Thumlers Rotary Tumbler Polisher Media Rocks

A real rock tumbler! Quiet, runs great and is built like a tank. No doubt these will last for a generation, and the parts are easy to find when you need them. I've run mine 1000 hours so far and it's in fine shape. No problems with leaking, and easy to load.This package also comes with rocks and four grades of grit, so it's literally a "just add water" kit and makes a decent gift. The rocks aren't that great, I got like 3 tiny agate fragments and a ton of dalmatian jasper. Power usage isn't bad either, at about 50 watts. It could be a lot better, but it's still very little. The motor does run pretty hot. This is normal for this kind of motor, which I might add has real ball bearings. Ball bearings are expensive and getting harder and harder to find in consumer products, because they inevitably lead to longer life and quieter, more efficient operation. Good thing Thumlers is still OK with giving their customers a quality product!I would recommend this to anyone wanting to get a start in the hobby.

24 days have passed and the rocks came out looking great! This is a wonderful kit. It comes with a good sized machine, not too big, not too small. Solidly built. We oiled it, like another reviewer recommended, to take care of the squeaking. Not too loud, but it was in our garage. The great thing about the kit is that it has "everything", including the clasps etc to make the rocks into keychains or necklaces. We did buy extra grit/polisher as recommended by other reviewers and we also bought some rocks offered by amazon. The rocks we bought polished better than the rocks we used from our expedition to a local gem mine.Yes, it takes a long time, but we made it easier for our son to wait buy also buying him an "origami kit" - which turned out to be the perfect combination as he was able to instantly open the origami book/paper and fold away while waiting the long days til his rocks were done.

We just finished with our first set of rocks and they turned out great! The tumbler is very quiet and easy to use. This was a project that my 4 year old daughter did with her dad and it was fun for them. It does take a little over three weeks but my daughter knew ahead of time so she was very patient. After the first time of using the tumbler you will figure out which rocks not to use. We had a few that didn't turn out very well but it was rock choice not the tumbler. I would recommend this product it works great, it's quiet, and easy to use.

did not work but was wonderful about refund

The axles that the drum runs on are only running on a thin sheet metal housing at their ends, with no real bearing surface and no ability to adjust for out of true, and they are out of true. The consequence? The drum doesn't self-center and is always running into the guide washers on one side or the other, causing very loud squeaking and unnecessary wear on the drum (leaving black dust everywhere). Also, the sheave that runs the drive band is so cheap it wobbles, with no way to adjust it. All in all, not very impressive. Definitely not built to last. I'd return it if I had the time, but this was a gift for my toddler grand kids, who aren't much concerned with quality yet, and I've got better things to do with my time than chase after a refund. I'm sure the sellers are counting on that!

good

I bought this to polish up some stones we found.I'm 3 weeks into the polishing process and it is working magnificently.The motor runs very quietly. You can hear the rocks tumbling, but it isn't that loud.Anyone that expects not to hear a bunch of rocks tumbling inside a rubber barrel isn't being realistic.My barrel seals up fine. I can't wait to see the rocks next week.After 2 years of tumbling rocks, the motor is still working perfectly. I did wear out the lid, which I guess is to be expected eventually. I was able to order a new cover for a reasonable price, so I can't complain that after months and months of rocks grinding themselves smooth, the plastic cover can end up with a hole ground in it.I'm still very pleased with my purchase.

Bought this as a gift for my wife. She has wanted one since she was a little girl. I have to help her with the closing of the drum, but she has been using it for a month now and says that it does exactly what is is supposed to do. Make sure that you keep the unit level so it doesn't travel to one side or the other and wear out the bearings.