Good Morning 2aHawaii,

I found a good deal on an ultrasonic cleaner on Harbor Freight for the Labor Day holiday. Right now it is 82$ with a 20% off coupon for today. I was just wondering what you guys prefer for case cleaning. Do you guys like the media tumbler better than the ultrasonic cleaner? Do you think both could be beneficial for case cleaning?

Have a good holiday!

I've tried dry media and wet with stainless steel pin. I've read that ultrasonic can take awhile and not produce much bling.  Dry media is faster, less hassle than all three methods but will produce dust from the media - that's the con for me as I live in an apt. SS pins produce the cleanest: inside & outside cases, primer pockets too. The results from SS pins is comparable to new brass. The dirt and grime is contained in the water.

I just wanted to add that SS pins are a little quieter and usually takes less time to clean.  I used to leave it for 3 hours but have noticed that it can be just as clean in about an hour to an hour and a half.  The drying time is what takes the longest.  I think the recommended (from the website) is around 12 hours.  They did say you can use a food dehydrator to dry them out.  That usually takes about an hour or two (again, according to the SS pin website).

Hey Ren - have you had any hard water spot issues or a little tarnishing while drying?  I can take them out of the tumbler and they're blinged out, but while drying, I've noticed the wet side facing down can turn a little color.

I've tried dry media and wet with stainless steel pin. I've read that ultrasonic can take awhile and not produce much bling.  Dry media is faster, less hassle than all three methods but will produce dust from the media - that's the con for me as I live in an apt. SS pins produce the cleanest: inside & outside cases, primer pockets too. The results from SS pins is comparable to new brass. The dirt and grime is contained in the water.

I just wanted to add that SS pins are a little quieter and usually takes less time to clean.  I used to leave it for 3 hours but have noticed that it can be just as clean in about an hour to an hour and a half.  The drying time is what takes the longest.  I think the recommended (from the website) is around 12 hours.  They did say you can use a food dehydrator to dry them out.  That usually takes about an hour or two (again, according to the SS pin website).

Hey Ren - have you had any hard water spot issues or a little tarnishing while drying?  I can take them out of the tumbler and they're blinged out, but while drying, I've noticed the wet side facing down can turn a little color.

Yes, I find stains. I minimize it buy rolling them around in a towel but even with the stains they are so much cleaner than any other method. I found the same results as you in that it can take only an hour or less depending on how much pins are put in the container. The pros of ultrasonic is that the crap is contained in the water as well.

I was looking on Youtube and saw someone putting cheap $5 metal .177 BB along with walnut media in their tumbler.  Anyone tried with good result?

I use an old Lyman vibratory cleaner with corncob media.  I recently added some automotive polishing compound to the media and it really shines up the brass.  I leave it on for 4-6 hours, sometimes overnight if I forget to check after dinner.

Works for me.