds of corn cob media and 18 pounds of walnut hull media.

As is normal with Midway my order arrived in a few days well packaged and in good condition. I opened the boxes and laid everything out for inspection. It was all there and the instructions were clear and easy to read. The first thing I noticed the power cord was "long" enough that an extension cord wouldn't be necessary for most applications. I set it on the concrete floor in by basement as per instructions and filled it two thirds full of walnut hull media. I was ready to clean my first batch of cases. This model tumbler holds 600 9mm or 350 .223 cases which isn't a lot but enough for reloaders who load a couple hundred rounds a week.

For the first test I dumped a plastic container of 44 magnum hulls into the walnut hull media. These had been black looking for several prior loadings. I installed the clear plastic lid, turned the machine on and went back to my reloading press to resume what I was doing before the UPS man showed up. About one half hour later I shut the machine down and checked the brass. The hulls were still black looking but clean. I dumped the tumbler contents into the rotary sifter and cranked the handle a few times. I'd never used a rotary sifter before this and I'm here to tell you it works great. After sifting the 44 hulls I dumped them back in the tumbler followed with corn cob media and White Lightning. White Lightning is an ammonia-free brass polish that's made to work with the corn cob media and came in the kit. And work it does. After a couple hours I could hardly believe my eyes upon dumping the mess once again into the sifter. My brass, that was almost black, looked new. Those W-W cases were shinny and new looking; even the head stamps were easily read from several feet.

I find the noise of this tumbler not to be excessive, but it was in my basement. You probably wouldn't want it in the same room while eating dinner with your wife but in the next room would be ok.

Shortly after I purchased the Midway Tumbler I decided to enter the brass business buying range brass to sort, clean, polish, and then resale. This gave me a lot of brass to be cleaned and polished. Let me say right here that this tumbler wasn't designed or intended to do what I've done with it. There have been lots of nights since March (this being Sept.) my machine has run from dusk to dawn. It's went days at a time and was only off long enough to empty and refill. How long will it last? It's hard to say. I've cleaned close to 400 pounds of handgun brass and who knows how much rifle brass with it so far and it's still going strong.

The total cost of the Model 1292 Tumbler/Rotary Sifter Ultimate Pack was $60.99. Would I recommend this tumbler to my shooting friends? Of course I would. It has worked well for me doing something it probably wasn't designed to do and hasn't missed a lick in who knows how many hours. My hat's off to Midway for this one. Check it out.

From the Hollow
LAH
 
Well, when the back pay check arrives, (who knows when) I will order the Midway kit - thanks guys! Reloading is fun! I know I am not saving any money doing this in 9mm, but it sure is fun!
 
I save quite a bit of money loading 9mm. I load Remington jhp bullets to the same velosity with the same bullet as the Remington factory ammo. So I practice with the same load I carry in my concealed handgun. I can load almost 3 boxes of ammo for the same amount of money that one box of factory ammo costs.
 
Loading 9mm with Rainier 124 gr FN plated bullets I can put out 3 or so boxes for the cost of 1 box of UMC and the groups are about 1/4 of the size with the reloads. YMMV :)
 
one can certainly save a lot of money loading 9s
assume the brass is free because everyone seems to leave 9s lying around, just go get them.

15/1000 for primers
15/pound for powder
42/thousand for jacketed HPs
you can use so little powder in 9mms, like anywhere from 2.5 - 3.2 grains of Clays. Assume 3 grains. Thats 2333 loads per pound of powder. $15/2333 rounds= .0065; thats less than a cent of powder a round.
figure cost of 1000 rounds loaded in powder is $6.50
That brings the total for reloading 1000 9mms to 63.50, if you're loading lead, its below $50/1000
so yeah, you save a lot of money, especially over retail.
 
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