Case tumbler

I’ve been thinking about buying a rotary brass tumbler. Any recommendations? What’s everyone using?

JKR

Wet or dry tumbling? 

I've got the Frankford Arsenal Platinum tumbler which comes with everything you need for wet tumbling with SS pins and all, its worked for 4 years with no issues. Would buy it again.

zanemoseley wrote:Wet or dry tumbling? 

I've got the Frankford Arsenal Platinum tumbler which comes with everything you need for wet tumbling with SS pins and all, its worked for 4 years with no issues. Would buy it again.

 Same here.

Bill

I got and use one as well! Love it

Look up Lortone

I've got the small Frankford Arsenal wet tumbler, it will do about 300 to 400 45 cases at a time.  I deprime them, then wet tumble them for about 3 hours.  I don't have any steel pins, so the primer pockets don't get completely clean, but overall the cases look decent and work well in the loader.

I bought a Lortone QT-12 from Gil Hebard's in 1975 and it is still going strong.  It works with dry or wet media.
https://lortone.com/products/model-qt12

Same experience with the Lortone from Gil Hebard in 1979.  A little pricier now but it is a professional tumbler company that makes them for industrial users and rock hounds so if you ever need a part, they will have it.  Have to say I miss Gil Hebard's what a great man and company for pistol shooters.

+1 for Lortone. I bought used one for $100 from a gunsmith that used it when he was a rock hound out west. I'd say check out their forums and ebay for some good deals.
 Stan

Dillon vibrator with walnut shells.  Add a little car polish to make 'em shiny.

FWIW; the Harbor Freight rotary is a copy of the Lortone rotary tumbler (I believe). I had a single drum HF rotary for approx. 18 years and it worked well until I "improved" it. I now have a HF dual drum tumbler and I use custom drums (plastic jugs of about 36-48 oz.). I have used this tumbler both wet and dry for at least the last 15 years just keeping it clean and oiled...

Lortone QT 12 here. I also bought mine from Gil Hebard Guns way back when.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Lortone-Model-QT12-Rock-Tumbler-Collecting-Jewelry-Polishing-Stone-Tumbling-NEW/171182282047?hash=item27db42553f:g:iXgAAOxyLN9Sk68D

That Lortone looks way smaller than the Frankford Arsenal tumbler. Just keep that in mind if you shoot a lot.

zanemoseley wrote:That Lortone looks way smaller than the Frankford Arsenal tumbler. Just keep that in mind if you shoot a lot.

They make units from one pint to huge commercial units ?

If I had tried the Lyman tumbling media I probably wouldn't have gone to wet tumbling. A friend of mine uses it and his brass is at least 90% as clean as my wet tumbled. He doesn't deprime before cleaning so I can't comment as far as how clean it would get the primer pockets. 

https://www.cabelas.com/product/Lyman-Turbo-Tufnut-Plus-Case-Cleaning-Media-lb-Easy-Pour-Container/727258.uts

Bill

Multiracer wrote:

zanemoseley wrote:That Lortone looks way smaller than the Frankford Arsenal tumbler. Just keep that in mind if you shoot a lot.

They make units from one pint to huge commercial units ?

Yeah but the $200 QT12 everyone is linking too is very small, just pointing that out. The inside of the drum is only 7.5" deep x 6.75" Diameter, that's less than half what the Frankford unit is.

I'm too lazy for wet tumbling. Just run my tumblers outside with the lids off, and use a Dillon separator with a fan at my back to keep from breathing the dust. Not looking to get them "like new" as I feel like the squeaky clean brass causes loading issues.
YMMV

wet tumbling with dawn and liquid wax
no loading issues
Frankfort

I dry tumble with ground walnut shells and a little liquid Flitz, but here is a video of someone wet tumbling brass: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lIpNcj5f9s4

james r chapman wrote:wet tumbling with dawn and liquid wax
no loading issues
Frankfort

Jim,

What brand liquid wax?

Bill

zanemoseley wrote:Wet or dry tumbling? 

I've got the Frankford Arsenal Platinum tumbler which comes with everything you need for wet tumbling with SS pins and all, its worked for 4 years with no issues. Would buy it again.

Me too!

messenger wrote:

james r chapman wrote:wet tumbling with dawn and liquid wax
no loading issues
Frankfort

Jim,

What brand liquid wax?

Bill

I think it has a on it

Here is a pretty good article about brass cleaning from Accurate Shooter.

Bill

https://www.accurateshooter.com/technical-articles/reloading/brass-cleaning-with-stainless-media/