Ultrasonic vs Tumblers with media???

[matty]

I have been using both lately 1- RCBS ultrasonic cleaner w/ RCBS solution and 2- Tumbler w/Lyman " corncob green " media.
I reload for hunting as well as for benchrest and always hit my necks with some neverdull cloth and hit the primer pockets with a hand held tool to remove most of the fouling as these are the two worst areas before I clean the brass.
What are the pros and cons to these two methods?
Wanting to have all properties of you brass clean as possible ( inside and out ) I have seen no advantage to the ultrasonic method other than its more work and it leaves water deposits.
Thanks in advance for any advice. Matty

 

[Lapua40X]

I used tumbling exclusively for a lot of years. Primer pockets were the most difficult chore using that method alone. Since I've switched to ultrasonic cleaning I deprime, run them through the ultrasonic cleaner for about twenty minutes, clean the primer pockets with a Q-tip while they're still wet (takes about one Q-tip end per round but I get them in 1k packets for a buck - usually that's all it takes but I do find a few that need a little help from the rotary primer pocket cleaning brush) then blow them dry with compressed air and let them tumble for about an hour in dry media. I blow them out again to make certain there's no dry media stuck inside the cases and move ahead with reloading.
The most frequent mistake I find in using ultrasonic is either not enough cleaning agent or water that is too cool; or a combination of those two.

 

[Richard Coody]

Well i too do both

Tumbled for many years. Then got an ultrsonic. With the rcbs case cleaner brass comes out like new. Problem is it removes all the carbon from the necks. I use the imperial dry neck lube on bullet seating but i still believe neck tension is not consistent and tight.

Went back to tumbling

Now with that said i anneal every 3 to 5 firings and at that point i do ultrasonic just to clean out the inside of the cases.

 

[mikegaiz]

Bite the bullet and use stainless steal pins in water with soap and Lem shine you will never use anything else. Cleans and polishes better than new.

 

[rkittine]

I have a tumbler, but now only use it for Pistol Rounds. To keep my brass nick and dent free, I have gone the ultrasonic route.

Bob

 

[dcali]

I tumbled for years. I use US now. Tumbling never cleaned primer pockets or the inside of the case, even after hours. Ultrasonic cleans inside and out in about 15-20 minutes for 100 .308 cases. I use hot water with a bit of dish soap and sprinkle of citric acid.

As for pros cons vs tumbling:

-tumbling takes a lot longer (hours vs minutes)
-tumbling doesn't clean nearly as well especially inside and primer pockets, even after a long time.
-tumbling requires you to separate the cases from media, which gets messy/takes time.
-US cases come out wet, so you need to dry them (wither with compressed air or low temp in the oven) if you want to load right away.
-US doesn't make cases pretty - more of a dull tarnished look after a few firings, especially if you don't dry cases right away.
-Sanely priced US cleaners can only handle 100 cases at a time or so, and those are the more expensive models.
-Some people worry about the fact that it cleans the insides of the necks. I don't have any evidence that this matters in my rifles, but it's a consideration.

 

[Texas10]

I started out with corn cob media and dry tumbling because it seemed to be the most popular. Found the same issues you mention, plus the build up of all that combustion residue that gets airborne while you separate the media from the brass. Didn't like breathing that, and it can't be good for me so....

Went the US route. Takes a while, especially if you want necks cleaned. Seemed that if they stayed in long enough to clean the necks good, the Zinc would leach out of the brass and I'd get rose colored blotches in my brass. Tried various solutions of soap, lemishine, commercial cleaners but same results. Even used stale water (water let sit for a week or so to let the air percolate out) which helps the US work much more efficiently hoping to get clean necks but without the Rose color.

Then I went to SS pin wet tumbling and found it to be vastly superior, although I had to be careful not to overload the tumbler which beats the snot out of the brass. Gotta have the right ratio of brass to media...

It is a pain in the backside to get the pins out of the small necked cases like 22-250, but it does do a better job for me, but your mileage may vary.

 

[mikegaiz]

You can use the same brass/media separator to get pins out as you use for other media. Made by RCBS and Lyman and a few others. The 6.5 get stuck sideways in the neck sometimes.

 

[Joe R]

I have been using both lately 1- RCBS ultrasonic cleaner w/ RCBS solution and 2- Tumbler w/Lyman " corncob green " media.
I reload for hunting as well as for benchrest and always hit my necks with some neverdull cloth and hit the primer pockets with a hand held tool to remove most of the fouling as these are the two worst areas before I clean the brass.
What are the pros and cons to these two methods?
Wanting to have all properties of you brass clean as possible ( inside and out ) I have seen no advantage to the ultrasonic method other than its more work and it leaves water deposits.
Thanks in advance for any advice. Matty

I made this video for some of the guys at my range and it may help you as well.

Good luck,

Joe

 

[Joe R]

There are many benefits to cleaning with SS pins.

1. Better SD and ES.
2. Sizing and seating dies stay clean. I only clean mine once in blue moon.
3. No primer pocket cleaning.
4. Takes less time than traditional methods.
5. Brass looks new and are easier to inspect.