Test Results Manual Trickler VS Battery Trickler

[dreever]

As promised I tested my tried and true Redding manual trickler against the Frankford Arsenal battery powered trickler. All charges were thrown to within one to two tenths with a Harrell's measure then trickled up to the desired charge weight of 31.7 grains of Varget. To get some meaningful results I prepped 100 cases each way rather than to only do ten or twenty and perhaps get a false representation.
Well to cut to the chase the average time spent per case with the manual trickler was 27 seconds. With the powered trickler 22 seconds which resulted in a 5 seconds per case time savings or only 8 minutes per hundred. I was rather disappointed since I expected more of a time savings.

The power trickler takes some getting used to since it is possible to trickle to much since it does trickle rather fast as opposed to the manual, but then again speed was what I was looking for in the first place. Since there are gears involved it is a little noisy, but not really that bad. For twenty couple bucks it's worth playing with further. Perhaps with some refinement of my technique It will become even faster.
With the modifications suggested by Asa Yam in a previous thread I would assume it would become faster still.

It won't equal the RCBS ChargeMaster but then again for $22.50,Lock Stock and Barrel) it won't break the bank either.

Danny

 

[dreever]

Forgot to add the scale was a RCBS 1010.

 

[Asa_Yam]

Danny,
If you weigh the charge,as opposed to throwing it), you normally lose time. Reducing transfer and intermediate operations,i.e., powder to pan/scale and then into the case) would probably speed things up.

Assume the following times:

Use inexpensive beam or electronic scale and manual trickler:
- Dispense primary charge: 2 Seconds.
- Transfer charge to scale: 2 Seconds.
- Weigh charge: 3 Seconds.
- Manually trickle charge to spec: 10 Seconds,Ya gotta allow the scale to catch up.)
- Transfer powder to case: 2 Seconds.
- Prepare to repeat process for next casing: 2 Seconds.
TOTAL TIME: 21 Seconds - 171 Rounds/hour

Use faster scale,1.5 second settle time) and powered trickler:
- Dispense primary charge: 2 Seconds.
- Transfer charge to scale: 2 Seconds.
- Weigh charge: 1.5 Seconds.
- Manually trickle charge to spec: 4.5 Seconds,Again, ya gotta allow the scale to catch up.)
- Transfer powder to case: 2 Seconds.
- Prepare to repeat process for next casing: 2 Seconds.
TOTAL TIME: 14 Seconds - 257 rounds/hour

Eliminate manual transfer of powder to scale, install feedback loop between balance and trickler:
- Dispense primary charge: 2 Seconds.
- Weigh charge: 1.5 Seconds.
- Trickle charge to spec: 3.5 Seconds
- Transfer powder to case: 2 Seconds.
- Prepare to repeat process for next casing: 2 Seconds.
TOTAL TIME: 11 Seconds - 327 rounds/hour.

Directly throw charge,no weighing):
-Throw charge: 2 Seconds
Total Time: 2 Seconds - 1800 rounds/hour.

 

[dreever]

Asa,

Thanks for the information.

What do you recommend for a faster scale that won't break the bank?

How do you install a feedback loop between the scale and trickler?

Danny

 

[Asa_Yam]

Asa,

Thanks for the information.

What do you recommend for a faster scale that won't break the bank?

How do you install a feedback loop between the scale and trickler?

Danny

Re: Balance,Scales are inexpensive, less accurate measuring devices). Save your pennies and dimes, I guess. The A&D GF-200 blows most of the competition when it comes to speed. It's also almost $800.

Re: Feedback loop. In theory, you can take the comparator output from a high end balance, amplify it, and use it to drive the trickler. That's the theory, anyhow. Don't ask me about the practice, as it is well beyond my ability. I'm thinking a Programmable Logic Controller,PLC) with analog input/output might be the fastest way to accomplish this. Problem is that PLCs with analog input/outputs are probably spendy.

After all is said and done, you might be out less money by buying a Prometheus, or by finding a Gunderson. The latter is an electromechanical device built back in the 60s and 70s - puts out around 300 charges/hour that are accurate to within 1/100 grain. Not many Gundersons were made, and owners are normally pretty reluctant to part with them.