Lyman autoflow woes

[njl]

I'm curious if anyone has figured out / built a setup to solve the problems inherent in Lyman's autoflow tumblers.  I've been using their Pro Magnum 2500 AutoFlow for years, and have struggled with the autoflow feature (remove a plug in the bottom of the bowl, run the tumbler, and it lets the media drain out, separating it from your brass for you.

 

The issues are:

 

1. The catch pan the tumbler comes with is comically too small.
2. The geometry of the tumbler and any catch dish is such that it's very difficult to actually catch all the falling media.
3. Media falling into the edge of the catch pan has a tendency to pile up and overflow the catch pan rather than spread out in the catch pan.
4. The tumbler sometimes walks around as its draining.

 

I thought I'd solved most of this using some pavers and 1x2 wood scrap to prop up the side of the catch pan catching the media and to pin the catch pan in place...but I just had to clean up a bunch of spilled media.  I'm wondering if it's worth trying to build a platform to raise and secure the tumbler and hold the catch dish under the tumbler such that the media flow lands more toward the center of the catch pan?  What I've been using for a catch pan for most of the decade+ I've been running this tumbler is a Little Giant HP8 2 gallon feed pan.  I found it a local feed store, and it seemed like it'd do the job.

 

 

Edited November 22, 2022 by njl

[rishii]

I had one, I gave up using the port and glued it shut and got a Dillon media separator 

faster and way less aggravation, my plug came loose a couple of times and dumped all the media on the floor, plus when I did use the port the racket it made loud

[njl]

Yeah...it does get louder when its tumbling just brass.  IIRC, it came with 2 plugs for the autoflow.  I'm into my second one now, as the first eventually deteriorated (or maybe I killed it with media additives back when I experimented with that).

[RePete]

I was never sold on it.   Had a 2200 auto flo given to me  and after trying it a couple of times, I ditched the bowl and put a 1200 bowl on it and it works way better but with fewer cases.