Frankford ArsenalPlatinum Series Rotary Tumbler with 7-Liter Capacity, Clear Viewing Lids, and Auto Shut-Off for Reloading, Cleaning and Wet Tumbling Brass Cases

[UPDATE 6-3-2016: I have now tumbled thousands of brass cases through this thing and I continue to LOVE it. If you're a new reloader, skip all the other methods--bucket soak, dry tumble media, etc.--and go straight for this. You will get top quality results and years of service. No joke, friends still periodically ask how I afford so much "new" ammo because, thanks to this tumbler, my reloaded brass shines so bright compared to typical reloads that it is hard to believe it's not factory new ammo. Simply awesome.]The Frankford Arsenal Rotary Tumbler is AMAZING! If you're new to reloading, don't waste your time on walnut media, sonic cleaners, etc. And if you're experienced as a reloader but using one of those methods, abandon them now and get yourself a tumbler with stainless steel media. There are several models on the market, but based on price and features, this Frankford Arsenal Tumbler is pretty tough to beat--and the results are PHENOMENAL!I'm not exaggerating here folks. I heard the hype about how well it works to tumble brass with stainless steel media. I saw some impressive looking pictures. But I tend to be skeptical and I tried other, less expensive options (walnut media, sonic cleaning, soaking with DIY detergent concoctions for days at a time, etc.) until I finally took the plunge, ordered this tumbler, and tried it. WOW! I was wasting my time on those other methods of cleaning. This tumbler gets cases MUCH cleaner, MUCH faster, and MUCH more thoroughly (even the primer pockets and the interiors of the cases get clean!). Better yet, even when I put in some pretty corroded and carbon-caked brass casings, a couple of hours of tumbling with a few cap-fulls of cleaning solution and the (included) 5 lbs. of stainless pins made them shinier than brand new casings. The proof is in the results: Ugly cases and clean water go in, then two hours later or so, some very black nasty water and a load of blindingly shiny brass cases comes back out. It's simply wonderful, and it makes the whole process of reloading easier and faster.So why get the Frankford Arsenal Rotary Tumbler if there are other tumblers on the market? Good question. Any serviceable tumbler that can handle the stainless media will probably work, but after a lot of research, I'm convinced that this model is the best design on the market as of the date of this review (Feb 2015). For one, it was designed as a case tumbler, not a rock tumbler. The plastic tumbler is more than durable enough for its intended purpose, but significantly quieter than a metal tumbler. (Quiet enough that, as another reviewer noted, you can run it and still watch TV in the next room with the door shut.) For another, the end caps screw on and off, which makes them much more accessible than other designs that require the attachment/removal of a series of wing nuts. This method seems secure and leak proof after many hours of tumbling, so what's not to like? For yet another reason, the end caps can swap out different centers: clear plastic for sealed tumbling, or a strainer style center for dumping out the water and media without dumping out the cases (essentially, a make-shift separator) and then rinsing the cases under clean water without needing a separate bucket/container for that purpose. And finally, the robust-seeming motor has a built-in timer switch, so you can "set it and forget it"... it turns itself off, with no need to buy a separate automatic timer.I can't say enough about how impressive this is, both in its thoughtful design and its remarkable effectiveness at cleaning brass. At this point, in combination with my Hornady LnL AP press, I now have the ability to produce reloaded ammo that is both more accurate AND shinier/more "premium" looking than high-quality factory ammo. Not surprisingly, my friends have been asking how I afford all this "new" ammo because, just by its shine, they don't think it's reloaded!In short, if you're looking for an "ideal" cleaning solution for brass, look no further. The best price I found after watching this for a long time was $159 with free Prime shipping, and at that price, I feel like I got a very, very good deal. I'll never go back to any other way of cleaning brass. It's really that good.

I have been reloading for going on 4 years. I have been using a Cabela’s dry media tumbler with corn and walnut media. Mainly I reload pistol rounds so the dry media has been severing me ok.Recently I moved into reloading rifle rounds. I had been avoiding them because of the amount of prep work that goes into it. Well I finally dove in head first.I use a Dillon 550B press for all my reloading. I bought the case trimmer tool head, dies and trimmer. I bought the RCBS case prep station and a Dillon 600 swager.The de-priming, resizing and trimming are a breeze with the Dillon. Removing military crimps with the Dillon swager is a cake walk compared to the RCBS primer crimp removal tool on the case prep station.How does all this have anything to do with the Frankford Arsenal Rotary Tumbler..... I am getting there.Recently I spent the better half of a Saturday cleaning the primer pockets with the RCBS case prep station. The deburring and chamfering was easy, but trimming primer crimps and cleaning the primer pocket with it was painfully slow and literally painful after 6-hours non-stop (bulk load for 1K cases).I thought to myself, never again will I spend this much time cleaning primer pockets.I have used a friend’s wet media tumbler once. It was a Thumler's Tumbler. The brass was clean but tightening all the little wing nuts, managing the little pins and the limited cleaning volume were a huge turn off.I was resistant to trying it again. I was very leery about Frankford Arsenal. It isn't a brand I am not familiar with as I mainly buy Dillon tools and reloading components.The video on Amazon was very helpful. It helped me see how it looks and works. I was shocked by the capacity and ease of use. I turned to my old friend, Youtube, to look at more reviews and demonstrations of the product.It is actually a very simple design.So, I took a leap of faith and bought it. A few days after receiving it in the mail, I finally had a chance to use it.It was simple compared to the Thumler's Tumbler. Sorting the pins and rinsing the brass was effortless compared to the Thumler's Tumbler. The brass comes out so clean and shiny comparted to a dry tumbler. It makes dry tumbled brass look dirty.More importantly to me, the primer pockets are clean, the case lube from the resizing is removed and it saves me many hours and many hand cramps compared to my other attempt.Until I learn of a better way, I am sold on my process of dry tumble, de-prime, resize and trimming on my Dillon, swaging primer pockets on my Dillon 600 super swager, de-burring and chamfering the RCBS case prep station, then a wet tumble in the Frankford Arsenal Rotary Tumbler then finishing it off back on the Dillon adding the primer, powder, and finally seating the bullet.It sounds like a lot of work, but with the equipment I have it is manageable and can be processed in bulk with relative ease.I highly recommend the Frankford Arsenal Rotary Tumbler. Especially if you are fed up with the Thumler's Tumbler and dealing with the pins going everywhere. I can’t say enough good things about the Frankford Arsenal Rotary Tumbler.The only drawback is you do have to really tighten down on the collars for a good seal. I am young and strong so it isn’t a big deal. More mature re-loaders that have arthritis or have lost their strength might find it difficult. But then again, where there is a will, there is a way.