DIY Fixes for Chicago Electric Tumbler from Harbor Freight
Mar 24, 2023 9:09:47 GMT -5
victor1941, fernwood, and 3 more like this
Post by moopiemotomom on Mar 24, 2023 9:09:47 GMT -5
Hi fellow tumbling enthusiasts,
I regularly see people posting about issues with their Chicago Electric tumblers from Harbor Freight and I thought I'd share some advice and explain what I've done to improve on some of the poor design elements. I know a few others have as well, but I don't think anyone has posted about some of these in as much detail.
I've had mine since October 2022 and I haven't had any mechanical issues with, but I read posts from others and knew they had some design flaws. I tried to get ahead of that to keep it running well, and have found some other issues as I've been tumbling non-stop for the last 6 months:
Mk I: I started by putting all-purpose grease on the barrel where it contacts the plastic tabs to keep it from grinding down and making too much noise, which did seem to slow down the wear and squeaking but also created a lot of black gunk that needed to be cleaned every time I removed the barrel. Unfortunately after 6 months, it's still worn down the tab opposite the motor, and at one time even pushed into that side of the frame after the tab wore down enough before I noticed and adjusted it. I think the grease saved it at that point because it didn't even scuff the paint.
Mk II: I have seen others try to create roller bumpers instead of just replacing the tabs, but I don't have a lot of fabrication equipment, so I came up with a day to make it from things I could get from the hardware store. I removed the screw for the bumper and gave the tumbler a break while I ran to the hardware store to find a matching bolt I could swap with and get more room to work with. I chose a bracket to help orient the bumper to roll against one of the outer edges of the tumbler, along with another bolt for the top and some washers, nuts and a couple things I could use as roller wheels. That cost about $7. The wheel I ended up using is some sort of thick hose rather than the nylon washer, but I think one of those would work as well. I ran the tumbler with that for the next day, but unfortunately the locknut on the end wasn't clearing the wheel and it was grinding against the barrel lid and causing wear on that.
Mk III: To get more clearance on the end of the bolt, I removed the bolt and drilled a hole through the end, filed the threading where needed, and put the locknut directly against the bracket, then a washer, some teflon tape (for pipe threads) under the roller wheel to reduce friction, another washer, and a cotter pin on the end through the hole. This seems to be working well so far and will hopefully last longer than the tabs. Pics to follow.
I regularly see people posting about issues with their Chicago Electric tumblers from Harbor Freight and I thought I'd share some advice and explain what I've done to improve on some of the poor design elements. I know a few others have as well, but I don't think anyone has posted about some of these in as much detail.
I've had mine since October 2022 and I haven't had any mechanical issues with, but I read posts from others and knew they had some design flaws. I tried to get ahead of that to keep it running well, and have found some other issues as I've been tumbling non-stop for the last 6 months:
- Replacement plan: If you haven't bought one yet, consider getting the replacement plan, mine cost about $18 and I get free replacements for the first 2 years of use, gives you a good safety net.
- Belt breaking issues: they give you a bunch of extra belts which have mixed luck and I didn't want to have my tumbling constantly interrupted, so I bought and popped a belt for a Lortone 3B on it right at the start.
- Shafts not rotating as much as they should: I have used 3-in-1 oil in the plastic bearings and it seems to last for a while so I haven't bothered to do it every week
- Tabs/grinding/overheating:
- I saved the best for last here - The biggest thing I think they could have done better with the design is the plastic guide tabs (make sure you turn them in toward the barrels), they wear down pretty fast if you're using it constantly and then after they wear down, the barrels grind into the metal frame and the friction could cause overheating/motor issues. I have a few fixes for the tab wear, depending on what you have available to you:
Mk I: I started by putting all-purpose grease on the barrel where it contacts the plastic tabs to keep it from grinding down and making too much noise, which did seem to slow down the wear and squeaking but also created a lot of black gunk that needed to be cleaned every time I removed the barrel. Unfortunately after 6 months, it's still worn down the tab opposite the motor, and at one time even pushed into that side of the frame after the tab wore down enough before I noticed and adjusted it. I think the grease saved it at that point because it didn't even scuff the paint.
Mk II: I have seen others try to create roller bumpers instead of just replacing the tabs, but I don't have a lot of fabrication equipment, so I came up with a day to make it from things I could get from the hardware store. I removed the screw for the bumper and gave the tumbler a break while I ran to the hardware store to find a matching bolt I could swap with and get more room to work with. I chose a bracket to help orient the bumper to roll against one of the outer edges of the tumbler, along with another bolt for the top and some washers, nuts and a couple things I could use as roller wheels. That cost about $7. The wheel I ended up using is some sort of thick hose rather than the nylon washer, but I think one of those would work as well. I ran the tumbler with that for the next day, but unfortunately the locknut on the end wasn't clearing the wheel and it was grinding against the barrel lid and causing wear on that.
Mk III: To get more clearance on the end of the bolt, I removed the bolt and drilled a hole through the end, filed the threading where needed, and put the locknut directly against the bracket, then a washer, some teflon tape (for pipe threads) under the roller wheel to reduce friction, another washer, and a cotter pin on the end through the hole. This seems to be working well so far and will hopefully last longer than the tabs. Pics to follow.