New Wet Tumbler (steel pins)

W

wiiawiwb

New member
I've used a HF single-drum wet tumbler for about 2 years now and it has served me well. It's acting funny so I am going to get another wet tumbler. My volume is ~400 rounds/month.

I'd appreciate any thoughts about the three below. My preference is to get something that is heavier duty and will last longer. I'm considering:

1) Extreme Rebel 17
http://www.stainlesstumblingmedia.com/extreme-tumblers-rebel-17.html
2) Thumbler Tumbler B
http://thumlerstumbler.com/rotary.html
3) Franklin Arsenal Rotary Tumbler
http://www.cabelas.com/product/PLATINUM-SERIES-ROTARY-TUMBLER-L/1811194.uts

Also, do any of these have a rubber insert in the drum itself to help keep it more quiet?
 
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I have the Thumbler Model B. It's got the rubber insert your looking for. But the build quality has always struck me as cheap. Don't care for the wing nuts on the lid either. The Rebel 17 seems to similar in construction to the Model B, just a different color. I would look at the Franklin Arsenal if buying one today. But my dream wet tumbler is like what Bigdawg sells. But he's not taking orders at this time.

http://www.biggdawgtumblers.net/
 
I have the thumbler as well. It doesn't look like industrial quality but it works fine for me and I never have had to buy media since the first purchase. Love the results-brass shines like a new penny.
 
I have the Frankford Arsenal unit in your link and it's great. Suits my needs perfectly. Been using it quite a bit (about the same as you) for three years now and it shows no signs of wear thus far.

If it died today, there'd be another on its way to my home by tomorrow.
 
wiiawiwb
I also have the HF single drum , been using it for 2 years. I also have the Tumbler B Tumbler . Very happy with both , will only clean my brass this way . I have been using corn & walnut media in a vibrating drum for 25+ years , gave it all to a friend of mine. Wet is the only way to go. I use Sun detergent in stead of Dawn with very little Lemi Shine. I don't think you could go wrong with any one of the larger tumblers especially if you case count is 400.
 
Can't comment on the others, but have had my model b for 35 yrs. and have cleaned a gazillion tons of brass with it, wet and dry. Had to replace a drive belt and the lid gasket. If it gives me anymore trouble I'm getting rid of jt.
 
Like Nick said, if my frankford arsenal wet tumbler died tonight I'd have another one ordered before I went to bed. It's been great!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
I have the Lyman cyclone tumbler. Had it about a year. Will do 500 range pickup .223, 250 .308, or 1000x 40 s&w in 3 hours. Very quiet. I use 4 squirts of Dawn dish soap and about a tbs of lemmeshine.

It will technically do double those amounts, but I would need more pins than 5 lbs I think to get the primer pockets and insides as clean

Has a 3 hour timer. I have also done dry media in it, works great for that too.

I have it on a bench, very little vibration and doesn't wander at all or jump around.

Like Nick said, if my frankford arsenal wet tumbler died tonight I'd have another one ordered before I went to bed. It's been great!
Click to expand...

Feel the same way about the Lyman
 
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Another vote for the Lyman Cyclone, it does a great job and I like the included screens to catch your empties and your pins. Everyone has different water chemistry, especially ph, but I get great results with a capful of automotive wash/wax liquid soap and about 1/4 tsp. of LemiShine.

Lyman solved a problem with .40 & 9mm cases sticking in the drum, current production ships with a new drum that has a wider driving band.
 
Lyman solved a problem with .40 & 9mm cases sticking in the drum, current production ships with a new drum that has a wider driving band
Click to expand...

I sent my older one in and they sent me the newer drum...but before that I fixed it with a garden hose glued into the groove.
 
I didn't like the idea of the tiny batches one had to do on the available wet tumblers so I built my own using 100lb chlorine buckets. I didn't use any belts or rollers, just a gear motor I got off eBay for $35. Made a bearing block and used a love joy coupling for a direct drive.

It will do 3000, 45 ACP cases per load, photo attached.

I made some really big ones a few years ago for a local company. They do 15 gallons of brass per drum, heavy enough an electric overhead gantry hoist is needed to load and unload them.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlZOYjmAnO0
 

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The post was for the average shooter cleaning brass , jmorris must be in the brass cleaning business . even made the posts smaller after his post. I don't want to have to use a weight belt to remove the drum. Anyway, nice machine jmorris.
 
Thanks for the headsup about the Lyman Cyclone, they are sending me a replacement drum ASAP. Personally it does everything I need with my brass. I even ordered an additional 2.5lbs of pins for running full loads on it.

I was considering getting an additional F.A.R.T., but now I don't see a real need for it.

To the OP, I'd recommend the F.A.R.T or the Lyman Cyclone personally.
 
I've been using my Thumblers mod B for years now without a hint of trouble. Problems with the lid gasket suggests that the wingnuts may have been over tightened or tightened in a manner that warped the lid.

My method has been to tighten in a cross pattern while not applying too much torque at one time. Leave it looser than you think you need. Leaks, if you have them, appear in the form of bubbles, not a torrent of water. The nuts do not have to be very tight at all to get a good seal if the lid is flat and not warped by over tightening.
 
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