Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

This thing works fantastic. It cleans the outside, inside, and primer pockets very well. Like everything in life, getting better results usually requires that you put in a bit more effort. I cleaned some brass for a friend of mine, and he was ecstatic about how polished and new it looked. But after watching the process I went through post-tumble, he concluded that he'd never do "all that" just for cleaner brass. So if you're reading through these reviews on Amazon, whether this is your first tumbler, or you're making the switch from dry tumbling, you need to be real about what kind of reloader you are. If you are competing or training several times a week, shooting thousands of rounds each month, then you probably don't care to spend any MORE time loading than you already do. This method is going to add more time. If you are reloading for a hobby, as much as you are for the cost savings, then you probably don't mind spending a little more time for a nicer result. But you should be aware up front that separating the stainless steel media from the brass is a little more time consuming than with dry media. To speed this up a media transfer magnet helps, as does an ENCLOSED media separator. Having everything in water as you agitate it really helps the stainless steel media find it's way out of the brass and to the bottom of a bucket. The ENCLOSED (this is important) separator helps keep pins from bouncing out everywhere as you spin the crank, and keeps you from having to hold a 25lb to 30lb drum over your sink, shaking it till your spine is torqued. Drying takes more time. I typically transfer them to a large towel, then I grab the corners and pick the towel up with the brass hanging in it like a hammock. I do the motion as if I'm polishing a bowling ball for about 30 seconds or so. Then, I spread everything out on a table outside, allowing it to dry completely via sunlight. Also, you will have to inspect the towel for more media, as well as peek in every case before you try to cram a primer in it. Steel media pins can sometimes get lodged in the flash hole. I don't mean for this to sound like I'm complaining, I just really want everyone who spends the money on this tumbler to understand that it is going to take more work. I personally LOVE the results I'm getting. But if you agree with my friend, you might consider getting the Berry's Model 400 tumbler kit. It was the second choice on my list, and I think it's worth checking out. And honestly, if I owned a house instead of a condo, I'd probably have gone that route. Some other things to know before buying... Decapping is now a separate step done before tumbling. Otherwise, you're primer pockets won't be cleaned, which sort of defeats the purpose. Stainless media is typically $45 to $50 for 5lbs. This kit includes a 5lb bag of media. The media should last you a lifetime, assuming you don't lose half of it in your drain, yard, or somewhere else clever. Also, I'd pass on using the special cleaning solution sample they give you. I use a mixture of Dawn soap and Lemishine. The soap helps the media clean, and keeps the dirt from sticking back to the cases and media while you're pouring the dirty water off the top. The Lemishine helps clean, but mostly helps the brass dry quickly, and without spots. Be sure you don't add these to your drum until it's almost full of water. Otherwise, you'll be dealing with a TON of overflowing suds from the soap. And one last thing to know is that it's still pretty loud. I bought this thinking it would be a great way to keep from disturbing my neighbors with a vibratory dry tumbler. It's really not that much quieter, if it even is at all. The flat sides of the tumbler sound like a redundant stomping noise to my downstairs neighbor unless I run it on a shelf in my outside patio closet. No biggie. The motor unit is powerful, yet also noisy. Again, solved in my specific scenario by keeping it outside in a patio closet with the door shut. I really think the Berry's Model 400 tumbler is probably quieter. I hope at least some of this information is helpful, and I'll try to answer any questions left as comments. UPDATE: It's been almost a year since I purchased this tumbler. I've run thousands of cases through it and it's still going strong. I still love the results I'm getting, and I still stand behind my original statement that it takes a little more work post-tumble. Just thought it's good to know that it still runs great after a year of continual use.