- Rebel 17 Rotary Brass Tumbler, 17 lb, 40 RPM

I have been reloading for 30 years and still use my Thumbler vibrator that I bought 30 years ago. It works fine but I don't like the dust inside the brass and truthfully, it doesn't do squat for cleaning the primer pockets. I sprung for a Harbor Freight $40 and some stainless pins $25 and was really impressed with the way the brass looks. Clean inside and out, shinny and the primer pockets rarely need anything done to them. For small batches this works fine and I will continue to use it. So being newly retired, I am going to have more time for my hobby so I decided to spring for a bigger unit and was torn between the Franklin Arsenal and the Stainless Steel model. About $100 difference in price and I cannot say which is actually better but I decided to go with the Stainless Steel model. This thing weighs 31 pound shipping weight. Packaging is excellent. The motor and parts ship inside the drum so nothing to bang around. Easy to assemble. Parts bag includes an open end wrench and an allen wrench so you have everything you need. Also included was a spare belt and an extra shaft bearing and mount. To me that says a lot about the company. It is a good design and a quality build. The shaft retainers have two set screws. Most companies would have only used one so a nice touch. The hardest part of putting it together was adjusting the individual leveling feet but that could have been operator error. Not loud at all considering what it is doing and very little vibration. The motor does get quite warm but the instructions say, the motor gets hot and it was designed that way. Being anal, I may use one of my computer take out fans to blow a little air across. It may not actually help but it won't hurt. It does not leak a drop. Just hand tighten the know in a cross pattern like lug nuts on your car and you should be fine.

After deciding it was time to upgrade from my Frankford Arsenal vibratory tumbler, I looked for a more versatile solution for cleaning my brass. Enter the Extreme Tumbler Rebel 17. It excels in that it has the flexibility of two cleaning methods: precision tumbling with Nishiki rice and steel pins for pistol or rifle brass where MOA is not the primary consideration. When wet tumbling, I use Meguiar’s Hybrid Ceramic Wash & Wax and Lemi Shine, along with 1/8" steel pins. The combination leaves my brass gleaming and free from residue. What can’t be ignored is how the steel pins clean the primer pockets or how quite the machine operates. The primary reason I chose the Rebel over Lyman, RCBS, or the F.A.R.T is that the Rebel is built with commodity parts. From upgraded bearings to enhanced feet, you have the freedom to tailor its performance to your exact needs. Prior to purchasing, I reached out to Extreme for clarification on some features, and their prompt response and thorough answers made the choice clear. Overall, my brass has never been cleaner.

Assembly required. With that said, it is very easy to assemble. Instruction not required. The base is heavy duty, the bearings and pillow mount are sturdy and rotate smoothly. The only complain I have is the pulley on the base wobbles a little and it is made out of plastic and the motor is made in China. The barrel itself is bulletproof and is heavy empty so you know it is well built. I fill it up with water and ran it for 5 mins, no leaks. This is a great kit, it comes with 5 Lbs of steel media pins and cleaning solution. The pins alone retails for over $35. I recommend this tumbler.

Really good tumbler. My brass came out looking as good as new. I'll never go back to dry tumbling. I bought a timer that plugs into the outlet and the tumbler plugs into it. Push the button on the timer and it stops after the designated time. So easy

Well made, easy assembly (even though the instructions leave a lot to be desired), quiet, and still going strong after 20K+ casings of 9mm, 40S&W, 45 ACP, and 223. I de-prime by hand using a Harvey Deprimer (which is another of my best purchases) in order to sort casings and make sure primer pockets get cleaned. Along with the pins, I found my best results are with 4lb max of de-primed casings, water an inch or so below the top, 2-4 oz. of ArmorAll Ultra Shine Wash & Wax plus 2 large finger-pinches of Lemishine, and set the little timer I bought for 4 hours. (Note: don't let them sit after cleaning for over a couple of hours before rinsing or you get "red" brass. Still work fine but look out of place) I pour off water, do 3 rinses, dump into the laundry tub with enough water to cover and use the Frankford Arsenal Transfer Magnet (that I sealed to keep the water out) to pick out the SStl pins. I spread the brass out on an old screened bread tray, wipe with a rag, and put them beside the dehumidifier in the basement. A bit labor intensive, but the results even impressed the guys at my LGS, and that's saying something. This is really the only way to go. Update 3 July 2021... Rubber rollers finely gave out after 4 years of avg. 1 load per day - est. 600,000 cases. I could have ordered new rubber but decided on buying a complete new base from STM StainlessTumblingMedia.com (they have most replacement parts for the Rebel 17). Drum and motor still going strong. I still use the same formula, but have dropped the tumble time to 3 hours and bought a Frankford Arsenal Platinum Wet/Dry Media Separator instead of separating by hand in the laundry tub. I have also been using SS chips instead of pins for now. They work fine but, since it is like working with glitter, I bought a rare-earth magnet to put by the tub drain. After 4 years, his tumbler is still one of the best purchases I have ever made.

Great tumbler! Great price!

I didnt realize there were different ones so I technically bought the wrong one for what I intended to use it for but still works great! Highly recommend! Little noisy but overall not bad.

Motor won't start on its own, has to be "helped" and then hums loudly while running. Driven pulley wobbles some. Unit seems to be well made, and the drum is really heavy duty. I am returning this one and ordering again, I'll update the review when I get to try another one. 11/17/2104 I received my second tumbler. The factory box was badly damaged, as was the first one, but it was then inside an Amazon box which was fine. When I was assembling the unit I noticed one of the studs that the cover fits over was bent and I straightened it, more or less. Once assembled I turned it on, and like the first one it just hummed and needed assistance to get started. I went ahead and prepared a load of brass, 500 .223, according to the directions. I turned the unit on and again needed to assist it to start turning. I let let brass tumble for about four hours and I must say I am impressed. It came out shiny and clean and looking like brand new. I have updated my review from two stars to four. I think for the hefty price tag it should have a motor that doesn't need help to get turning, and they definitely have some issues with packaging, or handling, where this item comes from. But the end result is very good.

Good

The factory belts break constantly and are not sufficient for the unit. We gave up and ours sits empty. We've tried gaskets from other local stores and they don't have the strength to run the unit either. Disappointing, because we spent a good amount on the unit, and the company knows their belts are junk. Rebel also won't ship to Canada and just stopped replying to my emails even after I offered to arrange the shipping and customs import through my own shipping company and customs broker and at my cost. Don't buy this unit unless you have money to burn and like looking at equipment that sits and does nothing. Your belts will break constantly, even if you put a half load in the barrel...and what's the point of tumbling eight pounds of in a tumbler made for 17 pounds?

Item is great quality you cant go wrong as long as you have the correct motor for your country.