I picked up an 18lb vibratory tumbler like you'd find at Harbor Freight, Eastwood, and numerous other tool importers. I was wondering if it would be a suitable replacement for the trusty ol' wire wheel for cleaning up rusty/greasy nuts and bolts. Obviously, there are a million ways to clean a bolt, so the question isn't, "Will it clean bolts, " because of course it will. The question is, "Is a vibratory tumbler good enough at cleaning hardware to justify its addition to your shop?" The answer to that, it turns out, is complicated.

This is not an overall review of the tumbler. If you are considering buying a tumbler for rocks, deburring, or weird gun things, this is not your video. I am looking at this from the angle of cleaning rusty/greasy/dirty hardware and nothing else.

Just a note that this is NOT a paid review or endorsement. I bought the tumbler and media with my own money in post-inflation, 2022 stupid dollars.

Related part numbers:
Harbor Freight #96923
Eastwood #20153

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