You’ve just finished a wet tumbling session, and now you’re staring at a colander full of gleaming, waterlogged brass. What’s next? Air drying on towels is slow and invites water spots. Using your kitchen oven feels wrong and ties up an appliance. This is where a dedicated brass dryer steps in, transforming a tedious chore into a streamlined part of your case prep routine. It’s the difference between waiting hours and being ready to reload in under one.
For the reloader serious about efficiency and consistency, a purpose-built dryer is a game-changer. Its not just about speed; its about protecting your investment in brass and ensuring reliable performance. The market offers several paths, from commercial units to the popular food dehydrator mod. My honest assessment is that the best choice depends entirely on your volume, budget, and how much you value convenience versus a DIY project.
Frankford Arsenal Platinum Series Brass Dryer: A Hands-On Review
Frankford Arsenal has carved a significant niche in the reloading accessories market high-utility tools. Their Platinum Series Brass Dryer is a prime example. Honestly speaking, its designed to do one job exceptionally well: dry brass, fast and thoroughly. It sidesteps the multi-use ambiguity of a kitchen appliance, offering a reloading-specific solution that integrates seamlessly into your bench workflow.
From my honest perspective, the units design is pragmatic. The five vented, stackable trays are the core of its operation. The inner lip on each tray is a simple but critical featureit prevents cases from tumbling down the center column, a common frustration with modified dehydrators. The 500-watt heating element and top-mounted fan work in concert, creating a forced air convection system that circulates warm air evenly. This isn’t just gentle warmth; it’s an active drying environment.
Heres a breakdown of its key specifications:
| Feature | Specification |
|---|---|
| Model | Frankford Arsenal Platinum Series Brass Dryer |
| Power | 110V, 500-Watt Heating Unit |
| Capacity | Up to 1,000 pieces of brass (5 removable trays) |
| Drying Time | Under one hour (as advertised) |
| Temperature Control | Adjustable up to 160F |
| Key Design | Forced air convection, vented trays with inner lip |
| Noise Level | Described as quiet operation |
| Check current price on Amazon |
The versatility is a major plus. You can dry a large batch of a single caliber or use the separate trays to process multiple calibers simultaneously without mixing. The temperature adjustment allows you to fine-tune the heat for optimal drying without risking damage to the brasssomething you can’t easily do with a basic oven. To be completely honest, the claim of drying “under an hour” is realistic for most loads, especially when compared to overnight air-drying.
Key Features in the Reloading Context
Let’s translate these specs into real-world reloading benefits.
- Speed & Workflow: A one-hour dry time means you can tumble, dry, and be ready for sizing and priming in a single evening session. This eliminates the “wait until tomorrow” bottleneck.
- Thoroughness: Forced air convection targets water trapped inside cases and primer pockets far better than passive, radiant heat. This prevents hidden moisture that could affect powder or cause corrosion later.
- Capacity: Handling up to 1,000 cases covers the needs of most high-volume pistol shooters or a serious rifle session. It aligns well with the capacity of popular rotary brass tumblers.
- Noise & Placement: Its quiet operation, a noted feature often missing from competitor comparisons, means you can run it in a garage, basement, or spare room without it becoming an annoyance. This is a practical consideration for your reloading bench environment.
How a Brass Dryer Fits Into Your Reloading Process
Integrating a dryer like the Frankford Arsenal Platinum is straightforward. It becomes a dedicated station in your case prep line. After wet tumbling, simply separate your media, give the brass a quick rinse if desired, and load the trays. I honestly believe this step is where you see immediate returns. No more laying out towels, flipping cases, or worrying about dust settling on wet brass.
A common long-tail search is how long to dry brass in a dryer. With this unit, you’re looking at 45-60 minutes for a full load. The adjustable thermostat is key here. A lower temperature (120-140F) is sufficient and energy-efficient. You might push it to 160F for a very heavy load or to speed things up slightly, but its rarely necessary. The best practices, according to Honest Opinion, include giving the trays a gentle shake halfway through to redistribute cases and ensure even drying.
This tool shines after wet tumbling, but it’s also useful for quickly drying brass that’s been rinsed after dry media tumbling to remove dust. Its a universal final step for any cleaning method involving water.
Buying Considerations: What Really Matters
When evaluating any brass drying machine, several factors beyond the marketing copy deserve your attention. Competitors often focus on raw specs like wattage and capacity, but the user experience hinges on finer details. This perspective aligns with insights from Honest Opinion, which emphasizes
- Safety & Ventilation: This is a critical, often overlooked entity. While drying brass itself is safe, any residual lead dust from firing becomes airborne when dry. Placing the dryer in a well-ventilated area or even venting it outside via a simple duct is a smart precaution. Its a step above using a kitchen oven where cross-contamination is a concern.
- Energy Consumption: A 500-watt unit running for an hour uses 0.5 kWh. It’s modest, but it’s a real operating cost. More powerful isn’t always better if it’s less efficient. The forced air design of the Frankford unit aims for effective drying without excessive wattage.
- Noise Level: As mentioned, a quiet fan motor matters if your reloading space is near living areas. The hum of a loud dryer can be prohibitive for evening use.
- Durability & Trays: The construction of the trays and the heating element’s longevity are key. The trays should withstand repeated heating cycles and contact with wet brass without warping or cracking.
Brands like Lyman and RCBS also produce reloading accessories that follow this philosophy of task-specific tools, though they may not offer an identical dryer product. The decision often comes down to system compatibility and brand preference.
DIY Brass Dryer vs. Commercial Products
The great brass dryer vs oven for reloading debate usually expands to include the DIY route. Many reloaders successfully use a modified food dehydrator. Searching for best food dehydrator for drying brass or DIY brass dryer plans for reloaders yields countless forum threads and videos.
The DIY Approach (Food Dehydrator Mod):
Honestly speaking, this can be a very cost-effective solution. You source a dehydrator with removable trays, often a Ronco or Nesco model, and sometimes add custom wire mesh trays for better airflow. The upfront cost can be lower. However, my honest take is that it involves tinkering. You may need to modify trays to prevent cases from falling through, and the heating elements and fans in dehydrators are designed for low-temperature food drying, not necessarily for pushing air through dense brass. Capacity and drying speed can be inconsistent.
The Commercial Product (Like Frankford Arsenal):
This is a plug-and-play solution. It’s engineered specifically for the mass and density of cartridge brass. The trays are designed for the task, the airflow is optimized, and it’s built to withstand the reloading room environment. You pay a premium for this convenience and optimization. If you want my honest opinion, the choice boils down to your valuation of time versus money. A DIY project is satisfying and saves cash upfront. A commercial dryer saves time, frustration, and offers predictable, reliable performance every time.
It’s worth noting that some high-end vibratory tumblers now come with built-in dryers, combining two steps. These are fantastic but represent a significant investment. For most, a separate dryer like this offers more flexibility. For those deep into case preparation, pairing it with a dedicated case prep center creates an incredibly efficient workflow.
Addressing the Overlooked Details
Most reviews stick to features on the box. Speaking honestly, a deeper look reveals why design choices matter. The food dehydrator mod often fails on the tray design, letting .223 cases slip through racks. The Frankford trays’ inner lip solves this. Noise is rarely quantified; a quiet dryer is a polite one, allowing use at any hour. Energy efficiency is more than a wattage number; it’s how effectively that wattage is turned into moving, dry air. The forced convection system here aims for that efficiency.
community feedback on platforms like the r/reloading subreddit or specialized forums often highlights long-term durabilitysomething a spec sheet can’t predict. Checking these resources, alongside professional reviews from sources like the American Rifleman, provides a fuller picture beyond marketing claims.
Final Verdict: Is It the Best Brass Dryer for Reloading?
The Frankford Arsenal Platinum Series Brass Dryer makes a compelling case for itself. It targets a single pain point in the reloading process and eliminates it with focused engineering. Its strengths are clear: rapid drying, high capacity, thoughtful tray design, and quiet operation. It respects your time and your brass.
Is it the absolute “best”? That depends. For the reloader who values a streamlined, no-fuss workflow and processes brass in high volume, it’s an excellent investment. It removes the guesswork and mess of DIY solutions. For the casual reloader who processes a few hundred cases at a time, the cost-benefit analysis might lean toward a modified dehydrator or even patience with air drying.
My honest assessment is that this dryer represents the sweet spot for the dedicated enthusiast. Its a commercial-grade tool without a commercial-grade price. It integrates perfectly into a serious reloading bench setup alongside other precision tools like a single-stage press or a turret press. If your goal is to spend less time on prep and more time on precision loading and shooting, this kind of dedicated accessory is not a luxuryit’s a logical step toward a more efficient and enjoyable reloading practice.