HF coin tumbler...

[Old Katz]

If your thinking about buying that Harbor Freight Coin tumbler then by all means get it. Here
are some pictures of coins I cleaned with the tumbler. Click on picture to enlarge.

The first photo is of the tumbler made of plastic, not metal, so it is very quiet when in operation.
Also is a small strainer I pour the pea gravel into and run water through it to clean the dirt and soap
out after tumbling.

The next photo is is of a pie of clad before tumbling and the third is the same clad after 24 hours in the HF tumbler.
I use white vinegar and a drop of dish washing liquid.

Pictures four and five are pennies before and after only 6 hours of tumbling in vinegar and a drop of soap. When doing pennies
be careful; keep an eye on the tumbler. Gas built up and began to leak onto the towel I placed under the Tumbler.
Notice how clean they got. You can see the older pennies in the center ranging from 1961 to 1980. Anything after that is
zinc and begins to rot. You can see how badly even the clean ones are eaten up.
Katz

 

[MNCoinhunter]

Wow...quite a difference once they are cleaned up.

 

[Uncle Willy]

Yeah I've got two of them. Can't beat em for the price. If you wait for their sale you can pickone up for twenty bucks.

Bill

 

[Oakman404]

Yep and for the money I highly recommend the double barrel tumbler.

 

[addicted]

Where can i get HF tumbler? I am in Canada just outside of Toronto, i do have relatives in the states. HH

 

[addicted]

Where can i get HF tumbler? I am in Canada just outside of Toronto, i do have relatives in the states. HH Brian

 

[Old Katz]

I'll call them and ask if they operate in Canada. If not then you'll have to call your relatives.
Katz

 

[johnnynelson]

Go to the Harbor Freight, go for the mail order.

 

[Old Katz]

Well, yea you can go mail order but I had to wait forever when I ordered from them. Later I found one in my area.
Katz

 

[addicted]

Thanks, i ordered 2 tumblers online, sent them to mfatherinlaws in New Jersery. He will bring them up in couple of weeks HH

 

[Old Katz]

Excelent! Inlaws ARE good for something.
Katz

Some pointers...




The first thing I did was go to Petsmart and get a 5lb bag of small size gravel for fish aquariums. Cost $4.95.
It will last forever.

1. Every so often put your used gravel in the tumbler, a dash of dish soap and some vinegar and let it run for an hour
just to clean it up.

2. When you clean pennies, remember, they only need to clean for 1 or 1 1/2 hours. They clean up good. HOWEVER, the
drop of dish soap, the vinegar, and the Zinc cause a chemical reaction. Gas builds up fast and will force the top open; you'll have a mess on your hands.
I use an old towel and place the tumble on that. Use just a drop. Remember to tighten the screw top tight but not so tight as to strip the nut.

3. Regular clad is no problem. Use vinegar, a drop of soap. Pour vinegar until you can just see the liquid at the top. I usually run my clad for
15 to 24 hours just because the banks here don't like taking dirty looking money. Chase actually turned me down. You don't have to worry about gas build up but make sure the screw nut is tightened down.

4. You should always check the tumbler from time to time to make sure its not leaking and that the nut is still tight.

Can't think of anything else.

Katz

 

[Roland58]

I bought the HF double tumbler off of the Net and ordered an extra drive belt because I was told the belts didn't last very long. When my order arrived, not only did I get the double tumbler and the extra belt I ordered, but, the tumbler came with 5 extra belts! The one extra belt cost $2.95!!
Has anyone noticed the heat dissipation plates above the drive motor getting very warm.....borderline hot? Mine was doing that, of course, it was running in my shop that is not cooled and the outside temp was in the high 90's. I did solve the issue by placing a very small fan blowing on the drive motor and everything now stays nice and cool.

From experience, be sure not to have even one penny in with your silver!!! It will turn every coin the color of the penny......I know. This can be remedied by running the silver again WITHOUT the mentioned penny. I used a few squirts of Clorox Grean Works (a natural organic cleaner, no bleach) and a couple of squirts of Minute Maid real lemon juice. That brought everything back to shiny silver after about 5 hours. I have been told white vinegar works just like the lemon juice, but, haven't tried that yet.

 

[Old Katz]

I've run my tumbler for 24 hours straight and never experienced it
getting hot..Warm, yes, but not hot. If that continues I'd send it back.
Katz

 

[Roland58]

I did find that the free roller rod (not the drive rod) was sticking a bit....not enough grease in one end. I took it apart, lubricated it and all seems to be working well. When you have yours loaded up with both barrels, do you have to give it a little help starting when you first turn it on? Sometimes I have to give the barrels a little shove to get them started and then they continue on just fine.

 

[Roland58]

Don't know what is happening, but, all my silver (clad) has a beautiful bronze tone to it now. There was not so much as a penny left in the gravel and the gravel is the same I have used for my last successful cleaning of my 'silver' coins The clad pennies came out pretty good, just need a little longer in the machine....not quite done. Just a little dish soap in with them.

 

[Waterdog]

Thank you Katz for the direction for all on cleaning coins with the HF Coin tumbler.

 

[Old Katz]

Bronze color?
I'd clean up the pea gravel with some soap and vinegar for an hour, then redo the clad
unless you don't mind the color. It should come out to its original silver color.
Katz

 

[Roland58]

Exactly what I did, Katz.....they are in the tumbler now. I'll keep you posted on the results. Actually, they are kinda 'purty'......