Turbo Tumbler died, need advice
- Thread starter phinton81
- Start date
I disagree Avenida. I had a Lyman turbo tumbler 1200, it used to take me at least 4 hours to get 300 9mm clean. Now I have the Lyman sonic cleaner, the one that holds 1.5 liters of fluid, and I can bang off 500 9mm every 10 minutes. Once I rinse off the casings I do one of 2 things, lay them spread out on a towel to dry for a day or two, or put them on a cookie sheet and pop them in the oven for a few minutes to speed up the drying process.
Point is I clean thousands of brass now in an hour and I dont think I could go back to a tumbler.
Point is I clean thousands of brass now in an hour and I dont think I could go back to a tumbler.
That seems like more work to me. Once a month I throw them in the vibration unit with a cap of polish and let them go for 4-5 hours. I do it in my basement but there is no dust that comes off mine at all. I leave it on in the evening and turn it off before I go to bed. Then I separate them with the spinning cage thing-a-ma-bob (2 minutes of spinning) and then I'm done.
Are you reloading/cleaning pistol or rifle? Do you like your brass really clean, inside and out, including primer pockets?
If you are reloading rifle and want really clean cases,, a rotary, wet tumbler with steel pins is the way to go.
If you are reloading pistol rounds, then a dry vibrating tumbler, with walnut media and an additive still works very well. The additive to the media makes all the difference, and you don't have to futz about drying the cases, and the additive eliminates the dust. With polishing additive, an hour or two in the Thumlers vibratory tumbler (the Industrial 18 lb capacity one), is usually more than enough. I have left it on accidentally for a day, and it actually polished off most of the nickel off plated brass !! It's the polishing additives that do that, not the walnut.
I have both, and use both, but for different purposes.
As for the ultrasonics, they remove surface dirt, but don't actually polish the brass.
If you are reloading rifle and want really clean cases,, a rotary, wet tumbler with steel pins is the way to go.
If you are reloading pistol rounds, then a dry vibrating tumbler, with walnut media and an additive still works very well. The additive to the media makes all the difference, and you don't have to futz about drying the cases, and the additive eliminates the dust. With polishing additive, an hour or two in the Thumlers vibratory tumbler (the Industrial 18 lb capacity one), is usually more than enough. I have left it on accidentally for a day, and it actually polished off most of the nickel off plated brass !! It's the polishing additives that do that, not the walnut.
I have both, and use both, but for different purposes.
As for the ultrasonics, they remove surface dirt, but don't actually polish the brass.
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I shoot both rifle and pistol. I just want them clean including the primer pockets. I think I will give the ultrasonic machine a try. I am not a super high volume reloader and tend to reload for each range session separately.
Thanks for the input
Patrick
hatman1793
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
The best big quantity tumbler on the market is the Dillon DL2000. Holds 1500 9mm cases or 1000 38special cases. Great with 45's too.
1st hour and a bit, just tumbling. Last 20 minutes or so with a capfull of polisher and you have clean cases. Ask me how long I have had mine....
1st hour and a bit, just tumbling. Last 20 minutes or so with a capfull of polisher and you have clean cases. Ask me how long I have had mine....
Cleans and polishes the primer pockets, and also the inside of the cases too. But you are absolutely right, SS media isn't needed all the time, and that's why I still use walnut in a vibrating tumbler too.
I sometimes buy once fired brass (50 BMG) which has been discoloured a bit by age or being outside. Cleans up the cases inside and out. Walnut media doesn't do a great job getting rid of stains and oxide from old brass, and it takes a long time. The SS pins do a spectacular job in comparison.
There are lots of threads about SS media. The "Search Thread" tool, right below the upper page number buttons. Search for stainless steel media among others.
http://www.canadiangunnutz.com/foru...d-ultra-sonic&highlight=stainless+steel+media
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this was exactly what I was referring to. the regular tumbler takes longer, but requires almost no attention after the cleaning, brass is ready to be reloaded. Two different approaches between the sonic or the the tumbler + media, the latter works better to me and my setup.
Cheers.
Cheers.
Wondering, does it produce dust ? I don't want to have my room in the basement covered with some stuff ...
This is why I'm considering sonic cleaner for my setup. But I have no experience with that, appreciate you feedback.
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"...new fandangled cleaners that use the solution..." Nothing new about that. Started out with a liquid 30 plus years ago. BIt of a nuisance drying the cases, but put 'em on a cookie sheet and into the ovet set on warm for 15 minutes.
Doesn't produce dust if an additive is used. I use Lyman Turbo Brite, it's a cream used in untreated media. 20 oz for $19 at Lebanon. Three or so cap fulls for a tumbler load of media. Don't need to add more until the media is changed. (I occasionally add a bit).
Also, the best quality vibrating tumbler is the Thumler Industrial. It's actually a rock tumbler and can be used wet or dry, and these days, makes the Dillon seem very inexpensive in comparison.........
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The motor on mine gave up the ghost after about 12 years of hard use (before I built a timer for it, it occasionally ran for days on end
). I asked them to send me a motor and I would change it myself, they sent me a new tumbler. From the phone call to the new tumbler was about 9 days.
Everyone has "their" preferred method for cleaning brass. I myself use the stainless pins and have never looked back. I previously used the Lyman turbo 1200, but hated the dust, the noise and picking bits of the flash holes and I didn't find it did a great job on the primer pockets.
I now toss the brass into the tumbler with the pins, a little dishsoap, lemishine(citric acid) and flip the switch. No dust and very little noise. On occasion I will find a couple of pins in a flash hole, but that is rare
A few hours later, I just put the brass to dry on a towel on my bench. If I need it quick I drop a light down over top as a small heat source and it is dry in no time.
Brass is super clean...inside, outside & primer pockets. Badda Bing, Badda Boom
I now toss the brass into the tumbler with the pins, a little dishsoap, lemishine(citric acid) and flip the switch. No dust and very little noise. On occasion I will find a couple of pins in a flash hole, but that is rare
A few hours later, I just put the brass to dry on a towel on my bench. If I need it quick I drop a light down over top as a small heat source and it is dry in no time.
Brass is super clean...inside, outside & primer pockets. Badda Bing, Badda Boom
