Which tumbler should I order?

First decide if you are looking for a rotary tumbler or a vibratory tumbler. Rotary tumblers are easier to use. This is because you can fill them with rock, water, and abrasive and let it roll for seven days without much hassle. With a vibratory tumbler, the water content is a crucial part of the tumbling action. They require much less water and more attention because you don't want your machine to run dry.

Most rotary tumblers have either a rubber barrel or rubber liner. This makes the tumbling process quieter. Vibratory tumbler bowls or hoppers are made a dense plastic. They work by shaking the bowl with a motor counter weight. The process can be noiser, and should be placed away from a living area. Neither types of tumbler should have a box put over them to reduce noise. This could cause their motors to over heat.

Rotary tumblers take 7 days to complete one stage of abrasive. There are four stages total: coarse, medium, pre-polish, and polish. The full process takes 28 days or about 1 month. Vibratory tumblers are faster. There are three stages medium, pre-polish, and polish (coarse abrasive will destroy a bowl in short time and is not reccomended). Vibratory tumblers generally take 3-4 days to complete a stage.

After you've decided the type of tumbler the next thing to think about is the size of the tumbler. With both types you have to fill them 2/3 to 3/4 full of rock. Choose the size by how much rock you have on hand or by how much you would like process in one batch.