Hi lotarocks,
Like stefan said,,,,,come on in and join us.
Rotary Tumblers:
Rotary tumblers will give you a rounded look to your rocks and take much longer to do so.
In some cases, depending on the type of rock and it's form,it can take up to several months to finish the roughing stage.
A completed load of most rocks done in the rotary tumbler can take several months to finish.
They also use much more grit and polish.
The better brands of rotary tumblers are,for the most part,quiet to run.
Vibrating Tumblers:
Vibrating tumblers will give you a more angular appearance on the surface after the roughing stage. The roughing can be done in a week or so.
A completed load of most rocks in the vibrating tumbler can be done in 10-20 days.
The vibrating tumblers use much less grit and polish.
Vibrating tumblers a noisy.
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OK that being said,what a lot of people do is have both,the rotary and vibe units.
They do all the roughing in the rotary to get a nice rounded apperance to the rocks and then do the rest of the cycle in the vibe units.
The vibe units are great for polishing small slabs,etc. in a hurry.
Jasper started in a rotary unit and finished in a vibe unit
Petrified wood done completly in a vibe unit:
Note(this was not typical material it was exceptional to start with)
One thing to keep in mind is that polishing rocks is not speedy process no matter whick type of tumbler you choose.
Myself and the others here will tell you that patience is a must if you want your rocks to become gems!!
The choice is up to you and of course money enters into it.
My preferences in brands of vibe and rotary.
Rotary:
Thumler's Tumblers and Lortone
Vibrating:
Lot-O-Tumbler
I hope I have explained the differences for you and if not just ask away,,,,,After you join!!
Tom