Harbor freight dual drum issues

Pilikia · Aug 30, 2014

Hi I've had a harbor freight dual drum tumbler for a year now.
I have a difficult time getting the drums to roll. Not sure why.
Sometimes they do sometimes they don't.
Tried putting rubber bands around the drums for more purchase but they always break.

The tanks often leak and create a mess

What the heck am I doing wrong?

I separate my pennies from the rst
Fill the drums up 1/2 - 2/3 full of clad and gravel
Cover with water til the rocks are submerged, add a few drops of dish soap.

It takes 12-24hrs for those suckers to get clean

I read somewhere I may need to adjust something internally but I can't remember where I found that

Any help is much appreciated!

papaharley03 · Aug 31, 2014

I think you might be putting a bit too much in at one time. I'd max it out at 1/3 to 1/2 full. You are supposed to lube the points where the roller shafts enter the frame bushings. Adjustment is for making sure the drive belt runs true. There is a screw on the pulley. Loosen and make sure belt is aligned between motor and roller shaft pulleys. Leaking might be due to not fully seating the lids with the rubber seal all the way into the drum before you tighten the cap. I don't tighten the cap really tight, just snug. Have not had any leaking with mine. Make sure the surface on the drum where the rubber gasket seats is clean. Make sure the gaskets don't have any tears or splits.

When I turn mine on, I place my hand on the drums and push start them a little to ease the load on the motor. Seems to work fine that way.

Good luck,

Papa

Dirtfishn350 · Aug 31, 2014

I've noticed on mine, I get some build up of something on the rollers. I clean them quite often. As for the leaking, maybe time for some new lids. Looks like your doing everything right to me. Don't forget to give the rollers a little oil from time to time. Don't take much. GL

DIGGER27 · Sep 1, 2014

Those are 3lb drums...you are overloading it.
I use a kitchen scale on both drums every time, 3 years later and over $1000 run through and no issues at all and I am still on my first belt, too.

Pilikia · Sep 3, 2014

Thanks for your replies.
I'll ease up on the loading. :yes:

mrhelton · Sep 9, 2014

Everything I was gonna suggest was already posted in here, but one thing I didn't see, though you didn't mention you were doing it....

When I first got mine, I noticed that it leaked whenever I tried added peroxide or lemon juice, or anything but a drop of soap. I think it reacted and created gas which created pressure and caused leaking.

MadTownScoop · Sep 13, 2014

mrhelton said:
When I first got mine, I noticed that it leaked whenever I tried added peroxide or lemon juice, or anything but a drop of soap. I think it reacted and created gas which created pressure and caused leaking.

USE ONLY Dish WASHER soap. NOT hand dishwashing soap. The washing machine soap does not foam up much. The hand soap, well just look at the sink when you fill it up. I put in 3/4 cup coins and 1 cup or so of small aquarium gravel. About a table spoon of Cascade dish washer soap. I'll also sometimes put a lid on, (just the inside one) and shake it, Let it vent then put the cover and thumbscrew on. Do it just for piece of mind. 1/3 weight of Coins, gravel and water. May also need to check the belt tension. Might not be snug enough. Note "SNUG" not tight.

mrhelton · Sep 15, 2014

eh

I've been using a single drop of dawn dishsoap for like a year straight with no issues. Use any more than that and yeah it foams up too much.

coinshooter · Sep 30, 2014

Drums

I had the same issues and was told to lower my loads. I now try to keep ahead of my cleaning backlog.

predrunner · Oct 2, 2014

DIGGER27 said:
Those are 3lb drums...you are overloading it.
I use a kitchen scale on both drums every time, 3 years later and over $1000 run through and no issues at all and I am still on my first belt, too.

Same here. I weigh them every time and am still on the first belt. I oil once a week. I've run over 600 in clad in the last year and a half. I also tumble all my tokens/tootsies and antlything else I want clean. I run a bigger Gatorade bottle on the dual drum for the longer things I want to tumble.

Ice Scratcher · Oct 3, 2014

predrunner said:
I run a bigger Gatorade bottle on the dual drum for the longer things I want to tumble.

Awesome tip!! (spoons!)

Thanks!

<*)))>{

Ahzee · Oct 5, 2014

I really need to get a tumbler and was considering this one in particular, is it a good one? Obviously just doing smaller loads rather than huge loads at once.

Steve841 · Nov 27, 2014

I bought the same HF dual barrel tumbler two months ago. Although I weighed each drum and kept it at three pounds or less I still had a problem. The drive shaft that spins the barrels worked OK but the other shaft needed more lubrication or else it was very tight and squeaky. A good soak with oil fixed that. The gaskets are touchy and one must use care to press them all the way down to seat them and tighten the aluminum caps to complete the seal. After a few uses, they went in and seated a lot easier. I use a very small flat blade screwdriver to free them and pop them out.

When the two barrels were of different weight, they seemed to bounce around for a while until they finally got into sync and rolled together. Sometimes they never did and went back and forth in their little area, running into those plastic guards. I fixed that by making the tumbler totally level on the garage floor and duct taping the barrels together end to end. Just one piece of tape around the middle and they rolled as one. Easy on and easy off. And, it made the whole thing far less noisy.

Steve

TwoYewts · Dec 12, 2014

Like others have said, it definitely sounds like you are overloading the barrels. Another tip that I use is instead of water and soap, I use regular vinegar and a tablespoon of salt. I run the tumbler for 30 minutes consisting of letting it run 15 mins, stopping it and stirring the contents with a screwdriver or whatever you have laying around and then letting it run for another 15 min. Coins usually come out nice and clean. Feel free to experiment with how long you run it for but don't go too long as I accidentally did this on my first few attempts and my clad came out looking like they had been buried at the beach for too long (luckily bank coin machine still took them

).

Do a look up on youtube as well and you will see others use the same vinegar/salt combo with success as well.

Oh and don't forget to clean out the barrels thoroughly afterwards, don't leave the vinegar/salt combo linger in them as I'm sure it may damage the barrels. Been using this combo for 2 years and have yet to have any issues and tend to get some nice looking clean clad.

Good luck
-TwoYewts

9Veater · Dec 19, 2014

I have the single drum paid $24 i believe with sale and coupon. Could not be any happier with it! I didn't even buy any aquarium gravel yet.. keep forgetting using gravel from an old parking lot found near the pot holes :laughing:

I don't weigh the drum I put maybe no more than a handful of coins maybe a cup of gravel cold water just over the stones and a drop of dawn.!
P.s make sure you use cold water read hot water will cause pressure build up maybe that's your cause for leaking :?:

9Veater · Dec 20, 2014

Duals onsale for $54 minus 13.75$ when you use the 25% off coupon I posted in the family friendly forum

Harbor freight dual drum issues

Pilikia

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papaharley03

Dirtfishn350

DIGGER27

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Pilikia

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mrhelton

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MadTownScoop

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mrhelton

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coinshooter

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predrunner

Ice Scratcher

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Ahzee

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Steve841

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TwoYewts

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9Veater

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