Rock tumbler vs coin tumbler

seattleMD said:

IMO, cleaning under a sink to get the loose stuff off and then shaking them up in a plastic container w/ vinegar and salt is a lot cheaper and quicker of a solution than the tumbler. Most people say shake for 15 mins but most of my cleaning attempts have been 2-3 minutes of shaking. They are not brilliantly clean - but clean enough for a bank to take.

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Wow...i use the same technique with my chips...makes the fish taste so much better

I'm using my harbor freight tumbler right now for the first time. I brought it to work to run by my desk with a handful of wheaty's.

I used less than a 1/4 cap full of CLR, a squirt of original dawn, and just enough water to cover the coins and I just checked them after about 10 mins and the wheats look like they are fresh out of the mint. I can't believe they look so good. They will not need to be in there long.

I did have to adjust the belt when I first opened it up. The belt was a little crooked and a little too tight. It did come with 4 extra belts too. For the price and the amount of clad i'm going to run through it, I don't need anything bigger.

For you guys that are pulling $15.00 a week in clad you may need to get a better unit though.

I'll try and get a pic of the wheats when I finish running them.

STOP OVERLOADING YOUR TUMBLERS and you will not have to worry about breaking belts or burning up the motors.

I have well over 1000 hours on my cheap Harbor Freight 3 lb tumbler and have yet to break a belt. The only difference is I weigh the full barrel before it goes on and make sure it doesnt go over 3 lbs. 1/4 barrel full of clad and top off halfway up the barrel with water with a little borax or laundry soap. 2 hours and your done. You don't need the gravel either, it just makes for messy cleanup....

I use a brass tumbler, as I reload all my own ammo it was a no brainer. Half walnut half corn cob.

I think the vinegar in the plastic container and shaking is the easiest and cheapest way to go. What is the object of cleaning the coins to mint condition? They still have the same value, stained or not. I cant see spending lots of money, to make a little money. Although a tumbler might sound "professional", it doesnt give a very good return, especially if you are buying new belts, and of course it does use electricity, even if in small amounts. I clean up my coins after every hunt, and dump them into my "savings bank". If some of the coins dont come clean after a few minutes of shaking, then put them in with the next batch. I havent tried salt with vinegar, but guess it might work, or even sand. Just get them passable, thats good enough.

Vinegar, salt and hydrogen peroxide is a good combo for certain things aswell. I don't see anything working better than a brass tumbler tho