I Bought The Cheapest Rock Tumbler on eBay and This is How it Went!

When I picked up a Hobby Rock Tumbler of nameless brand from eBay for cheap-cheap, I was not expecting much. Here is the review alongside links to the unboxing and update vids.

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I had a spare thirty quid last month and that doesn’t happen often, so I decided to make an investment in my future by picking up rock tumbler #3 - the cheapest rock tumbler that I could find.

I found this nameless brand of hobby tumbler on eBay a while back and I was interested to see how it worked. I was aware that it was a basic rock polishing machine but what I wanted to know was whether it was worth the money.

Honestly? At thirty bucks I was not expecting much – but I was pleasantly surprised.

Skip the review to buy it here.

What showed up when I ordered the cheapest rock tumbler?

This hobby rock tumbler arrived in a box which encouraged me to enjoy the drive, which made me immediately skeptical. It had photos of kids around the outside, which is fine, but I disagree that this is a product for kids that young. I would say the same about most rock tumblers, but particularly this one. But I will get to that in a minute.

The box showed up absolutely wrapped in a good, solid foam. I have had rock tumblers arrive before damaged from a standard box, so I was glad to see that. The contents were also unharmed although I did comment in the unboxing video that I thought there was an awful lot of plastic in it.

Unboxing the Cheap Hobby Rock Tumbler from eBay

This is where I play the unboxing video and you get to laugh at me.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddXspULG5zg&t=56s

What’s in the Box?

Inside the box for this cheap rock polishing machine, I found:

• Jewellery fastenings for a ring and earrings/necklace/keyring.

  
  

• A rock tumbler barrel, rubber, of standard size, will fit the Nat geo range.

  
  

• A spare rubber belt in case the first wears out.

  
  

• A small selection of mainly glass rocks inside the barrel. We threw these away. More on that later.

  
  

• The base containing the motor and the spinning parts.

What I liked/didn’t like about the cheap rock tumbler?

There were things I both did and did not like about this rock tumbler product for sale in the UK. Let me divide them up into good and bad for you.

Things I Liked About This Budget Rock Tumbler

These are the positives from this purchase.

The Rock Tumbler Barrel

A massive plus about this rock tumbler is that the barrel is rubber. We like rubber barrels because they are quieter and easier to open than plastic rock tumbler barrels are.

This rock tumbler barrel is compatible in size with the National Geographic hobby rock tumbler and with smaller models which you can browse on our rock tumbler page. It will not work with the Stemrock but should work with everything else.

The Price

This cheap rock tumbler ranges from £30 - £40. I picked it up for £32.87. For that price, even if it turns for three months I will have made the investment back in terms of tumblestones. We will see.

The Controls

The base part of the rock tumbler is really easy to control. I didn’t even have to read the instructions – which is good because there is a strong chance they described the engine of a Honda civic.

You press the power button, select between 1, 2, and 3 days turning time, and then you press the power button again to start the cycle.

The Actual Tumbling Process

After tumbling for a week and a half, I opened the rock tumbler to see how it was getting on. I had used too much grit and the froth was beautiful. A nice thick slurry and some pummelled rocks, just what we like. It actually worked better than I thought it would. As you can tell from the unboxing video, I was genuinely concerned that it might blow up on me.

Ease of Use/Accessibility

Shout out to the barrel for having a wee tab on it at the top that you can use to pull it open. I was very confused in the second video because I couldn’t find the wee tab, only to later realise I had loaded up the National Geographic’s barrel by mistake.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gm3c3flI2gM&t=13s

Things I Didn’t Like About the Budget Rock Tumbler

These are the negatives of buying this hobby rock tumbler on eBay.

The Rocks

The stones that came with this rock tumbler were, at first, a pleasant surprise. I was not expecting as much in the way of added extras from this rock tumbler model. The price was just too cheap.

The rocks inside the tumbler barrel when you open the tumbler are fairly sharp. I mentioned above that I wouldn’t get this model for a kid and that is why. Some of those rocks – particularly the red ones – are just coloured glass. This has been smashed up indiscriminately and some did stick into my hand when I opened the packet.

Take my advice and throw the rocks away. Mine went into the garden where all poor rocks, broken stones and glass go to retire.

The Lack of Grits

This rock tumbler doesn’t come with grit, so you couldn’t start tumbling right away even if you did want to tumble the glass rocks. I knew before I purchased it that there were no grits so it was fine, I already have them. However, if you are a nooby to rock tumbling, this set is cheap and not very cheerful.

If they added a single packet of each stage in with this model, I would be willing to pay an extra fiver for it.

You can shop for Rock Tumbler Grit through TSC here.

Where to Buy this Cheap Rock Tumbler on eBay?

Obviously this item is for sale on eBay. I give it 3.5 out of 5 meteorites. It’s a sound product with poor packaging but with a really good outcome. If you have the grits already, I say it makes a nice addition to your tumbler array.

Would I buy it again? I would. I think it’s great value for money. I wouldn’t bother tumbling the rocks that come with it though and I would remove said rocks before I gave it as a gift, too.

If you use this link to buy it, I earn a small commission. I consider it my penance for writing this review.