Harbor Freight tumbler test results.

[Gen. Breckinridge]

Recently I received a catalog from Harbor Freight that had their single barrel tumbler on sale for $19.95 so I ordered it along with a few other things. The part number for the tumbler is 46376-3YVA if you would like to order one. I came in earlier this week, including an extra belt and I decided to give it a try on the clad quarters and dimes I have dug over the last week as a test. The only grit I had was some aquarium gravel but I figured what the heck, it will probably work. I think the gravel came from Wal-Mart.
I loaded the drum to 2/3 full with the gravel, coins and water to the top of the grave. A couple of drops of liquid soap was added to the mix and the lid was closed. After two hours I dumped and washed the coins and gravel and about 60% of them came out nice but the rest were still very dark. I reloaded the drum with the coins that still looked black and started the tumbler again. This time I let it run for five hours. I was a bit concerned that it would rub the detail off the coins but at the end of five hours they came out looking great. Only a few still had a black tint to the metal.
I am very satisfied with the results. Now I'm going to start cleaning the pile of clads I have sitting here so I can turn them into battery and gas money. I am including a few pictures to show the tumbler and the coins before and after. I hope this helps some of you who were considering the HF tumbler as a way of cleaning clads.

[troseph_ut]

Nice results, but I would be hesitant of putting my coins in a barrel full of rocks.

[camb1]

Use 1/2 cup ammonia, 1/2 cup water, handful of white aquarium gravel and 1 tsp of dishwashing liquid. Run tumbler for 2 hours and check. I have ran up to 5 hours before.

Do not put pennies with clad silver.

Do not use on old silver coins.

[Gen. Breckinridge]

Nice results, but I would be hesitant of putting my coins in a barrel full of rocks.

These are clad coins, not silver. They have no value except for face so what is to loose? I am just cleaning them so they can be rolled and exchanged at the bank. Microscopic inspection shows very little damage from the gravel. See close up of a coin that tumbled in the rocks for seven hours. If it works...

[DFX-SE Gregg]

I am getting a tumbler soon..thanks for posting...I did hear the belts break on that model...glad you got an extra. Also remember someone said it can be a little hard to open...but for $20 bucks looks good!

[Charles, Oak Island, NC]

Not a bad deal.
Harbor Freight is one of my favorite places to spend a rainy day in.

[warsawdaddy]

Don't forget,wide rubber bands work just as well as those belts.

[Charles, Oak Island, NC]

Gen. Breckinridge,
does the owners manual give the capacity of the drum by any chance ?
thanks
Charles

[DFX-SE Gregg]

Gen. Breckinridge,
does the owners manual give the capacity of the drum by any chance ?
thanks
Charles

They are both on sale right now...the single drum 19.99...and the double drum...29.99...I am going with the double with a couple extra belts...if you go with the double you can do pennies and your nickels, dimes and quarters in the other drum at the same time. They are 3 pound capacity per drum...Think I am ordering today..

[Charles, Oak Island, NC]

Gen. Breckinridge,
does the owners manual give the capacity of the drum by any chance ?
thanks
Charles

They are both on sale right now...the single drum 19.99...and the double drum...29.99...I am going with the double with a couple extra belts...if you go with the double you can do pennies and your nickels, dimes and quarters in the other drum at the same time. They are 3 pound capacity per drum...Think I am ordering today..

thanks for the info. Might have to drive over to HF this weekend.

[WheatbackDigger]

Less rock and more coins....I tumble between $20-25 of clad dimes, nickels and quarters at a time or a couple hundred pennies..

[Gen. Breckinridge]

The manual says the drum size is 4-3/4" X 4-1/2" with a 3 pound capacity. You don't want to fill more than about 2/3rds full for best results but more than 1/2.

[Charles, Oak Island, NC]

The manual says the drum size is 4-3/4" X 4-1/2" with a 3 pound capacity. You don't want to fill more than about 2/3rds full for best results but more than 1/2.

thanks

[Michigan Badger]

I've preached rock tumblers on here so long I've finally given up promoting them.

Most people think rock tumblers are nasty and abusive and the exact opposite is true.

To date I've cleaned well over 3000 old coins with my machine. Most of these were ancient coins selling from about $8 to $150 each.

This is how I clean my wheat cent to make them look almost non-dug. I carefully turn them (not too long) and leave some patina. After cleaning leave copper coins sit out in the air for months and eventually they will take on a nice patination by being exposed to the air.

How much did they charge for shipping the tumbler?

Badger

[Charles, Oak Island, NC]

I got one that I use for cleaning brass for reloading, the wife has a small one for rocks(gems) but need to go over and pick up one of the doubles at that price.

[DFX-SE Gregg]

I've preached rock tumblers on here so long I've finally given up promoting them.

Most people think rock tumblers are nasty and abusive and the exact opposite is true.

To date I've cleaned well over 3000 old coins with my machine. Most of these were ancient coins selling from about $8 to $150 each.

This is how I clean my wheat cent to make them look almost non-dug. I carefully turn them (not too long) and leave some patina. After cleaning leave copper coins sit out in the air for months and eventually they will take on a nice patination by being exposed to the air.

How much did they charge for shipping the tumbler?

they base it on $ amount if you add an extra belt or two it goes I think from $6.99 to $7.99

Badger

[Merf]

I've preached rock tumblers on here so long I've finally given up promoting them.

Most people think rock tumblers are nasty and abusive and the exact opposite is true.

To date I've cleaned well over 3000 old coins with my machine. Most of these were ancient coins selling from about $8 to $150 each.

This is how I clean my wheat cent to make them look almost non-dug. I carefully turn them (not too long) and leave some patina. After cleaning leave copper coins sit out in the air for months and eventually they will take on a nice patination by being exposed to the air.

How much did they charge for shipping the tumbler?

Badger

Badger---I just ordered one and the shipping is $7.99.
What do you put in the drum besides the wheaties to clean them?
TIA Merf

[EDDE]

hey merf try the finest grit hobby sand from like hobby lobby soap and hot water

[Merf]

hey merf try the finest grit hobby sand from like hobby lobby soap and hot water

I will get some of that ED.

I might try some sand out of my ant farm too.

[RON (PA)]

Thanks for the great info. I was debating ordering one from HF because I was unsure about the job that they do (good job or bad job). This post has cleared up a lot of tumbling questions that I had (time to leave in, grit, recipe, etc). I am ordering a single drum today (not many dimes/nickels) because I have not been out a lot this year. And extra belts too. Thanks to all for the great info.