I second Rev Al on the Frankford Arsenal tumbler. I have the larger one and the magnet to pick up the pins. Skip Frankford Arsenal's soap - it leaves a sticky residue on the cases. Dawn and Lemishine do a great job and the ss pins clean out the primer pockets inside and out. I have never seen any peening of cases no matter how many I put in and I fill it just about full of water. I put a smear of vasoline around the gasket to ensure it doesn't leak. Mine is used for black powder cases.

Guys:
My tumbler quest is done. Having looked at everything I could find in Billings and Bozeman this weekend, I worked a deal and bought the Lortone qt12 in Bozeman. I am very much against buying a Chinese anything if avoidable, and the other tumblers that may have been US made I could not find to examine in Montana. As it was my circuitous route was 400+ miles.

thanks all the good suggestions.
kw

I have a Thumblers Tumbler Mod. B that is getting really old and will need replacing before too many years.  It has been a good one, but I always look for better.  I use SS pins for media with Dawn and Lemishine.

Could somebody give me a good comparison of the Thumbler compared to the others; particularly, the Lortone QT12?

Thanks so much,
Curl

KFW wrote on Dec 16^th, 2019 at 10:26am:


I use a Frankford rotary sifter. This combo with bucket and sifter is $30, and does a fantastic job in seconds to separate the media from the cases.

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I use the older RCBS Sidewinder tumbler (not sure what the new one looks like, if there is one). I do not load it up with more than 100 cases (40-65 or 45-70) per load to avoid possible mouth peening. 

I pre-rinse the cases and use Dave's (can't remember last name) ceramic media and a cap full of his case cleaner and after tumbling for ~2 hours the cases come out shiny clean with the primer pockets fairly clean as well. They're not shiney clean but don't require any further work. Primers seat well too.

I roll the cases on a towel to dry on the outside and then I put them standing up in wooden reloading trays to dry further and that's all I do.

Has anyone tried the smaller stainless balls? I think you can get 2-3mm

Tumblers are One of my speciality. if your going to by a new One . DO  NOT. By a reloading tumbler.  They are Cheap made and do not last. Buy a Rock Tumbler. Lortone,  Q12 ,Thumler Model B. Low or Hi speed , makes no difference.  I have an Original Lortone , I have been running for 40 years late 1960's .. I collect them , repair them and tumble  only with Dry media. buy Only Once
enclosed some Photo's.