Tumbler Life Expectancy

[MtnCreek]

What kind of life are you getting out of your tumbler? I had a cheap Frankford from midway that lasted about 10 yrs. The last couple of years I had soldered, re-wired, redneck engineered several times until it finely gave up. I replaced it with another cheap Frankford and got about 1.5 yrs out of it; pretty sure the bearing went out. Saturday morning, the kids and I went to town and picked up an RCBS. It runs a lot quieter than the Frankford and hopefully will last several years. The first tumbler was used ~6hrs bi-weekly average and it’s replacement probably averaged two or three times that. Is that consistent with your experience? Anyone have a life expectancy for an RCBS tumbler?

Edit: Anyone know where to find a plug&play replacement motor for the Frankford tumblers?

Thanks!

 

[jmorris]

I have one that is over 25 years old that still works.

 

[Drail]

Tumbler life expectancy is all over the map mainly because the manufacturers all seem to use the cheapest motors they can find and many are assembled by low cost Asian labor who don't have any idea what they are even building or what a good solder joint should look like. Cheap mass production = more profit. I have had a couple that died a quick death but I now have a cheap one from Midway that seems as if it is never going to die even after 16 years of heavy use. For replacement parts I would first check with the maker, after that I would just buy a new one. I don't think any of them are built to last but sometimes you get lucky.

 

[jcwit]

Tumbler life expectancy is all over the map mainly because the manufacturers all seem to use the cheapest motors they can find.

That MAY be part of it. Note I said may!

The rest depends on how much it it used, how hard it is used, as in how full of brass it is made when tumbling, and the enviroment it is used in.

All these issues have a bearing on the life of the motor.

 

[Drail]

This is true. Overloading the tumbler will wear it out faster.

 

[ny32182]

My cheap Frankford Arsenal has been going strong since 2007. Over the last two years I've been running it about 3hrs/week. Less before that.

I expected it to die long before now; I've been pleasantly surprised.

I run it indoors on a stable surface, usually with about 500 9mm cases in it.

 

[mgmorden]

I had a heap Frankford Arsenal that lasted 6-7 years. Truth be told it was my fault that it died. I run my tumbler in the shed out back. Turned it on one day and forgot about it. I don't know how long it ran but needless to say when I check it again a few weeks later it had died .

I was anxious to just get another one at that point so I bought one of the cheapo orange Smart Reloader tumblers which I've used for the last year or two. I had to clamp it to the bench as it tended to "walk" around, but otherwise it works. I got a little $8 digital lamp timer from Home Depot that works wonders. It has a "countdown" mode that I configured for 5 hours. With that I can just turn it on and it'll run for the allotted 5 hours and then shut itself off. Hopefully that will help this one to last .

 

[FROGO207]

I had a Dillon one that was quite well used when I got it. That ran for another 15 years or so. Then I got a cheapo FA one. It did not last through the warantee period. I got in contact with them and they sent me a free replacement. Both manufacturers said for liability purposes they would not send just parts to fix it. Dillon had discontinued the model I had but would upgrade the motor ASSY with a better longer lasting one for $75 IIRC. I should have done that instead of messing around with a cheapo replacement. Now I use the FA to polish my finished ammo only and use a Thumlers and SS pins for a much better cleaning job inside and out----even the dreaded primer pockets are now always new brass clean.

Thinking it over I am going to send the Dillon back and get it factory rebuilt as it was always quieter and cleaned the brass faster than it's replacement ever was.

 

[X-Rap]

I have used one of those lamp timers for a couple yrs, don't know why I didn't think of it years ago. I have a Thumlers and it has lasted for well over 20 yrs and still seems to run pretty strong. I can run about 200-250 loaded pistol rounds without loading it down and probably 400+ 9mm or 40 cal empty.
I wish it had an hr meter on it, would be interesting how many weeks/months it has run over the years.

 

[Shmackey]

Rotary tumblers: forever, with occasional $2 belt replacement

Vibratory tumblers: Crapshoot

 

[Bwana John]

My first RCBS tumbler lasted from 1991 until 2009.

Since 2009 I have burned up 3 RCBS motors.

As long as they keep replacing them Im OK with it but it appears to me the motors got really cheap in the last 3-4 years.

 

[cfullgraf]

Use would definitely affect the calender life of a vibrating tumbler.

I have an old Midway tumbler purchased in the 90s that still works. I have a Franfort Arsenal tumbler that lasted a couple years before I got tired of repairing it. I currently have two Berry tumblers, one has about three trouble free years on it.

I shoot 4000-5000 rounds per year, tumbling a couple hundred rounds at a time. I resize and clean brass shortly after shooting so the tumblers run frequently but are not heaviiy loaded or operated for days on ends.

 

[Patocazador]

I have a Thumler Tumbler bought from J&G Rifle Ranch in AZ about 36 years ago. I've had to replace several belts on it but that's all.

 

[jim243]

I have a Lyman Turbo Twin I purchased in 2006 and it is still running. It has about 500 hours of use on it, but sees very little use now. Since i am sitting on 25,000 reloads and about 9,000 cleaned cases. It sits there for the occasional trip to the range. I am getting too cheap in my old age and use up ammo very sparingly. I even started to tummble completed reloads just to clean them up, but only run them for about 15 to 20 min. With the economy as it is there is just no incentive to go out and shoot (or maybe it is just me).

Good luck and safe shooting to all.
Jim

 

[ranger335v]

Who knows what the average is, what usually fails is the motor and as mentioned above they all use motors made in the far east so what we buy is luck of the draw more than any other factor.

What usually happens is a power connection breaks due to viberation but that's easy to fix. Next most common is the motors seize when the bearing oil dries out. Tumblers get warm and that speeds evaporation of the oil used in their cheap bearings. It's fairly easy to add a few drops of a good, non-gumming light oil if we do it early enough but if we wait until the motor stalls due to gum on the shaft we can easily allow the windings to burn out. Replacing a defective motor isn't difficult but buying a new motor can easily match the price of a new tumbler.

Excessive union labor costs and massive goverment regulations on every facet of manufactoring and employeement itself have combined to raise production costs so high that going off shore was the only way the public could continue afford to buy anything with small motors. And a lot of other stuff too. (The costs of ObamaKare won't make that get better.)

 

[TennJed]

had a heap Frankford Arsenal that lasted 6-7 years. Truth be told it was my fault that it died. I run my tumbler in the shed out back. Turned it on one day and forgot about it. I don't know how long it ran but needless to say when I check it again a few weeks later it had died .

I was anxious to just get another one at that point so I bought one of the cheapo orange Smart Reloader tumblers which I've used for the last year or two. I had to clamp it to the bench as it tended to "walk" around, but otherwise it works. I got a little $8 digital lamp timer from Home Depot that works wonders. It has a "countdown" mode that I configured for 5 hours. With that I can just turn it on and it'll run for the allotted 5 hours and then shut itself off. Hopefully that will help this one to last .

Man I bet you had some shinny brass

 

[luis7]

I have those hand made tumblers, since 2004 and I haven´t problems.
I think that they are built well because runs all weeks around four o five hours.
Greetings from España.
http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=360530

 

[joed]

I have a Thumlers Thumbler that is over 30 years old now. Still use it almost every week. One thing I did to ensure long life is only run it 2 hours to clean brass. Some people leave these things running overnight. Why? If I can't get the brass clean in 2 hours it isn't going to clean up.

 

[medalguy]

I've also got an old Thumler's, but mine is probably 20 years old or so. I also use a home-made tumbler, with a large barrel on it, that will handle 1500 pieces of 30-06 brass per load. (I said it was big) It's about 10 years old now, uses a used washing machine motor on it, so I have no idea how old the motor is-- maybe 30 years? Anyway it runs fine and I use it at least once a week for about 4-6 hours.

 

[wild willy]

I have a Olsens thats close to thirty years old

 

[frankmako]

my thumlers thumbler went from 1985 to 2002 then the motor locked up. i did not oil it any, i should haved. i call thumlers and they sent me a new motor. so far no problems. some days it runs all day and night.

 

[Hondo 60]

I have a Lyman 1200 turbo that's 3 years old.
I guess I wouldn't cry if it died.
At 3 years old, that's $15 a year.

Of course I hope it lasts for 25.

 

[forindooruseonly]

My RCBS ran from 1993 till a couple of weeks ago...

I ordered a new motor, not here yet, but I don't have high expectations based upon what I've read.

 

[1SOW]

I have the Cabellas 400 tumbler (same as the Berry's 400) and it has polished approx. 50,000 9mm cases with no trouble except one motor screw that needed tightening a year or so ago. I usually load 300-400 cases per 3+hr use for bright polishing. It's also warranted for life from Cabellas. I think it was around $40 and came with a sifter when I bought it.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

I bought a very used Dillon that lasted me 5 years with a lot of use. I replaced it with a Cabela's (Berry's 400) and it's been working very well for 2 years now.