Buying guide
Choose a rotary or vibratory rock tumbler
Choose the motion for the job
A rotating drum lets the batch roll together. Choose a rotary machine when the goal is to round rough edges over the early stages. For a vibratory model, check what its manual says about the starting shape and the approved abrasive grades before committing to the same process.
Read the working load
Check the manual for whether the listed capacity includes both stones and media. Compare the usable load per drum or bowl before deciding that a two-drum machine handles larger individual stones.
Check the bowl and electrical variant
A machine name can be shared by several versions. Compare voltage, bowl and lid by the exact model, then check which abrasive and filler combinations that machine accepts.