I’ve a got Lyman wet tumbler very much enjoy it, I’d like to leave some tips on wet tumbling in general for anyone who reads the comments. First off throw out the solutions and stuff they are selling to clean with. All you need is some dawn dish soap and lemon shine, you don’t hardly need much in there. 2. Buy a small magnet, it’ll help pick up your pins 3. When dumping out your wet brass in the sifter, the quickest way I get all the pins out of my brass is by rinsing out the drum and continuously dump back in the sifter for 5mins. Hope some one gets some use out of this
+1 for de-capping before cleaning. I only recently discovered this step; makes for nice, clean primer pockets. Lee makes a nice, inexpensive universal de-capping die.
I’ve been using the Frankford Arsenal Rotary Tumbler for two years with excellent results. However, stainless steel pins, along with various solutions proved ineffective. Tarnish brass stains were inevitable. Several months ago I started using “Brass Juice Case Wash” with amazing results. A product manufactured in Texas. Use 3 oz of this solution with a half gallon of distilled water. No pins, or other ingredients. The results are absolutely incredible! Plus, you can reuse the solution countless times.
I just got one of these as a gift from my wife. (yah, a great wife) I have been using a large peanut butter jar with pins, hot water, laundry soap and citric acid on decapped brass and shaking the thing 5 minutes, letting soak for 5 minutes, repeat for an hour. This will definitely save my arthritic shoulders. I had planned to get this eventually when the press and dies paid off compared to current price. Well, that was easy in 2021.
with tumblers it's always great to see how it works on really dirty brass and do a comparison before and after. The brass looked quite clean when you put it in. But a nice looking tumbler
I had the smaller Lite unit that you're reviewing in this video for about 2 weeks. The problem with the smaller unit is that it doesn't come with a rubber lined container like the larger Frankford Arsenal rotary tumbler has. Which causes the brass to sit and stay in the lips that contact the Drive Unit and the rollers on the back. This causes the brass to sit in these two lips and spin and because the plastic is abrasive it actually puts hot spots on your brass and doesn't totally clean them nowhere near as good as the larger unit made by Frankford Arsenal. After two weeks I sent it back and exchanged it for the larger unit and had to pay a little bit more money. Do yourself a favor if you're looking at getting into wet tumbling get the original larger unit with the rubber lined barrel for your brass. It works 10 times better than the unit here in this video. Hope it helps take care.
One other difference is that the larger one has a timer for up to 3 hours. Not sure that makes any difference though, because as soon as tumbling is finished, it's good to get the brass rinsed. The tray separator used in the video works very well. I always have a few escaped pins. In spite of extensive rinsing I always get a few pins out after the brass is dry. I make the problem worse because I decap before tumbling. I get cleaner primer pockets that way.
I use the Lite version often. Love it. The issue of brass/media sitting in the ends happened on my first tumble. Second and all loads since are perfect. I discover that to small of a brass load does not tumble as well as larger load. Always tumble a 75%-100% capacity and no problem. Also it calls for 2 1/2 lbs I think of pins. I use 4 lbs. Decap, tumble, dry. Thorough rinse will prevent spots. I dry tumble to remove lube etc. this brass method will take nasty range brass and make it look brand New!
Saw your video and decided to go ahead and get one. Good price will be here in a few days . My sonic cleaner was about shot and not cleaning like it should. Thanks for the information.
Love my FA tumbler, this lite version looks pretty nifty. Although I dropped using the pins a couple of years ago and just have the brass wet tumbling, still cleans them very well - 9mm, 223 & 6.5C.
I bought one a month ago now. Great product. I do have some gripes about it though. Make sure the drum is dry after filling with water or else it slips on the wheels. And I have to fill mine about half way with brass or else the cases wont tumble and get clean. I even tested it out. A 1/4 full of 9mm took 4 hours to clean while a half drum of 9mm took about 1.5 hours. I tried different water levels as well and still the same results. Overall I am 100% impressed with my purchase.
@@rcromwell92 i couldn't give you an exact count. But if I had to guess, its probably around 750ish. Again don't take my word for it but I know it was a sizable amount.
Gotta add a big thumbs up on decapping before washing as I've tried it both ways. I have the hand held decapper from Frankford but I just ordered a decapping die to use with my new AP...Primer holes are perfectly clean when washing after decapping. After an hour of washing I screw the optional screen into place on top of the tumbler and drain and rinse a few times. Pour the contents into my orange Lyman separator and turn the handle for a minute..spins out the water and separates the triangle shaped jeweler cleaner metal pieces. Spread the contents on a beach towel on the floor and use a 2' by 2' square fan to dry out stuff...2 hours and ready to go back to reloading and more cleaning.
I use steel pins, as mentioned earlier, de-prime first. I have found with small primer cases, the hole in the primer pocket may have a few pins stuck in them. Then after drying, make sure no pins are stuck in the cases. If the cases are really dirty, use warm water and detergent run 20 minutes flush the water with fresh water until runs clear, add detergent and finish the run.
I always decap first... TIP: I use a media separator prior to drying, this helps remove pins and a large amount of water left over. This also helps speed up the drying. Then I ALSO use a media separator after they are dry to make sure I got all the pins out that got stuck in the wet cases... You definitely don't want a pins in your loaded rounds.
I purchased the full-size Frankfort version and I'm returning it. I found it to be a 2-3 day process by the time I tumble twice, dry, resize, etc. It's not that it doesn't work well, but I'm shoot hunting reloads and I'm never making any more than 50 at a time. I just didn't find the wet tumbler to be super beneficial for my application. It would be great if I were doing large batches in the hundreds of rounds. I will second the messy part, a sink is a must have.
I have the full size Frankfort Arsenal unit. Decap the brass, add steel pins and "soap" - nothings cleans better - much better than my RCBS ultrasonic cleaner. Get the Frankfort Arsenal hot air drier to speed up the drying process.
This is a great accessory. Many times I just need to clean a batch of 100 after load Development... I only grip is I wish it was rubber lined on the inside like the original model. That rubber lining really quiets the brass noise down. Also I really recommend FA brass cleaning solution. It doesn't contain citric acid (bad no bad for brass) unlike the many use use lemi shine
I have the Big Brother to this and I Love it ,I found it's best to Wash them in the Tumbler first with a little Dawn Detergent , De-cap and Resize , Then run them with Dawn , Jet dry and Steel Pins , They come out like new and its much cheaper then and Brass cleaner they want to push ...( Be sure to pass a strong Magnet over them when your are done to ensure there are no Pin's stuck inside )
Great review, I watch and enjoy all your videos an give them thumbs up. I built my wet tumbler for next to nothing. Used a motor from a discarded treadmill, which also yielded me the the rollers and bearings. Built the housing from scrap wood I had and I use plastic juice jugs... all of that was free! Since i used the roller shafts from the treadmill I can use various sizes of plastic jugs. It's ugly... it works! Cleaning detergent... lemon dish soap from the Dollar store, a two quart container for $1! At the current price of the Frankford Arsenal brass cleaning solution I could buy 16 bottles of lemon dish soap from the Dollar Store... that's like a lifetime supply! Over the past 8 years of using this system I have cleaned thousands upon thousands of pieces of brass without issue.
Have both the big brother to this unit & a Thumbler's. Neither are quiet but I had to set the Thumbler on a folded bath mat in order to keep the noise down to a manageable level. Both do a great job of cleaning brass. Using soft water, 1/4 tablespoon of Dawn & about an 80:1 shot of RCBS ultrasonic cleaning solution (I suspect any of the others would work as well - they are all probably pretty much the same stuff) & about 20 minutes tumbling has them looking like new. I use a universal decapping die & tumble without primers. Will never go back to dry vibratory cleaning (always hated the dust). I believe it was Dillon had some screens that go on the ends of the tub to make straining & rinsing faster & easier.
Rubber liner on the large one, supposed to make it quieter. On the small one the window faces the on/off switch, whereas on the larger one it doesnt, but of course that dont matter much. I guess its easier to rinse out the large one as you can rinse straight through the two lids vs just the one but *shrug*
Dry tumbling is archaic. After several thousand rounds using the Frankford Arsenal Rotary tumbler, I have found this item a superb device! One caveat. For those who are experiencing cleaned brass tarnishing; here is one remedy. Besides using stainless steel media, Lemon Shine and dish washing liquid, et. al.; squeeze a REAL lemon, with two cap full of white vinegar. For those who live in areas where there is an excessive amount of minerals in the tap water, use instead distilled water. It makes a huge difference! Obviously, one should limit handling the cleaned brass until reloading commences. Highly recommended to de-prime to afford clean pockets. Have a care, Cooper
I love mine (the original), but one still needs to buy the magnetic device to pick up spilled pins. The Frankford Arsenal cleaner works well also. There are more expensive tumblers available (Thumblers Tumbler) that are great, but this unit works well. My OCD has me depriming the cases before putting them through the tumbler.
I have used the stainless media since I started reloading years ago. I bought a vibratory setup this year, just to clean lube off of sized brass and glad I picked the tumbling with stainless media to start. Also, go ahead and decap that brass, helps clean out the pockets.
The rotary separator works way better. You add water until the bottom of the basket is underwater and then spin away with the top on. Running them back through the water breaks the surface tension holding any stubborn media and the spinning action slings it out of the cases. Those trays work ok, but your going to find a lot of stray pins in the cases that the surface tension held in there. Then get you some Southern Shine SS chips and you'll really love life. I'd buy the little brother too if they'd have rubber lined the drum. Guess I'll just have to engineer a smaller drum for big brother for small batches. I'm also puzzled why the omitted the timer. They're basically selling you 1/3 the product for 60% of the price. I think they just cut back too far on features and not enough on the price. I'm sure Lyman will make it the right way in the next few months.
I've found with the full size one, I don't need the steel pins or to run it that long. 1,200 pieces of decapped 9mm brass (3/4 drum full) dawn dish soap and a pinch of Lemi-shine for 15-20 minutes, that's it! They look perfect and polished. And I found if you run brass too long it gets work hardened and brittle, which leaves me with brass shavings everywhere from my Dillon crimp die. 15-20 min tumble on decapped brass, rinse with distilled water (to prevent water spots) and then dry. Quick and easy!
A little dawn soap and a sprinkle of lemme shine. Also I use a media tumbler for my brass slings all the pins to the bottom. And i us a frankford arsenal magnet to remove them. Just a different method.
I use a hair dryer. I put my 223 cases in an old 9mm tray and dry the primer pocket side first so the residue water flows out the neck and do that for abut 5 minutes then flip the cases over and then hit the neck with the hair dryer. Works pretty well. You can also use a heat gun but my wife had an extra hair dryer and it works almost the same. But your 224 brass really didn’t look that dirty to begin with. I would like to see some suppressed cases in this drum with the solution you used
Thanks. Mid South is a great company. I am going to buy one from them after seeing this. I am brand new to reloading. Your brass did look mighty clean BEFORE you started though. My range brass looks way dirtier than yours.
should have used range brass to see how amazing stainless pins work. I am getting the reg version , bigger than my current rock tumbler. and yes def decap first .
Decap your brass first. If your using the pins they can and will get stuck in the flash hole or sometimes cross way in the case mouth. I inspect each case after I wet tumble for rouge pins. Another tip is to rinse in a big bowl so the water can get inside and free up the pins if any are stuck to the case wall. Then only dry with heat to insure complete dryness.
Use lemon juice to clean them. They will clean super fast and be as shiny as a new trumpet. Only cost $2 and change at the dollar store. Add 1/4 cup to your water
I've had great success with the full sized unit except for leaking end caps. I have a hard time getting the end caps to seal. I had to lubricate the gaskets and really crank down on the end caps to keep them from leaking.
Same here. I bought the full size unit after using a Rebel 17 (Thumblers-like) for several years. I had hoped that it would make separating the brass from the pins easier. It does not. It does, however, do twice the amount of brass per run as compared to my Rebel 17. That makes it worth the hassle of separating the brass from the pins. But I digress - I also found I had to lubricate the gaskets with a little petroleum jelly and then crank the covers down pretty tight to stop it from leaking all over the place.
I decided to give this tumbler another try. I put 50 223 cases in it, some Dawn, steel pins and cranked it up. It was immediately apparent this thing has some problems. There are two raised "tracks" on each end of the drum. I stood and watched the drum spin and spin and the cases caught in the track groove hardly moved at all. They're just trapped and get no tumbling action.
It will probably work a bit better if you use more brass, maybe 100 to 150 rounds will produce more action. Just my opinion, and from what I have seen in these reviews.
I like frankford arsenal's products. I have the large version of the tumbler and love it. I'm looking at getting a second one, but this smaller version could work. However, without the rubber coating inside, I'm not sure I'd buy it. I do a two stage process, wash once, then deprime, then wash again with steel media, so I could use it for my first wash session on small batches, while I've got the big boy running second wash. and before a million people ask me..."why do you wash your brass twice" lol...It's because I enjoy the process of brass prep as much as reloading and shooting! I feel like a pirate with treasure lol! and, I like shiny, shiny brass. It's fun! I was looking for a smaller tumbler, and since it's frankford arsenal, and it's at a good price point, I think I will consider it. I also use the frankford arsenal dryer, with the adjustable temp. It's really great, does what I need it to do!
I went with the original one also . With the great working pre-mix granulated cleaning packets. You need the magnet to retrieve all the pins!! . I like it when both ends open up to rinse it out and get all the pins out. I also like the timer!!! I set and forget and it turns off automatically. I go from 45 min to 1 1/2 hrs. depending on amount of cases and how dirty they are. I got mine on sale and it was not much more than this one and it came with almost everything. I needed to use it Immediately. I rinse with hot water and blow dry with heat gun. Forget all the time and problems with the Dehydrator case dryer. (Not worth the time, money or hassle). I still like this video as the product is very similar to mine and I am sure it could be an economical option. I feel mine is bigger, better more flexible and a little less hassle to use over all. Go big or go home ??? Still a great informative video!!
Benn using this tumbler for about two years. Fantastic little piece of equipment. I have small children and this keeps the nasty stuff from getting into the air and all over my garage.
Honestly, I’ve looked at this twice and am still shaking my head why, with all the fancy high tech gear and guns he has, does he not de-prime prior to wet tumbling? The very reason I use the wet tumbling process is because it does a great job of cleaning out the primer pockets. Ran across a guy promoting Area 419 who lamented on the “damage” wet tumbling does to brass and then he mentioned he left the tumbler on for hours. All the expensive stuff is great but you have know cause/effect.
I use 2.5mm ceramic triangular media with 2oz of turbo sonic solution and distilled water and I let that got for about 30 mins or more but I'm going to switch to some 3mm ceramic media so I don't get any media stuck in the primer pockets
Decap brass before any wet cleaning. Even after drying if the primer is still in place it can trap a small amount of water, if that brass is stored for some period of time corrosion will occur and when you start decapping them you will get some that the bottom punches out leaving the sides in place, and it is almost impossible to remove the sides of the primer if the bottom punches out, this has happened to me! Can you imagine how mad I was when I had to throw out 10 to 15% of that batch of brass! The oils and acids in your fingerprints will corrode the brass, so I always handle the clean brass with gloves. I always handle the clean brass with the blue poly or latex gloves, you just went to all that trouble to clean the corrosion off of them, I don't touch them with bare skin and start them corroding again.
Hey Gavin, I am new to reloading and I have watched most of your videos to understand the process of cleaning and preparation before priming and charging. Can you sharing with me if there is best order of operation? Is it best to do the following or not? If there are steps that I missed or they are out of order please let me know. 1-De-priming only (No sizing) 2-check the overall length and trim and chamfer if needed 3-annealing before sizing so the brass is soft. 4-lubricating and sizing 5-washing and drying 6-priming 7-charging 8-bullet seating
Thank you for another great video. Which do you recommend doing.... deprime, resize, trim, and debur then tumble clean or do you prefer removing the primer, tumble, then resize, trim, debur?
Would have liked to see a before and after close-up of inside and primer pockets. I haver never used a wet system just vibrating tubler with walnut shell and fitz added.
Where is it made? China? What company sells the sieve pans? Inquiring minds want to know. Also, the lack of rubber lining means that the brass and pins will wear through the drum. The rubber also insulates from noise. You missed some points. You have to tumble the cases in a media separator to get the pins out. Also, I use a sneaker rack lined with dog screen in the dryer. Works great. If you de-prime before tumbling, the primer pockets get cleaned perfectly as well.
Hey Gavin, Question or idea for a future video! For us gents who don't have enough brass to load this tumbler to its case amount specs. Do you have any tips for making brass tumble completely without just sliding around. The larger Frankford arsenal tumbler container is lined with rubber to insure cases tumble properly. I'm having issues with mine just slipping in the tumbler Lite and not cleaning as well as they should. That aside I really like this little tumbler. Thanks again for the great videos!
I have a hand full of cases hanging out by the lid and won't tumble. Just rock back and forth. I only put 75 rifle cases and 1lb of media. Is there something I'm doing wrong?
I switched to stainless steel and wet tumbling a few years ago. It does not harm brass at all. I also switched from pins to a different type of stainless steel media. It works even better than pins and is much cheaper.
Thanks for the video, but I would have really liked to see you use dirty shells to begin with. It appeared that your cases were fairly clean to begin with.
I know some guys that had the same worry. I'll give you the same advice i gave them. Run an industrial pick up magnet over the brass after sifting to see if anything is left in the batch. If you see anything even twitch, pick it up that casing and check inside. Repeat until devoid of ferrous material.
I've been using the big brother for 2 years and there is a simple way around this issue. The pins turn out to be the right size to occasionally stick in the necks of my 6.5 CM brass. (Occasionally means typically 1-2 pins per 100 pieces of brass.) I just take them from the dryer and put them into loading blocks, neck up. Then it is a pretty quick process to glance at all of the necks to find the occasional pin and pick it out. I have NEVER found a pin down in the case. I use the Frankford Rotary Media Separator - works well. While we're at it, skip the expensive Hornady and RCBS dryers. I bought a used food dehydrator at a Goodwill store for $10. Works great!
Kevin Adam I had the same concern at first, so I dry them in the oven. I do about 200 to 300 at a time in a aluminum Turkey pan at 170 for 75 min. Than I take an old bath towel and dump them after they have cooled on to it and draw each side together making a hammock and roll back and forth to knock out all the pins that might be left. Also before you prime your brass you can shine a light down inside and to check but it shouldn't ever be an issue.
I have the regular tumbler and found myself with the issue of need to clean a small batch like a 50 cases of 308 and sucks. They should sale the small container that fits the big rotary device. Well, looks like I will have to get the Harbor Freight one for small batches because makes no sense to me need to buy this other one (lite) too. I dont have too much room in my reloading area, plus im not rich ;-)
How does this Frankford Arsenal Platinum Series Rotary Tumbler Lite work on Dry media especially walnut or corn Media and what polish should I put in it?
It's a matter of preference. Cleaning brass BEFORE you resize is a thing. Over time that can harm your dies if you are doing that part with dirty carbon fouled brass. The media will not harm your primer pockets at all. Personally I love to see clean primer pockets but it's not going to substantially effect the round or primer seating unless they are extremely dirty.
It didn't look like the brass and pins wanted to really "tumble" as much as the original full sized model. I noticed that this didnt look like it has the rubberized coating on the inside that dampens noise and keeps the media + brass from just sitting at the bottom. Is this correct? What did you REALLY think of it?
it's true, they dont tumble the brass as nice without that liner in them. I've seen a couple facebook videos of people having issues getting heavy belted cases to do anything but stand up straight
![Noob To Max With DRAGON REWORK In Blox Fruits [FULL MOVIE]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/LnBMOinoOvA/mqdefault.jpg)
I’ve a got Lyman wet tumbler very much enjoy it, I’d like to leave some tips on wet tumbling in general for anyone who reads the comments.
First off throw out the solutions and stuff they are selling to clean with. All you need is some dawn dish soap and lemon shine, you don’t hardly need much in there.
2. Buy a small magnet, it’ll help pick up your pins
3. When dumping out your wet brass in the sifter, the quickest way I get all the pins out of my brass is by rinsing out the drum and continuously dump back in the sifter for 5mins.
Hope some one gets some use out of this
About to get into the wet tumbling business. Sounds like good experienced tips. Thanks
He should have removed the primers first. And what the fuck is a pin?
Decap them first. Makes them a lot cleaner, easier to empty, and faster to dry.
Definitely decap first. It's amazing how long moisture will hide around the old primers.
@@darbovision2672 Plus your primer pockets will shine like the brass does.
Aren't you running dirty brass through your press though?
+1 for de-capping before cleaning. I only recently discovered this step; makes for nice, clean primer pockets. Lee makes a nice, inexpensive universal de-capping die.
I concur. I use the Frankford decapping tool instead of the press prior tumbling. Easy, quick and not to pricey.
You showed me everything I needed to know. I will be getting one as soon as possible, thanks. Oh, I`ve been reloading and bullet casting for 50 years.
At your age you should understand that bragging about yourself is uncouth.
I’ve been using the Frankford Arsenal Rotary Tumbler for two years with excellent results. However, stainless steel pins, along with various solutions proved ineffective. Tarnish brass stains were inevitable. Several months ago I started using “Brass Juice Case Wash” with amazing results. A product manufactured in Texas. Use 3 oz of this solution with a half gallon of distilled water. No pins, or other ingredients. The results are absolutely incredible! Plus, you can reuse the solution countless times.
Good to know, Thank you
Who wants to hold onto dirty brass water so they can reuse it? lol
Over rated and expensive (for what it is). Don't waste your time or money.
I just got one of these as a gift from my wife. (yah, a great wife) I have been using a large peanut butter jar with pins, hot water, laundry soap and citric acid on decapped brass and shaking the thing 5 minutes, letting soak for 5 minutes, repeat for an hour. This will definitely save my arthritic shoulders. I had planned to get this eventually when the press and dies paid off compared to current price. Well, that was easy in 2021.
with tumblers it's always great to see how it works on really dirty brass and do a comparison before and after. The brass looked quite clean when you put it in. But a nice looking tumbler
I thought the same thing.
I have this tumbler and love it. It works wet or dry. Does fantastic work. Fantastic value.
I was looking at this one for a while but I went with it's proven big brother and I'm happy I did.
I have this exact cleaner. 👍 Works great, fantastic price. I use SS pins, Leme Shine, and a drop of Dawn. I always decap the brass first.
I prefer to de-prime my brass first. Once it is done it almost looks new with clean primer pockets.
Great product, solid company. I've got the larger size tumbler & use lemi shine & dawn dish soap & very hot water.
Same here. Also, I picked up a food dehydrator on Amazon for about $30. It gets the brass dry inside and out.
@@wilk128 Here in Phoenix, 15-20 minutes outsize & you can't pickup the brass
@@2541968joey yah, 118 degrees, I can imagine. 😥
I had the smaller Lite unit that you're reviewing in this video for about 2 weeks. The problem with the smaller unit is that it doesn't come with a rubber lined container like the larger Frankford Arsenal rotary tumbler has. Which causes the brass to sit and stay in the lips that contact the Drive Unit and the rollers on the back. This causes the brass to sit in these two lips and spin and because the plastic is abrasive it actually puts hot spots on your brass and doesn't totally clean them nowhere near as good as the larger unit made by Frankford Arsenal. After two weeks I sent it back and exchanged it for the larger unit and had to pay a little bit more money. Do yourself a favor if you're looking at getting into wet tumbling get the original larger unit with the rubber lined barrel for your brass. It works 10 times better than the unit here in this video. Hope it helps take care.
Excellent summary. I just kinda said the same lol 👋👋 hey brother 😂👍
One other difference is that the larger one has a timer for up to 3 hours. Not sure that makes any difference though, because as soon as tumbling is finished, it's good to get the brass rinsed. The tray separator used in the video works very well. I always have a few escaped pins. In spite of extensive rinsing I always get a few pins out after the brass is dry. I make the problem worse because I decap before tumbling. I get cleaner primer pockets that way.
Daniel Malcolm
Strain then rinse in a 5 gallon bucket.
Gavin left a whole lot of pins in his sink.
I use the Lite version often. Love it. The issue of brass/media sitting in the ends happened on my first tumble. Second and all loads since are perfect. I discover that to small of a brass load does not tumble as well as larger load. Always tumble a 75%-100% capacity and no problem. Also it calls for 2 1/2 lbs I think of pins. I use 4 lbs. Decap, tumble, dry. Thorough rinse will prevent spots. I dry tumble to remove lube etc. this brass method will take nasty range brass and make it look brand New!
Well put! I just pointed that out too and then found your comment 😂 Hey, Kenny!
Saw your video and decided to go ahead and get one. Good price will be here in a few days . My sonic cleaner was about shot and not cleaning like it should. Thanks for the information.
Good deal! Glad I could help you "spend your money" :)
Love my FA tumbler, this lite version looks pretty nifty. Although I dropped using the pins a couple of years ago and just have the brass wet tumbling, still cleans them very well - 9mm, 223 & 6.5C.
De-prime the brass first it will clean the primer pockets it will clean the case better as well
I bought one a month ago now. Great product. I do have some gripes about it though. Make sure the drum is dry after filling with water or else it slips on the wheels. And I have to fill mine about half way with brass or else the cases wont tumble and get clean. I even tested it out. A 1/4 full of 9mm took 4 hours to clean while a half drum of 9mm took about 1.5 hours. I tried different water levels as well and still the same results. Overall I am 100% impressed with my purchase.
How many was half full 9mm?
@@rcromwell92 i couldn't give you an exact count. But if I had to guess, its probably around 750ish. Again don't take my word for it but I know it was a sizable amount.
@@IowasDirtyCivilian Thank you I am hoping to do 1K 9mm in one shot with the 3.3l and you pretty much confirmed that as easily done... Thank you again
@@rcromwell92 yeah no problem! Happy reloading!
Pure brass, good price.
I will buy this tumbler
Thank you, and greetings from Poland.
Gotta add a big thumbs up on decapping before washing as I've tried it both ways. I have the hand held decapper from Frankford but I just ordered a decapping die to use with my new AP...Primer holes are perfectly clean when washing after decapping. After an hour of washing I screw the optional screen into place on top of the tumbler and drain and rinse a few times. Pour the contents into my orange Lyman separator and turn the handle for a minute..spins out the water and separates the triangle shaped jeweler cleaner metal pieces. Spread the contents on a beach towel on the floor and use a 2' by 2' square fan to dry out stuff...2 hours and ready to go back to reloading and more cleaning.
I use steel pins, as mentioned earlier, de-prime first. I have found with small primer cases, the hole in the primer pocket may have a few pins stuck in them. Then after drying, make sure no pins are stuck in the cases.
If the cases are really dirty, use warm water and detergent run 20 minutes flush the water with fresh water until runs clear, add detergent and finish the run.
I always decap first... TIP: I use a media separator prior to drying, this helps remove pins and a large amount of water left over. This also helps speed up the drying. Then I ALSO use a media separator after they are dry to make sure I got all the pins out that got stuck in the wet cases... You definitely don't want a pins in your loaded rounds.
I purchased the full-size Frankfort version and I'm returning it. I found it to be a 2-3 day process by the time I tumble twice, dry, resize, etc. It's not that it doesn't work well, but I'm shoot hunting reloads and I'm never making any more than 50 at a time. I just didn't find the wet tumbler to be super beneficial for my application. It would be great if I were doing large batches in the hundreds of rounds. I will second the messy part, a sink is a must have.
I have the full size Frankfort Arsenal unit. Decap the brass, add steel pins and "soap" - nothings cleans better - much better than my RCBS ultrasonic cleaner. Get the Frankfort Arsenal hot air drier to speed up the drying process.
Awe, soooooo cute. I run the bigger one and love it. Does a really nice job making brass look pretty.
This is a great accessory. Many times I just need to clean a batch of 100 after load Development... I only grip is I wish it was rubber lined on the inside like the original model. That rubber lining really quiets the brass noise down. Also I really recommend FA brass cleaning solution. It doesn't contain citric acid (bad no bad for brass) unlike the many use use lemi shine
Dawn dishwashing soap, and a lil bit of baking soda, is plenty good enough for me.
Thanks Kenny- sounds like a limi-shine brass torture test is in order. :)
Who doesn't love some red brass?! 😂👋👋👋🦄🦄🦄
it's going around and around but comes out clean thanks gavin 👍👏
I have the Big Brother to this and I Love it ,I found it's best to Wash them in the Tumbler first with a little Dawn Detergent , De-cap and Resize , Then run them with Dawn , Jet dry and Steel Pins , They come out like new and its much cheaper then and Brass cleaner they want to push ...( Be sure to pass a strong Magnet over them when your are done to ensure there are no Pin's stuck inside )
I have the big one and love it. I dry mine in the owen in 100 celsius for a while
Where did those trays come from? That seems like it would make separating all of the pins and cases easier
Great review, I watch and enjoy all your videos an give them thumbs up. I built my wet tumbler for next to nothing. Used a motor from a discarded treadmill, which also yielded me the the rollers and bearings. Built the housing from scrap wood I had and I use plastic juice jugs... all of that was free! Since i used the roller shafts from the treadmill I can use various sizes of plastic jugs. It's ugly... it works! Cleaning detergent... lemon dish soap from the Dollar store, a two quart container for $1! At the current price of the Frankford Arsenal brass cleaning solution I could buy 16 bottles of lemon dish soap from the Dollar Store... that's like a lifetime supply! Over the past 8 years of using this system I have cleaned thousands upon thousands of pieces of brass without issue.
Have both the big brother to this unit & a Thumbler's. Neither are quiet but I had to set the Thumbler on a folded bath mat in order to keep the noise down to a manageable level. Both do a great job of cleaning brass. Using soft water, 1/4 tablespoon of Dawn & about an 80:1 shot of RCBS ultrasonic cleaning solution (I suspect any of the others would work as well - they are all probably pretty much the same stuff) & about 20 minutes tumbling has them looking like new. I use a universal decapping die & tumble without primers. Will never go back to dry vibratory cleaning (always hated the dust). I believe it was Dillon had some screens that go on the ends of the tub to make straining & rinsing faster & easier.
I always deprime prior to wet tumbling. It works to clean out the primer pocket quite well.
I also have the full sized one. Only difference seems to be its smaller and no window on the back. Mine came with pins tho.
Also no timer on the smaller one.
True
Rubber liner on the large one, supposed to make it quieter. On the small one the window faces the on/off switch, whereas on the larger one it doesnt, but of course that dont matter much. I guess its easier to rinse out the large one as you can rinse straight through the two lids vs just the one but *shrug*
Good video i have a Lyman cyclone tumbler excellent results white vinegar and wash and wax brass dryer
Dry tumbling is archaic. After several thousand rounds using the Frankford Arsenal Rotary tumbler, I have found this item a superb device! One caveat. For those who are experiencing cleaned brass tarnishing; here is one remedy. Besides using stainless steel media, Lemon Shine and dish washing liquid, et. al.; squeeze a REAL lemon, with two cap full of white vinegar. For those who live in areas where there is an excessive amount of minerals in the tap water, use instead distilled water. It makes a huge difference! Obviously, one should limit handling the cleaned brass until reloading commences. Highly recommended to de-prime to afford clean pockets. Have a care, Cooper
I love mine (the original), but one still needs to buy the magnetic device to pick up spilled pins. The Frankford Arsenal cleaner works well also. There are more expensive tumblers available (Thumblers Tumbler) that are great, but this unit works well. My OCD has me depriming the cases before putting them through the tumbler.
I have used the stainless media since I started reloading years ago. I bought a vibratory setup this year, just to clean lube off of sized brass and glad I picked the tumbling with stainless media to start. Also, go ahead and decap that brass, helps clean out the pockets.
The rotary separator works way better. You add water until the bottom of the basket is underwater and then spin away with the top on. Running them back through the water breaks the surface tension holding any stubborn media and the spinning action slings it out of the cases. Those trays work ok, but your going to find a lot of stray pins in the cases that the surface tension held in there. Then get you some Southern Shine SS chips and you'll really love life. I'd buy the little brother too if they'd have rubber lined the drum. Guess I'll just have to engineer a smaller drum for big brother for small batches. I'm also puzzled why the omitted the timer. They're basically selling you 1/3 the product for 60% of the price. I think they just cut back too far on features and not enough on the price. I'm sure Lyman will make it the right way in the next few months.
A lot of people saying deprime first. You should do an accuracy and longevity test with deprime first vs after
I'll Stick to the Old tumbler Long Before I have to wait for The Brass to dry!
Really! I'm not seeing the benefit to adding moisture
I've found with the full size one, I don't need the steel pins or to run it that long. 1,200 pieces of decapped 9mm brass (3/4 drum full) dawn dish soap and a pinch of Lemi-shine for 15-20 minutes, that's it! They look perfect and polished. And I found if you run brass too long it gets work hardened and brittle, which leaves me with brass shavings everywhere from my Dillon crimp die. 15-20 min tumble on decapped brass, rinse with distilled water (to prevent water spots) and then dry. Quick and easy!
1,200 pieces of 9 in this small tumbler?
@@Gunner_0306 It's not that small.
@@RangerTexas90 Thanks. I just wanted to confirm before I buy it on Amazon. Thanks. How long do you run it?
@@Gunner_0306 no longer than 20-30 minutes or it makes the brass brittle (hardened)
RangerTexas90 thanks for the advice. I just ordered it from amazon and comes in tomorrow.
A little dawn soap and a sprinkle of lemme shine. Also I use a media tumbler for my brass slings all the pins to the bottom. And i us a frankford arsenal magnet to remove them. Just a different method.
I use a hair dryer. I put my 223 cases in an old 9mm tray and dry the primer pocket side first so the residue water flows out the neck and do that for abut 5 minutes then flip the cases over and then hit the neck with the hair dryer. Works pretty well. You can also use a heat gun but my wife had an extra hair dryer and it works almost the same. But your 224 brass really didn’t look that dirty to begin with. I would like to see some suppressed cases in this drum with the solution you used
I have the same tumbler. Coming from using a dual drum harbor flight tumbler and I love the FA lite tumbler. Only down fall is its super loud.
Put my order into midway today. 99.99
Researched to extreme.
Midway as always reliable shipped out today also!
You show a "sifting kit" in your video. Do you have the detailed information on it? It looks like the perfect solution.
Thanks. Mid South is a great company. I am going to buy one from them after seeing this. I am brand new to reloading. Your brass did look mighty clean BEFORE you started though. My range brass looks way dirtier than yours.
should have used range brass to see how amazing stainless pins work. I am getting the reg version , bigger than my current rock tumbler. and yes def decap first .
Decap your brass first.
If your using the pins they can and will get stuck in the flash hole or sometimes cross way in the case mouth. I inspect each case after I wet tumble for rouge pins.
Another tip is to rinse in a big bowl so the water can get inside and free up the pins if any are stuck to the case wall. Then only dry with heat to insure complete dryness.
What was the brand on the Sifting tray you had in the sink? the two-piece trays? or a similar one you'd recommend?
Use lemon juice to clean them. They will clean super fast and be as shiny as a new trumpet.
Only cost $2 and change at the dollar store.
Add 1/4 cup to your water
I've had great success with the full sized unit except for leaking end caps. I have a hard time getting the end caps to seal. I had to lubricate the gaskets and really crank down on the end caps to keep them from leaking.
Same here. I bought the full size unit after using a Rebel 17 (Thumblers-like) for several years. I had hoped that it would make separating the brass from the pins easier. It does not. It does, however, do twice the amount of brass per run as compared to my Rebel 17. That makes it worth the hassle of separating the brass from the pins.
But I digress - I also found I had to lubricate the gaskets with a little petroleum jelly and then crank the covers down pretty tight to stop it from leaking all over the place.
Love the full size one.
I decided to give this tumbler another try. I put 50 223 cases in it, some Dawn, steel pins and cranked it up. It was immediately apparent this thing has some problems.
There are two raised "tracks" on each end of the drum. I stood and watched the drum spin and spin and the cases caught in the track groove hardly moved at all. They're just trapped and get no tumbling action.
It will probably work a bit better if you use more brass, maybe 100 to 150 rounds will produce more action. Just my opinion, and from what I have seen in these reviews.
I like frankford arsenal's products. I have the large version of the tumbler and love it. I'm looking at getting a second one, but this smaller version could work. However, without the rubber coating inside, I'm not sure I'd buy it. I do a two stage process, wash once, then deprime, then wash again with steel media, so I could use it for my first wash session on small batches, while I've got the big boy running second wash.
and before a million people ask me..."why do you wash your brass twice" lol...It's because I enjoy the process of brass prep as much as reloading and shooting! I feel like a pirate with treasure lol! and, I like shiny, shiny brass. It's fun!
I was looking for a smaller tumbler, and since it's frankford arsenal, and it's at a good price point, I think I will consider it.
I also use the frankford arsenal dryer, with the adjustable temp. It's really great, does what I need it to do!
I went with the original one also . With the great working pre-mix granulated cleaning packets. You need the magnet to retrieve all the pins!! . I like it when both ends open up to rinse it out and get all the pins out. I also like the timer!!! I set and forget and it turns off automatically. I go from 45 min to 1 1/2 hrs. depending on amount of cases and how dirty they are. I got mine on sale and it was not much more than this one and it came with almost everything. I needed to use it Immediately. I rinse with hot water and blow dry with heat gun. Forget all the time and problems with the Dehydrator case dryer. (Not worth the time, money or hassle). I still like this video as the product is very similar to mine and I am sure it could be an economical option. I feel mine is bigger, better more flexible and a little less hassle to use over all.
Go big or go home ??? Still a great informative video!!
Thanks- I'll have to check out the full-size model...
Benn using this tumbler for about two years. Fantastic little piece of equipment. I have small children and this keeps the nasty stuff from getting into the air and all over my garage.
Honestly, I’ve looked at this twice and am still shaking my head why, with all the fancy high tech gear and guns he has, does he not de-prime prior to wet tumbling? The very reason I use the wet tumbling process is because it does a great job of cleaning out the primer pockets. Ran across a guy promoting Area 419 who lamented on the “damage” wet tumbling does to brass and then he mentioned he left the tumbler on for hours. All the expensive stuff is great but you have know cause/effect.
I have the big brother to this and its amazing.
Loves my Frankford Arsenal wet tumbler; thou I should have gotten this Lite Tumbler instead. Size is perfect plus doesnt take soo much space.
I use 2.5mm ceramic triangular media with 2oz of turbo sonic solution and distilled water and I let that got for about 30 mins or more but I'm going to switch to some 3mm ceramic media so I don't get any media stuck in the primer pockets
do not dry them in your micro-wave.
You could rinse the brass with boiling water, layit out in front of a decent fan, speed up your dry time maybe?
just bought one waiting on delivery
We need a Gavin gear discount code👍
Decap brass before any wet cleaning. Even after drying if the primer is still in place it can trap a small amount of water, if that brass is stored for some period of time corrosion will occur and when you start decapping them you will get some that the bottom punches out leaving the sides in place, and it is almost impossible to remove the sides of the primer if the bottom punches out, this has happened to me! Can you imagine how mad I was when I had to throw out 10 to 15% of that batch of brass! The oils and acids in your fingerprints will corrode the brass, so I always handle the clean brass with gloves. I always handle the clean brass with the blue poly or latex gloves, you just went to all that trouble to clean the corrosion off of them, I don't touch them with bare skin and start them corroding again.
Hey Gavin, I am new to reloading and I have watched most of your videos to understand the process of cleaning and preparation before priming and charging. Can you sharing with me if there is best order of operation? Is it best to do the following or not? If there are steps that I missed or they are out of order please let me know.
1-De-priming only (No sizing)
2-check the overall length and trim and chamfer if needed
3-annealing before sizing so the brass is soft.
4-lubricating and sizing
5-washing and drying
6-priming
7-charging
8-bullet seating
I WISH YOU HAD DONE IT WITH SOME OLD VERY DIRTY BRASS, THIS WAY WE COULD SEE HOW WELL THIS SYSTEM WORKS.
Right?? when he did that over the shoulder view at the sink. that brass already looked brand new. haha
I use this with a little Dawn soap and lemi shine with stainless steel media. Makes old brass like new after 3 hours.
Have you ever deprimed your cases first to clean the primer pocket?
Thank you for another great video. Which do you recommend doing.... deprime, resize, trim, and debur then tumble clean or do you prefer removing the primer, tumble, then resize, trim, debur?
You’re an excellent product reviewer.
....that easy huh? did you check inside cases for pins?
I like the trays, where can they be purchased?
Would have liked to see a before and after close-up of inside and primer pockets. I haver never used a wet system just vibrating tubler with walnut shell and fitz added.
Where is it made? China? What company sells the sieve pans? Inquiring minds want to know. Also, the lack of rubber lining means that the brass and pins will wear through the drum. The rubber also insulates from noise. You missed some points. You have to tumble the cases in a media separator to get the pins out. Also, I use a sneaker rack lined with dog screen in the dryer. Works great. If you de-prime before tumbling, the primer pockets get cleaned perfectly as well.
If you smear a little Vaseline on both sides of the rubber gasket the caps will go on much easier and without leaking.
Hey Gavin, Question or idea for a future video! For us gents who don't have enough brass to load this tumbler to its case amount specs. Do you have any tips for making brass tumble completely without just sliding around. The larger Frankford arsenal tumbler container is lined with rubber to insure cases tumble properly. I'm having issues with mine just slipping in the tumbler Lite and not cleaning as well as they should. That aside I really like this little tumbler. Thanks again for the great videos!
I have a hand full of cases hanging out by the lid and won't tumble. Just rock back and forth. I only put 75 rifle cases and 1lb of media. Is there something I'm doing wrong?
I have the full size model but I might buy this one for my smaller batches of brass
It's perfect for those mid-size jobs!
Adding this to my growing list of buys. Do you prefer stainless pin media over the other options? Some say it reduces brass life.
BuyOnce
Get the bigger one
The drum's interior is rubberized, and comes with stainless steel pins.
I switched to stainless steel and wet tumbling a few years ago. It does not harm brass at all. I also switched from pins to a different type of stainless steel media. It works even better than pins and is much cheaper.
Thanks for the video, but I would have really liked to see you use dirty shells to begin with. It appeared that your cases were fairly clean to begin with.
I like the idea of tumbling with stainless pins, but terrified of leaving just one pin inside a case and shooting it down the barrel, ruining it.
I know some guys that had the same worry. I'll give you the same advice i gave them. Run an industrial pick up magnet over the brass after sifting to see if anything is left in the batch. If you see anything even twitch, pick it up that casing and check inside. Repeat until devoid of ferrous material.
I've been using the big brother for 2 years and there is a simple way around this issue. The pins turn out to be the right size to occasionally stick in the necks of my 6.5 CM brass. (Occasionally means typically 1-2 pins per 100 pieces of brass.) I just take them from the dryer and put them into loading blocks, neck up. Then it is a pretty quick process to glance at all of the necks to find the occasional pin and pick it out. I have NEVER found a pin down in the case. I use the Frankford Rotary Media Separator - works well. While we're at it, skip the expensive Hornady and RCBS dryers. I bought a used food dehydrator at a Goodwill store for $10. Works great!
Kevin Adam I had the same concern at first, so I dry them in the oven. I do about 200 to 300 at a time in a aluminum Turkey pan at 170 for 75 min.
Than I take an old bath towel and dump them after they have cooled on to it and draw each side together making a hammock and roll back and forth to knock out all the pins that might be left.
Also before you prime your brass you can shine a light down inside and to check but it shouldn't ever be an issue.
@@kurtthomsen2414 also on the 6.5 creed, darn thing broke my dacaping pin cause on of the media pins got stuck in pocket
On the larger unit they leak water! To solve reverse the clear window end caps.
Just picked on up for 89 bucks off amazon
I have the regular tumbler and found myself with the issue of need to clean a small batch like a 50 cases of 308 and sucks. They should sale the small container that fits the big rotary device. Well, looks like I will have to get the Harbor Freight one for small batches because makes no sense to me need to buy this other one (lite) too. I dont have too much room in my reloading area, plus im not rich ;-)
The other Frankfort has a rubberized coating inside the drum. Does it make a big difference ?
what size pins did you use? How many pounds of pins? How long did you leave it tumble?
How does this Frankford Arsenal Platinum Series Rotary Tumbler Lite work on Dry media especially walnut or corn Media and what polish should I put in it?
Hey gavin whats sifting kit called and whered you get it? Can you send the link
Why did you clean them with spent primers still in? Would the tumbling media have caused damage to the primer pockets?
You can do it either way. I don't worry about cleaning primer pockets personally...
It's a matter of preference. Cleaning brass BEFORE you resize is a thing. Over time that can harm your dies if you are doing that part with dirty carbon fouled brass. The media will not harm your primer pockets at all.
Personally I love to see clean primer pockets but it's not going to substantially effect the round or primer seating unless they are extremely dirty.
Ok, sounds good...I love you channel by the way!
Hey Gavin, like the black sifting kit. Can you share where you got it ?
Looks like the one that comes with the Lyman Rotary Cleaner..... lol!
Can you reuse the water?
How much louder is it than a typical vibratory tumbler? With corncob or walnut media? Seems like would be quite a bit louder?
@SixGun Al Thanks. Will request one from FA to test.
Where can I get that sifting pin separator from?
Rotary Tumbler Sifter Set (For use with stainless steel tumblers)
Lyman # 7631314
MIdway USA has them
It didn't look like the brass and pins wanted to really "tumble" as much as the original full sized model. I noticed that this didnt look like it has the rubberized coating on the inside that dampens noise and keeps the media + brass from just sitting at the bottom. Is this correct? What did you REALLY think of it?
it's true, they dont tumble the brass as nice without that liner in them. I've seen a couple facebook videos of people having issues getting heavy belted cases to do anything but stand up straight
Details on the separating tray?
Can you used this tumbler for sea glass and rock
I switched to ss chips from pins because the pins would get stuck in cases. I’m not sure i am
happy with the chips either. maybe try a bigger ss pin?
How much of the stainless steel pins do you add. Thx
will the 7L container work with the motor/base from the lite?
Do you need the stainless steel media