Pennsylvania Firearm Owners Association
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  1. #11
    Join Date
    Dec 2008
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    Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania
    (Cumberland County)
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    Default Re: Tumbler - Rotary vs Vibrator

    I don't know anyone using a rotary tumbler. I have an old Midway vibratory tumbler thats still working fine after about 15 years.
    Yippie-Ky-Ay

  2. #12
    Join Date
    Apr 2008
    Location
    Philippi, West Virginia
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    75
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    Default Re: Tumbler - Rotary vs Vibrator

    I've been using the big orange Lyman since 1982 without trouble. Just keep the media clean. I like walnut because I think it cleans better. Corn cob puts a real nice shine on brass but does not clean as well. You can also cut up a dryer sheet and put it in to keep the dust down and pull out some of the dirt.

  3. #13
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Etters, Pennsylvania
    (York County)
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    Default Re: Tumbler - Rotary vs Vibrator

    I have had the Cabala’s vibratory tumbler for about 1 year now and it has been great. It is quiet and I have it running at least a total of 20 hours a week. I know you can get the kit which with a tumbler, media, polish , and a sifter for under 60 dollars. The tumblers are the same thing that Barry’s plated bullet’s sells but they are cheaper from Cabala’s. I have been happy with mine. Brass gets very clean in about 2 hours. If the brass is very dirty I will leave it in overnight then it will come out cleaner than new. Since joining this forum I am using the crushed walnut shells from Pet-co and they are even a better deal that corncob media.
    If you want something cheaper I know you can get a Frankfort Arsenal tumbler from Natchez and I think they are about 35 dollars each however they do have a smaller compactly.

    I have never used a rotary tumbler for brass but I did buy the rotary tumbler from Harbor Freight and tools to polish rocks and it lasted a ½ a day before the belt broke and after buy several replacement belts the motor burned up. It only lasted about 5 days total running time. I am sure they are not all that bad but, the model I had was worthless.

  4. #14
    Join Date
    Sep 2006
    Location
    Pennsylvania
    (Schuylkill County)
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    Default Re: Tumbler - Rotary vs Vibrator

    Rotary tumblers has the advantage when you need to process A LOT of brass. A vibratory tumbler may do 20-50 cases, it would be hard to find a rotary tumbler that DOESN'T hold a few 100 of any size case.

    The cleaning action is also better.... the constant rolling of the media/brass makes for a much better cleaning action than the vibratory ones.

    So yes, they are better, but you have to have a need for them. There are some easy DIY plans on the net for rock tumblers that can be built on the cheap.

    They are also MUCH quieter.

    Heres a quick and dirty google link:

    http://www.cabelas.com/link-12/produ...1212489a.shtml

    The reviews seems to be from retards.
    Last edited by Farbmeister; January 6th, 2009 at 03:24 PM.

  5. #15
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Etters, Pennsylvania
    (York County)
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    232
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    8218

    Default Re: Tumbler - Rotary vs Vibrator

    Quote Originally Posted by Farbmeister View Post
    Rotary tumblers has the advantage when you need to process A LOT of brass. A vibratory tumbler may do 20-50 cases, it would be hard to find a rotary tumbler that DOESN'T hold a few 100 of any size case.

    My Cabela's vibratory tumbler easly holds 500 9mm cases and 250 .223. Them instructions claim that you can hold more but I find that more will slow the cleaning.
    Last edited by RJH245; January 6th, 2009 at 03:52 PM.

  6. #16
    Join Date
    Sep 2006
    Location
    Pennsylvania
    (Schuylkill County)
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    Default Re: Tumbler - Rotary vs Vibrator

    I omitted that I was speaking of rifle cases. Count out 350 .223 and put them in your tumbler and add media. Post a pic. The agitation is pretty piss poor. I might get 70 or so in my Frankford tumbler before I lose the tumbling action. 30-ish .30-06 and its to the point the media will not move.

    The average $50 vibratory tumbler that most people get will no hold much. Sure there are bigger tumblers out there.. but the vast majority are the smaller ones.

    Call ANY of the big processors and ask them what they use for LARGE capacity cleaning. Rotary.

    As many people find out:

    "At first I dumped in about 1000 cases of 45 ACP but that really overloaded the tumbler and the brass didn't really tumble at all. So I reduced my load to about 200 rounds and reduced my walnut to about 1/2 tank and now it tumbles great"

    "It works great if you use about 2/3 full of media and about 100-150 cases of brass. With this amount it seems to do the best job."

  7. #17
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Etters, Pennsylvania
    (York County)
    Posts
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    8218

    Default Re: Tumbler - Rotary vs Vibrator

    Well I don't have the ability to post a picture but I have been happy with my tumbler. I find that as long as I follow, just under, the recommended amounts of brass that I don't have a problem. For example: I believe that the recommendation for 45acp brass was 600 pieces for the manufacture of my tumbler. I find that 500 is a great amount that turns over very well.
    I know, that in my tumbler, 100 .30-06 brass will turn over and polish very well. I have never tried more than 100.
    I understand that rotary polishers are used in some cases in industry however, some industries also use vibratory methods to polish items. Both have pros and cons depending on the item being polished.
    I think that it truly is a matter of what a person feels is best. For me a vibratory cleaner was the best because for less than ½ the cost of a rotary tumbler I was able to get a vibratory cleaner with media, polish, and a sifter. I was able to used the saved money for dies and bullets.

    In the rock polishing world Rotary polishers are king. Only a few rock polishers can be found for rocks that are vibratory and they are not often recommended for rocks. However to polish a rock it may take over a month.

  8. #18
    Join Date
    Oct 2009
    Location
    Active Duty Military (originally SD) Currently in HI, South Dakota
    Posts
    6
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    Default Re: Tumbler - Rotary vs Vibrator

    Both tumblers have their own purposes and different characteristics. From my experience, the vibratory cleans better and the rotary polishes better. I have a Lyman Turbo ($65 Midway), and a Chicago electric twin 3 lb drum from Harborfreight.com ($50). I use the Lyman with 2-2.5 lb of plain long grain white rice to clean fired brass for an hour. With rice I can clean 120-150 .308 Win cases. Size/depirme, throw it back in for 20 min. (get's case lube off) Just be sure to knock out any rice left in the primer pocket/hole. After that I throw it in the first 3lb drum with Neverdull (wad-polish) to shine it up for an hour, and then move it to the second drum with small pieces of paper towels to buff it up for an hour or so. Once that's done just wipe them off and let them sit for 30 min to dry, and you've got very slick and shiny brass that will stay that way. (works to to bullets too before you load them as far as polishing if you want). For a beginner, get the vibratory to clean it then worry later on if you want a shine.

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