I have a Lyman and it's as noisy as an airport. It can be heard all through the house. Who makes a quiet case tumbler?

I use a Midway tumbler from the mid 1980's. It was in my basement when the basement flooded. The motor would not start when first plugged in but I dried it out with WD40 as I felt I had nothing to lose!! That was 6 years ago and it still works
It is noisier than before the flood but I have a gunroom separate from my house.
The motor is not the biggest source of noise it is the combination of brass media and the bowl. Less brass and more media is the quietiest way to go.
Also I set my tumbler on the floor ( concrete ) when it is on an I try to keep the vibration away from my powder measure and scales

[ 02-06-2003, 06:18: Message edited by: Hairtrigger ]

I think the tumbler can be made considerably more quiet by placing a rubber pad or something absorbant under it...and of course keeping the lid on it while it's tumbling. I guess if a guy were really sensitive about the noise he could put some sort of box over the thing to muffle it further. You might try just flipping a big cardboard box over the tumbler. Just be careful how hot everything gets after prolonged running. I wouldn't do this and leave the house for a day.

I've never seen a silent model.

I use a Frankford Arsenal. It to, is a little noisy. So i set it up in my garage on a small piece of carpeting. The family likes it alot better now.

That is is a sore subject! I use(d) a midway tumbler until this last week. The damn thing died on me so I have to go look for another tumbler. I don't think I will by another midway.

[ 02-06-2003, 08:54: Message edited by: mtelkhunter ]

Put it in the garage or outside under an overhang for that matter...

Don't run it in the rain!

I'm not sure, but I don;t think cases can be "over" cleaned. I regularly take dirty cases and put them in the cleaner and go do something else for a couple of hours.

I used a VibraShine for over eight years before I decided to get a Midway as a second machine. Less than 60 days later, the Midway died. They did send another one, though. Finally, the VibraShine passed away, but it gave me every penny's worth of service. Then the second Midway died after about 90 days of ownership, not 90 days of running. Again Midway replaced it. This time with a Frankford model. I went ahead and ordered another VibraShine anyway.
The Frankford is a lot louder than the older Midways and still doesn't produce the same level of agitation of media/brass as the older units. Still polishes, but takes longer.
I keep my unit in the garage, so the noise doesn't bother anyone... well maybe the neighbors!
Hockeypuck

I have a Thumbler's Tumbler. I don't think it is very loud, really the only noise it makes are the cases on the bowl.

I have the Franklin Arsenal tumbler and it's fairly quiet, I dampen the noise even more by throwing a heavy bath towel over it. When I turn it on and cover it and can't hear it upstairs.
Yardbird

I don't mean to get off the main topic here but......... Is one make of tumbler more aggressive than another? Meaning, will one do the job faster? Without additives. Or is vibration, just that, vibration? I've noticed that some sure seem to shake rattle and roll!

[ 02-07-2003, 20:48: Message edited by: Marsh Mule ]

I had a Vibra for awhile. Too noisy. I found a large rock polisher- a tumbler type- some years ago that is still working wonderfully. It is direct drive- the motor turns one of the rods the tumbler sits on. It is rubber, except for the lid and about 1.5 gallons in size. It handles large numbers of cases depending on caliber and is so quiet I have forgotten about it overnight on several occasions.
They come in various sizes new and aren't very expensive.