Ultrasonic vs Tumbler/Vibrator?

I requested a quote for shipping and is what I was quoted:

Fed-Ex Priority (Order Weight 10 lbs.): $44.02 U.S. Dollars
Fed-Ex Economy (Order Weight 10 lbs.): $39.37 U.S. Dollars
 
Radiohead said:
NOTE to anyone interested, the Harbor Freight double tumbler regularly at $139.98 is currently on sale for $54.99. Use coupon code 70348385 to get it for $43.99.
http://www.harborfreight.com/dual-drum-rotary-rock-tumbler-67632.html
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You might want t look at getting a bigger tumbler with the octagon shaper barrel. Thumbler or Frankford Arsenal are good. I had a smaller Thumbler similar to the one you are looking at and found that once you get into cases bigger then 223 you had to limit how many you could put in if you really wanted to get the pins moving through them, plus the round barrel (vs the Octagon shape) just caused then to roll so the pins really didn't get inside the cases to clean them as good as the larger octagon barrel
 
Mudduck said:
You might want t look at getting a bigger tumbler with the octagon shaper barrel. Thumbler or Frankford Arsenal are good. I had a smaller Thumbler similar to the one you are looking at and found that once you get into cases bigger then 223 you had to limit how many you could put in if you really wanted to get the pins moving through them, plus the round barrel (vs the Octagon shape) just caused then to roll so the pins really didn't get inside the cases to clean them as good as the larger octagon barrel
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I totally agree I have a smaller round tumbler and the larger Octagon and the latter is much more efficient in the tumbling process
 
Extra cost ??

A tumbler is what I have been using .
But I seen the ultrasonic cleaners work , very nice .
Just a bit of price difference .
:canadaFlag:
 
And unless you spend a lot of money on an Ultrasonic cleaner, they are usually too small to to a decent batch at a time. But they do a decent job none the less.
 
Just a note... brass that is TOO clean can have its own problems.

SS tumbling can damage the brass as some have reported.

I am not a fan of wet brass especially if you cannot ensure 100% dry

Still using the good ole Walnut shells for my brass...

Jerry
 
I have all three. I use the vibratory tumbler for almost all of my brass cleaning, definatley 100% of my pistol brass. It is WAY more efficient than wet tumbling, I fill, turn on, the sift the brass out and put it right into the press. I like the fact I can laod reliable ammo from brass that was dirty 30 minutes earlier.

SS WT sure does give give you some purdy brass, but it really is a pain in the ass. All that decapping first seems like energy wasted, then you gotta get all those damn pins out of the cases and flash holes (the cleaning solution makes them cling on for dear life), then you need to ensure everything is 100% dry before you even get them near a primer or powder. Meh, SS wet tumbling is good if your selling range brass but it's WAY too over rated for home loading. I guess it appeals to the OCD guys but I'd rather be out shooting.

I also have a large 10 liter heated ultrasonic tank, I use this for cleaning complete pistols, gun parts, carburators and other intricate doodads. It works well on brass too, but again I prefer my brass dry.
 
I got a hint from a reloading supplier in Florida. He said to use Lizard Litter in my vibrating tumbler from the pet store. Ground (almond) correction... walnut shell which is finer and doesn't stick in the primers. I am going to give it a try when I get home. Second hint he said to put a few used dryer sheets in media to collect carbon and fouling which makes media last longer.
 
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I have been using a vibratory tumbler for a few years and have been pretty happy with it. For really dirty or stained brass I use ground walnut shells that i get by the 50lb bag for cheap at the local Princess Auto store. For polishing I've been using the ground corncob with the Dillion Case polish and have been very happy with the polish they get after 2-3hrs. I used to get a lot of media stuck in the flash holes but after getting a media separator from Cabela's, it's turned the 75% of casings to around 5% of casings that i now have to pick media from.
 
I use the wet rotary tumbler with SS pins for my 577/450, cleans the black powder brass great. I deprime, run the tumbler for an hour then dump the water, fill again run for a 1/2 hour and finished. Does a better job than my vibrator tumbler.
 
Mystic Precision said:
Just a note... brass that is TOO clean can have its own problems.

SS tumbling can damage the brass as some have reported.
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I"ve read reports that debunk this, The lubricity provided by the right soap means that the process is quite gentle.

Mystic Precision said:
I am not a fan of wet brass especially if you cannot ensure 100% dry
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How difficult is that?
Some guys go to extremes buying dehydrator or using their oven when really all you gotta do is towel off the excess and let the brass sit for a day.


Mystic Precision said:
Still using the good ole Walnut shells for my brass...
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If you're happy with that, great. I prefer the zero dust and 100% clean brass that comes with SST.
 
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