EricW Posted August 23, 2004 Share Posted August 23, 2004 The motor in my small Dillon tumbler is getting ready to kick the bucket. Bearings are shot. Since my tumbler is out of warranty - I get to buy a new motor. Anybody tried to find a better replacement motor with decent bearings? I really don't feel like buying a new tumbler and/or motor every 3 years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheOtherErik Posted August 23, 2004 Share Posted August 23, 2004 At best, you could take the tumbler apart and get the dimensions and ratings and or manufacture w/ part number and give a place like this a try. Or take the motor apart and try to find bearings. However it would be a lot less hassle to buy a new one. I still think you can get one from midway for about 30 bucks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EricW Posted August 23, 2004 Author Share Posted August 23, 2004 I'd buy a Midway, but would prefer not to have the shop burn down. Their reputation is not the best. My grandpa's rock tumbler ran 24/7 for DECADES. There has to be a motor in the $50 range with actual bearings that can handle more than a .001% duty cycle. I don't mind paying good money for stuff - if it lasts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KentG Posted August 23, 2004 Share Posted August 23, 2004 You might want to try Grainger as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scooter Posted August 23, 2004 Share Posted August 23, 2004 If it is just the bearings, just get new bearings. Bearing sizes are pretty much standardize world wide. You can get bearings locally, just look in the yellow pages for bearings or order them online from places like http://www.mcmaster.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jasonub Posted August 23, 2004 Share Posted August 23, 2004 if its just bearings just pop it out and buy the bearing and pop the new one in. if the motor is already shut or has its coils burned then you can have it rewinded though i dont know if there is a rewinding shop in the usa. In our country there a dime a dozen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davecutts Posted August 23, 2004 Share Posted August 23, 2004 the same thing happened to mine, I sprung for shipping to dillon and they fixed it for twenty bucks wich included shipping back to me. I thought it was fair, and no hunting all over town for bearings and shiet like that only to find out it you fixed the wrong thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benos Posted August 23, 2004 Share Posted August 23, 2004 I don't know, maybe they're not as good as they used to be, because I used the same CV-2000 virtually forever and never had any problems with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EricW Posted August 24, 2004 Author Share Posted August 24, 2004 Brian, This is the only the second thing of Dillon's that I haven't thought was spectacular, so I guess that's OK. Everyone else's tumbler would have died two years ago, so it's not like Dillon isn't putting out a better product. I just wish it would last longer. =================================================== Dillon declined to send me a new motor to install myself. Apparently, they've made some changes over the years and need to see the tumbler to know how to repair it. I'm guessing one change is the brand of the motor as the one in there is damned near impossible to cross reference. For $27.50, Dillon will refurbish the tumbler and return it to me. It cost me $7 to get there, so basically my tumbler will be fixed for under $35. Fair enough. I'd like to say that made me happy, but I have been seriously considering buying the CV-2000. I doubt I'll go through with it now. I frequently leave the tumbler running unattended or overnight. I think I'm seriously going to consider making my own tumbler out of surplus parts and some steel. I especially don't feel good about using a tumbler that (apparently) has no thermal overload protection. That motor was HOT last night. I think I'll just use a washing machine motor to spin a 5 gal. plastic bucket. That'll do the trick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nik Habicht Posted August 24, 2004 Share Posted August 24, 2004 Eric, don't let ZuZu know or she'll have you building another webpage for the store..... OTOH if you keep this up, you might not need to go jobhunting when you finish the degree --- as you contimue to improve competition shooting equipment..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
21 shooter Posted August 24, 2004 Share Posted August 24, 2004 My Dillon tumber gave out after a number of years. I called about the motor, and they said they did not even make those anymore. I shipped it to them, and they sent me a new one. Which is another reason most everything on my bench is blue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kimel Posted August 24, 2004 Share Posted August 24, 2004 When my uncle got into commercial reloading he was doing it on the cheap and he made a huge tumbler. Took a very large fiberboard barrel (probably 75 gal) and build some paddles inside it to give more agitation. Mounted this on rollers laying horizontally (it had a locking end cap) and turned it with an old washing machine motor hooked to one of the rollers. I forget how many cases he could tumble in this thing at one time but it was a small wheelbarrow load. The fiberboard barrels would wear out now and then but he had them sourced from somewhere for free so he didn't care. Now with the big plastic barrels available cheaply that wouldn't wear out so quickly...who knows? Then there are the small plastic barrel cement mixers... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jasonub Posted August 24, 2004 Share Posted August 24, 2004 .Then there are the small plastic barrel cement mixers... also there are truck cement mixers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dead Buff Posted August 24, 2004 Share Posted August 24, 2004 Eric...first the sights now the tumbler...what else? You seem to be the one to hit all the MTBF....that should change to MEBF (Mean Eric's Between Failure) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diehli Posted August 24, 2004 Share Posted August 24, 2004 Eric...first the sights now the tumbler...what else? You seem to be the one to hit all the MTBF....that should change to MEBF (Mean Eric's Between Failure) Erik is the sight-breaker. Eric is the Enosverse master of invention. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uscbigdawg Posted August 24, 2004 Share Posted August 24, 2004 Binford 6100? Rich Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
schmitz Posted August 24, 2004 Share Posted August 24, 2004 My Dillon tumber gave out after a number of years. I called about the motor, and they said they did not even make those anymore. I shipped it to them, and they sent me a new one. Which is another reason most everything on my bench is blue. My bench is Blue but my tumbler is Green (RCBS) I own this machine since 1998, it tumbled ++++++K cases, stills runs great! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EricW Posted August 27, 2004 Author Share Posted August 27, 2004 I think I'll just use a washing machine motor to spin a 5 gal. plastic bucket. That'll do the trick. It did the trick. It's currently spinning a 2 gal. bucket, but the fiver will be on there before the weekend is out. I'll post a picture when it's painted and purdy. If you have the means, building a bucket spinner is vastly superior to the vibe bowl style tumblers. It's easy to keep the mess outside where it belongs and its quiet. My cost to build a 5 gallon brass cleaner will be about $75 all told. Unless something really weird happens, I don't think I'll be going back to shake, rattle, and roll any time soon. The key to doing it cheap is finding a low rpm motor. I lucked out and got a used 700 rpm fractional horse motor for $25. Use a 1750 rpm motor and you're going to have to put and extra belt in to step it down. My bucket's turning about 95 rpm, which is about as fast as you can go and get the brass to tumble. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevin c Posted August 28, 2004 Share Posted August 28, 2004 Eric, we really have to change your nick name to "The McGyver of the Enosverse" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CenTX Posted August 30, 2004 Share Posted August 30, 2004 Your tumbler should do a good job polishing magazines as well. My Frankford Arsenal vibrating tumbler does a good job on 140mm, but a 170mm mag won't fit. Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dead Buff Posted August 30, 2004 Share Posted August 30, 2004 My Frankford Arsenal vibrating tumbler does a good job on 140mm, but a 170mm mag won't fit. Why tumble a mag? Oil and a brush normally do it...or am I missing another piece of this puzzle? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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