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Ive had mine for about 9 months and no issues until today and one of the 2 barrels had split the rubber liner on the lid. I did find an online store that sells replacement ones for these specific tumblers called "the tumblers bench" and they have lids and barrels and belts etc.

This was super helpful - thanks! Do you know offhand what tumbler favorites are compatible with fluorite that could be tumbled with it, if one doesn't have enough to do a load of fluorite?

From what I saw on mine, these have brass bushings. The old red ones had plastic bushings. One of mine ran flawlessly for several months, the second still ran but the motor started making noises; I had found that the motor shaft was slowly sliding out of the stator.

Why do you have so many nat geo tumblers? Those things are junk

I got the same vib tumbler not getting thr slurry. Just gray water on the bottom. My media is much smaller than yours. Is that it?

Bearings? You mean bushings? Or do those rollers actually have bearings?

How do you set them for 14 days!!!

Why are you washing grit down the drain? I was told never to do that, and it has warnings on the paperwork

Do you have a source for replacement belts ?

Can you reuse the ceramic from the vibatory tumbler.

I have this tumbler, 3 months later works as good as the day I bought it. But like every tumbler it requires maintenance. For 60$ it’s best and only choice really.

One thing I noticed with this tumbler, is that the directions have you checking and doing things, that videos I have watched on the subject have not talked about.

Thanks for your video. I have a new one running right now. I will cover the weld with silicone padding, to see if that helps. I will also watch out for the wear from the sides.

Thanks for the review. I am not sure why, but the belts on my single drum HF unit do not last very long. Do you have a source for purchasing additional replacement belts ?

Hi ROCK ON, are you concerned about the slurry / grit from your process slowly building up in your plumbing ( "P" trap ) since you likely wash it down the drain ? It could act like sand which will settle in the wash water to the lowest point. A suggestion would be to rinse the rocks into a bucket or large pail and then deposit it outside in a walkway or garden.

You are not using all of your grit, by only going three days you are not utilizing the grit properly. All the black in the bottom of your sink is grit that is still usable.

I got a NatGeo Tumbler for Xmas 2023 and it doesn't look like yours... it is in a gray plastic thing with a flip up lid...are yours older I'm guessing? Also my speed 3 looks about like your Speed 1. I wonder what your speed 2 and 3 look like....

Very cool. Not sure why you check after 3 days, when others go a week....but you got fun results. I've hunted in Utah about 4 times, but you have better stuff!

Wow, perfect! Thanks a lot! 👍👍😁

So I've had great luck with my Chicago Electric tumbler which I purchased for $59. I've run mine nonstop from June 2023 to October 2024 and just replacing the belt for the first time this evening. Conversely, I bought a Lortone 33B in July 2023 for $139, and the motor burned out in July 2024 (it's been a pain to find a new one...). The Chicago Electric company has been bought out by Central Machinery (but it is the exact same tumbler, and I just purchased a new one for $79 last month). Great way to start in the rock tumbling hobby!!

Thank you for the video. It pushed me over the edge and I just purchased the TV-10.

Helpful video ... thanks. How many pounds of rock and media do you put in the tumbler? or do you just go by volume ? I have a RT10 but things look pretty much the same.

It seems like you don't weigh your rocks before polishing. For the RTVibe10 the limit is listed at 8 pounds. I always worry about "overloading" the machine. Have you found that weight is not all that critical?

This is so helpful, I was just looking up pulley replacement parts and found your video! Thank you for posting!

Good videos, thank you. Deciding which to buy to get started. On the Tumble Vibe would it help to put a lock washer between the rubber gasket and nut? Is your Tumble Vibe a 0.5 cu ft model?

Thank you. I've been on the fence about buying one of these to cut rocks. For $69 at Harbor Freight, it's a great solution.

I had looked at a lapidary saw on Amazon for for $169 that had a flexible shaft on the side for polishing and ext I wonder which would be the better route to go

Beautiful work. I believe the 'grey' pieces are 'silver sheen' obsidian.

Thanks for sharing this. I'm doing very well with mine.

Send me a pm and I'll give you a hot spot!!!

So cool. Great job.

Can't the 2nd stage remove the minor nicks? If so, might lose less stone to the rougher grit in stage 1 by moving to stage 2.

Totally agree!! My Nat Geos work perfectly fine! Love that they are a more affordable option. I have the 2-lb and the 3-lb, and a Tumblebee with (2) 2-lb barrels. I love having the variety! And I couldn't agree more regarding the grit! I was pretty bummed when my first batch came out all bruised and dull. But with all the advice online, I ordered polish from Kingsley North, and used the grit that came with my Tumblebee, and they've been turning out so much better!!! 😄

Nice piece of Amethyst!

Is Utah a good place to live for rockhounding? Where else?

I like your presentation. It's calming, which is what you want from a hobby! Going to watch all your videos from the beginning to current day. Thanks!

New subscriber. I appreciate your video.

GREAT VIDEO! VERY EASY TO LISTEN TO BECAUSE OF YOUR CALM AND VERY UNDERSTANDABLE VOICE. I LOVE THE RESULTS THIS MACHINE HAS GIVEN TO ME. HOWEVER TIGHTENING THE LID HAS BEEN AN ISSUE. I CAN SEE THAT THE TIPS OF USING FOAM SEALER ON THE LID AND THE RUBBER GASKET ARE GREAT TIPS. WHAT ARE THE DIMENTIONS OF THE FOAM SEALER THAT YOU USED AROUND THE LID? WOULD 1/2'' WIDE BY 1/8'' THICK WORK? ALSO WHAT ARE THE DIMENTIONS (HOW THICK AND HOW WIDE) OF THE RUBBER GASKET YOU USED UNDER THE RUBBER NUT? THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR A RESPONSE TO THESE QUESTIONS.

For stage 1, it looks like a small barrel, pretty heavily loaded, cushioned with media, reduced grit, and patience. For later stages, resist the urge to use the ultrasonic cleaner. Thanks for sharing your mixed results.

Thank you! I'm going to try this with Script Rock. Great idea!

Those look fantastic! Where could I go to purchase one of these from you?

Nice video. Thanks for posting! I did just order this exact Raytech Polishing Kit from Amazon for $154. I'd prefer a Lot-O, but they seem to be continuously out of stock!

Pull the rocks into the saw instead of pushing them. Change sides so you dont get soaked and keep a hose running in the side on a trickle.

Ive been using that same tile saw and it works good. Its a great option when you cant afford much. Just a good blade costs more than the whole saw. I paid $40 new.

Nice 311 shirt!

Where in Utah is this? I live in northern Utah so I’m super interested!

Thanks for this great tip. I'm now using your idea on 4 of my Komestone tumblers. Experimenting, I found that: 1) They will run at 7.5V and above, but not 6V and below. 2) They previously ran at 84 RPM on the slowest speed and 105 RPM on the highest. On 7.5V they run now at 50, 60 and 70 RPM. Also, they only draw 6W, so the smallest (& cheapest) 12W adjustable DC power supply will work.

Thanks for testing this and posting it. I just ordered one, so I can slow down for stages 3 and 4.

The stock rubber nuts have worked loose a couple of times even after I tightened them with pliers. A big mess to clean up. I went to the hardware store and got some neoprene washers and a couple of coupling nuts. I'm adding some metal and lock washers. I'll be using a wrench to tighten everything from now on. It will be a little tricky to keep from damaging the bowl.. I'm mainly using my Highland Park 4.5lb rotary tumbler and I've ordered a mini-sonic since I mostly do small loads. I also cut 1.5" off the center rod.

Looked pretty full.