I am looking at both of the models of wet tumblers from frankFord Arsenal . Has anyone had any issues using a larger wet tumbler with smaller quantities of brass . My gut is telling me to buy the big one but some calibers I do very low volume and would not want to lose effectiveness or damage brass by tumbling at a low brass high pin ratio. The internet is all over the place on this and I’d like to hear from those who know.

Well, for what it's worth I've never had any concern about tumbling small batches, and I've never heard of an issue with doing it.

The tumbler is full of water, so it's not like you've got 5 pounds of steel pins just slamming down on a few pieces of brass.

You can also use fewer pins, or even no pins, if you prefer.

I tumble large quanities of brass in the large Frankford tumbler.

For smaller quantities of brass you might have to adjust your additives.

It won't take long to get the right amount additives right.

I too had this same thought when tumbling brass in my vibratory Thumlers. Although I to have succumbed to the wet side, I decided that I needed more cases to make it worth my while so I found similar calibers that would not nest with other calibers.
If I didn’t have any then I went ahead and cleaned them with less pins and a lower amount of additives (Dawn soap, lemo-shine & car wax) without a problem.

It has appeared to me that when I tumble smaller quantities of brass, it just takes longer to get to the level of shine I like.

This is what I do for smaller quantities. These days I almost always fill it, but if I don't I drop the pin quantity and add less water, soap, wax, lemi-shine than normal.

Try the little cheap wet rock tumblers from harbor freight. They have a single and dual barrel. I used one for a while before I bought the big Frankfort.

I found one of those on a PIF here and used it for smaller quantities, it worked really well even without the pins. I upgraded to the big Franklin.

I picked up 2,000 pieces of range brass to flip.
My grandson got a National Gegraphic Rock Tumbler for X-Mas.
Works the same as the Frankford but it is the size of a large grapefruit.
I took fifty of the dirty cases and tumbled them for 45 minutes with just hot tap water, a small amout of Armor-All, a very small amount of Lemi-Shine and a real small squirt of Dawn.
Run the tumbler for 45 minutes.

They came out nice & clesn.


Then I took another fifty cases and added a small amount of pins and the same amount of Hot water; Armor-All, lemi-Shine and Dawn. Ran the small tumbler for 45 minutes.
The out sides of the cases looked good just like the water only batch.

But with the pins the insides of the pins tumble were nice & c
lean like brand new cases.
The water only cases still had dark grub in the cases

When I get extra time I can get pictures to post. .

I have a Thumbler Tumbler model B, 15 pound capacity. I load up to 5 pounds of brass and the same weight in SS beads. Add water to make 15 pounds total and a TBSP of dish soap and Lemi-shine. Tumble for 60 minutes, longer for very dirty brass.

I've only 5 pounds of brass at a time, but it should work well with less brass and 5 pounds of beads. Just add enough water to fill the tumbler to rated capacity. Midwayusa sells the stainless steel media in 2.5 pounds bags. Lasts forever. Get a magnet to help clean it up.

Be careful with range pickup brass. Some people leave their old worn out brass there.