I don't use a gallon of water, usually just over half a gallon, I change my water halfway through the cycle though, it works better that way. I can tell you that you can't damage the tumbler itself, unless you run over it with your truck. I have used this on almost every night for over a year and haven't even lost a belt yet, they are very good units.
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Anyone using stainless tumbling?
- Thread starter b.a.customkydex
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Good to hear, Like I mentioned, I'm tempted. I had it in the cart three times until I grabbed the credit card, then I started to stutter and put the card away, lol. Trade me for yours, I have tons of stuff I don't use, whadda ya need?
I went the other direction for "cleaning" I bought an ultrasonic cleaner. I dont need large batches and so far so good. It is more cleaning then polishing. What I really hate is digging media out of primer pockets...
Not a chance. . . .lol. . . . .I really like this product, best little gadget I've bought for reloading in a while. I immediately sold me other tumbler and sonic cleaner when I got this tumbler. You need to build a drying rack when you get one though. I took a 2x12 about 3 feet long and drew a grid out on it with 1 inch squares and then I drove 16 penny galvanized nails all the way through the 2x12 and then you can hang your brass to dry when it comes out of the tumbler. You also need to get a 2 gallon bucket and a regular kitchen collander that will fit on top of the bucket. When you dump the media and brass out of the tumbler into it, it will let the media fall through the collander into your bucket and the brass will stay in the collander. I also run water over it during this process to help seperate it and rinse the soap from it in the same process. Make sure to use the Lemi- Shine that they recomend, it makes a huge difference. Here endeth the lesson. . . .lol
I do 200 pieces of 223 with 2 TBS dish soap and 1/2 tsp Lemi shine for each batch. I run the brass before and after I resize for 2 hrs each time. The flash hole is clean, the primer pocket is spotless and the brass is so shiny inside and out, you wouldn't believe it. Better than new.
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An honest opinion ...
I wrestled with a number of options and ended up building my own, one that can easily do 1,000 .223 cases per session.
That said, I will say that "if I had it to do over" I would have probably gotten a small cement mixer from Harbor Freight / Northern Tools
and replaced the included paddles with smaller / more of them. Why? Building your own is an expensive and time consuming undertaking that
will have you "out of pocket" much more than "buying". Further, small batches with a SS Tumbler are as big a job as large batches!
I do my small batches with an Ultra-Sonic cleaner .. AND (IMHO) if a large unit could do the same job on large batches of cases ... then I would seriously consider it!
A couple of "facts" to consider on SS Tumbling:
1) You will need at least 15# of SS Media to do 1,000 Case Batches (THIS IS EXPENSIVE!)
2) ANY batch (regardless of size) takes about 4 hours AND will require "sorting out" of the SS Media.
3) A batch of 1,000 Cases, Plus 15# of SS Media, Plus enough water to completely cover it, plus the weight of the tumbler tube
is about 75 # ... A lot to handle!
Although not quite as effective as the SS Tumbler, my small Ultra-Sonic Cleaner can do up to about 200 .45 ACP Cases in minutes!!!
Sometimes: "BETTER is the enemy of GOOD ENOUGH"!
People with LARGE ULTRA-SONIC's PLEASE GIVE YOUR FEEDBACK!!!
I wrestled with a number of options and ended up building my own, one that can easily do 1,000 .223 cases per session.
That said, I will say that "if I had it to do over" I would have probably gotten a small cement mixer from Harbor Freight / Northern Tools
and replaced the included paddles with smaller / more of them. Why? Building your own is an expensive and time consuming undertaking that
will have you "out of pocket" much more than "buying". Further, small batches with a SS Tumbler are as big a job as large batches!
I do my small batches with an Ultra-Sonic cleaner .. AND (IMHO) if a large unit could do the same job on large batches of cases ... then I would seriously consider it!
A couple of "facts" to consider on SS Tumbling:
1) You will need at least 15# of SS Media to do 1,000 Case Batches (THIS IS EXPENSIVE!)
2) ANY batch (regardless of size) takes about 4 hours AND will require "sorting out" of the SS Media.
3) A batch of 1,000 Cases, Plus 15# of SS Media, Plus enough water to completely cover it, plus the weight of the tumbler tube
is about 75 # ... A lot to handle!
Although not quite as effective as the SS Tumbler, my small Ultra-Sonic Cleaner can do up to about 200 .45 ACP Cases in minutes!!!
Sometimes: "BETTER is the enemy of GOOD ENOUGH"!
People with LARGE ULTRA-SONIC's PLEASE GIVE YOUR FEEDBACK!!!
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