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Marshal Chance Morgun

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I've decided to get into reloading. Got everything I need except a tumbler. I'm only planning on about 2,500-3,000 rounds (.38 special)a year. Been looking at the Lyman 1200 Auto-Flo, and the Frankford Arsenal Quick-N-EZ Kit. Pros, Cons, better choices for the money? Thanks, MCM

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I've decided to get into reloading. Got everything I need except a tumbler. I'm only planning on about 2,500-3,000 rounds (.38 special)a year. Been looking at the Lyman 1200 Auto-Flo, and the Frankford Arsenal Quick-N-EZ Kit. Pros, Cons, better choices for the money? Thanks, MCM

 

Take a look at the Thumblers Tumbler. I have two and the original has served me well for over 30 years. I bought a used one at a gun show for $75 over 20 years ago and they have both run well over a thousand hours. I just put two drops of oil where it shows on the motor about twice a year. Most of the others haven't impressed me much.

Wells Fargo

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I don't know anything about the ones you said, but I do have Lyman's 2500, very happy with it, around 7 years old and still running strong, I also have the Dillon 500, I'm on my 2nd one, the motor went out on the first one after 6 years, I picked up another 500 as a spare so I'm using it also, I picked up another Lyman's 2500 as a spare since I run 2 tumblers at a time, this is in case the Dillon goes bad like the first one, like I said the Lyman 2500 is running strong and keeps on ticking after 7 years, that is why I bought another one.

 

Good luck on your choice, many to choose from, some cheap and some not so cheap, you get what you pay for, and basically they only carry a one year warranty since it has electrical parts.

 

 

 

All for now JD Trampas

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I had a Midway (now Frankford). I wore out some bowls (replacement parts are available). It worked fine but was too noisy for my use and I sold it to a pard who uses it in his barn. I replaced it with a Thumblers that is much quieter and I doubt I will ever wear out its thick bowl.

 

BTW, search the Wire for "lizard litter" and learn about an inexpensive source of tumbling media.

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I have a Lyman auto-flo It's actually the 2nd one because the first overheated the motor and melted.Sent it back to Lyman and they replaced it for free. It has got a LOT of use,I have it on a timer that turns it on for a 2 hour run every day so my brass is bright and shiny when I'm ready to load.Can't get better than that. Just make sure you have airflow under the unit so you don't have a meltdown like I did. :blush:

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I too am getting back into reloading and couldn't resist the temptation to jump on the Frankford-Arsenal cheapo tumbler on sale at Midway for $40 MidwayUSA especially since I've read/heard plenty of good and bad about everything that costs under $150. I use it in my shop so noise is zero issue.....and isn't that bad to me.....to each his own I guess.

So far, I've cleaned about 3000 38 spec. cases using both walnut and corn cob with zero issues. I'd like something nicer and probably will someday but for the money, who cares.....I've got clean and shiny cases and I know midway will exchange if it pukes in a short time (can't remember what or even know if I looked at a warranty for $40).

 

Off topic a bit but FYI,

I picked up a 25lb. bag Walnut from Pet Smart for around $20 LINKand found a 40 lb bag of corn cob blast media at Grainger for around $26 Corn Cob. Both have very similar and effective grit/grain size.

 

Combined a capful of Nu-Finish car polish to corn cob and brass looks pretty darn nice, clean, and shiny.

I'm very pleased with the results of all.

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Back to the original question..2500 3500 rounds/year is not that much. Less than 100/week. Back when health and $$ allowed, I was shooting 2-300 rounds most weeks.

 

I have a Frankford Arsenal cheapo that's still running fine after about 8 years. For what is considered a small amount, I would go to the cheaper end and look at it as a throwaway and replace when it dies.

 

Monco,

Thanks for the Nu-Finish tip, never heard of that. Always used Brasso with pet store corn cob bedding.

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Howdy Brass Polishers,

 

Just so you know, Lyman is a client of mine so I'm biased but honest. Naturally I have used their Turbo Tumblers for years (They actually introduced the vibratory style "tumblers"). They are noisy, but do a great job.

 

Now, here's my advice after years of dumping, auto-floing and hand separating brass from the polishing media. First, get the largest machine you can afford. And B., Get a Turbo Brass & Media Separator (other companies also offer similar devices). It's a rotating, squirrel cage basket inside of a larger housing. You pour the brass and media into the open cage, close the cage, close the housing and rotate the cage with the handles on the outside of the housing. The media falls through and the media-free brass stays in the cage.

 

The Brass &Media separator sells at retail for less than $40.00 and is worth every penny. I'd even suggest getting a slightly smaller tumbler to afford the Separator if money's tight (like money is ever loose.). If you process a lot of brass to keep up with your Cowboy Shooting, you'll know the first time you use the separator what a benefit it is.

 

Them's my thoughts,

 

Reverend Chase

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Several years ago I started searching for one as well. I too don't reload a lot, so a small one would work well.. but had to be MADE IN THE USA. In my search I found Berry's Manufacturing out of Utah (Berry's website) It is a small 4gt tumbler with a lifetime warranty on plastic and 3 years on motor. Upon further searching I found that it is the same Tumbler that Cabela's offers with their name on it "Model 400" (Cabela's Tumbler) So I purchased the complete package from Cabela's and have been very happy. And you can never beat the fact it is made in the USA.

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I have an RCBS,a Berry and a Dillon.My Dillon was more expensive but is much quieter.For the amount of cleaning that you are planning to do in one year,you can get by with the cheaper ones.They all do the same thing,clean brass.

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Frankford Arsenal has worked for me! 1 motor burned up after 3 or 4 years but at the cheap price so what! One tip; if it stops working take apart and the wires that clip to the motor might have vibrated off!

 

My Frankford gave up the ghost after about three years too. The wires came off the motor a couple of times, and the motor finally smoked. After doing some research, I got a Berry's 400 => http://www.cabelas.com/tumblers-scales-cabelas-case-tumbler.shtml

 

It has a better motor, a bigger fan, runs quieter, is all USA made, and at $50 is the best deal out there for a tumbler.

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My 2.5 year old green one (4 initials) died this spring. I was going to by a Dillon but their warranty on their tumbler motors is not that great. I bought the Lyman 2200 Turbo Tumbler. I is very quiet due to the tumbler bowl material. It's suppose to have a heavy duty motor. It's been running fine for 6+ months. I use it once a week for 6 hours of case cleaning.

 

Here is a link to Lyman's web site and the machine, I bought it through Cabelas. http://www.lymanproducts.com/lyman/tumblers/2200-auto-flo-tumblers.php

 

TB

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I guess I'm just frugal, but I find that a $3.00 plastic collander fits perfectly over a plastic bucket, and all you have to do to seperate media from brass is just shake it in a circular motion a few times. Works perfectly, and keeps money in my pocket.....As I said, guess I'm just frugal... :blink:

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I think the Frankfort Arsenal Kit from Midway is a good buy. It has the tumbler, the separator, media and polish, all packed in a bucket to use with the separator.

 

For what you get, I'd say it's very reasonably priced, and it works just great. My son just bought one so we'll see how it goes. First uses have been very satisfactory.

 

I use a Lyman Turbo that is at least 25 years old, and recently purchased the Frankfort Arsenal rotary separator to replace the old basket type separator that I have used for years. The separator is well worth the cost and is very fast and efficient.

 

RBK

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When I bought my Dillon 550 I bought the Tumbler,seperator,media and polish at the same time.Been using it for 3 1/2 yrs now.Probably has around 10-12000 rounds run through it and have had no problems yet.But,it's man made and anything man made breaks down sooner or later.

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I have two units A Hornady and a Lyman 2500 with "Auto-flow" ,,,,,, I will never buy another Auto-flow unit ...

The Hornady unit is the quietest and has given super service for many years and does a great job (faster than the Lyman) of cleaning brass .... Wish I had bought another Hornady Instead of the lyman ...

The Lyman is next to new having only done 25,000 - 30,000 cases ...

 

 

Jabez Cowboy

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