3A Single Barrel Rock Tumbler

trying to decide what rock tumbler to buy can be a bit tricky. This is a great entry model and Lortone quality is top shelf. The one thing to consider is how much rock tumbling you are gonna be doing. Each stage takes about a week, so to go thru all the stages to get to the polished rocks takes roughly a month. If you are trying to get a lot done, you might want to consider the twin barrel model as you can have 1 barrel loaded with one stage and the other with a different stage. Either unit is designed to run for long periods of time and the only maintenance is to place a drop of oil on the roller bar where it goes into the bushings. I do this like once every month or two. The unit is very quiet and the rocks tumbling makes more noise than the motor. Make sure to order the different types of media this needs to do its job. Media is basically the different types of grit it uses at the different stages. I would also recommend ordering a couple different sized sifters to use during the clean and rinse in between media change outs.

If you want to smooth and shine pretty rocks, this is your machine. It is easy to use, comes with instructions. It does not have an on/off switch-plug in to operate. It will handle 3 pounds of small rocks. My tumbler ran continuously for a month with no problems.Cons: can be noisy while rocks are tumbling. Put it in your garage or laundry room, unless the sound of geology puts you to sleep. The manual says to lubricate with oil, but fails to specify what kind: olive? Motor?? Essential??? I recommend machine oil or lubricant. The outside gets hot, keep away from children and curious kitties. Does not come with any tumbling grit or polish, you will have to order that separate. Finally, it's a bit difficult scrubbing leftover fine polish off of it as the barrel is solid rubber. Still a great buy for your lapidary.

Not a lot to say about this product except that it does exactly as described. 3 lb barrel tumbler and quite a simple unit with only the power plug as the on/off. no other switches. Comes with a small manual and an extra belt. I started using this: tumbling my first batch of stones about 4 days ago and so far no breakdown whatsoever. The unit is exceptionally quiet which I like but the motor area runs hot as advertised and expected. No leaks at all.As of now - 5 days after purchase I would buy again, the only thing I would change it that I wish I would have bought the 2 barrel Lortone. That will be my next purchase if all goes well :)

I love this tumbler. It is plenty big enough to put quite a few pieces of jewelry in it, it's relatively quiet, is simple to use and gets the job done. I put about 1 pound of stainless steel shot in it, add jewelry, add a healthy squirt of Dawn dishwashing liquid and enough water to cover. Plug it in and forget it. The lid doesn't leak at all so no worries. A couple hours later, open it up, pour into a very small holed colander, rinse off all the suds and watch your jewelry gleem. Don't put any soft stones in it such as amber, but I put jewelry with pearls and crystals in it, and they didn't get scratched at all so it is a gentle tumbling that just polishes and cleans to an unbelievable liquid shine.

This is one bad a** machine as far as tumblers go. Yes, it has the name Lortone, and you will pay for that but also the quality IS there.I believe you get what you pay for most of the time, and it appears this is one of those times. I would NOT waste my money on a lesser model unless I had never tumbled rocks before. I have, so I chose quality this time. Very pleased. It has run non stop since I bought it with NO issues at all. They also hold their price I noticed, while shopping for a used one.One thought here, I wish I would have bought the double barrel one now that I have run this one.

I have been using this machine for a while now. It runs great, Its quiet and seems well built, however it gets very hot after about an hour running. So got that the neoprene barrel gets hot from the heat of the motor. Im using this to mill different powders so i can only mill certain powders with it that require inly about a 1-3 hour mill time. Otherwise its usless for me. It even says the machine gets hot, but if the manufacturer is aware that the maxhine gets that hot, why not find a way to cool the motor? its dangerously hot. Thats my only complaint about this machine but for me its kind of a big one.

Overall a great little tumbler, for a hobbyist or someone that uses it once in a while! I see I need a much bigger one to do my projects. No leakage or problems of any kind so far. My only concern was, the motor does tend to get a little warm after about 8 hours. I did check on it during the night several times, just don't want to burn down the house! I tumbled my broken glass bottles and jars just 24 hours and I have to say I'm very pleased how the edges were rounded off with no sharp edges. So with that, I moved onto grit #2 and will check it in 24 hours. Maybe in a couple weeks or so, I will tumble some rough gemstones. About the noise, I consider it background noise, not that bad! But you wouldn't want it in your bedroom while sleeping. Follow the directions and don't overfill your barrel and everything will be ok! If your planning a very large project or you see it's an ongoing thing, I'd get a much bigger tumbler. Follow the directions and don't overfill your barrel and everything will be ok!

High quality.