JavaScript is disabled
Our website requires JavaScript to function properly. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser settings before proceeding.
Messages
944
Reactions
1,147
So I recently ordered one of these, the large one, but now I'm wondering if I wouldn't have been better off with the Lite version. I seldom run more than a couple hundred cases at a time, and with rifles, it's frequently half that or less. Other than the space it takes, is there any downside to running this thing well under its capacity? Or would it be more efficient selling/trading this one off on the smaller version? I've already missed the return window, so that's not an option. Thanks.

Dave
 
I've had good luck with mine even with 200-300 9mm cases. Seems to clean just like if there is 800 in there. I don't fill it completely with water just enough to cover the brassby couple inchs.
 
Ive done batches as few as 10 pieces of 30-30 and it works as advertised.
 
I'd go with the large, even if the small was available at that time. I've had mine a few years and having the extra capacity never hurts. I've done as few as a dozen cases, keeping a 3/4 full water solution regardless of brass quantity.

Running under capacity increases the pin to brass contact time and greatly shortens your tumbling time. Be aware of this so you dont set 100 9mm cases for 90 minutes, waste of time but you'll have pristine brass.
 
I've got the lite and for a couple hundred rifle casings no problem at all. You might need to play with the cleaner mix a little and going from the larger rifle casings back to a smaller batch quantity of pistol cases but I believe that's a personal choice. Also you can vary tumble time for small versus large loads. The only difference I've found is the level of brightness. I try to keep mine under 15 lbs total weight when fully loaded with casings, steel, and water.
 
I would choose the larger one , the little one is nice but it does not have a timer and the barrel in not rubber lined and it does not hold much larger rifle cases ,
 
Uou will be fine with what you have. You will have to.play with the amount of Lemi-Shine, ArmorAll and a small squirt of dawn dish soap.
To much Lemishine will make the brass dull looking.
Start with 1/2 a teaspoon of lemi shine with a full drum of hot tap water.
Then work down with lemi shine.

Tumble for an hour

After you tumble the brass, dump the black water out, refill with fresh warm tap water

Retumble for ten minutes.

Dump the water are dry the brass.

I make drying racks.

20210223_165319.jpg

Feel free to pm me if you have any questions.
 
Uou will be fine with what you have. You will have to.play with the amount of Lemi-Shine, ArmorAll and a small squirt of dawn dish soap.
To much Lemishine will make the brass dull looking.
Start with 1/2 a teaspoon of lemi shine with a full drum of hot tap water.
Then work down with lemi shine.

Tumble for an hour

After you tumble the brass, dump the black water out, refill with fresh warm tap water

Retumble for ten minutes.

Dump the water are dry the brass.

I make drying racks.

View attachment 840116

Feel free to pm me if you have any questions.
Nice rack! (Never told a guy that before, at least not that i know of ;))

I use food grade citric acid. Its the exact same stuff as lemi shine(except food grade) its alot cheaper. I use a little more i think i use 1 tsp. Per lrg drum full.
I use a old hair dryer or heat gun to speed up drying. A old food dehydrator works but i like this rack idea.
 
I mark the 2x wood every 1/2 inch both ways then with a quick square draw lines. Then predrill hole on a drill press an inch deep. Then put the galvinized 16 penny finish nails in. You will feel them bottom out.
If you do not predrill the wood will split.
I put a couple coats of polly uurthane on the wood before I drill the holes. It's a PIA to apply it after the nails are in..

On 2x4 racks I cut 1x2 an inch off the length so I end up with 5 rows of nails. Then do ten rows and leave a space and another ten rows so the rack will hold 100 pieces of brass.

On a 2x6 leave it full with. Same 1/2 lines,.mark five lines, leave a space and another five lines,.leave a space then five lines. For five sets of nailes. Every setion will hold fifty cases for 250 dryed cases.

Leaving a space between the sections make it easier to devide the cases by groups of 50 cases.

I sell a lot of brass and if I want to have an exact count on the brass the racks dry the brass for sure and gives me groups of fifty pieces of slean dried brass.

I will tumble the dirty range brass with no pins to get them clean before knocking any primers out. I ruined a new Hornady lock n load press in less then two years depriming dirty range brass. The small grit, carbon and crap wore the aluminum.frame where the ram goes up & down.

If the cases are deprimed I take the air hose and blow the cases off and dlow down threw the primer pockets and most of the water is removed. If the summer the cases dry pretty fast out on the picnic table.
Winter time I let them sit inside on top of the frezer a day or two.
If I want the sooner I let them sit an hour or two to drain out and throw them in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes at 190 degrees.
One time i had the temp to high and forgot about them and the brass discolored.
I retumbled them and they were fine.

20210223_165319.jpg 20210216_073413.jpg 20210201_160238.jpg
 
Well, I did its maiden run last night, and I'm not impressed :rolleyes:. Compared to my vibratory tumblers, it's messy, and just a whole lot more screwing around. Yeah, the brass came out clean, for whatever that's worth, but separating out the pins is a PITA, and then it still has to be dried, I'm using an old dehydrator for that step. At this point, I'm ready to just pack the whole thing up and go back to my dry tumblers, I can get ready to use brass in about half the time from what I'm seeing so far, and with a lot less hassle. Anyone wanna buy a nearly new F.A.R.T. :oops:? Later.

Dave
 
Well, I did its maiden run last night, and I'm not impressed :rolleyes:. Compared to my vibratory tumblers, it's messy, and just a whole lot more screwing around. Yeah, the brass came out clean, for whatever that's worth, but separating out the pins is a PITA, and then it still has to be dried, I'm using an old dehydrator for that step. At this point, I'm ready to just pack the whole thing up and go back to my dry tumblers, I can get ready to use brass in about half the time from what I'm seeing so far, and with a lot less hassle. Anyone wanna buy a nearly new F.A.R.T. :oops:? Later.

Dave
If you make me a great deal! :D
 
While I agree it is more work and a bit messier but if you want nice thoroughly clean brass, it's the only way to go. I was a vibratory Tumblr only guy that saw the difference, dove head first into it and the process gets easier each time I use it.;)
 
I make drying racks.

I like the racks. I just lay the cases out to dry on shop towels over old, rectangular baking sheet pans. As you say, they dry fast in the sun in nice weather, otherwise it's in the house, same room as the wood stove. Passive drying is fine if you're not in a hurry. Which I never am with reloading.
 
While I agree it is more work and a bit messier but if you want nice thoroughly clean brass, it's the only way to go. I was a vibratory Tumblr only guy that saw the difference, dove head first into it and the process gets easier each time I use it.;)

You may be right, @Caveman Jim, I was thinking some process adjustments might make a difference. But there's clean, then there's clean o_O. My main reason for trying this out was primer pockets, I'd decided I wanted to pre-process a bunch of 9mm, .45 ACP, and .223 brass, have it all ready to go for the day components are readily available again. It didn't take long to realize that cleaning primer pockets in large quantities is sheer drudgery, no matter what your system or equipment. The FART definitely does a nice job on the primer pockets, and getting the inside of the cases clean is a bonus, but I'm not sure the tradeoff is worth it, especially with my smaller batches of precision rifle cases. Time will tell, it wouldn't be the first time I said YUCK! on the first try, then later fell in love.

So speaking of process, what's the best way to separate pins out? Drying in the dehydrator is fine, it's fairly fast, and will hold a lot of brass, and I'm not doing anything else with it. But those pins are a challenge, they seem to get everywhere, and it's not easy to separate them from the brass. Later, and thanks.

Dave
 
You may be right, @Caveman Jim, I was thinking some process adjustments might make a difference. But there's clean, then there's clean o_O. My main reason for trying this out was primer pockets, I'd decided I wanted to pre-process a bunch of 9mm, .45 ACP, and .223 brass, have it all ready to go for the day components are readily available again. It didn't take long to realize that cleaning primer pockets in large quantities is sheer drudgery, no matter what your system or equipment. The FART definitely does a nice job on the primer pockets, and getting the inside of the cases clean is a bonus, but I'm not sure the tradeoff is worth it, especially with my smaller batches of precision rifle cases. Time will tell, it wouldn't be the first time I said YUCK! on the first try, then later fell in love.

So speaking of process, what's the best way to separate pins out? Drying in the dehydrator is fine, it's fairly fast, and will hold a lot of brass, and I'm not doing anything else with it. But those pins are a challenge, they seem to get everywhere, and it's not easy to separate them from the brass. Later, and thanks.

Dave

Dave, the best way to explain how I do this process in detail is to watch this video of a buddy of mine on another board. In short I use my media separator to remove the pins. :D
Good luck with with the wet side.;)

Squeaky clean!!!

14E0E1E0-11F7-4AA7-9D91-9B956717F261.jpeg

3908F869-EC5E-423B-ADC1-49D5766051F1.jpeg

E7AA4869-90CA-455F-8B00-3C322DC82813.jpeg
 
Last Edited:
@daved20319, @Caveman Jim had a really good learning curve but if you end up dissatisfied, box it up, packing tape and let me know I wouldn't mind a second one.

While I kid a little about another unit, I process enough that sometimes I would need a second tumbler to reduce my reloading time. Getting a media separator as shown in the video above along with a magnet to pick up the errant pins that disappear is a good idea. I shoot so I can process and clean brass, not the other way around.

I find myself processing less (times doing it) because I'm able to do enough at once to make it worth my time spent.

There is a learning curve and it isn't for everyone.
 
You're way better off with the larger model and not over full, than the smaller model and too full. Cases clean faster, and better the less full these are, so by using less capacity you will get cleaner cases faster.
 

Upcoming Events

Tillamook Gun & Knife Show
Tillamook, OR
"The Original" Kalispell Gun Show
Kalispell, MT
Teen Rifle 1 Class
Springfield, OR
Kids Firearm Safety 2 Class
Springfield, OR

New Resource Reviews

New Classified Ads

Back Top