NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC Platinum Series Ultra Quiet Gem Polisher Kit - Patent-Pending for Kids & Adults, 2 lb. Barrel, Grit, GemFoam, Rock Tumblers

Perfect for those new to the hobby. If you are looking for the cheapest best option and this is it (there are cheaper but they are not the best). I wouldn't start with a model of any lower quality or with any less features than this one. They aren't kidding when they say its quiet. Honestly sounds just as quiet if not quieter than a modern dish washer or dryer. You could easily have this set up anywhere in your house and just hear a consistent hum. It's not grumbly and annoying either, its just white noise. The tumblers performance seems good so far, I am running sea glass through it now. I like that it has a larger barrel. It's wider at least which makes it easier to reach into and in my opinion allows the parts to tumble better because they have slightly more space to fall when they go round each turn. I haven't been nice to the thing, letting it collect dust and mud as I check things. It's held up to the grit and grime of tumbling. I'll clean it fully once this session is complete but I don't want to stop and clean every time so I'm just letting it go and seeing what it can take. The settings are simple to understand and the display is nice and clear letting you know exactly where you are in your process. I usually just scribble the info about what is tumbling on the front with a dry erase marker which is great with this enclosure. Another cool feature is it will keep the current time saved in the event of a power outage so you can just plug it back in and go. If you are just starting out, don't go with the $40 Walmart entry level kit they offer, upgrade to this one, it'll be well worth it. Buy once, cry once. Otherwise you will go through 2-3 of those cheaper models before deciding the noise is bothering you regardless of how well they work. Enclosed is the way to go.

So far it has done well as a newbie-intermediate adult using a tumbler. Controls are not that complex. It is a one large barrel inside the tumbler spinner box. The hexagon-shaped knob holds the metal lid down onto the rubber barrel and rubber suction holds the half-rubberized inner lid inside in place so be careful when trying to open the inner barrel for first time. So, opening it - try wiggling it side to side open helps. It gets better over time. There are jewelry making items, foam polishers, a strainer (amazing to find) and handful of rocks included with the tumbler.At first when I got it, I initially thought I didn't get the accessories - like the grits and rocks but it's inside the barrel when you get it, which is why I included the picture. The very lowest setting was relatively quiet like a semi-loud washing machine (you are dealing with rocks remember), but you can soundproof it by putting it into a kitchen or hall cabinet or by other means. It's a machine so it needs to have air. Be careful to check the machine over long periods for overheating, belt wearing (strange noises) or issues like leaks (which I haven't had yet). I do a day or two at a time and take the rocks out of tumbler, strain the waste water into reusable disposable bottle/container and then reuse the tumbler water and try again the next day (to give machine a chance to rest) so that I can sleep from the noise (this might take longer and more steps but being in apartment or the sleep hours bothering people, this method might work before the grit sand water separate overnight might keep it from set into a cement-like substance on the rocks. I learned from other tumblers - DO NOT put the any tumbler rock water down the drain because it will wreck your pipes, clog and/or cement it up. I don't have a yard to dump it safely but put the tumbler waste into disposable milk or other containers as I use separate gloves, dollar store funnel and tote storage lid to help clean up without getting everything on the counters. Tips- check the local hobby shops for grit, they might carry it in bulk but sometimes it might be cheaper online for a smaller box. I haven't tried the foam accessories yet, so I don't know how well they work. Do the research on tumbling, be aware of the risks - watch for any health symptoms or what not. I came across some stuff about some Quartz crystals to be cautious about.Cheaper isn't always better choice over sound quality. I looked around locally for any tumblers, but everything was too cheaply made or way too loud for my usage in an apartment building. This one is better quality tumbler, compared to the cheaper department store brands like Maxx brand Tumbler or National Geographic cheaper blue "cup" tumbler which looks too flimsy or cheaply made to do quality work. I had been looking around for a quieter one and I have seen that Harbor Freight store had double barrel rock tumbler with no rock attachments or anything to cover to muffle the sound, but I had difficulty trying to figure out how to safely open their tumbler when I got it. I return that back to Harbor Freight and tried this one. So far, this specific rock tumbler was wider than other brands and has done rather well in sound and durability.

The media could not be loaded. Santa really came through this year! He brought my 5.5 year old a rock tumbler. He’s neurodivergent and his special interest has been gemstone collecting the last couple years. He’s found some really cool raw amethyst and carnelian, so I thought it might be fun to polish them.This thing is SO quiet (for a rock tumbler). This is the first time I’ve used one since I was a kid. My bro had one in the 90s and I remember it being so loud! It was in the corner of the garage and sounded like rocks in a dryer. I’m impressed with how easy it was to set up. The instructions were easy to follow for beginners. At first I thought they forgot to add the raw stones and grits, but they were inside the barrel. The polishing grit packets are one-time-use only, so I made sure to get some refills for future batches.The raw stones it came with are so pretty. He got a huge piece of tiger’s eye! He added some moonstone and fire opal. I’m curious to see how the small chips turn out…. Will they grind down to sand?!?Like I said, the barrel is pretty quiet considering it has a ton of rocks! He has it in his bedroom for white noise, lol.The settings are easy to figure out. The screen is bright and pretty. Love the little cover to dampen the sound.So far so good. I’ll update in a month!EARLY UPDATE - ok so we’re about 12 days in and on Grit #2. It’s working so well!!! It’s simple enough that he can change the settings (timer and level) by himself. I love that we can pause it to check on it. I put reminders in my phone to check it 2x/day just to make sure it’s not getting hot or too loud. There’s a ton of powdery sand already! The edge of the rocks all smoothed down in about 3 days. Now we’re watching some turn into little chips…. There’s still a lot of big ones, but it seems like half or more of the raw stones it came with will turn into sand or maybe tiny sparkles. Bummer. So excited to see how they turn out!Update: they’re SO PRETTY!!! Took us 6 weeks because we forgot about them sometimes 😅