Tumblers

[chp5]

I HATE tumbling brass. I've had a small Dillon tumbler for years and it works great, but I hate seperating the media and brass.

I recently saw a Lyman tumbler that seperates the media into a seperate bowl. Here's a link: tumbler

here's a pic:

Anyone have any experience or thoughts? Thanks.

[George]

Have you not heard about the Dillon case/media separator? It’s the hottest thing since sliced bread. You don’t even have to take the tumbler bowl off, you just pick up and dump the whole tumbler right into the squirrel cage. It doesn’t cost anyhwere near what a whole new tumbler is going to.

Dillon Case/Media Separator

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Regards,

[TriggerT]

Have to agree with George. Separating the media from the cases with Dillons set up is easy, clean, and fast. The only thing I can say is I wish I had both the bigger tumbler and separator.

Hell, go find an old cement mixer and use that as your tumbler! Then you will only have to tumble and separate your brass once a year.

[Rockwell]

I have never used, or seen the Lyman Tumbler. It looks pretty cool, but if your dillon tumbler still works I would have a hard time retiring it. The price difference between a Dillon seperator and a whole new tumbler would buy quite a bit of powder, or primers, or bullets, or brass, etc. Just my $.02 worth though.

I was hand dumping my cases until Fathers Day when my wonderful kids gave me the small Dillon case/media seperator. I have to agree with George that it is the hottest thing since sliced bread, it seperates everything in a matter of seconds I only wish fathers day would have been in January.

[Hairtrigger]

I have a riend who really likes his Lyman. He is very amused at my Dillon "rafle ticket" seperator.

[shred]

Does the Lyman make a ton of noise separating out the media?

[chp5]

Have you not heard about the Dillon case/media separator? It’s the hottest thing since sliced bread. You don’t even have to take the tumbler bowl off, you just pick up and dump the whole tumbler right into the squirrel cage. It doesn’t cost anyhwere near what a whole new tumbler is going to.

Dillon Case/Media Separator

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Regards,

George,

I have a seperator from Midway that's very similar to the Dillon. I still don't like messing with it.

[chp5]

I have a riend who really likes his Lyman. He is very amused at my Dillon "rafle ticket" seperator.

HT - does your friend have the same Lyman shown in my orginal post? If so, has he had it long and how has it worked for him? Thanks.

[EricW]

Well...if you get one, post your results. I don't see how the self-draining bowl could clean out brass as well as Dillon's separator, but the price is right. CV-2001 is just over 3 gals in capacity and $153. According to Lyman, the 2500 pro magnum has 2.2 gals capacity ($110 at Cabelas).

[Guest Larry Cazes]

I use a 5 pound plastic bucket (free) that I drilled holes in the bottom of. This sits inside another 5 pound bucket (free) that is intact. Throw the cases and media into the top bucket, shake. Total cost.....free.

[.40AET]

Larry- The issue does not appear to be total cost, but how little effort is involved. I too have the midway separator and it sure makes life easy. I used to use a pasta drainer and it was a pain in the a**. The Lyman looks even better if it works. I am driven by my laziness and the Lyman looks like the ticket. Please let us know if it is as great as it looks.

[George]

George,

I have a seperator from Midway that's very similar to the Dillon. I still don't like messing with it

That’s cool, I can dig it.

[Skywalker]

Does the Lyman make a ton of noise separating out the media?

I have a Lymam tumbler similar to the one depicted since maybe 1998 (maybe turbo tumbler 1200).

I stopped long time ago using the Auto-Flo (Lyman's name for their media separating system) feature, since it makes a lot of noise, and it doesn't empty all brass from media.

I mean, the idea could be quite clever, but in reality what happens is that, upon tumbling and draining media, all brass is going to be mouth up, thus media will still stick inside the cases, and is not going to be drained.

[gm iprod]

I have used both systems. A good buddy of mine bought the Lyman and I use Dillon & Midway.

I prefer the Dillon / Midway Rotary seperators. They are simple, quick & easy, exactly how women should be. BUT AREN'T.

The Lyman system is well made and works, but it is slow, and very noisy. It also occaisionally fails to remove all the media, so does the Dillon, but not to the same extent. I find with the Lyman you have more chances to spill media from the unit when seperating. the bowl is never exactly where you need or want it. The Dillon is a little more idiot proof, which is why I like it.

You can be sifting one lot in the Dillon Rotary and have another lot already started in the tumbler. The Lyman tumblers are not as big as the Dillon and they are quite heavy.

[Skywalker]

I find with the Lyman you have more chances to spill media from the unit when seperating. the bowl is never exactly where you need or want it.

Forgot to mention about this: with Auto-Flo you're not able to put the pan right below the tumbler opening to sift media, at least if you don't raise the tumbler and have it placed directly above the pan.

If you just put the pan adjacent to the tumbler, you're going to spill some media on the ground.

Maybe a C-shaped pan, firmly attached to the tumbler base would solve this problem?

[slughammer]

I have a seperator from Midway that's very similar to the Dillon.  I still don't like messing with it.

My buddy had the Midway seperator and one of their small tumblers. When I went to the large Dillon seperator, I gave my Small Dillon seperator to my buddy.

He says the Midway seperator is a POS compared to the Dillon.

I just wish the large Dillon was even larger. If I had a small tumbler, I'd buy the large Dillon seperator.

[Loves2Shoot]

I had one and it didn't work that well for me. The Dillon works much better in my opinion.

[stryfox]

I have the midway separator. It works but I don't like it compared to my friends Dillon.

The midway one the handle falls off and is unballanced when you spin it.

Some day when I have all the other reloading goodies I want I will replace it.

It is hard to spend the cash to replace something you allready have.

[shred]

Same here.. I had the Midway separator, got a Dillon. The Midway works, sorta, but the Dillon is at least 3 times better.

[Greg G]

I have 2 buckets, one with slots cut in the bottom and one without, seems to work fine for me

[Guest Larry Cazes]

2 buckets still seem easier then what you guys describe with either of these systems......

[Jeeper]

2 buckets still seem easier then what you guys describe with either of these systems......

It might seem that way until you try it. Kind of like people not using one-shot on their brass.

[gmshtr]

After Boeshield T-9, I gave my tumbler away. After spraying a light coat of this on my dirty brass and loaded rounds (then wiping them off), my need for a tumbler went away. Damn! There I go, giving away all of my high-tech secrets.

It was developed by Boeing for use on their plane's engines.

Happy hunting!

Phil

[Guest Larry Cazes]

I've Been using 5 gallon kitty litter buckets for years. I have a dillon seperator that I won years ago that is collecting dust on the shelf because it was nowhere near as convenient. The best part about this is that they are FREE and are sealed so lead dust is not an issue. As sson as they get too grungy they get replaced with nice shiny new ones......Oh well, to each his own.

[RobT]

I have a Lyman tumbler very similar to the model pictured. I use it in conjunction with a Dillon separator. Emptying the media with the side plug just never seemed very practical.

BTW, had it about 2 years and maybe 10K brass. The plug on the side has worked loose and is now duct taped on. The plastic wing nut holding the lid has broke and I'm down until I get a replacement nut (or tumbler).

YMMV

RobT