Tumbler

[glory-days]

Hello, I recently purchased a tumbler to clean up my coins. What do some of you think is best to use in the tumbler to clean your coins? Rocks? Sand? Something else?
Thank you, Dennis

 

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[Charlie P. (NY)]

I use aquarium gravel - the medium course kind.

 

[Ant]

Here’s the like to my recipe and how I recycle my gravel. On a side note, when the belt goes out on my tumbler I use a thick rubber band or equivalent sized O-ring.
http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,60777.0.html

 

[shane41]

I got a tumbler for a Christmas gift and I use a aggregate gravel I got from Kellyco. I cleaned about 100 coins at a time . Ran it for about 2 hrs. This is what they look like after cleaning. Hope this helps. You can use the aggreate over & over again.

 

[sniffer]

I started using a sand/gravel mix called BD 2. so far it seems to work better than anything else I've used, it gets into all the small spaces.

 

[robert roy]

Thats great. ANd I imagine the Mix is cheap.
I also heard of someone else who uses think rummer bands. Cheaper than
buying new belts all the time.
Robert R

 

[Ant]

Thats great. ANd I imagine the Mix is cheap.
I also heard of someone else who uses think rummer bands. Cheaper than
buying new belts all the time.
Robert R

Yeah, why spend cash to make cash that defeats the whole purpose you would think. I try to keep in mind I’m trying to make a profit, not break even or come close, I want as much profit as I can get. Now I need to figure out how to save on the coin wraps, I get 36 penny or mixed wraps for .99 cents.

 

[rebelLT]

Ant...Thats a good point, why spend money to make money? I dont own a tumbler though I have though about it and cant seem to bring myself to spring for one. I've thought about making one and maybe attaching the barrel to the back of a stationary bike, then make my wife ride it so I wouldnt even have to spring for electricity! I'm friggin brilliant!!!!

 

[Ant]

Ant...Thats a good point, why spend money to make money? I dont own a tumbler though I have though about it and cant seem to bring myself to spring for one. I've thought about making one and maybe attaching the barrel to the back of a stationary bike, then make my wife ride it so I wouldnt even have to spring for electricity! I'm friggin brilliant!!!!

I'd say you are friggin brilliant too. The tumbler only cost 20.00 at Harbor Freight and after the initial investment it over. I put most of my clad coins in coin machines stil dirty. I use machines that sell high and low priced items.

I do it like this:
I might put in 3.00 buck for a razor and buy a soda, candy bar or chips, which is junk I snak on anyway. If the chips cost .75 cents, I get back $2.25 cents in clean money, no fee to coinstar for me, .

 

[DFX-SE Gregg]

I bought a double barrel one from Harbor Freight...got it with a coupon for $29, $32 with tax. Nice to put pennies in one barrel and nickels, dimes and quarters in the other. I just finished cleaning over $750 in clad from last year using a mixture of sand and gravel. My mixture is 2/5 coins, 1/5 sand, 1/5 gravel, 1/5 left for air...I did not change water and just let run for 2-3 hours...perfect. Took me 8-12 hours a day for 6 days to get it all done. Used one of those metal mesh baskets to strain dirty water into a large plastic bucket...did not allow to go down my sink drain in basement. Heard the mud...sand...was not really good for the plumbing line, simply poured into my grass.

Also wanted to mention never had any problems with the Harbor Freight tumbler, had heard all the horror stories...no broken belt or any other problems. But for those who were thinking about a Harbor Freight they are fine...read the directions...I have had quite a few people mention they did not read directions which clearly state upon purchase to loosen belt assembly bolts on outside of unit to allow belt to be loose not super tight and to oil the plastic sleeves on the rollers...Also if belt breaks..ebay has them very cheap!

 

[Mike Moutray]

I've used coarse sand and it works well. I still want to know what to do to get the "silver" clad silver looking again... I've tried lots of things and they don't seem to work well or consistently. I have lots of red and brown colored V and Buffalo nickels I would like to turn silver colored again... as soon as I find a reliable way to do it. HH, Mike.

 

[robert roy]

Twothings:

1.) The bank will give you coin wraps free. At least the banks I go to give them to me free.
I just try not to ask for too many at one time. I onlask I need them. Never understood why people buy them when they are free. Maybe some banks are different.

2.) The Harborfrieght tumbler is a nice machine but I hear the belts break. Someone in another post pointed out to me that you can use thick rubber bands as a belt. SUre, they brealk too but for the cost of one belt from Harborfrieght, think of how many rubber bands you can buy!

How long did you tumble those coins to get them looking so good?

Regards

Robert R

 

[Ant]

Harbor Freight sells the lowest end of the lowest. I’m not knocking them, I use them too. But to be honest, the tumbler is cheap and poorly assembled, but it only takes a little bullet proofing to make it solid. I own two HF Chicago manufactured Tumblers. I’m a Mechanic whose business requires me to utilize power equipment and tools of this nature.

Like I said, I'm not knocking HF, but they sell the lowest end items on the market, you wouldn’t know that if all you used for a supplier is HF. I’d much rather use MAC Tools, MATCO Tool’s or Snap-On, Sears works too if you don’t have the bread for the other companies I mentioned.

 

[DFX-SE Gregg]

Harbor Freight sells the lowest end of the lowest. I’m not knocking them, I use them too. But to be honest, the tumbler is cheap and poorly assembled, but it only takes a little bullet proofing to make it solid. I own two HF Chicago manufactured Tumblers. I’m a Mechanic whose business requires me to utilize power equipment and tools of this nature.

Like I said, I'm not knocking HF, but they sell the lowest end items on the market, you wouldn’t know that if all you used for a supplier is HF. I’d much rather use MAC Tools, MATCO Tool’s or Snap-On, Sears works too if you don’t have the bread for the other companies I mentioned.

No you are not knocking them..when you go into the store the items do appear to be low end items...but to many are buying the h.f tumbler and not adjusting belt!

 

[Farmercal]

I bought a Lortone on one of classified forums from another member for about $27.00 and I really like that thing. The belt looked flimsy but I now realize it was made that way for flexibility and survivability. It runs great and I should have it a long time. The best tumbler I ever owned was a double barrel Thumler Tumbler that I got at a secondhand store for $15.00.

 

[Ant]

I have also adjusted the belts and the problem seems to be the belts are dry and not the same quality that are made in the US, no matter the tumbler is a good deal.

 

[shane41]

I bought a Lortone on one of classified forums from another member for about $27.00 and I really like that thing. The belt looked flimsy but I now realize it was made that way for flexibility and survivability. It runs great and I should have it a long time. The best tumbler I ever owned was a double barrel Thumler Tumbler that I got at a secondhand store for $15.00.

I agree with you my kids bought me a single barrel Thumler Tumbler for a Christmas gift. I love it. It works fine . So far no problems what so ever. Shane