I need a new tumbler

**Chief Brody** · February 2nd, 2016, 10:48 AM

After almost 25 years of dependable service my midway tumbler has died....I'm thinking of replacing it with a Frankford Arsenal ,Does anyone here have one and what are your thoughts on it... Thanks.

**tripleS** · February 2nd, 2016, 11:06 AM

If you are referring to the Frankford Arsenal dry tumbler, it is a good unit. If you are referring to the Frankford Arsenal rotary wet tumbler, it is an awesome unit.

I switched to the wet tumbling and don't plan to look back!

**wanneroo** · February 2nd, 2016, 12:20 PM

Wet tumbling is the way to go, forget about lead soaked fine dust.

The Frankford Arsenal wet tumbler is a kick ass unit, love it. It's purpose built for brass tumbling unlike the Thumbler Tumbler.

Also get the Frankford Arsenal brass dryer. After I rinse my brass, right into the dryer and it's dry and ready to go in an hour or so.

**MT1** · February 2nd, 2016, 12:44 PM

Originally Posted by wanneroo

Wet tumbling is the way to go, forget about lead soaked fine dust.

The Frankford Arsenal wet tumbler is a kick ass unit, love it. It's purpose built for brass tumbling unlike the Thumbler Tumbler.

Also get the Frankford Arsenal brass dryer. After I rinse my brass, right into the dryer and it's dry and ready to go in an hour or so.

I swear whoever came up with the brass dryer idea first repurposed their unused dehydrator. I saw a review of their dryer and it looks exactly like my dehydrator. I'm tempted to use my dehydrator but if so I'd never use it for food again.

**abner13** · February 2nd, 2016, 01:25 PM

My Dillon was 'pre-owned' when I bought it over 20yrs ago and has seen constant use since. It got damaged during a move and a quick call to Dillon got replacement parts shipped out no charge. Ya can buy cheap 'disposable' ones and have them burn out at any time. Might be a bit more expensive , but Dillon's no-BS replacement warranty makes it a no-brainer.

**frankski** · February 2nd, 2016, 01:31 PM

Originally Posted by Chief Brody

After almost 25 years of dependable service my midway tumbler has died....I'm thinking of replacing it with a Frankford Arsenal ,Does anyone here have one and what are your thoughts on it... Thanks.

I've had the Frankford dry tumbler for three years. Walnut or corncob media, a teaspoon of Nufinish, a teaspoon of mineral spirits, one torn up used dryer softener sheet, screw down the cover, turn on in the garage for three hours, and the brass comes out like new.

I carry it out in the driveway to empty the tumbler in the separator, then bring the clean cases indoors. No dust in the garage.

Three hours from shooting I'm ready to reload with no drying time or further complication. I have no idea why anyone would make it harder than it needs to be.

**tripleS** · February 2nd, 2016, 05:49 PM

Originally Posted by frankski

Three hours from shooting I'm ready to reload with no drying time or further complication. I have no idea why anyone would make it harder than it needs to be.

If you have to reload the same brass you just got back from the range with, either A) you don't have enough brass or B) you need more brass!

I have several tumblers, a Lyman 2500, Lyman 600, RCBS, 2 Cabela's brand tumblers and a Frankford Arsenal dry tumbler. About a year ago I bought a duel drum rotary tumbler from Harbor Freight just to see what all this wet tumbling was about. I have since bought the Frankford Arsenal rotary tumbler and have no intention of going back. I do still use a dry tumbler, all loaded rounds take about a 10 or 15 minute ride in it with corn cob media just to give them a nice polish before they get put away.

First of all the drum on the Frankford Arsenal rotary tumbler drum is huge, you can easily fit 1000 223 cases in it, I've had just over 1600 45acp cases 2 full large Folgers coffee cans full of 9mm brass in it at a time. Something you will not do with any of the other dry tumblers readily available on the market.

Secondly, I have never saw primer pockets come out nearly as clean as with wet tumbling in a dry media tumbler no matter what media was used. The inside of the cases also come out far cleaner, not that that really means much as far as performance. It does make it nicer when loading on a progressive press and you look in those cases to check for a powder charge. A clean inside case reflects the light far better than a dusty dirty dark case.

Thirdly, I never have to worry about pieces of dry media stuck in the flash hole.

I will say that I was probably one of the biggest hippocrates about wet tumbling when I first heard about it several years ago. One of my biggest complaints was having to wait for the brass to dry before I could reload it. In all honesty, that was a non issue even though I tried to make it an issue. The brass I was cleaning wasn't even close to the last of what I had clean and ready to load. Since switching to wet tumbling I just now have more clean brass ready to reload. Also since making the switch I have noticed that my dies stay cleaner, and I hardly need any lube when loading 223 ammo.

For me it just works way better to wet tumble.

**wanneroo** · February 2nd, 2016, 09:44 PM

My cases done with my solution and steel pins gets my primerless brass looking brand new when using the FA wet tumbler.

One thing I notice having used brass I'd bought for reloading where dry tumbling has been used is how much dust is still on the brass. I use nitrile gloves to reload and yes the brass looks clean but my fingers are black from the dust residue after handing that brass.

Wet tumbling all the way.

**BobGun** · February 3rd, 2016, 05:39 AM

I do not understand why everyone thinks wet tumbling is so great. It requires so many extra steps when cleaning pistol cases. First you need to deprime the case before cleaning and then you need to dry the case after tumbling them. With dry tumbling I just start the tumbler in the garage and in a couple hours go outside and seperate the brass from the media. Then the cases go in the case feeder of the Dillion and away I go. I can see some pluses for wet tumbling of rifle cases because I handle them additional time so the extra steps would not add to the time required to reload them. I deprime rifle cases on a single stage press and use lube so it requires putting the cases in the sonic cleaner. I then dry the cases and trim if needed. After which they go in the Dillion for the rest of the steps.

**Bowgod02** · February 3rd, 2016, 07:18 AM

I have both dry and a homemade wet tumbler. I think I used the dry tumbler once in the last year. I find myself going to the wet tumbler to clean my brass as I can clean about 1200 .45acp cases at one time and they are like new when the come out. Same with .223 as I can fit a lot more cases in at a time and look like new.