Parts for Vintage Rock Tumblers

This is a vintage Thumler's "Model A" rock tumbler from the late 1950s that was originally sold with paint cans instead of tumbler barrels. Thumler's has been using this same basic design for many years, and some of the current parts will fit their older tumblers. See our selection of Thumler's Tumbler parts.

What We Sell

We sell parts for rock tumblers manufactured by two companies: Thumler's Tumblers and Lot-o-Tumbler.

What We Do Not Sell

We do not sell parts for any other tumblers. To our knowledge, the parts that we sell do not fit any other rock tumblers.

If you need parts or an owner's manual for a tumbler made by another manufacturer, please contact the vendor who sold you the tumbler. If that vendor is out of business or does not have what you need, please contact the manufacturer of that tumbler. The box or the papers that came with the tumbler usually have contact information for the manufacturer. To help you, we have prepared a list of existing rock tumbler manufacturers.

All of the information that we have about parts for other tumblers is written below. This is the same guidance that we provide when anyone contacts us about parts for extinct rock tumbler manufacturers.

Generic Belts and Motors

If you need a belt or other part for a rock tumbler that has outlived its manufacturer, you might be able to find something that will work at Stock Drive Products. They sell bearings, pulleys, motors, shafts, and other drive train parts. They have illustrations on their website to assist with sizing. Grainger is another source of stock motors, belts, pulleys, bearings, and other parts. These companies do not sell "rock tumbler parts". They sell generic parts used by manufacturers to build and repair a wide variety of machines.

An external view of a Skilcraft rock tumbler from 1972. Buy something like this if you collect old toys or old rock tumblers. If you buy it expecting to run it, you might not be able to find replacement parts, and your money might be better spent on a new tumbler.

Extinct Manufacturers

Rock tumblers have been manufactured since the 1950s. In that time at least 100 companies and countless basement manufacturers have invented tumblers, manufactured them, and then went out of business. Some of these companies no longer exist.

It is nearly impossible to get parts for most of these tumblers.

Every week several people write to us asking about parts for extinct tumblers. They want to know if we have belts, barrels, gaskets, lids, etc., for their tumbler. We always write back with this message:

"We are sorry. We do not have parts for your tumbler. We are unable to direct you to a company who stocks replacement parts for your tumbler."

Before You Buy A Used Tumbler

Lots of people purchase old rock tumblers at online auction sites, flea markets, and yard sales. They think that they made a great find. Then, when they try to run the machine, they discover that the belt is old and cracked, the motor is worn out, and the bearings are in bad shape.

Many of these tumblers never get back into action. Why? They need an impossible-to-find part. These tumblers end up being resold and resold again because the buyer can't find the parts needed to get them running again.

We used to collect early rock tumblers and watched for them on eBay. We have seen the same vintage tumbler offered on eBay by several different sellers. The first seller was getting rid of the machine. The first buyer received the machine and could not get the part, so he resold it on eBay. The next person bought it, could not use it, and put it back up for sale on eBay. You don't want to be the next guy in that chain! We have been there!

A view inside of a Skilcraft rock tumbler from about 1972. As with many of the rock tumblers obtained at yard sales, the motor is rusted and you might get it home and discover that it does not work. The belt, shaft liners, and other plastic parts are likely to be old and deteriorated.

You Are Out of Luck If....

You are out of luck if you purchase a tumbler that is not in current production, because finding parts for it is probably going to be very difficult or impossible. Some popular brands of extinct tumblers include: Rapco, Hillquist, Little Gem, Victor, Skilcraft, Star Diamond and many others.

We don't know anyone who sells parts for these tumblers.

View inside of a vintage Rapco "Tumble Stones" rock tumbler from about 1972. Parts for these tumblers are really hard to find. We don't know of any sources for these parts.

Where to Go If You Need a Part

If you need a belt or other part for an extinct rock tumbler, you might be able to find something that will work at Stock Drive Products. They sell bearings, pulleys, motors, shafts, and other drive train parts. They have illustrations on their website to assist with sizing. Grainger is another source of stock motors, belts, pulleys, bearings, and other parts. These companies do not sell "rock tumbler parts". They sell generic parts used by manufacturers to build and repair a wide variety of machines.

RockTumbler.com Authors

Hobart M. King has decades of rock tumbling experience and writes most of the articles on RockTumbler.com. He has a PhD in geology and is a GIA graduate gemologist. He also writes the articles about rocks, minerals and gems on Geology.com.