KeithB Posted January 22, 2008 Share Posted January 22, 2008 is it the best for the money? Has your been long lasting and trouble free? Is the Frankford tumbler decent for the money? Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kz45 Posted January 22, 2008 Share Posted January 22, 2008 My CV500 lasted about 1 1/2 years, I used it alot, I called Dillon and they are sending me another moter for 29.95, I dont think that is to bad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D.Hayden Posted January 22, 2008 Share Posted January 22, 2008 My Franford cheapie.. has been going strong for 4 years plus.. (the first one died fast, free replacement). For my money..I just don't think tumblers matter that much.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boz1911 Posted January 22, 2008 Share Posted January 22, 2008 My first Dillon CV2001 (actually a CV 2000, I believe) lasted 25 years. Dillon only warranties these for a year but they still only charged me 1/2 price to replace it. Every cheapo tumbler I have had took a crap within a couple of years. Buy Dillon! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merlin Orr Posted January 22, 2008 Share Posted January 22, 2008 Only had one.... The big Dillon. It has been through a bunch of brass. Don't know how much but I would guess over 1K gallons easy... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Norman Posted January 22, 2008 Share Posted January 22, 2008 While I feel that Dillon is #1 in progressive loading machines, the Dillon tumblers are not the best on the market. Thumlers Tumblers are without a doubt, better. I had two small Dillon tumblers and a large one. Yes they worked, but they tended to spew more than a little dust and they took time. The Thumler can actually be run without the lid! It has a shape that causes the media and brass to roll over on itself. Not cheap, but definitely a good unit. This is actually an industrial polisher. They are not cheap, you can get them from McMaster-Carr for the best price. The tub is removable so that you only have to lift it to dump it,you don't have to lift the machinery as well. Has a capacity that easily exceeds the large Dillon. If your needs are for smaller batches, Cabela's offers the smaller model. Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XD Niner Posted January 22, 2008 Share Posted January 22, 2008 My cheapo Frankford Arsenal works just fine after over a year. Obviously I don't know how long it will last but so far so good. I am pro Dillon with an XL650 and one of their primer tube loaders but a Dillon tumbler is not in my future. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adiksaputok Posted January 22, 2008 Share Posted January 22, 2008 i got a small Past tumbler that is still working (6yrs) and i retired it and now using the big giant dillon tumbler. i can clean 1 five gallon of 9mm brass for half a day 3 hours every cycle (4x) if i am using the small tumbler it will take me a week and still not done i will never change my dillon tumbler like it alot :bow: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vluc Posted January 22, 2008 Share Posted January 22, 2008 Got a Franklin from Midway 6 years ago. Wires came loose in it after a year or so, called Midway, they sent another one. I asked if they wanted the old one back and they said no. So I took the base off, saw where the wires came apart, re-wired it, and now have 2. The second one also died about 18 months later. Did the same thing. Both are set up on a timer, tumble brass for 5-6 hours each 24 hours if I don't turn them off....shiny brass! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe D Posted January 22, 2008 Share Posted January 22, 2008 Not sure if they still offer this model, but the Hornady M3 is the best I have owned. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boz1911 Posted January 22, 2008 Share Posted January 22, 2008 While I feel that Dillon is #1 in progressive loading machines, the Dillon tumblers are not the best on the market. Thumlers Tumblers are without a doubt, better. I had two small Dillon tumblers and a large one. Yes they worked, but they tended to spew more than a little dust and they took time. The Thumler can actually be run without the lid! It has a shape that causes the media and brass to roll over on itself. Not cheap, but definitely a good unit. This is actually an industrial polisher. They are not cheap, you can get them from McMaster-Carr for the best price. The tub is removable so that you only have to lift it to dump it,you don't have to lift the machinery as well. Has a capacity that easily exceeds the large Dillon. If your needs are for smaller batches, Cabela's offers the smaller model. Jim That is a good looking tumbler. Do you feel it's a faster tumbler? We IPSC shooters are always looking for speed! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mscott Posted January 22, 2008 Share Posted January 22, 2008 I borrowed a friend's Thumbler's Tumbler and wasn't all that impressed. It was plenty quiet, but took forever to get cases clean and they never were all that shiny. I have a Midway now that in 2-3 hours gives me nice shiny brass. Some guys say clean is enough, but I like slick, shiny cases for loading. My next tumbler will be the big Dillon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yoshidaex Posted January 22, 2008 Share Posted January 22, 2008 I have the smaller dillon, a frankford aresenal and a Berry's tumbler. They all work the same IMHO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aircooled6racer Posted January 22, 2008 Share Posted January 22, 2008 Hello: I have 2 Lyman tumblers and they seem to work just fine. When one of them dies I will try the large Dillon or a cement mixer ;-). Thanks, Eric Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ipscbob Posted January 22, 2008 Share Posted January 22, 2008 I have been through 2 dillon cleaners in less than a year. First one had a bad motor which started to go after 3-4 loads. Second one is having trouble starting and looks like it is terminal. I have decided to junk this one and buy a $40.00 franklin tumbler from Midway and give up on the Dillons. I had a cheapy from Midway for 5 years which ran well until I dropped it and cracked the bowl. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KeithB Posted January 22, 2008 Author Share Posted January 22, 2008 The Frankford is blue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L9X25 Posted January 22, 2008 Share Posted January 22, 2008 I have a small Dillon that is 15+ years old and have a large one that is over 10 years old. Not a single problem with either of them, but they are probably not the exact same item that is currently being sold. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KeithB Posted January 22, 2008 Author Share Posted January 22, 2008 I am starting to lean toward the Frankford one from Midway Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gm iprod Posted January 23, 2008 Share Posted January 23, 2008 I have two Midway / Frankford (1 for 8 years, 1 for 6) and 1 large Dillon (3 years) Midway / Frankford have just redesigned the tumbler to be more like the Dillon in shape (straight sided) and they seem very good. Their old seperator looks way better then the new one. But you can't have everything. I use one Midway for Moly Coating projectiles (12K per annum) and the other is for small lots of brass. The Dillon gets 20K per annum of 38Super and 5K of 9mm through it from my shooting. Plus I tumble some brass for a commercial reloader freind of mine at the rate of 2500per week. When I broke my foot I cleaned 50K 9mm once fired in ten days (daytime TV is shit). Never had a problem with any of these units. I also sell Hornady and Lyman units. I can't tell how many Dillon Tumblers I have sold, I have warranteed only one in 9 years that I sold and maybe 6 or 7 that people have purchased direct. The Midway ones I get two or three a year (we sell maybe 60 or so per year) come back for warrantee. This is not really big numbers and I do wonder how many have been mistreated looking at the condition that some come in in, and I can't even be sure that they are the ones that I sold. The most important thing is that IF something does crap out, the people put it right, and the customer is happy, no tumbler manufacturer has let me down yet, and we are 8000 miles from them. Main points. Frankford well priced and can be purchased as a complete kit with Seperator. Dillon expensive, but if you load 2000 per month then you may want the ease of only tumbling once a month. Their seperator is very good and easy to use. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toddrod Posted January 23, 2008 Share Posted January 23, 2008 Lyman 2200 - 6 years and going strong Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Boudrie Posted January 23, 2008 Share Posted January 23, 2008 My first Dillon CV2001 (actually a CV 2000, I believe) lasted 25 years. Dillon only warranties these for a year but they still only charged me 1/2 price to replace it. Every cheapo tumbler I have had took a crap within a couple of years. Buy Dillon! I have the large Dillon and it works great as long as I screw the lid down well enough. I hear they had to change motor suppliers and you can't buy motor replacements for the old units, but the 50% off is a better deal than anyone else out there will give you on a 20+ year old unit for which parts are no longer available - especially when you consider that, unlike other vendors, Dillon products do not enter the distribution chain at 40-60% off of retail. 15+ year on my Dillon tumbler and still working great. I cut the power cord and put the plug on a very short cord, and connect it to an extension cord - that way, when I carry the unit out my walkout basement to run the sifter outside, I don't have a long cord to deal with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ipscbob Posted January 24, 2008 Share Posted January 24, 2008 Hmm...Beginning to sound like the newer motors are not very reliable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gunsablazin Posted January 24, 2008 Share Posted January 24, 2008 I have a Lyman turbo tumbler that has worked for many years, when it does die I can safely say I got my moneys worth out of it. I will replace it at that time with a Dillon, you can't beat their service. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wakal Posted January 24, 2008 Share Posted January 24, 2008 One of the local...ah...innovative...guys uses a small cement mixer for a tumbler. When you buy brass in 100k lots, I guess that works The only downside is in the media. He was using kitty litter, which is cheap and works great..except when the barn cats decided that his "tumbler" was a huge toilet New motto: "Don't try to decap the lumpy brass" Alex Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmorris Posted January 24, 2008 Share Posted January 24, 2008 The Midway unit I have is an old model 1292, looks just like the Frankford arsenal just a different color (Dillon blue), it’s made in the USA and is still running after 20 years, without the cord mounted switch. However, the difference between it and the Dillon CV-2001 is substantial. My cement mixer is much better at mixing cement than polishing brass; much like polishing rocks (it takes weeks). I’ll also admit that I tried kitty litter as a media, what a mess; I bet that guy is still laughing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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