Average Customer Review: ( 81 customer reviews )
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570 of 581 found the following review helpful:
 Thumbs up on the Tumbler!!!! Jul 19, 1999
I bought NSI's Rock Tumbler, for my grandson, the budding geologist. While there are many different tumblers out there with a wide range of prices, I chose to buy NSI's brand because of its high quality and low noise. I'm familiar with NSI as I initially purchased the Rock Tumbler for my own son several years ago. My son used it so much, I was afraid he'd burn the motor out of it, but he never did! I only wish I'd kept it to give to my grandson, otherwise I wouldn't have had to buy a new one! The set includes everything you need to do your first batch of stones: an electrically operated tumbler, barrel, grit and polish, rough semi-precious stones, a jewelry kit, and instructions. Unlike many of todays toys which give children instant gratification, polishing rocks is a good lesson in patience as it takes several weeks to see the result. After using the tumbler himself, my grandson reported that it was his favorite present as he enjoyed the anticipation and suspense building up to opening the tumbler. He never knew what magical surprise awaited him. Even though it's been a few years since I gave my grandson the tumbler, he still collects rocks and transforms them into treasures that he often makes into gifts for others, such as necklaces and key chains. I definitely got my money's worth with this purchase. If you have a rock lover or jewelry maker at your home, you can't go wrong with NSI's Rock Tumbler as a gift!
221 of 223 found the following review helpful:
A rewarding project! Oct 27, 2000
We bought this for our 8-year-old son as a project. We knew ahead of time that it would take at least 3 weeks. (It should state this on the box though.) Rocks are hard! Nature can take thousands of years to do what this does in weeks! However, it is quite noisy and can leak a little. Put it in a garage or follow the suggestion of the other reviewer about a cooler. Vaseline does stop the leaks. Your patience with this will definitely pay off! The rocks were beautiful! There were quite a few big ones, plenty of medium size and lots of small ones. My son, the budding scientist that he is, was absolutely thrilled! I was so impressed and fasinated by each rock! I could not wait to do another batch! A great long-term project that teaches not only about nature, but about how rewarding a little patience can be. I highly recommend this to all people, (adults as well) who are interested in rocks and crystals.
100 of 100 found the following review helpful:
 Some tips for using this rock tumbler Feb 12, 2000
This product is noisy, but we put ours in a cooler and that insulates the sound almost totally!I had a problem with the drum leaking so I used vaseline to seal it and it works great too! We are on day 21 of the 30+ days required.
70 of 71 found the following review helpful:
A proper review of this item Jan 02, 2005
By Dr. Rogue
"Amateur Scientist"
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.
96 of 100 found the following review helpful:
Dirty Rock to Beautiful Gems Feb 02, 2002
Christmas morning we opened presents and that afternoon we started our first set of rocks to polish. Our whole family has injoyed the amazing transformation of the rocks as we complete each step. My 10 year old loves to collect rocks and wanted this toy more than anything, and my 5 year old has fallen in love with the beautiful gems. They come out smooth and shiny like the ones you see for sale... We have transformed a little over a pound of rocks since we started and the Tumbler is still working like new. As a Mother I am impressed with how much interest my children have taken in erosion. My 10 year old has been reading books on the forces of nature in its natural state and the changeing of lanscapes, and as we clean the rocks and prepare for the next step in the Tumbleing process He has been eager to tell my 5 year old about the entire process and how it takes millions of years for a rock to get like this naturally and we are doing it in less then one month. I am considering getting another one for my younger child to have to polish her own collection of rocks. If you are considering getting this toy I am sure your family will be as satisfied as mine is.
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