K1 Advanced

I end up with a lot of old hardware and small bits and pieces that come from garage sales, cannibalized equipment, etc. I also restore old tools, work on old cars and motorcycles, etc. I wanted a small tumbler so that I could drop a handful of fasteners or small parts in, let it run for a while, and come back to clean metal. This was a complete shot in the dark. I usually soak parts in vinegar or phosphoric acid when they're rusty, and that works well enough that I wasn't sure if tumbling would work better or be less hassle. On the one hand, there's no acid to neutralize and not much pre-cleaning that has to be done. On the other, you have to deal with abrasive grit, which can get everywhere (and I mean EVERYWHERE). Since I didn't know if I'd like this approach, I didn't want to risk a lot of money on a tumbler. I bought this kit because it was inexpensive and had decent reviews. If this ended up being an essential part of my workflow, I decided that I could always buy something bigger and/or better in the future. So far, this tumbler has been awesome. The first batch of parts that I threw in was a rusty mess of hardware that I'd picked up at a garage sale. This stuff probably hadn't seen the light of day in decades and had a pretty solid layer of rust on it. I skipped the included media and instead filled the tumbler drum with medium (70 grit) aluminum oxide, which is a pretty aggressive grit used for media blasting. I'm not a fan of membrane buttons or plastic construction on most things because I haven't found it to be particularly durable, and this tumbler has both. It certainly doesn't look heavy duty and I didn't expect much out of it. In reality, I didn't even think it would have the power to turn a drum that was chock-full of steel hardware and abrasive, but I gave it a shot. I was pleasantly surprised that the drum started turning effortlessly even at the highest speed. Most of the hardware had settled to one side so the load was imbalanced and the tumbler started to walk across my workbench, but I propped it in place with a heavy box and let it run. After about an hour I checked on the hardware and almost all the rust was gone. I dumped the contents of the drum through a strainer, which made separating the hardware a breeze. What was left was almost completely clean steel, certainly clean enough to use once I blew the last of the grit away with an air hose. I ran a few more handfuls of hardware through this machine with the same results. I also ran a really cheap set of rusty no-name sockets that I bought at (yet another) yard sale. I keep junk sockets around in case I need to modify them for odd sizes or special uses, and these followed me home to be added to the "just in case" pile. The sockets came out fairly clean. The chrome plating is peeling off and while the tumbler knocked off any rust and loose bits of plating, it didn't take everything down to bare metal. That's fine, however, because it did most of the dirty work for me while I was doing something else. I can always give one of these sacrificial sockets a once-over on the wire wheel if I need to weld or modify it, but at least I'm starting with something relatively clean and rust-free. If you tumble steel parts or hardware, just remember that what comes out will be prone to re-rusting pretty quickly. This is because you've abraded off any protective oxide layers that were on the metal. It's a good idea to blow off any remaining media and then oil the metal to protect it. Also be aware that touching the raw metal with bare skin can cause it to rust faster, as the salts and acids in your perspiration all cause oxidation. I usually wear nitrile gloves in the garage so this isn't much of a problem for me. When I pulled this dainty little thing out of the box, I figured it would be good for a couple of uses at best before the motor burned out or something broke. So far I'm pleasantly surprised. It's put in a few hours of work with no complaint and nothing broken, and it does a good job of removing light to moderate rust. The aluminum oxide is a worthwhile investment (I think I paid $20 for 25 pounds or so, and I could've gotten a way better deal if I'd shopped around). Long term durability is still a question of course so we'll see how that goes, but so far this thing punches above its weight.

This is a great little rock tumbler! I have run quite a few batches through this thing and it's always fun to see the shiny results after the last grit. So far it works as it should for me with no issues!

The tumbler was exactly what I was hoping for to have fun tumbling the stones that my son and I mine together. The stones that came with the tumbler were very nice as well. The instructions were very clear and easy to follow, along with the equipment actually being easy, but seemingly good quality. The drum seems well designed with good durability, I have not had any leaks. For some reason, the tumbler base malfunctioned after about 2 weeks of use, where the motor stopped working. I reached out to the manufacturer and I'm not exaggerating when I say they were top notch in their response. The reply was very fast, with clear questions and instructions on what they needed from me. I was busy for a few days and took some time to send them my info, and they checked up to make sure I didn't need any help getting it to them. They shipped a new base within 24 hours and it arrived next day shipping. Once I received it, they were very concerned to make sure I received it, the new one was working properly, and I was 100% satisfied with how they resolved the issue. They sent me an email every few days to ensure I didn't have any issues until I got back with them (I wanted to let it run for a week cycle to make sure it was good to go). In addition to the new base, they issued me an additional one year warranty on the replacement. I'm not typically one to go into in depth reviews, but they honestly deserve it, even just for the amazing and friendly customer service, then a very nice tumbler for hobby use. I was already debating possibly upgrading to the larger one in a few months, and I am sold on it now.I will be buying my extra grit from them after this experience, instead of browsing for other sellers. I know that if I'm not satisfied, they will go above and beyond to change that.

I’ve run this tumbler nonstop 24/7 for just over a year. It’s still going, though the lid seal and rollers are worn. Pros: Easy to load, countdown timer, pause button, durable barrel, brushless motor holds up well, fairly quiet, compact, no leaks, and low energy use. Cons: Even on the lowest speed it’s too fast for anything beyond shaping rough rocks and can bruise softer ones (even with ceramic media). You can’t slow it down enough for later stages without changing pulleys. Doesn’t restart automatically after a power outage, and belts wear quicker than I’d like. If you haven’t heard it enough already, the polish that is provided will NOT give you the high polished shine. Overall: Excellent for rough stage one rocks. Once the rough edges are knocked off I move the rocks to a slower tumbler to finish stage one and beyond. It’s a reliable workhorse, though I’ll get the standard motor next time since it’s easier to adjust the speed.

I started rock tumbling in 2019. I have just recently turned my love for tumbling into a business. I have a few of the CI tumblers and don't get me wrong they are amazing as well, but I decided to try the K1 Pro tumbler just because it is brushless and what a BEAST it turned out to be. I have been running this tumbler 24/7 since December and not one issue. My rocks come out looking great. My first batch of agate came out with a mirror-like polish that looks professional. My obsidian also has a mirror shine. I will definitely add a couple more K1 tumblers to my batch of tumblers. So, if you’re looking for a 'set it and forget it' machine that delivers stunning results, this is it. Worth every penny!"

I was so happy after buying one of these machines and using it for a month, that I bought another. Unfortunately, the second machine came with a bad AC adapter, but I contacted KomeStone's customer service department, and Lily was able to help me out right away. I received the replacement adapter just a few days later, and the second machine has been running great ever since. The first attached image shows a batch of rocks that has been through the whole process, mostly including rocks that were included with the tumbler. The second photo shows a batch of rocks, which I found myself, that are at the end of the second of the four tumbling stages. I'm reserving them while I process some more stone through the first two stages. KomeStone and others recommend making sure that the tumbler is kept 1/2 to 2/3 full during each of the stages for best results. Since the stones get smaller with each stage, it's likely that even if you started with the tumbler almost 2/3 full at the beginning of the first stage, by the time you get to the end of the second stage those same stones are unlikely to fill the tumbler the requisite 1/2 full (or 1/2 empty, if you see it that way). So you'll always be running more stones at the earlier stages than at the later stages. You're also likely to find that some of your stones have cracks in them after one of the stages that makes it a good idea to either rerun them through the first stage to really smooth out the larger features, or just enjoy them as they are, without further processing. Keep in mind that you will need to buy more grit to process additional loads, but it's relatively inexpensive. You'll need to buy more ceramic filler, too. After two months, the filler in my initial jar has shrunk to the size of grains of rice. I recommend pressing firmly all the way around the top of the barrel, once you've put the metal cap on, but before you screw it down, just to make sure that its seated as squarely as possible. That can help prevent unfortunate leaks. Also, if you're sensitive to noise, you can save yourself a headache by buying a 5-gallon plastic bucket and inverting it over the top of the tumbler while it's running. Just one bucket per tumbler meant a significant noise reduction, although I found that two is even better; so much so that I can keep the tumblers in the room with my computer and have a videoconference without any problem. And you can always use the buckets when you go out to collect more material for tumbling. One more thing. Tumbling is a process that requires patience. I run each stage at the maximum recommended length, where the four stages take a total of 31 days, and it's even longer when you factor in the multiple early stage loads it will take to a properly filled final stage. If you don't have that much patience, it won't be terrible. I ran my first batch all the way through from stage one to stage four, even though the latter stages were less than 1/2 full. And the results still look pretty good. It's not like I'm wanting to sell them or anything.

My son and I had a great experience with this rock tumbler, and the customer service of this company. The kit itself is easy to set up and use, and perfect for my nine year old. The finished rocks turned out great! The most outstanding part for me though was the customer service. We ran into a couple of issues with some parts, and emailed the company. They got back to us right away, and sent us replacements of whatever we needed! They were so responsive and friendly to work with. We are definitely going to be ordering from them again on our next tumbling project.

So far this machine works great, my only complaint is that the O ring that attaches to the pully that makes the thing spin broke in 4 days, that's the reason for the missing star. I am going to go to a big box store and get some rubber O rings in the appropriate size, but I am still running my first batch so I hope the second one does not break in another 4 days! The bands that run the pulleys are not totally rubber, I am not sure really what they are made of but I don't want to keep replacing them every 4 days! I am not even running rocks, I bought this to make sea glass for my art projects which is not as heavy as rocks would be. I would think would not put as much strain on the pulleys or tumbling motor due to the lighter weight of the material inside. The description also says "Large Capacity" the user manual says to only fill the drum 1/2 to 2/3 full but in reality it seems like a very small amount if you run the thing for almost a full month for the complete recommended cycle. They give you enough of the grit to run one complete cycle, buying more grit is expensive so I am hoping to find it on sale! I have already looked at some craft and hobby stores in the area and none that I have found carry the grit or the rock tumbler machine for that matter. The pause button is a useful feature. It says not to place this on a table or counter when using because due to the tumbling action it might cause the machine to move around a bit and fall to the floor. I have mine sitting on my garage floor for this reason and the noise issue. It is kind of loud, not terrible but not something you would want to hear when trying to sleep, watch tv. or relax.

This is a great rock tumbling kit. It comes with a trial set of grits, spare belts, and an excellent user manual that explains not only the usage, but it also gives good hints for rock selections. The rear page has an area where you can record the progress of your tumbles. The tumbler can be programmed for various speeds and days of tumbling. We quickly got it up and running with a selection of rocks from our beach. The 13 yr. old recipient was thrilled with it, even though there was a long wait for the final results. This is the case with all rock tumblers as there are multiple 7 day procedures with varying grits used. At the end, the rocks were smooth and well polished. We coated them with mineral oil for a nice shine. A warning: Because you're tumbling rocks, the unit is quite loud 24/7. It now has moved from the garage, where we could hear it throughout the house, to a back yard shed. It is definitely not recommended for an apartment dweller unless some sort of a sound proof cabinet is constructed.

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Ya quiero usarlo, quiero hacer cristal de mar con trozos de vidrio, pero necesito instrucciones en español. Vienen unos sobres que no sé para qué son, así como un frasco con trocitos blancos. Muchas gracias

Really simple easy to use, spare belts and everything you need to start. Check what stone you put in I had one disintegrate that I found in the bush. I recommend buying a bigger strainer.

On maximum speed (3)the rubber ends of the tumbler rub against the plastic washers and make a considerable noise. Solution is to turn the drum around. So far so good.