HORRIBLE ITEM!

Me and my brother got this toy for Christmas and our dad said he would help set it up.The day FINALLY came and he helped us.We followed all the directions and it wouldn't work.So we kept trying and trying and trying but finally we gave up.It is now sitting in our basment.PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE do NOT spend your money on this.It does not work!

A proper review of this item

This is a great little tumbler to polish rocks. If you have no idea about rocks or how this machine works you need to do a little research. This is not the type of item to just buy and expect to polish rocks in a weekends time without even having to read the directions. The tumbler is also recommended for children ten years or older.

To polish rocks properly it will take a solid month of tumbling and is a three step process. This means the tumbler will be running for the entire month. The first step takes about a week, the second about two weeks, with the final step about one week. Between the steps all you have to do is clean out the barrel and the rocks and put back in with new water and the next level of grit/polish. Besides occasionally making sure the tumbler was sealed properly and is in no danger of walking itself off the table it requires no other attention. The tumbler does make some noise tumbling but not a ridicules amount. You obviously can't place it in your bedroom or living room and expect it not to be heard. Placement in a basement or garage is ideal. The power draw is minimal as it only uses .15 amps and 10 watts.Therefore, if you pay 10 cents a kWh, then the amount it will run up your electric bill for a month of constant running is 73 cents.

The instructions that come with the tumbler are also pretty good, but they do need followed. The tumbler is durable but you need to lube two points as indicated in the manual or you will put excess stress on the motor and you will burn it out. The drum seals quite well and easily if you follow the instructions on sealing which requires you to make sure the "O" ring is properly seated and you put a light coating of oil on the rim of the barrel to complete the seal.

Refills for the tumbler are extremely easy to find. Starting with the order form including with the kit where you can order parts, grit, rocks, etc. You can also purchase refill kits at Walmart, Target, and Kmart. There are also dozens of places you can also order refill stuff off the internet.

Overall, this is a great little item but it is not for everyone. If you or your children can't delay immediate gratification, or don't believe in reading/following instructions then this item is not likely for you. If you can't believe the noise it makes because you insisted on setting it up next to your bed, or can't believe that it costs less then a dollar a month to run then this is also not likely for you.

Educational but SLOW and NOISY

My daughter got this for Christmas. We had no idea it takes nearly a month from start to finish to get polished stones, but I suppose it's a good lesson in patience for a 10 year old. It does not say anything on the box about the wait period, or the fact that the noisy tumbler must be running constantly for the entire time. Fortunately, we have a basement where the tumbler is humming away while not disturbing anyone. I recommend placing the tumbler in the box top it comes in, to avoid "traveling" while the motor runs.

All in all, the toy is certainly educational, but it takes a LOOOONG time to get results, and is not for folks who live in close quarters.