"If you plug it in and it doesn't go, what is it good for beyond reminding me of my ex-wife?" My latest experience with Lyman Products warranty system.
Many months ago, I borrowed a friend's Lyman Turbo 3200 tumbler to do a large job. It crapped out. Well, okay. It was now my responsibility to return it in the same shape I borrowed it, so I sent it off (when I could afford the shipping) to Lyman. In the fullness of time I received an email indicating that it had a broken motor mount and for the modest sum of $63.00, they would fix it. Okay, well it took a bit to scrape that up and I sent it to them and just received the "repaired" unit back.
So, I filled it with some media and a thousand pieces of .40 S&W brass belonging to a friend that I had volunteered to clean just to try out the unit. I plugged it in and . . . nothing. Not a twitch, not a vibe.
So I today sent it back to Lyman with a copy of the work order where they fixed the motor mount, with this scrawled across the bottom:
"That's all well and good but if you plug it in and it doesn't go, what is it good for beyond reminding me of my ex-wife? Do you mind actually FIXING the thing?"
When I get a response from Lyman, I'll let you know.
10 comments:
After you return your friend's unit, buy one of the green ones for yourself. I bought mine used around 20 years ago and it still goes when I plug it in. Plus that company will not let you pay for repairs, I've sent them stuff I broke through brute force and ignorance with a check to prepay the repairs. They always return my repaired item or a brand new one with my un-cashed check.
RCBS. Never heard anything from them but "we'll take care of that / send you a new part / is there anything else we can do for you?
This includes times I have told their representatives I bought equipment USED and then found a broken part. And times I told them that I broke it myself by being stupid.
I do note they now specify a 2 year warranty on electrical equipment, the presses, dies and other mechanical items are FOREVER, no proof of purchase or warranty card needed.
Anyhow- If you're going to clean huge ammounts of brass, try a large rock polisher using water, stainless steel pin media, dawn dish soap and Lemishine. It's faster and quieter.
What if nothing works when you plug it in?
I can't fix Lyman's warranty system, but I've got grid-down brass cleaning fix for you Mike.
Build a 5 gallon bucket wet tumbler and invest in some stainless pin media. When the power goes off you can hook it up to a bicycle, media will last forever, no dust to kill your family slowly, and no dirty media ever.
The old mason jar with apple cider vinegar and a dash of dish soap will always work for small batches. Won't make it glisten, but it'll get the dirt and crud off.
Only thing you can't clean in a wet tumbler is steel case Berdan primed stuff, and you probably could, if you could dry it before any rust sets in.
On the subject of adapting rock polishers/media: the first time I saw any of the current "state of the art" bowl shaped units was at a tool and die show that a machinist friend invited me to. Our brass polishers are adapted from the smallest of the units I saw there. Some of them were the size of hot tubs. And the range of media they used to deburr punched metal parts was way more extensive. Keep in mind that the more agressive media will remove more metal in a given time. What works for stainless steel might be too over the top for brass.
Stop polishing brass, that's the ticket. It works just as well when it's tarnished, and won't cold-weld to the bullets which is a big plus.
I can echo the positive experience with RCBS. I was trying to disassemble my Rock Chucker press for cleaning and managed to crack off the end of one of the toggle arm pins. They sent me a new one right away, even though it's my own fault it broke.
But I do have a Lyman tumbler made in the 80s that still works perfectly.
Got both tumblers myself '! "Turbos" are convenient, TBS ! And perhaps faster (?) . But my old "rock polisher" does just as well ! >Jeff
Chuck,
Take the wet steel casings and cook them for ten minutes in the oven on warm (low) with the door slightly ajar to vent the water vapor. Check em for wetness and add time if needed.
Two words...Dillon Precision
On a side note, it's always a good idea to measure your reloads now and then. The extended family did some shooting this weekend, and my pistol kept seizing up. Turned out dad's new 9mm rounds were -just- fat enough that they didn't seat properly in the bore.
Poor Dad, he looked a mite sullen over that, even though I told him it wasn't his fault (his pistol evidently was accepting the ammo with nary a hiccup).
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