IGOTGLOCKED Posted December 23, 2016 Share Posted December 23, 2016 I'll apologize up front if this is a duplicate post... I have a Frankfort arsenal tumbler I bought when I first began reloading almost two years ago. I have run this machine so hard and continuous I can't believe it is still running for $35! I went downstairs this morning to mix a new batch of soup and it wouldn't start. I could hear a hum so I (unplugged it) took the bottom off and the spinner motor seemed to be stuck. I sprayed it with a tiny bit of WD-40, turned the switch on jump started it with my finger and it has now been running for a couple of hours. Now it might have only been some media that jammed it up however if it is on it's way out I'm asking for ugly honesty as what to consider and what to not consider. I want to stay with dry cleaning. I suspect the Dillon is a good one but I think their warranty on electronics is only one year..? Much appreciation from IGG! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kaldor Posted December 23, 2016 Share Posted December 23, 2016 Id run the FA till it dies Id start with the little TLC on the old one. Pull the motor off, clean it, a little 3 in 1 oil on the bushings/bearings, test run it without it being hooked up. If it runs, put it back together and keep running it. In the meantime, that will give you time to figure out what you want to buy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IGOTGLOCKED Posted December 23, 2016 Author Share Posted December 23, 2016 2 minutes ago, Kaldor said: Id run the FA till it dies Id start with the little TLC on the old one. Pull the motor off, clean it, a little 3 in 1 oil on the bushings/bearings, test run it without it being hooked up. If it runs, put it back together and keep running it. In the meantime, that will give you time to figure out what you want to buy. thx, I will for sure. It has been a great machine, quite unbelievable for $35! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kaldor Posted December 23, 2016 Share Posted December 23, 2016 Cant say Ive ever heard anyone say anything bad about the Lyman tumblers either. I thought about buying an AutoFlow before I built my SSTL wet tumbler as I hate screwing around with the media. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeerBaron Posted December 24, 2016 Share Posted December 24, 2016 I've been running my little Lyman 1200 for a few years. Pretty good for the $$. One thing I notice is some shit tumblers don't get the proper tumbling effect (the media and brass just kind of vibrate or tumble very slowly). That tumbling is what gets the brass clean and polished. My Lyman still has brass and media tumbling rapidly. Plus it comes with a free batch of their media. And the slotted lid makes media separating easy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BadShot Posted December 24, 2016 Share Posted December 24, 2016 I finally burnt out my Midway tumbler after many years of hard use. I went with this, expensive but extremely high quality : http://ads.midwayusa.com/product/115086/thumlers-tumbler-ultra-vibe-10-case-tumbler-110-volt?cm_mmc=pf_ci_google-_-Reloading+-+Metallic+Reloading+Equipment+(Not+Presses)-_-Thumler's-_-115086&gclid=CIKXgNfSi9ECFcO1wAod0lwC2w Skip Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IGOTGLOCKED Posted December 24, 2016 Author Share Posted December 24, 2016 Someone (perhaps Sarge?) mentioned they noticed their tumble and circulation both became faster with the top on the tumbler. This made me curious so I experimented with mine (Frankford Arsenal) and mine is noticeably faster with the lid off or at least as loose as possible. So I put a hose washer under the flat washer that goes on prior to the wing nut however I also put another rubber washer between the top of the flat washer and the wing nut. These rubber washers allow me to leave the wing nut quite loose and not rattle the lid, and most importantly this allows the tumbler to maintain it's fastest spin and tumble. Anyone else notice this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IGOTGLOCKED Posted December 26, 2016 Author Share Posted December 26, 2016 I'm still a little hung up on the lid / no lid question on my tumbler. When I take the lid off it rotates and tumbles about twice as fast. Why can I not leave the lid off which one would have to assume would clean the casings faster..? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
9x45 Posted December 26, 2016 Share Posted December 26, 2016 (edited) I ran mine until the bowl wore thru the bottom from tumbling, media spilling out all over. Then I got a Harbor Freight bowl replacement bowl for like $12 and it is still running, almost 20 years now. My method is to run walnut, loaded with 2 teaspoons of mineral oil, for cleaning only, makes the media last 100 times longer, and it is dustless, no lid. then in a 2nd tumbler (FrankFord EZ on sale at Midway) with corn, with 2 teaspoons of NuFinish car polish, to put the shine and slippery on it. open top, no dust, slippery enough to load with out case lube, I mean slick. Don't think there is a need for a higher $$ one unless you need more capacity. I run mine overnight because it's an off line operation. They do run faster without the lid on, and quite with the additives, dustless. Turns range rejects into shiny happy brass. Not as good as wet SS pin tumbling, but with hardly any effort. My kid runs the wet setup, but then he has OCD, and thinks the primer pocket has to be clean as new (he'll learn eventually). Doesn't help him one bit when he walks by a target and takes 2 Mikes, a failure and doesn't earn the 10 points for the 2 As he missed (worrying about primer pockets!) Edited December 26, 2016 by 9x45 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
9x45 Posted December 26, 2016 Share Posted December 26, 2016 Corn on the left, turning green from the brass, walnut on the right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IGOTGLOCKED Posted December 27, 2016 Author Share Posted December 27, 2016 28 minutes ago, 9x45 said: I ran mine until the bowl wore thru the bottom from tumbling, media spilling out all over. Then I got a Harbor Freight bowl replacement bowl for like $12 and it is still running, almost 20 years now. My method is to run walnut, loaded with 2 teaspoons of mineral oil, for cleaning only, makes the media last 100 times longer, and it is dustless, no lid. then in a 2nd tumbler (FrankFord EZ on sale at Midway) with corn, with 2 teaspoons of NuFinish car polish, to put the shine and slippery on it. open top, no dust, slippery enough to load with out case lube, I mean slick. Don't think there is a need for a higher $$ one unless you need more capacity. I run mine overnight because it's an off line operation. They do run faster without the lid on, and quite with the additives, dustless. Turns range rejects into shiny happy brass. Not as good as wet SS pin tumbling, but with hardly any effort. My kid runs the wet setup, but then he has OCD, and thinks the primer pocket has to be clean as new (he'll learn eventually). Doesn't help him one bit when he walks by a target and takes 2 Mikes, a failure and doesn't earn the 10 points for the 2 As he missed (worrying about primer pockets!) Thanks for the quick comeback 9x45! I clean indoors (basement), so no concerns regarding any toxins spewing into the air with the lid off? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve RA Posted December 27, 2016 Share Posted December 27, 2016 I assume the top pic are yours and the bottom pic are your sons ! SS believer !! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
9x45 Posted December 27, 2016 Share Posted December 27, 2016 Steve, Yes, but no worries about residual lead. Keep in mind that about 20% of the lead you breathe in comes from the lead styphnate in the primer, but virtually all of that is exhausted during firing. IGot, no, remember it's almost a wet slurry, not quite, but nothing comes off. If it's too wet, it runs slow, just the right mixture, it runs fine, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IGOTGLOCKED Posted December 27, 2016 Author Share Posted December 27, 2016 1 hour ago, 9x45 said: Steve, Yes, but no worries about residual lead. Keep in mind that about 20% of the lead you breathe in comes from the lead styphnate in the primer, but virtually all of that is exhausted during firing. IGot, no, remember it's almost a wet slurry, not quite, but nothing comes off. If it's too wet, it runs slow, just the right mixture, it runs fine, Thx! So the lid is really nothing more than a dust cover..? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve RA Posted December 27, 2016 Share Posted December 27, 2016 I'd like to hear the theories on why it would tumble better with the lid than without - or the other way around ??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flatland Shooter Posted December 27, 2016 Share Posted December 27, 2016 I bought my Ultra-Vibe back in the 80's and it is still running strong. As for lid or no lid, I threw away the lid shortly after I bought it. Back then we were not smart enough to worry about lead in the air. I was more concerned about the time wasted putting the lid on and off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IGOTGLOCKED Posted December 27, 2016 Author Share Posted December 27, 2016 15 hours ago, Steve RA said: I'd like to hear the theories on why it would tumble better with the lid than without - or the other way around ??? No idea, however the difference is clear... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve RA Posted December 27, 2016 Share Posted December 27, 2016 Fair enough, I'll try mine next time both ways and see if it favors one over the other. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IGOTGLOCKED Posted December 28, 2016 Author Share Posted December 28, 2016 Ok, decision made. Dillon CV-2001 ordered! It seems most warranties were about a year, except Harbor Freight is 90 days. CV-2001 = larger motor, larger capacity (12 & 1/2 quart) & heavier gauge bowl. And I spoke to Dillon specifically about their tumblers and they made mention of different scenarios they handled warranty issues in keeping with their outstanding reputation. No surprise there! Cheers! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottyPotty Posted January 4, 2017 Share Posted January 4, 2017 (edited) I started with the FA and they warranty replaced 3 tumblrs for me before I had enough. I picked up an old midway tumblr and it has been pretty good. I saw the Cabela's tumbler on sale for $40 and it has been great. Its been going for 2 years now and it is quieter and faster than the midway. I don't run lids on my tumblers - never bothered with it. Edited January 4, 2017 by ScottyPotty Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Phillips Posted January 5, 2017 Share Posted January 5, 2017 I have had a FA for 10 years. A wire came loose on the motor a couple of years ago, but it was an easy fix. I have also been running a Lyman for about 4 years and am very happy. The green Lyman treated media with occasional doses of hornady case polish seems to do a good job as a one size fits all cleaning solution. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rooster Posted January 5, 2017 Share Posted January 5, 2017 I have a old midway that's been going strong for over 20 years. IIRC they had a recall for possible fire hazard. I never sent it in because I tumble outside on my porch. I never new about the lid thing. I'll try next time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IGOTGLOCKED Posted January 6, 2017 Author Share Posted January 6, 2017 I received my Dillon tumbler today, this is huge compared to the FA I had been using! It will clean 2000 9's which is about 4x what my FA cleaned and it takes half the time - this is awesome! (It is noisy though...) IGG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AzShooter Posted January 6, 2017 Share Posted January 6, 2017 Make sure the lid is tight and the noise will go away. I left mine on top of my loading bench and that helped eliminate the noise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IGOTGLOCKED Posted January 6, 2017 Author Share Posted January 6, 2017 5 hours ago, AzShooter said: Make sure the lid is tight and the noise will go away. I left mine on top of my loading bench and that helped eliminate the noise. Bingo AzShooter! I put another batch on this morning turned it on and tightened the lid until it stopped. I think it is now actually quieter than my old FA was! It is unbelievable how well and how quick it cleans, it has literally cut my batch time in half and cleans about four times as many in one batch! Running my FA for three hours + didn't clean this well and the tumbling action is incredible. I've only cleaned a few batches so far however I am REALLY pleased with what I am seeing! If anyone is considering a new tumbler, I'd suggest you really look at the Dillon CV-2001... Thanks again for the tip! Cheers! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now