Looking to buy a new Tumbler *link to fine corn cob inside*
 

Next week I'm going to drive up to Cabellas and look at the brass tumblers. I see where they sell a Lyman for $40.00, do you think that would be a good buy? The media for the tumbler cost around $20.00 (corn cob). What kind of tumbler and media do you guys use?

Deacon Man

Re: Looking to buy a new Tumbler
 

Re: Looking to buy a new Tumbler
 

Harbor freight has the one I am going to pick up next payday.

http://www.harborfreight.com/5-lb-me...ler-67617.html

Re: Looking to buy a new Tumbler
 

Thirty + years ago I purchased a Thumler's Tumbler, and am still using it. Every few years I have to replace the drive belt, for this I go to the local hardware store and get large neoprene O rings that I match to the size of the drive belt, works like a charm. The tumbling media I use is straight ground corn cob media for cleaning dirty stuff, such as range brass and the like. A25/75% mixture of the ground corn cob and treated crushed walnut hulls for general cleaning with little polishing effect. Then for polishing my brass I use the jewlers rouge impregnated walnut hulls. Don't put dirty brass into the walnut hull media, treat it with polishing rejuvinator occasionally and it lasts for a very long time before having to discard it.


those who beat their guns into plowshares, will plow for those who didn't

Re: Looking to buy a new Tumbler
 

You didn’t say what model Lyman tumbler, probably the 600, which is just to small, the 1200 is better and the 2500 best. I have tried corncob but find walnut better at cleaning badly tarnished, dirty brass.
This walnut media works the best for me
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/557...pour-container

Re: Looking to buy a new Tumbler
 

lyman turbo 1200

Re: Looking to buy a new Tumbler
 

Go to Harborfreight there only 49.95 and there great.And there warrented.Alot cheaper than the big names and they work great.I even got a replacement tub full of crushed walnuts for 19.95 which is cheaper than buying a box of it.

Re: Looking to buy a new Tumbler
 

this is the one I'm looking at.
http://www.scheelssports.com/webapp/...tegoryId=69181
since they are across the street from me I tend to check there first.

Re: Looking to buy a new Tumbler
 

My Tumbler history and opinion, so take it for what it's worth.

I have owned and still own a few tumblers.
Frankfort Arsenal (Midway).
RCBS
Cabala's
Berry's

The FA was slow and loud. The motor quite after a few years. I purchased a new motor, it lasted a few more years and quit. My experience, slow, loud and not very durable.

The RCBS is fast, it is also very loud, very loud. The motor quite after several years, I purchased a new one from RCBS for less than $20. It is still going strong and works very well. It is loud, I can't leave it run in the garage overnight cuz it keeps my wife awake. My experience, fast, durable and loud.

I purchased the Cabala's when my RCBS was down with a BO motor. This unit is fast really fast, it is also extremely quiet. I can have it running in my man cave and still listen to the radio. My experience, fast, quiet and still running after many years.

I purchased a Berry's because I needed another tumbler, OK I didn't need one I wanted one. This unit is fast, very fast and very quiet. In fact it is identical to the Cabala's tumbler as Berry's is the manufacturer of the Cabala's unit. My experience, Fast and quiet.

IMO, if you want speed, quiet, and durability go Cabala's or Berry's which ever one is cheaper.

Re: Looking to buy a new Tumbler
 

IMHO, don't buy cheap! Mine is almost 25 years old, and the only thing I have had to change is the media!! It's still going strong. I paid $60 for it back then.

Re: Looking to buy a new Tumbler
 

No complaints about my Lyman Turbo 1200. For media I use about a 50/50 mix of corncob and walnut (lizard litter)

Re: Looking to buy a new Tumbler
 

+1. The thumlers is in a league of its own, performance for 20+ years is normal. The finest method of cleaning brass to date is a thumlers, with stainless steel pins, water, and dawn dishsoap. Cleans brass inside and out including primer pockets. The brass is pristine after 1 hour and the unti runs quiet enough to keep inside your home. A great investment if you want to avoid the poking corn or walnut from flasholes, the dust and media remnants in your reloading equipment and work area and buying new media or chemical additive constantly to keep it working. Take a look. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wUItm...e_gdata_player

Re: Looking to buy a new Tumbler
 

Thanks for all your advice / suggestions. I have desided to buy the Lyman Turbo 1200 at Harbour Freight.

Re: Looking to buy a new Tumbler
 

I am working on my third Lyman. The first one lasted me about 15 years and the motor just up and died. I went straight to the Lyman's web site and ordered just a Turbo 1200 base and used that one for about 12 or 13 years and a couple of weeks ago it started acting up (the thing will vibrate fine for a little while and slow down then speed up then slow down and so on), so I went to the Lyman web site and ordered another Turbo 1200 base and have been using that one for about 3 or 4 weeks now. Have the same two bowls that I bought with the original Lyman close to 30 years ago.

If you are mechanically inclined and think you might be able figure out what the motor is doing on the one I just replaced, I will be happy to send it to you, but it is just the base (no bowls).

Re: Looking to buy a new Tumbler
 

Grab the cabelas green tumbler. I have been using one for abouut 6 years now.

Re: Looking to buy a new Tumbler
 

Yup!

Re: Looking to buy a new Tumbler
 

Buy the Cabela's 400 tumbler made by Berries, made here in the U.S.A. by U.S. workers, if that means anything to you. Also if you buy it from Cabela's it carries a lifetime satification warranty, beat that!

Regarding media, check out

http://www.drillspot.com/products/52...bs_blast_media

$32.00 bucks plus change shipped right to your door, shipping encl. Fine enough there is no worry about clogged primer pockets or media stuck in flash holes. Bags 40 lbs, won't need to order another for a long time.

Add a teaspoon of Nu-Finish and you're good to go.

Re: Looking to buy a new Tumbler
 

Not to mention it is Fast and Very Quiet!

Re: Looking to buy a new Tumbler
 

Think ill sticky this thread just to keep the link handy.

Thanks jcwit!

Re: Looking to buy a new Tumbler
 

i got a vibro tumbler from harbor freight for 50-55$ glad I did.. I like it better than the old rock tumbler I used to have long ago.. though I'm sure all of them work fine.

I run a mix of lyman treated cob media ( 18$ ), white rice ( 8$ per 25# ) and plain untreated cob media, fine ground litter type $?? stole some from the bag of cat litter when the wife got it home from petsmart.. BEFORE the cat used it!! :)

Re: Looking to buy a new Tumbler *link to fine corn cob inside*
 

Cat turds will really add a shine to your brass.. and the smell keeps other greedy brass hogs at the range away from your brass too. :D

Re: Looking to buy a new Tumbler *link to fine corn cob inside*
 

that might be a plus!

Re: Looking to buy a new Tumbler *link to fine corn cob inside*
 

Not sure if you already picked up a tumbler or not but thought I would share the one I use.
http://www.cabelas.com/product/Cabel...h-All+Products

I bought it with cabelas points a couple years ago and it works awesome. I haven't had any problems with it yet and I have done thousands of pistol and rifle rounds through it. I did upgrade the separator pretty quickly. I went to a big plastic colander that I picked up at the local dollar store. I can sift through the brass much faster with less mess.

The unit is fairly quiet although I dont use it while I am loading. I usually turn it on when I go out running errands. Takes about 2 hours to get moderately dirty brass clean and range brass takes about 4 hours. I am still using the cob media it came with although I have added some walnut media to it so I have about a 50/50 mix.

Walnut shell media and corn cob both are much cheaper at pet stores. I have a friend who picks up 50 lb backs for about $20.00 and I get a gallon ziploc back from him every once in a while. I guess he thinks I use it faster than I do because I have about 5 bags laying around.

Mike

Re: Looking to buy a new Tumbler *link to fine corn cob inside*
 

so OP you get one yet?

Re: Looking to buy a new Tumbler *link to fine corn cob inside*
 

do you then have to own a media seperator?