Raytech Adjusta-Vibe 18 Vibratory Tumbler with 12 in Bowl and Drain

The Raytech Adjusta-Vibe 18 (AV-18, part 23024R) is a 115 V vibratory tumbler with a 12 in bowl, 0.18 cu ft of working capacity, an adjustable-amplitude drive and a drain in the bowl. It is the smallest of Raytech's Adjusta-Vibe industrial line, built for heavy-duty use with all media types. It suits detectorists and coin dealers cleaning volume finds, jewelers and small shops deburring and polishing metal parts, and lapidary users grinding and polishing baroque stones and small cabochons. We are an authorized Raytech dealer and ship it with Raytech's one-year manufacturer warranty; see the full line in our Raytech collection.

Who the Adjusta-Vibe 18 is for, and who should buy a different tumbler

Buy the AV-18 if you run the tumbler often, want to dial the action from a gentle polish up to an aggressive cut, and want to rinse and change media without lifting the bowl. If you clean a few hundred coins a season and nothing else, the Raytech TV-5 or Tumble-Vibe 10 in our tumblers and cleaning collection does the job at a fraction of the cost. If you only polish rock, the AV-18 Ultimate Rock Polisher is the same base and bowl size without the drain. If you need more than 0.18 cu ft per batch, step up to the Adjusta-Vibe 25 with its 14 in bowl and 0.22 cu ft.

Key features and what they mean in use

• Adjustable amplitude. An adjustable eccentric weight in the base sets how hard the bowl shakes, from mild to aggressive. Back it off for polishing coins or stone; turn it up for cutting burrs off castings and stampings.
• 12 in bowl, 0.18 cu ft. Roughly double the Tumble-Vibe 10's working volume, enough for a shop's parts batch or a full season of clad and relics in one run.
• Drain in the bowl. Flow-through rinsing and compound changes happen with the bowl on the machine. Raytech's instructions say not to put grits down a drain; strain them out and run the outlet into a bucket.
• 120 W, 0.19 hp motor, 115 V 60 Hz, 1.7 A. Plugs into a standard outlet. Noise at maximum setting is 82 dB, so plan on a garage or shop rather than a kitchen.
• 22 lb unit, free-standing. Set it on a solid bench but do not bolt it down: Raytech's instructions say attaching the unit to a workbench voids the warranty.

What is in the box

• Adjusta-Vibe 18 motorized base, 115 V
• One 12 in bowl with drain
• One bowl cover

Not included: tumbling media or compound. Raytech says to consult your dealer for media; ceramic, plastic and dry media all run in this machine. Raytech approves steel shot only in its stainless AV-25SS and AV-40SS, so do not run shot in the AV-18. A 230 V 50 Hz version (Raytech part 24113R) exists for export; this listing is the 115 V unit.

Compatibility and replacement parts

The replacement bowl and cover for the AV-18 is Raytech part 23-036 (sold here as 23036R). The strainer assembly, Raytech part 23-114, fits the AV-18, AV-25 and Tumble-Vibe 10 and makes media separation faster at the end of a run. The adjustable eccentric, fixed eccentric, shaft and motor plate are all available from Raytech as service parts, so the machine is repairable rather than disposable. See tumbler parts and accessories for bowls, strainers and media.

Where the AV-18 works well and where it does not

Coins and relics from detecting

For clad coins, a plastic or ceramic media with a burnishing compound at a low amplitude setting gives a clean, smooth result in a few hours. Iron relics take a ceramic or aluminum oxide media at a higher setting. The drain lets you rinse the black water out mid-run instead of dumping the bowl. Do not tumble coins with collector value; tumbling removes surface and patina.

Shop deburring and polishing

This is what the Adjusta-Vibe line was designed for: deburring stampings and machined parts, descaling castings and radiusing sharp edges. The 0.18 cu ft bowl handles small production batches. Larger parts or larger runs belong in the AV-25 or AV-40.

Lapidary

Raytech lists the AV-18 for grinding and polishing baroque gemstones from rough chips and for smoothing preformed cabochons and slabs. The drain helps with the grit changes a stone run needs. If rock is all you tumble, the AV-18 Ultimate Rock Polisher is the more direct choice.

Where the AV-18 falls short

The AV-18 is loud at full amplitude, it is not a quiet-running household appliance, and 0.18 cu ft is still a small batch by industrial standards. It also does not include media, so budget for that on top of the machine.

How the AV-18 differs from the closest Raytech tumblers

Tumble-Vibe 10: 10 in bowl, 0.10 cu ft, offered with or without drain. The step down for hobby use, with about half the capacity and without the Adjusta-Vibe's adjustable weight.

AV-18 Ultimate Rock Polisher: the same 12 in AV-18 base and bowl size, sold with a no-drain bowl for rock polishing. Grits and rocks are not included.

Adjusta-Vibe 25: the next size up, with a 14 in bowl and 0.22 cu ft, for shops that have outgrown the 18. Also offered as the 25SS.

Why buy from Serious Detecting

We are an authorized Raytech dealer and we stock the replacement bowl, strainer assembly and Raytech ceramic and plastic media for the AV-18. Our team cleans its own finds in Raytech tumblers and can tell you which media and amplitude setting fit the job. Orders over $99 ship free in the lower 48, which this tumbler qualifies for, and returns are accepted within 30 days.

WARNING: This product can expose you to lead, which is known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm. For more information go to www.P65Warnings.ca.gov.