Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles New Tumbler

My old one finally died , anybody got moderately priced one to recomend ? Probably use it 6 to 8 times a year but have gotten used to the convenience of having one . Old one is blue with gray bottom and was over 20 years old but can't remember the name brand , maybe frankfort arsenal but not sure .

I've had two out of three Frankford Arsenal tumblers die on me in less than two years of light use and the 3rd just started making noises it shouldn't. They're only $50, but I'm not using them all that often. Pretty disappointing.

Might distinguish tumbler and vibrator - I've found a quality roller bearing or pillow block with an oil cup tumbler with coated rollers and a fan cooled motor will run a much much more severe duty cycle (than a vibrator).

I've home modified roller containers with fins much like the inside of a dryer drum to have extra containers I can load and deal with later.

Possibly the vibrators would live longer with a carefully balanced and weighed load or directed cooling air on the motor or some effort on my part but maybe that defeats the purpose.

They're sold as "Vibratory Tumblers"

I don't know what you're doing with a vibrator and would prefer to keep it that way

I use an RCBS vibratory tumbler that has seen fairly heavy use in the nine years I've owned it. It still is working fine. However, they are about $90.00 now. Probably go TU tomorrow now that I bragged on it.

I've had pretty good success with a large Hornady unit I bought maybe 15 years ago, for smaller batches I use a smaller Lyman model that's called a Turbo Tumbler IIRC. The Hornady is a good bit quieter running than the Lyman if that's something that may be important to you.

I've been thru three Frankfords Arsenals, one Lyman, and one RCBS over the last twenty years. After the last one drove me nuts with the noise I bit the bullet and got a Thumler's Tumbler Ultra-Vibe 10 - it put all the others to shame. Quiet, built to last, and made in America. Probably cheaper in the long run too (it's built like a tank). I've learn my lesson.

The bitterness of poor quality is remembered long after the sweetness of low price has faded from memory.
~Aldo Gucci, 1938

I've got a Thumbler's here that's been running for at least 20 years. If it pukes, I'll buy another one.

On the ones that break, make noise or whatever.....take off the bottom and look at the steel arm that attaches to the motor.....here lies most problems and is easy to fix

And most vibratory tumblers that I have had "die" is due to a wire connection that has vibrated apart. A new connector and they are usually up and running.

Yes indeed on the easy repairs. My first Midway model started making noise a few years ago after the in line switch stopped working. Took it apart, found a loose screw, replaced the switch now I have two working units again. These things are really very simple machines.

I did have one Midway model that tried to burn down the house. That one was replaced in the recall.

When mine pucks I'm going thumblers and stainless steel