I am going to switch from vibratory.

Question:
Which is the way to go...SS pin media in tumbler or ultrasonic?

After voting...please comment on the specific tumbler or U/S machine you would get. Thanks in advance!

Choices:
Ultrasonic.
SS media in Tumbler.

 

RCBS sidewinder tumbler.

I'll stay with my "Thumbler's Tumbler". It holds a lot of brass, cleans it fast, it's quiet, and it has worked for the last thirty-five years trouble free. If I ever need a new tumbler I will just get the next size up.

Harbor Freight's Ultrasonic Cleaner. I gave my BNIB vibrating brass cleaner to my buddy David.

seeing how I used a midway vibrating tumbler (Frankfort Arsenal_)for about 30 years before it wore out....... and they replaced it FREE under lifetime warranty, I'll stick with it!

posted 21 October 2013 19:48 Hide Post
seeing how I used a midway vibrating tumbler (Frankfort Arsenal_)for about 30 years before it wore out....... and they replaced it FREE under lifetime warranty, I'll stick with it!

i also use the MIDWAY VIBRATING BRAND.. 20 years now.. still going

I use stainless steel pins in a Thumler's Tumbler. It gets the cases VERY clean without leaving any lube or other residue on or even in the cases. For those compulsive folks who like clean primer pockets; well it gets them pristinely clean also.

I'm a user of the Thumbler's Tumbler with SS media, too.

quote:

Originally posted by graybird:
I'm a user of the Thumbler's Tumbler with SS media, too.

+1 and no more cleaning primer pockets sold me

I find that I just don't clean brass that much anymore.......

Wipe it off whie inspecting and then load it up.



.

I like the concept of stainless but I voted ultrasonic, I have good luck with it.

Stainless is chewing on the brass and weakening it by my thoughts.

I've been using SS for about a year and I sure can't find anything wrong with that method. The old media is a joke compared to the SS method so far.

My tumbler was given to me years ago when everyone wanted to switch to the vibratory style so it's so old I can't read the brand.

My guess is that it was made originally for polishing rocks.

I have been using walnut media for more than 35 years and it has always worked well. If you need to get rid of the dust you can rinse the media in a sieve and then dry it. there are all kinds of additives that I don't use because I don't need them. I like to keep things simple and cleaning brass in a liquid - with or without steel pins - just adds to the complexity and has no value to me. The tumbler I use was made to polish rocks - it is as tough as nails and I have never had trouble with it. I have a vibratory cleaner that I use when I don't need to be in a hurry and I am not going to have to listen to it. Neither of my cleaners will see a liquid bath media - it isn't necessary and it complicates the process.

quote:

Originally posted by Dom:

quote:

Originally posted by graybird:
I'm a user of the Thumbler's Tumbler with SS media, too.

+1 and no more cleaning primer pockets sold me

This!

quote:

Originally posted by graybird:
I'm a user of the Thumbler's Tumbler with SS media, too.

Me too. By far the best I've found. I use Dawn detergent & Lemishine & water to clean, then rinse. I decap them first with a Lee decaping tool & it cleans out the primer pocket. I always decap with rifle rounds, depends on my mood with pistol rounds.

Thumbler's Tumbler with SS media.

I've used both. Walnut media cleans but doesn't really shine unless rouge is used. Then I need to tumble again to get the rouge off.

The SS media makes horrible looking, sun bleached brass look brand new in about an hour. Make that truly brand new. Squeaky clean with no residue. Use the recommended amount of lemme shine, not too much.

Drawbacks are higher intial cash outlay, but that goes away quickly. Also requires some finesse so you don't lose it when you rinse. I developed a system so it's easy now. Rinse in a large, square plastic pail in the sink and use a deep fry basket from a thrift store to separate media from brass. Also, I decap so the media cleans the primer pockets.

IMO, nothing cleans better.

Something to keep from losing stainless steel pins. I have two bar magnets. One to catch those that get out of my rinse pan and another to get the ones I drop on the carpet when I'm sorting brass in front of the TV.

Funny how times and I change.

For 20 years I never cleaned my brass and it worked fine. Then I got into cleaning because of the press I read. Ended up 38 years ago with a Thumler's Tumbler, and used several different kinds of media...corn cobs, walnut hulls, steel pins, and with and without liquids added. Also tried just plain liquids in the Thumler.

They all worked fine.

And TIME PASSED as it seems to have a habit of doing. Added three Midway vibratory tumblers and one of the humongous Dillon's to my stable. Love the Dillon, as I can do a LOT of brass with it.

But, about 10 years go, I said the heck with them all. I still HAVE them all, but I haven't used any of them much since then for anything except cleaning range pick-up brass so I can inspect it better.

(And yes, I can hear the cries even out here in the AZ desert..."You use range pick-up brass?!! I would never let any of that stuff near MY precious guns!!!"

Well, yes I have used it for over 50 years, and have even bought some guns just because I have so much of it...like over three bushels of '06 brass, almost two bushels of .257 Roberts brass, and God only knows how much .223, .30-30 and .308 brass.)

Whatever tumbler or media you choose will likely serve you well. Buy whatever you think will be easiest for you to both afford and use, and you'll be happy with it.

I'm glad I am not the only one that picks up range brass. Most of it still looks new, been once fired, and reloads just fine. It all goes through the same prep as new brass and separated for weight / volume. I still tumble my brass with walnut - I get it at the "local" feed and grain store for about 1/10 the cost at the gun store.

I pick up every single piece of CF brasss I find

It's like picking up quarters

Thumblers Tumbler. I have an old rock tumbler that I used to use with corncob media and an old vibratory machine.

I am addicted to scrounging brass. The first twenty minutes at range is brass pickup.

I use a po boy SS pin rig. Bought cheap Harbor Freight tumbler, a two pound refresher pack of pins, and that about right. I am sure there are better rigs but I am happy with what I got.

Sonic cleaned or shot tumbled? Whatever gets you through the day. It's interesting that it's a big deal to some people that their brass has to be perfectly shinny.

I use range brass!

I would like to thank all those unknown shooters who have contributed to my passion!

quote:

Originally posted by jcinnb:
I am addicted to scrounging brass. The first twenty minutes at range is brass pickup.

I use a po boy SS pin rig. Bought cheap Harbor Freight tumbler, a two pound refresher pack of pins, and that about right. I am sure there are better rigs but I am happy with what I got.

Where did you buy the 2 lb pack of SS pins?

quote:

Originally posted by Rusty:
I use range brass!

I would like to thank all those unknown shooters who have contributed to my passion!

Absolutely!!

We use both methods.

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:
We use both methods.

Hi Saeed,
Could you elaborate on why you use both?

Does each method have some advantages over the other?

I have always used vibratory with walnut hulls and have never been that happy with it. I don't clean all the brass I load by any means but when I do clean it...I would like it to look near new WITH CLEAN PRIMER POCKETS...never have I achieved that in vibratory with hulls.

quote:

Originally posted by jcinnb:
I am addicted to scrounging brass. The first twenty minutes at range is brass pickup.
.

+1

Every once in a great while I might wash some brass about the only cleaning it gets.

Always thought about getting a tumbler but never had one.

They sure make pretty brass some day I might have to have one. Waited only 50 years or so for one.

quote:

Originally posted by ledvm:

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:
We use both methods.

Hi Saeed,
Could you elaborate on why you use both?

Does each method have some advantages over the other?

I have always used vibratory with walnut hulls and have never been that happy with it. I don't clean all the brass I load by any means but when I do clean it...I would like it to look near new WITH CLEAN PRIMER POCKETS...never have I achieved that in vibratory with hulls.

This is the problem I had with my vibratory tumblers. The best with a vibratory tumbler was with walnut but still doesn't achieve the same level as with my Thumbler with water, about 5 lbs of stainless steel pins, Dawn, and Lemishine. In addition, walnut media was more dusty, even with a 'Snuggle', or equivalent anti-static sheet. The walnut and vibratory tumbler was OK with pistol rounds but I didn't de-prime them before cleaning the brass and on occasion the primer wouldn't seat fully. I had to put those in 'to be pulled box'. I never had a mis-fire but worried about a primer that was sticking out a bit.

Last winter, when I started cleaning and reloading bottleneck rifle rounds, I felt I needed to kick my brass cleaning up a notch, especially the primer pockets.

Re-sizing clean rifle brass is a lot easier and less traumatic on the dies than dirty brass.

I like to look into the brass to see the level of the powder. This too is easier with clean brass.

With pistol rounds, I rarely trimmed cases and had no issues, even with auto-loaders. I've spent the last few months reloading rifle rounds . I had forgotten how fast pistol rounds were in a progressive press. Rifle rounds did step my attention to detail up a couple notches.

I still clean loaded rounds in my vibratory tumbler that are jacketed with corn cob and a teaspoon of isopropyl alcohol to make them look like new and keep them in an airtight container on plastic bag to keep them looking like new.