rykk
spending too much on rocks
Member since September 2011
Posts: 428
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Post by rykk on Jul 4, 2012 23:17:41 GMT -5
Ok, so I've read a lot of threads and the consensus seems to be either a Lot-O-Tumbler, a Thumler's, or a Gy-Rock.
Problem? Well, according to Google, it seems there is only ONE dealer online that sells the UV-3 and he is "out of stock". My other choice was the single Lot-O but it costs even more than the Thumlers.
So here's where I'm coming from: All I ever intend to put into the vibe tumbler is cabochons. And, I don't ever expect to be putting anything rougher than AlO pre-polish into the bowl/tub. Maybe not even that and only tin or cerium oxide and ceramic media. All my grinds will be either on my Inland lap, arbor/wheels, or the "suicide" grinder I'm going to build.
Given the above, seems to me I could/should be able to get by with one of the cheaper models like Raytech or even Chicago since I won't be putting heavy weight nor overly abrasive media into the bowls and shouldn't be putting a lot of stress/wear on them. And I figure I'd only do maybe a half dozen batches per year anyhow. What do y'all think?
(Please be subjective - I'd really rather get one of the "good ones" but it's gonna have to be either used, an el-cheapo, or nothing since I and a bunch of others got "greyed off" a few months ago from the company I used to work for and I need to pinch pennies even more than ever to keep doing this hobby...) Thanks, Rick
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Post by jakesrocks on Jul 4, 2012 23:31:36 GMT -5
If you want a cheaper vibe, I'd go with the Raytech. Chicago is the Harbor Freight, made in China vibe. There have been a lot of bad reviews on here about Harbor Freights tumblers. At least Raytech is an old American brand, and will probably stand behind its products.
Why not try the Buy, Sell, Swap section ? Maybe one of our members has what you're looking for, at a much reduced price.
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Post by chad on Jul 5, 2012 0:14:14 GMT -5
I've heard harbor freight is junk for everything. I've not bought anything serious tool wise there, but I did pick up a 1/2hp motor there when I needed one in a pinch. It drove an arbor for a while and has now been driving a tumbler for over a year nonstop without issues. It has the Chicago electric name. I may just be lucky but this time it worked out OK. For what it's worth... Your mileage may vary.
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Post by Hard Rock Cafe on Jul 5, 2012 13:42:06 GMT -5
If I recall correctly, the Chicago Electric vibe is labeled for dry tumbling only, as for brass cleaning. I think you'll wear out the bowl tumbling rocks.
Chuck
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ulstergeki
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since April 2012
Posts: 111
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Post by ulstergeki on Jul 5, 2012 17:46:15 GMT -5
Alot of harbor freight stuff isnt bad, but make sure to check it over before you take it home, the stuff is cheap for a reason.
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peachfront
fully equipped rock polisher
Stones have begun to speak, because an ear is there to hear them.
Member since August 2010
Posts: 1,745
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Post by peachfront on Jul 5, 2012 19:32:21 GMT -5
What CHuck said. The Chicago vibe is not for tumbling rocks, and they need to remove the word "rocks" from the box that it comes in. It won't last an entire cycle tumbling cabs. The barrel is too thin. I tried it too. Nope. Won't work. They actually say somewhere in the directions that it won't work for tumbling rocks but the box is misleading. It is not a rock tumbler or rock polisher. It is a brass polisher or to tumble crud off coins you found with your metal detector or a jewelry polisher or what have you but it cannot handle a barrel full of rocks! It lasted only a few days.
The Chicago rotary is fine but you need patience since rotaries take a long time. I'm actually afraid to get another Lot O since I am used to the quiet with the Chicago rotary I've been running. A vibe saves time but even a Lot O which I believe is the most quiet is not necessary believed by one's neighbors to be all that quiet.
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Post by talkingstones on Jul 5, 2012 20:47:04 GMT -5
For cabs... and I know it's expensive but think of it as an investment because it is... Lot-O. I got mine several months ago and it is incredible. I do a lot of grinding too and put serious preforms into the vibe when I use it. I've not been disappointed at all with it. Great little machine and lots of fun!
Cathy
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Post by Peruano on Jul 12, 2012 16:16:27 GMT -5
rykk, There is a lot of the I like Chevies, you like Fords dogma here. I'd say go with the vibe that you can afford. I've run many batches through my Raytech Vibe 5 and had no problems. The Chicago looks similar, but lets assume that it may have a lighter motor, vibrate at a different speed, or have other characterisitics not suited for wet stones. I'd buy one for when you want a 4th not for your first tumbler. Then you can afford to evaluate it objectively rather than risking your entire hobby happiness (I just coined that concept). You will enjoy having a vibe. Tom
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peachfront
fully equipped rock polisher
Stones have begun to speak, because an ear is there to hear them.
Member since August 2010
Posts: 1,745
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Post by peachfront on Jul 12, 2012 18:49:59 GMT -5
This is not even remotely I like Chevies, you like Fords. The Chicago vibe tumbler is NOT for tumbling rocks. There is a mistake in printing on the box and on the advertising. You get it home, the instructions clearly tell you that you cannot tumble rocks in it. The thin barrel SHOULD tell you that you cannot tumble rocks in it. But if you're stubborn like me and you still want to tumble rocks in it, then expect to get ONE finished load and no more. Does everyone have to learn everything the hard way, and or can we save at least one person $60? If he wants to tumble rocks, he can use a Chicago rotary tumbler, which does tumble rocks, or if he wants a vibe, he's gonna have to go with some other model. There is no real debate about this. I hate to see someone else make the same stupid mistake I made, especially since about 100 people made the mistake before I did and they all warned me.
This is not Chevy and Ford. This is one product is not intended for the job, and it cannot do the job. You may not like Chevy but their truck will probably deliver more than one load before it gives out. OK, sorry, rant over! :-)
But the Chicago vibe tumbler doesn't tumble rocks. Period. End of sentence. Next question!
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rykk
spending too much on rocks
Member since September 2011
Posts: 428
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Post by rykk on Jul 14, 2012 1:24:05 GMT -5
Thanks y'all. I reckon the Chicago is out. So, what are the cons associated with the Raytech units? I've found one for cheap without a lid on ebay. They call it "Rayteck" with a K. It has a light blue bowl that seems like it is plastic because it appears smooth and shiny. I'd imagine it'd make more noise than a rubber bowl, right? Is the bowl thick enough to last awhile? (Remember - I'll only be doing cabs in it and only the polish phase and maybe an occasional prepolish - no SiC grits) Thanks, Rick
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herchenx
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2012
Posts: 3,360
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Post by herchenx on Jul 14, 2012 1:52:15 GMT -5
rykk, if you can find a UV10 that is for sale on craigslist or something, and get the lighter duty model, intended for brass or something (not rocks) - you can get a 3# barrel from therockshed. The whole unit is out of stock, but the barrel is in stock. You can call them up - they are good folks and very helpful.
As far as I know they are the only ones who sell these, but I found a used UV10 light duty a while back for $40 and MAN I wish I could have gotten it in time (it was sold by the time I got to the guy) because I would have been able to buy the 3# rock barrel and put it on there.
As far as Raytech, I have had 2 chances to buy one and both times passed it up after looking at it.
I have a UV10 that I seem to recall was something like $190 new from the rockshed. It is heavy-duty, reasonably quiet (none of the vibes are super quiet) and does a great job.
The reason I passed on both the raytechs was that they were both cheap, both new, and for both of them I asked why they were selling such a new-looking machine so cheaply and they said because it was too loud.
The raytechs that I picked up and held had thin plastic barrels which I can't imagine would last terribly long, but admittedly would probably have to be cheap to replace. More troubling - unless you have a separate work area from anything open to your house - is the noise I have to imagine these would generate.
I have to admit - I Have never owned a raytech so I can't speak from an owner's perspective. But I did pass on 2 new-looking ones because the owners were not happy and I had some serious doubts.
One other thing - if you are only doing cabs - is that there are people on here who tumble cabs in a rotary. I don't - I use the vibe - but I have seen some recent posts where folks went all the way to polish in a rotary.
Down sides with the rotary would be possibly greater risk of breakage, more consumption of grit, much longer time-to-completion, but you might get a used rotary cheap. Just a thought.
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lizmom
off to a rocking start
Member since May 2012
Posts: 17
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Post by lizmom on Jul 14, 2012 9:36:28 GMT -5
I have heard locally that the Lot-O lid does not fit tightly enough. Rocks dry out and do not polish well unless you constantly recheck water. I know a rock shop owner who completely gave up vibes because of how often she had to fuss with the lot o. she now only uses tumblers because she hated the lot o so much.
I have hears others say lot o lid can even come off while tumbling.
This motivated me to choose Raytech. The lid screws on perfectly. Comes with extra barrel. The Raytech polish is PERFECT! I got a deal on the machine: free shipping. I think I bought directly from manufacturer. Bought the kit with polish.
People on this bb tell me my machine will wear out soon. I really don't care. ill replace it with another raytech when it does. it may not last forever, but it's perfect while it lasts.
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Post by Jugglerguy on Jul 14, 2012 10:05:17 GMT -5
I bought a Lot-O and am very happy with it. I've only had it a few months, so I'm not sure about durability. I did a lot of reading here before buying, and I did read about some people having trouble with lids, but I haven't had a problem. There are certain food cans that are supposed to have the same lid, so they're replaceable. I haven't had a problem with rocks drying out. In the first stage I have to watch them more closely, but after that I rarely add water. As I said, I did a lot of reading here before buying and I came to the conclusion that the Lot-O would be the best tumbler for me. I don't think it's loud at all. It makes a humming noise, but isn't really any louder than my Lortone 33B. They're in my basement and I can't hear either of them upstairs. I didn't want a really big vibe tumbler, because I don't produce that much rock, so the Lot-O is a good size for me. You can fill up the larger tumblers with ceramic, but that does wear out after a while. You might want to check out a recent thread started by a very happy new Lot-O owner: forum.rocktumblinghobby.com/index.cgi?board=trtphoto&action=display&thread=53693By the way, I'm not trying to talk you out of anything else. I've read good things about the UV-10 too. I just thought I'd stick up for my great little Lot-O
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rykk
spending too much on rocks
Member since September 2011
Posts: 428
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Post by rykk on Jul 14, 2012 15:47:49 GMT -5
Yeah, the UV-10 (too big, also) and the other good ones are pretty much out of the question right now unless I run into a decent new job. I would probably have to wait until next year to get a pricey one. Might take a stab at the Raytech I saw for cheap so that I could shine up the few cabs I have made now and also be motivated to make more.
I have 6 rotary tumblers - 2 Lortone QT-66's and 4 dual Chicagos. Neat thing about the Chicagos is that I got 2 of them for free because, when one of the rubber lid liners wore out, HF just gave me a whole new one twice. The Chicagos have worked just fine after I replaced the drive belts with Lortone belts. I'd use the rotaries but think they are too rough. I have a ton of Koroit opal I want to cab up and finish in a vibe tumbler so I really can't have them bashing around. C-ya, Rick
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Post by 3rdrockfromthefun on Jul 14, 2012 17:11:34 GMT -5
FWIW I've had good luck with my HF 10" tile saw. I did a lot of reading on HF and Chicago and the end sum seems to be that for many things it's a crap shoot on the buy. Buy one one day and it works forever. Buy same thing the next day and it's DOA. Since they have a decent return policy I figure they're always worth a shot and probably worth trying even two (with a return between them) before yielding to the awesome force of 'suckage'. It does seem to be the same problem, or set thereof, with any given item that'll blow or not so a little reading up front (for example it was just mentioned that Lortone belts were a desired replacement belt for the vibe) can save some pain and/or let you plan ahead (like some things you'll know to grease or oil before even turning on the switch). Their prices are cheap enough that to me it's worth it.
Annnnnd I'm planning on a vibe as well (figuring out space rather than budget, and how to keep it quietest) as I'd like to learn more about carving but hand-sandingRnotMe (I can do it but I am not so patient).
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Post by johnjsgems on Jul 14, 2012 18:17:34 GMT -5
Raytech may serve you well for light duty (polish only). The bowl is hard plastic so scratches and embeds with grit so a separate bowl for polish is a good idea if you use it with grit. I've sold lots of them but not currently. It is hard for me to sell a machine where I have to warn the customer that they are for light duty use only. I would rather sell them a GyRoc and tell them they are rated for full time commercial use and built accordingly. Also buying a product that lasts is cheaper than buying one that doesn't and turning around and buying a good one later. I would reccomend you watch the eBay/Craigslist/local shoppers and buy/sell page here. A good used GOOD vibe would be better than a cheap, bad tumbler.
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rykk
spending too much on rocks
Member since September 2011
Posts: 428
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Post by rykk on Jul 14, 2012 22:46:00 GMT -5
Well, I picked the Raytech up for $35. It was missing the lid so I got one for a TV-5 on ebay for $4.95. Hopefully the vibe is a TV-5! Couldn't tell from the pix and the seller had no clue. We'll see in a few days, I reckon.
I had, earlier, gotten into a minor bidding war for a Mini Sonic MT4-SV but had to bail on it. My good friend, Don Knight, has one and he seems to like it. Super quiet, too. Sux not having the "horsepower" in bidding that I used to have. Oh well; all things must pass, be they tumble stones, kidney stones, or cuts in the space budget.
If the Raytech is loud, maybe half a roll of duct tape around the outside of the bowl and/or a double layer of cardboard for an air gap might shut 'er up a little bit. Would sure be ironic if it turned out to be louder than my Lortone vibe lap since I now have that bearly louder than a whisper other than the occasional clatter of the rocks in it... C-ya, Rick
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rykk
spending too much on rocks
Member since September 2011
Posts: 428
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Post by rykk on Jul 14, 2012 22:56:04 GMT -5
BTW - re: The Lortone belts on a Chicago rotary: The fit will be fairly tight since the Lortone belts are a touch too wide for the pulley on the Chicago and they don't seat completely in the v-groove. So make sure to adjust the drive pulley to as close to the big pulley as possible. If I remember, you just loosen the 4 bolts on the motor and slide it over. Belts breaking were the only problem I've had with these Chicagos other than one of the lid rubbers getting a tear in it because I was tumbling really big, sharp edged rocks in that barrel for 2 months and they wore the rubber thin. And I probably overloaded the barrels pretty regularly. I 4get why I got the 4th one. I *think* it was because the thing broke all 3 belts that came with it and HF was out of replacement belts and so they just sent me off with a whole new tumbler - what a country! lol On both of the replaced ones, they didn't want the old ones in return and so, voila - after 3 or 4 months I had 4 of them.
Another problem I had was the little plastic barrel keeper tabs on either end wore down. I had some 1/8" thick teflon from work and just cut myself out some new ones and those have lasted a long time.
If anyone gets a Chicago rotary from Harbor Freight, be sure to use the heck out of it right away so that, if you've gotten a bad one, whatever isn't nominal will fail within the 90 day guarantee window.
Rick
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peachfront
fully equipped rock polisher
Stones have begun to speak, because an ear is there to hear them.
Member since August 2010
Posts: 1,745
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Post by peachfront on Jul 15, 2012 9:24:56 GMT -5
Rick makes an excellent point here: If anyone gets a Chicago rotary from Harbor Freight, be sure to use the heck out of it right away so that, if you've gotten a bad one, whatever isn't nominal will fail within the 90 day guarantee window.
They do honor their guarantees but you have to do your part and buy the product when you can actually test it.
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snuffy
Cave Dweller
Member since May 2009
Posts: 4,319
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Post by snuffy on Jul 15, 2012 10:26:52 GMT -5
I always got the 1 year guarantee on one,bought 2 of them,the dual rotariies on sale for around 35 bucks apiece.When one broke,which was sure to happen within a year,would take it back and get a new one.Think I had about 8 in all.Finally got tired of that and put all lortone parts on them.Do yourself a favor and dont mess with them at all.
snuffy
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