If you want to buy the best brass tumbler for reloading, you will find this article useful since we have outlined all the best brass tumblers for the money available in the market today. We also shared in another post the best case trimmer for reloading and also the best case prep for reloading.
Are you looking for a way to reload your ammunition? There are many items required for reloading ammunition, one of which is a brass tumbler.
Reloading your ammunition is a great way to save some cash. It is also a way to be more involved in your hobby if you are a gun enthusiast.;
Best Brass Tumblers
Before reloading, it’s recommended to clean and polish your brass casings. Tarnished brass can be a safety hazard.
Brass tumblers help you to clean and polish large amounts of ammo shells in a small amount of time. They are easy to use and ensure your ammunition is reliable with a professional look. Cleaning your brass casings protects your dies from gathering debris.
Reading this guide will help you choose the best brass tumbler for your money. It will also help you to narrow down your search.
Let’s look at the best brass tumblers on the market today.
Best Brass Tumblers for Reloading Comparison Table
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1 Frankford Arsenal Platinum Series Rotary Case Tumbler
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2 Extreme Tumblers Rebel 17 Ammo Reloading Tumbler
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3 Lyman Pro 1200 Tumbler
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4 Frankford Arsenal Quick-N-EZ
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5 Lyman Cyclone Rotary Tumbler
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6 Hornady M-1 Case Tumbler
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7 Hornady 050220 Rotary Brass Tumbler
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8 Tru-square Heavy Duty Rotary Tumbler
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9 Dillon CV-750 Case Cleaner
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10 Lyman Pro Magnum Tumbler
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Best Brass Tumbler for Reloading
It is worth mentioning that you need to select a tumbler according to your needs. The best reloading tumblers on the market help you clean spent brass cases. This ensures you have the best starting point for your ammo.
Here are 10 of the best brass tumblers:
1. Frankford Arsenal Platinum Series Rotary Case Tumbler
Frankford Arsenal Platinum Series Rotary Case Tumbler is ideal for cleaning and polishing brass casings for reloading. This is one of the best brass tumblers with nearly flawless functionality.
This tumbler is available for a mid-level price and possesses solid construction. It is made out of heavy-duty plastic that is designed to withstand wear and tear. The molded rubber lining makes this tumbler generally quiet, unlike metal tumblers that make a lot of noise. This allows you to operate normally in the same room without any disturbance.
Frankford Arsenal Platinum Series Rotary Case Tumbler has a large volume drum that can hold up to 1,000 .223 brass shells. This is the best size/capacity when compared to other tumblers on the list.
It can also work as a media separator to deliver a quality brass polish. It includes a built-in timer that allows you to run the device from 0 to 3 hours automatically.
It is worth mentioning that this tumbler comes with a sample of Frankford Arsenal Brass Cleaning Solution. It also includes 5 lb. of 304 Stainless Steel Media, which will last for a long time. However, if you plan to reload a lot of ammo, you should consider buying more.
Features
- It’s made out of durable plastic, which is noise resistant
- It comes with a brass cleaning solution
- It operates without the use of belts
- It includes pins that can penetrate inside the cases and primer pockets to deliver a clean polish
2. Extreme Tumblers Rebel 17 Ammo Reloading Tumbler
Extreme Tumblers Rebel 17 is one of the best ammo-reloading tumblers designed to work with stainless steel media. It is packed with many features that deliver a quality polish.
With a capacity of 17 lbs, this tumbler possesses a heavy-duty plastic construction, which is noise resistant. This tumbler can hold up to 700 .223 brass shells. It also comes with a 5-year warranty on the barrel and liner. It also has a 3-year warranty on the unit and a 1-year warranty on the motor.
The motor can move at 3,000 RPM, which allows you to clean your brass casings in a short time. However, it is prone to maintenance issues compared to the Frankford Arsenal, which we’ll discuss later.
Features
- It includes a strong base that keeps the device in place
- It is made of heavy-duty plastic
- The inner and outer side of the tumbler is coated with high strength powder
3. Lyman Pro 1200 Tumbler
Lyman Pro 1200 Tumbler (115V) is the best vibrating brass case tumbler, which comes loaded with some top-notch features.
This tumbler contains a powerful thermal protected motor and a built-in sifter lid. It also has an advanced bowl design that helps you remove oxidation, fouling, and old lube from your brass casings.
This best brass tumbler for the money offers a perfect balance between durability, economy, and capacity. It can hold 2 lbs. of media and allows you to clean up to 350 38spl. cases.
Lyman Pro 1200 Tumbler is very easy to use. You simply need to add dry media into the tumbler along with dirty casings and turn it on.
For better results, we recommend mixing Lyman’s Turbo Case Cleaner solution into the tumbler.
Features
- It doesn’t require a separate media sifter
- It can work with both Nutshell and Corncob Media
- It can deliver the best results within the shortest time possible
4. Frankford Arsenal Quick-N-EZ
The Frankford Arsenal Quick-N-EZ is the best brass tumbler starter kit that offers you an easy and economical way to clean and polish your dirty brass casings.
This tumbler kit can be used with walnut and corncob media to remove lube, oxidation, and fouling.
It includes a huge capacity that can hold up to 600 9mm or 350 .223 cases.
This best brass rotary tumbler includes accessories such as 3 lb Cleaning Media, a plastic bucket, and 4 oz. Frankford arsenal brass polish. These accessories make the cleaning and polishing process convenient and straightforward.
Features
- It is made of fairly durable plastic
- It includes a motor that is efficient and reliable
- It is available for a reasonable price
5. Lyman Cyclone Rotary Tumbler
Lyman Cyclone Rotary Tumbler is a high-quality brass tumbler that is available at a mid-level price. It offers top-notch functionality to clean and polish your brass casings.
This tumbler is made out of durable, heavy-duty plastic. It has a huge capacity that can hold up to 1,000 .223 brass shells.
The solid motor is efficient and works well. It can move at speeds of up to 3,000 RPM.
Features
- It includes a 3-hour timer
- It is made of heavy-duty plastic, which is quiet
6. Hornady M-1 Case Tumbler
Hornady M-1 Case Tumbler is one of the best brass tumblers on the market. It is designed to allow you to clean your brass casings efficiently in one round easily.
This tumbler includes a sealed ball-bearing motor that is easy to use. It has a capacity that can hold up to (400) .38 Special cases, (180) 30-06 cases, or other like-sized cases.
The powerful tumbler uses Hornady Tumbling Media along with the cyclonic and vibratory action to clean large quantities of brass casings.
It also includes a powerful timer that allows you to set the running time depending on the brass casings’ condition.
The sifter allows you to separate the polished brass from the media quickly.
Features
- It includes a powerful motor that allows you to polish brass casings to a brilliant shine
- It includes a timer
7. Hornady 050220 Rotary Brass Tumbler
Hornady 050220 Rotary Brass Tumbler is designed to efficiently clean and polish cartridge cases. It has a capacity of 5 lbs and steel pin tumbling media.
The powerful motor allows you to easily clean and polish brass casings to a brilliant shine.
We recommend using this best brass case tumbler with the Hornady One Shot Cartridge Case Solution to get the best results.
Features
- It includes a 6-quart rubber-lined drum
- It includes a quick seal compression lid
- It includes a digital timer
- It has a powerful fan-cooled motor
8. Tru-square Heavy Duty Rotary Tumbler
Tru-square Heavy Duty Rotary Tumbler is pricy, but it offers a lot in terms of performance. The tumbler is constructed with durable, heavy-duty steel.
It can hold up to 500 brass shells, which comes out to around 15 pounds of capacity. It works fast enough to get a lot done in a short time.
Features
- It possesses a durable steel construction
- It includes a 115-volt motor
- It is designed to polish all kinds of brass implements
9. Dillon CV-750 Case Cleaner
Dillon CV-750 Case Cleaner is a vibrating case cleaner with a 12-inch diameter bowl. It is 12 inches tall and has a capacity of up to 500 pieces of the 45 ACP or 38/357 cases. It is available for a mid-level price with decent construction quality and functionality.
The strong motor is efficient, allowing you to polish brass casings in a short time. It is made of durable, heavy-duty plastic. The noise level is extremely low
It is worth mentioning that Dillon CV-750 Case Cleaner can only accommodate dry objects.
Features
- It includes a powerful and efficient motor
- It uses a vibration mechanism
- It can handle different kinds of cases
10. Lyman Pro Magnum Tumbler
Lyman Pro Magnum Tumbler is a budget brass tumbler that possesses a heavy-duty plastic construction with noise cancellation.
This powerful tumbler can hold around 1,000 .38 shells at one time. This is a spectacular storage capacity for its current price. The strong motor adequately runs for a long time, ensuring that your brass casings have a brilliant polish.
Features
- It is available for a reasonable price
- It includes a powerful motor
- It is made of heavy-duty plastic
Primary Types of Brass Tumblers
There are different kinds of brass tumblers available in the market today. They are broadly categorized into two kinds:
a) Rotary Tumbler
This type of tumbler has been around for more than 50 years. They are generally more expensive than vibratory tumblers.
They work as rollers with a barrel on top. Rotary tumblers use small stainless steel pins to clean the brass. It can be used with either dry or wet media.
We recommend using walnut media or corncob media for this type of brass tumbler. If the tumbler you purchase is rated for wet tumbling, use stainless steel.
Rotary tumblers are generally less time-consuming when compared to vibratory ones. This reduces the chaffing of the brass against one another.
b) Vibratory Tumbler
An excellent example of a vibratory tumbler is the Lyman Pro 1200 Tumbler. It is cheaper than the rotary tumbler and is the most known brass-cleaning tumbler.
The design is very simple, and the tumbler is straightforward.
Vibrations produced by the device cause friction, making the bullets rub against each other. This ensures that they are cleaned thoroughly to a brilliant polish.
They use corncobs as the cleaning medium. It can clean many bullets in one cycle. However, it can take a long time to clean them, and it does not clean the inside of the case.
What is the Best Media for Tumbling Brass Casings?
There are different types of media used for cleaning brass casings. Here are the three main types of media we recommend:
- Walnut media – This type of media can be used if the brass has been fired many times. It offers a thorough clean even if the brass is heavily tarnished. It is efficient but does not give the brass a brand new shine. However, you can use polishing agents to increase the shine.
- Corncob media – This type of media is suitable for brass that is not extremely tarnished. It can be used in any tumbler as it is very aggressive and gives your brass casings a brilliant shine. We recommend using it for brass that has been fired once or twice.
- Stainless steel media – This is the best brass tumbling media that can be used as wet media. You can use them to clean brass cases inside and out. It can only be used with a rotary tumbler. It gives a professional polish. However, it can be time-consuming to separate the brass and the media.
What to Consider While Choosing a Brass Tumbler?
There are several brass tumblers available on the market today. Here are some important points to keep in mind when choosing a tumbler:
- Quality – Quality matters, and therefore, you should select a durable tumbler that will last for a long time. They should be screwed properly and should remain firm after a long duration of cleaning.
- Durability – The tumbler you choose needs to be durable. Steel tumblers are durable, but they are more expensive than plastic ones. It is important to keep this in mind to make an informed decision when making your purchase.
- Type of casing – Tumblers can hold almost any type of casing. However, there are custom tumblers for different casings. Ensure that you communicate with your seller before making the purchase.
- Amount of casings it can hold – It is important to check the capacity of the brass tumbler. This ensures that you get the fastest cleaning time.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is wet tumbling?
Wet tumbling is using a watertight tumbler that consists of a drum and motor for rotating. It also consists of a frame with rollers.
The drum is placed on the rollers and rotates to clean and polish brass cases.
- How long do you leave brass in a tumbler?
We recommend that you do not soak the casings for too long. This process does not damage non-plated brass, but it can negatively affect the nickel-plated brass.
Wrapping Up
That’s it! We hope that this guide has helped you to narrow down your search for the best brass tumbler for your money.
However, if you are still not sure, we recommend the Frankford Arsenal Platinum Series which offers the best features for the money you spend.
If you are on a tight budget, the Lyman Pro Tumbler is your best solution.