yooper10
off to a rocking start
Member since July 2010
Posts: 23
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Post by yooper10 on Oct 22, 2010 9:29:21 GMT -5
My vibe tumbler just broke beyond repair. I am interested in purchasing a good rotary tumbler. I think a rotary tumbler would work best on Lake Superior agates. The vibe just leaves too much of the natural rock and shape to really get in there and polish them to a fine finish. Does anyone have any recommendfations on a good rotary tumbler at a fair price? I was using a 4 lb. unit - I may want to upgrade a little to do more at one time. Do you recommend a double barrell?? Any suggestions will be appreciated.
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Post by jakesrocks on Oct 22, 2010 9:39:23 GMT -5
I've been using a Thumler's AR-6 for small batches, for a number of years with no major problems. The only problems I've had with it, is the hard plastic lid wearing out, and on 2 occasions the lid has blown off. My fault for not burping the barrel.
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Post by susand24224 on Oct 22, 2010 10:49:59 GMT -5
I second the opinion of Jakesrocks. I have two ancient Thumler's, one nine lb and one 3 lb (can't remember the model number). The three lb is the first tumbler I owned, purchased thirty or more years ago. Although it has not been used continuously, it has been used a lot. Both have the original motors.
I also have Lortones. The 3B blew a motor recently; it was less than two years old. The others (4 lb and 6 lb) are also fairly new but still have the original motor.
The Lortones are easier to open and close, but based on my limited experience, they are mechanically superior.
Susan
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Post by Hard Rock Cafe on Oct 22, 2010 13:05:01 GMT -5
Many of us use both: a rotary for the coarse grind and a vibe for all subsequent steps.
Chuck
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Post by rockrookie on Oct 22, 2010 19:23:17 GMT -5
my preferance is Lortone , i also have thumler . --paul
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chromenut
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since December 2009
Posts: 1,971
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Post by chromenut on Oct 22, 2010 19:47:28 GMT -5
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chromenut
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since December 2009
Posts: 1,971
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Post by chromenut on Oct 22, 2010 20:33:25 GMT -5
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Post by tanyafrench on Oct 23, 2010 7:57:02 GMT -5
My first tumbler was a Lortone 1.5E it's small but does a wonderful job. I then bought a Chicago Electric and it died very quickly, I "do not" recommend that brand. I next bought a used Lortone 33B on EBay and I love it. It is two 3 lb barrels. My son replace the Chicago motor and pulleys with Lortone parts and it now works well. All twin 3 lb barrels. Then I purchased a used Thumlers Model B 15 lb. You can't go wrong with Lortone or Thumlers. They are both great tumblers and with a little oil and cleaning will work continuously for a long time. Tanya
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revco
starting to spend too much on rocks
Another Victim Of The Rockcycle
Member since February 2010
Posts: 162
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Post by revco on Oct 23, 2010 10:29:14 GMT -5
I absolutely love my Lortone QT66's. They are seemingly more efficient than the 3lb units, allow me to work with larger rocks and theoretically, I can use it to run two different types or rocks or two stages simultaneously. (In my setup, they are dedicated to mixed rough of MOHs 7+ rocks, although I've been threatening to dedicate a barrel to glass lately) They do really well with freshly broken rock, smoothing it out fairly quickly. The motor does run really hot, which I don't like, but both of mine have seemed to last so far.
Strategically, these larger units it may not be the best unit for a one and only tumbler, because it takes a LOT of rough to fill a 6lb barrel for subsequent stages. I've found it best to pair them with the 3lb barrels for later stages, but with patience, it's not a problem to just wait for enough rough to finish to move a load forward.
Sorry to hear about your tumbler, but you'll probably be happier with the overall quality you can get from the rotary, especially when it comes to the rough stage. I think finishing in a vibe would be ideal for the impatient person, but I don't mind waiting an extra month or so for the rotary to do its job.
Good luck!
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mikeinsjc
spending too much on rocks
Member since June 2010
Posts: 329
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Post by mikeinsjc on Nov 26, 2010 22:30:13 GMT -5
I started with the Lortone QT6, and experienced nothing but problems to the point I almost deserted the hobby. Broken belts, glazed-over rollers (drum would not turn), and I really went through those little fractional hp motors. Probably just didn't know what I was doing. But I was also running the tumbler 24/7, so maybe it wasn't made for that kind of use. My current tumbler is the Lortone that uses the three 12 lb barrels, as I always seem to have a lot of stuff to work. It has a REAL motor (1/3 hp) and a REAL drive belt. It has run every minute of every day for five months with no trouble.
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Post by johnjsgems on Nov 27, 2010 11:01:18 GMT -5
Look at the new Barranca BR6. All reports are very good. Inclined barrel rotaries really speed up the process.
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