Which tumbler or ultrasonic cleaner to buy?

[Mclovinguns]

Im leaning toward an ultrasonic cleaner but which one is better? In alot of the reviews it sounds like guys are also using the tumblers to pre-clean or shine the brass. This is the last bit of reloading equipment I need to buy before I start rolling my own.

 

[mkollman74]

Re: Which tumbler or ultrasonic cleaner to buy?

I use both. I have the Thumler's Tumbler w/ stainless media for cleaning. Then I size and use ultrasonic from Harbor Freight to get the lube off.

 

[High Binder]

Re: Which tumbler or ultrasonic cleaner to buy?

I use both as well. I have a Tumbers tumbler for tumbling with stainless and an ultrasonic that my last employer was sitting on and gave to me. It's a pretty serious unit (cost $1200) and is way overkill but it works so...

If I had to pick one it would be the tumbler for stainless media.

 

[Mclovinguns]

Re: Which tumbler or ultrasonic cleaner to buy?

Sounds like people are using both. Thats the route I am going to go then. Im just not sure on brands yet.

 

[rusty815]

Re: Which tumbler or ultrasonic cleaner to buy?

An ultrasonic is good if you simply want the brass clean and cleaned fast (which is why I'm getting one). A tumbler is if you not only want your brass cleaned but polished as well, but it takes a lot longer.

If you don't care about how shiny your brass is, get the ultrasonic cleaner, it might take a little experimenting to get the right solution to clean the brass well, but once you find it you'll see how well it works. If the looks of the brass matters to you, get a tumbler and some stainless steel media.

 

[mkollman74]

Re: Which tumbler or ultrasonic cleaner to buy?

Hard to go wrong with the tumbling kit from stainlesstumblingmedia.com. As far as ultrasonic, I use the $70 unit from harbor freight. It works for me, but I just use it to get the lube off. You'll find tons of recipes to maximize the ultrasonic. I pre-soak mine in hot tap water and a shot of simple green. Then I put into the ultrasonic with just plain water and they come out all de-lubed.

 

[Mclovinguns]

Re: Which tumbler or ultrasonic cleaner to buy?

looks dont matter much to me but I have heard the tumbler doesnt clean the primer pocket very well and the utrasonic does. Any truth to this?

 

[rusty815]

Re: Which tumbler or ultrasonic cleaner to buy?

Actually I have heard it the other way around, ultrasonics don't clean the primer pockets well, but with the proper solution that's no longer a problem, heard the best solution is 50% water and 50% vinegar with a touch of dish soap, but everyone has their own mix to it.

 

[Wylie Custom]

Re: Which tumbler or ultrasonic cleaner to buy?

Do it right the first time and get the stainless steel tumbler. You will not be disapointed.

 

[Leaddog]

Re: Which tumbler or ultrasonic cleaner to buy?

Having used stainless for a couple of years now, I recently had the opportunity to use Hornady's new Magnum sonic. There is no comparison. The stainless method out cleans the sonic everytime with less work and hassle.

To the poster that uses a sonic to get the lube off...... Too much time and work. Try this.... After coming out of the resize die, wipe down with dry towel. When your rounds are completed, wipe cartridge with towel moistened with 91 or 99% Isopropyl alcohol.

 

[Gene Poole]

Re: Which tumbler or ultrasonic cleaner to buy?

This is always a polarizing topic and there's a lot of rhetoric. I agree that SS cleans better, but it's a relative newcomer and my opinion (with my admittedly limited metallurgical studies as part of my chemistry degree) is that beating your soft brass up with a relatively hard metal like stainless can't be good for it and will likely shorten the life of the brass. There's also the possibility of one of those pins getting through the loading process and what do you think that would do to your barrel at 60000 psi?

As far as primer pockets go, I've noticed that some primer brands clean up easily with US and other's just won't seem to clean up no matter how long you leave them in (I'm looking at you CCI) and may need a bit of extra work with a pocket brush.

As for me, I'd rather have a chemically clean (again the chemist in me wins out) case that is metallurgically unaffected than a nice bright shiny case that may crack at the neck after the third reloading. If you anneal regularly and properly, this might not be as much of an issue. Time will tell.

Just my opinion as a chemist. Feel free to flame away, but try to back up your reasoning with some sound arguments; not just "mine are prettier than yours."

 

[crewchef]

Re: Which tumbler or ultrasonic cleaner to buy?

Using the HF ultrasonic and very satisfied with results. Inside, outside and primer pockets are all very clean. Occasional primer pocket that isn't 100% cleaned but now that I've got solution figured out there are very few of those. Only negative, if you're cleaning a lot of brass it would take a while. It's not a dump it in and walk away process. Not a big deal, I just clean after each match instead of waiting until a big batch piles up.

 

[Iamironman]

Re: Which tumbler or ultrasonic cleaner to buy?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Mclovinguns</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Im leaning toward an ultrasonic cleaner but which one is better? In alot of the reviews it sounds like guys are also using the tumblers to pre-clean or shine the brass. This is the last bit of reloading equipment I need to buy before I start rolling my own. </div></div>

The big question you want to ask yourself is do you want to deal with wet brass? How clean do you really want your brass to be and is it worth the extra effort? I have been reloading just over 20 years and I have never cleaned primer pockets (I'm also not a benchrest shooter).

As you mentioned you haven't even started reloading yet, I would follow the KISS method and just buy an reasonably priced vibratory tumbler and start with good old corncob.

 

[WhiskeyWebber]

Re: Which tumbler or ultrasonic cleaner to buy?

I'm a brand new reloader too. I went the SS media Thumbler route. Here was my reasoning regarding the work hardening of brass... the SS is a harder metal than the brass but it is suspended in solution with hot water, lemme shine, Dawn, along with other media and brass pieces. So whatever acceleration created by the motion of the Thumbler is blunted. You are not plastically deforming the brass with impacts between the SS and other brass pieces so the idea of work hardening really doesn't apply. I feel the only risk is case hardening (engineering term, not the cartridge case), which would only be the surface of the brass, not really affect the underlying structural integrity or other mechanical properties like tensile strength and impact strength. Although I wish someone would go ahead and do a scientific study to put this one to bed. I used to work in a nuclear materials lab and run mechanical property tests on TI and Steel so I know which tests I'd run I just don't have access to the lab anymore.

 

[Leaddog]

Re: Which tumbler or ultrasonic cleaner to buy?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Gene Poole</div><div class="ubbcode-body">This is always a polarizing topic and there's a lot of rhetoric. I agree that SS cleans better, but it's a relative newcomer and my opinion (with my admittedly limited metallurgical studies as part of my chemistry degree) is that beating your soft brass up with a relatively hard metal like stainless can't be good for it and will likely shorten the life of the brass. There's also the possibility of one of those pins getting through the loading process and what do you think that would do to your barrel at 60000 psi?

</div></div>

I'm not a scientist, but after cleaning thousands of 308 cases using the stainless method, I've never seen a compromised case due to that type of cleaning. I'd say that resizing is more of a detriment to case life by hardening than anything. Truth be told.... my primer pockets get loose long before there are any cases problems. I've never had any split necks, either. For the 308, I'm considering going to the small primer pockets which usually hold up over more firings. So... not scientific, just real world firing line experience.

As for pins in the case... shame on anyone not examining their cases before resizing and before reloading.

 

[roggom]

Re: Which tumbler or ultrasonic cleaner to buy?

I just use a Lyman twin tumbler http://www.lymanproducts.com/lyman/tumblers/turbo-twin-tumbler.php

Quality product, two separate sized hoppers.

I drop my cases in right from the range, walnut bird bedding for the first tumble. Then lube and size, use walnut lizard bedding for the second tumble (smaller and doesnt get stuck in the flash holes). They come out clean, but not mirror shiny.

I just dont want to deal with wet brass.

 

[zuke]

Re: Which tumbler or ultrasonic cleaner to buy?

I use LEE lube to resize my brass,so I've been dealing with wet brass for year's.
The SS media I now use has exceeded my expection's.

 

[Hopkins]

Re: Which tumbler or ultrasonic cleaner to buy?

Can SS media be used effectively in a Lyman 1200 or other vibrating non tumbling machine?

 

[Leaddog]

Re: Which tumbler or ultrasonic cleaner to buy?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Hopkins</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Can SS media be used effectively in a Lyman 1200 or other vibrating non tumbling machine? </div></div>

The short answer... No. You'll need a rotary tumbler. Most use the Thumblers.

 

[Iamironman]

Re: Which tumbler or ultrasonic cleaner to buy?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Leaddog</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Hopkins</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Can SS media be used effectively in a Lyman 1200 or other vibrating non tumbling machine? </div></div>

The short answer... No. You'll need a rotary tumbler. Most use the Thumblers. </div></div>

Or a very very big vibratory tumbler

 

[427Cobra]

Re: Which tumbler or ultrasonic cleaner to buy?

A Rockwell hardness tester tells me that SS cleaned brass is not work hardened from the cleaning, my chronograph tells me that dirty brass has lower SD/ES, I found that ultra clean brass needs some sort of lube to aid in bullet release, so I lube my the necks of SS cleaned brass with graphite powder, also the lips of the brass get peened from SS cleaning, no biggie for me because I have a Giraud Trimmer, but if I was still hand cranking I'd be pissed, so my recommendation is to start off with a vibration tumbler and use walnut shells from the pet store, add a little NuFinish car wax to the media and spend your money on other things for the reloading bench.