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NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC Hobby Rock Tumbler Kit - Rough Gemstones, 4 Polishing Grits, Jewellery Fastenings, Great STEM Science Kit for Geology Enthusiasts

4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 23,444 ratings

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Hobby Kit

About this item

  • CREATE YOUR OWN GEMSTONES - Make any stone sparkle and polish everyday rocks into dazzling gemstones! This rock tumbler kit makes it fun and easy to turn rough rocks into beautifully polished gemstones, thanks to its simple operation and durable design.
  • A TUMBLER THAT'S MADE TO LAST – Our high-quality tumblers are made with a durable motor that’s designed to last for years. The leakproof rubber barrel reduces sound, making it 75% quieter than other plastic models. Makes an excellent STEM gift or activity for girls and boys!
  • A COMPLETE HOBBY TUMBLING KIT - This kit has everything you need to create polished gemstones. You get the tumbler, four polishing grits, a sifter, nine types of real rough gemstones, plus a detailed full-color learning guide where you’ll learn interesting facts about each of the included gemstones.
  • EASY TO USE – Simple instructions and one-touch settings make rock tumbling fun and easy. Control the number of days for each tumbling cycle with the one-touch timer and automatic shutoff feature, so you can set it and forget it. This is a great gift for kids!
  • SATISFACTION GUARANTEED – The National Geographic STEM series provides kids high-quality educational toys that are a whole lot of fun! If your experience is anything less than extraordinary, let us know so we can make it right for you.

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Technical Details

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From the manufacturer

National Geographic Hobby Tumbler
National Geographic Hobby Tumbler
Rock Tumbler Hobby
National Geographic Hobby Tumbler
National Geographic Hobby Tumbler

Important information

Safety Information:

choking hazard - small parts - not suitable for children under 3 years


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Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
4.3 out of 5
23,444 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers like the fun and appearance of the toy. For example, they say it's an interesting product and a great starter tumbler. That said, they're happy with ease of use and gift giving. That being said, opinions are mixed on quality, noise, and size.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

23 customers mention ‘Fun’23 positive0 negative

Customers find the toy awesome, great, and interesting. They also say it's an educational toy and good for learning.

"...He’s completed the first phase and is very excited with the result. It was delivered within 2 days.... very happy overall" Read more

"...but for the price, and if it keeps going.. I think it is a reasonable product. A lot of fun looking for rocks." Read more

"...feedback but my check / test (that's my excuse) indicates a very interesting product that will give him many hours of enjoyment...." Read more

"Easy to follow directions and is easy to set up/use, great results...." Read more

10 customers mention ‘Appearance’10 positive0 negative

Customers like the appearance of the tumbler. They say it looks good, is nice, and is easy to use. Some say it's a great hobby for beautiful rock and crystal collectors.

"Love the simplicity of the tumbler, very easy to operate just press for how many days to tumble and press start...." Read more

"The tumbler looks good and functions well.. the problem is that it is not designed to work for long enough...." Read more

"Nice little tumbler, we made our first seaglass with it... now we trying out with rocks too... Kids are into rock, gemstones and love it..." Read more

"Love it! Super cute and a good starter but when I went to plug it in it’s a Euro plug!..." Read more

7 customers mention ‘Ease of use’7 positive0 negative

Customers find the product easy to use, with great results. They also say the directions are well explained.

"Love the simplicity of the tumbler, very easy to operate just press for how many days to tumble and press start...." Read more

"...Quality good, well explained. I look forward to him receiving it." Read more

"Easy to follow directions and is easy to set up/use, great results...." Read more

"Great item that we are using to tumble our rough stones. Very easy to use and great fun." Read more

7 customers mention ‘Gift’7 positive0 negative

Customers find the stone polishing machine a wonderful gift for crystal lovers, hobbyists, and nature lovers. They also say it's a great gift for any child who loves rocks.

"This little stone polishing machine is a wonderful gift for any child who loves stones and crystals...we even find our own little rocks and polish..." Read more

"My daughter loves rocks so this was a great gift for her eighth birthday." Read more

"Great gift for nature lovers" Read more

"Great gift idea for crystal lovers..." Read more

27 customers mention ‘Quality’13 positive14 negative

Customers are mixed about the quality of the toy. Some mention that it does a reasonable job and works well as a hobby tumbler, while others say that it stopped working in 2 days, is not designed to work for long enough, and failed within 1 month of first use.

"Works well, but I purchased some better grits for a finer finish. Purchased as a present, daughter was pleased with it. Not too noisy...." Read more

"...went to put a refill in tumbler ran for a min then all lights kept flashing amd wouldn't run. Tried with empty drum still did it...." Read more

"The tumbler looks good and functions well.. the problem is that it is not designed to work for long enough...." Read more

"I found it quite noisy and it didn't do as shown" Read more

9 customers mention ‘Noise’4 positive5 negative

Customers are mixed about the noise. Some mention it's not too noisy, while others say it'll make a high pitch sound. The noise comes from the rocks tumbling, not the machine.

"Bought this for my hubby who has an obsession with Crystals. It’s fairly quiet (although we keep it running in the garage) and doesn’t leak...." Read more

"...The noise comes from the rocks tumbling, not the machine...." Read more

"...Purchased as a present, daughter was pleased with it. Not too noisy...." Read more

"...Is a little loud, sounds like a pebble creek, I have mine running outside. My grandsons love it." Read more

9 customers mention ‘Size’3 positive6 negative

Customers are mixed about the size of the product. Some mention it's a hobby size, compact, and easy to use, while others say it'll be too small for the price.

"...Also the barrel is a lot smaller than expected. I expected to be the same size as my other national geographic one but it's a lot smaller...." Read more

"...It is a hobby size, but if the child (or adult) wanted to do more, you need refill kits for grinding and polishing and a bigger tumbler - perhaps a..." Read more

"...that the grit you need to continue polishing other rocks is so expensive." Read more

"...It is small, with the tumble being only10cm dia, but for my purpose it is perfect...." Read more

4 customers mention ‘Power plug’0 positive4 negative

Customers are dissatisfied with the power plug of the toy. They mention that the socket is wrong for Australia, and the American power plug doesn't quite work in Australia.

"...Even though you can ship this to Aus it does not have an AU plug...." Read more

"American Power Plug Doesn't quite work in Australia!" Read more

"Beware!!! US power plug!!!..." Read more

"Power socket is wrong for Australia..." Read more

Buy a different final grit
4 out of 5 stars
Buy a different final grit
Everything is great except for the final polishing grit. Get something different to the one provided :)
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Top reviews from Australia

Reviewed in Australia on 26 January 2021
Style Name: Hobby KitVerified Purchase
Love the simplicity of the tumbler, very easy to operate just press for how many days to tumble and press start. Lid fits snug so difficult to pull off but better that than have the water leak out. Spins fast so keep tiny fingers away but kids love it and looking forward to see what comes out in a few days time.
Reviewed in Australia on 3 May 2021
Style Name: Hobby KitVerified Purchase
Bought this for my hubby who has an obsession with Crystals. It’s fairly quiet (although we keep it running in the garage) and doesn’t leak. He’s completed the first phase and is very excited with the result. It was delivered within 2 days.... very happy overall
3 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in Australia on 30 December 2023
Style Name: Hobby KitVerified Purchase
Works well, but I purchased some better grits for a finer finish. Purchased as a present, daughter was pleased with it. Not too noisy. Just need to make sure it's level from side to side or the barrel moves off centre and rubs.
Reviewed in Australia on 30 August 2020
Style Name: Hobby KitVerified Purchase
I bought the tumbler for my 7 year old but have had more fun than him. Running it near constant for a month has been no issue at all with the exception of the noise. The noise comes from the rocks tumbling, not the machine. I highly recommend building a box for it and filling lining the inside with foam to heap deaden the noise, then put it in a garage. That's what I did and I only hear it when I go in there. You get used to the noise but it is noticeably quiet when it gets switched off after a month. The safety features such as cut off it fingers are caught in the rollers are great, not that it is any concern as it is only the weight of the rocks. I highly recommend it but be prepared to find your own rocks and grit after.
5 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in Australia on 2 September 2022
Style Name: Hobby KitVerified Purchase
I bought this for my much younger sibling for the longest time she has LOVED rocks, stones, gems and whatever else she can find on the ground. She was a about 9 at the time.

My partner suggested one of these after seeing videos of them online and so I ordered it.

It was a hit Christmas present after she realised what it was for.

I just wish there was an easy way to obtain the grit packs.
Reviewed in Australia on 1 March 2021
Style Name: Hobby KitVerified Purchase
Bought this for my kids xmas present did 1 full tumble (all 4 grits) worked Great went to put a refill in tumbler ran for a min then all lights kept flashing amd wouldn't run. Tried with empty drum still did it. Would expect it to last more than 1 cycle
One person found this helpful
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Reviewed in Australia on 9 January 2022
Style Name: Hobby KitVerified Purchase
The tumbler looks good and functions well.. the problem is that it is not designed to work for long enough. I got ours 2 weeks ago.. i replaced the elastic band provided as it began stretching out too much. I see that the plastic wheels are just getting eaten away by friction. I have only had the tumbler going for about 7 days.

Comparing to other tumblers - this one runs twice the speed of another tumber.. i think it is too fast - it also should have more durable parts to prevent the plastic being stripped and then machine failing.. i don't think ours will finish a single batch of rocks as i need to run for another 3 weeks.

Disappointing for myself and kids. This device has not been properly tested.
Australian buyers note that this does not come with an Aussie electrical adapter.

This product review was written on the 9th Jan 2022. The pictures show the wear on the plastic wheels after 7 days of running the tumbler. I am now going to contact Amazon and hear what they can do but replacement parts won't make this device fit for purpose.. so hopefully i can get a refund.
Customer image
1.0 out of 5 stars Lasts about 1 week before it wears
Reviewed in Australia on 9 January 2022
The tumbler looks good and functions well.. the problem is that it is not designed to work for long enough. I got ours 2 weeks ago.. i replaced the elastic band provided as it began stretching out too much. I see that the plastic wheels are just getting eaten away by friction. I have only had the tumbler going for about 7 days.

Comparing to other tumblers - this one runs twice the speed of another tumber.. i think it is too fast - it also should have more durable parts to prevent the plastic being stripped and then machine failing.. i don't think ours will finish a single batch of rocks as i need to run for another 3 weeks.

Disappointing for myself and kids. This device has not been properly tested.
Australian buyers note that this does not come with an Aussie electrical adapter.

This product review was written on the 9th Jan 2022. The pictures show the wear on the plastic wheels after 7 days of running the tumbler. I am now going to contact Amazon and hear what they can do but replacement parts won't make this device fit for purpose.. so hopefully i can get a refund.
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Customer image Customer image
Customer imageCustomer image
Reviewed in Australia on 1 September 2021
Style Name: Hobby KitVerified Purchase
Arrived on time , great fun to watch dull stones become beautiful crystals! Is a little loud, sounds like a pebble creek, I have mine running outside. My grandsons love it.

Top reviews from other countries

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Susan
5.0 out of 5 stars Work great
Reviewed in Canada on 3 June 2024
Style Name: Hobby KitVerified Purchase
Its light and work great the polishing very nice
Thank u
vicky ramirez
5.0 out of 5 stars Útil pero ruidoso
Reviewed in Mexico on 18 March 2024
Style Name: Hobby KitVerified Purchase
Sirve muy bien, sólo que es bastante ruidoso, y como tiene que estar prendido por días, llega a ser molesto
Marie
5.0 out of 5 stars Genuine review after fully using it!
Reviewed in the United States on 26 May 2023
Style Name: Hobby KitVerified Purchase
Are you wondering if it works well? It does!
Any problems? None!
Results? Incredible, I was truly shocked!

Pros:
Almost no assembly, at all.

Extremely easy to understand the directions
(Tumbling time will vary depending on the rocks. Don't let it scare you away when it says one phase should tumble for 6-8 days (I haven't had to tumble any that long! The longest has been 3 days). That being said, an extremely hard rock that's very jagged may need more time. Using the rocks they include, or your own collection of crystals/gemstones is a great route. A plain piece of gravel or a rock of that type is very hard and dense and may take more time (who wants polished gravel anyway though?)

Extended project to do with children, lots of engagement. Because their are 4 different grit types with different purposes, the children get to return to their project, dump the rocks and check on the progress and start a new phase. It's a great opportunity to teach to teach about erosion, and show / explain what a rock looks like through millions of years of erosion and then further explain how incredible it is that we are doing this project together that mimics what nature does, we are polishing these rocks in a few weeks that takes millions of years to do in nature! It's a wonderful learning opportunity for children, as well as an extremely engaging project that although it may take quite some time for it to finish, the ongoing project itself is what makes it fun. Returning to the rocks and seeing the progress, (we actually started taking pictures each time we open it so then we can look back on the pictures and see how the rocks have changed!). I cannot say enough how great of a project this is for children to get them excited about science!

Personally, I find this to be very satisfying regardless of children. This would be an extremely fun hobby for an adult as well, the above is not to say that this is a children only experience. Use or find or buy your own natural gemstones or softer rocks (look in River beds if you can!). Tumble them, polish them, and then make your jewelry or just save them to display. It's quite a satisfying feeling to see the project from beginning to end, and to know that the beautiful smooth shiny rocks were not store-bought, but that you did this with that with this machine!

Cons:
I've been through the tumbling process in full, twice now. I honestly cannot think of any cons at this point. It's not to say that no one has had issues, but the machine I received functions perfectly and I have had no issues with leaks or ill-fitting pieces, tearing of the belt or anything of this nature.
I did take a very small amount of oil on my fingertip and lightly rub it on the belt to keep it lubricated, with the constant friction I could see how the belt can eventually wear down just like any other belt of this nature whether it's in a car or in a fan. So, keeping it very slightly lubricated will help with the health of the band. Should it break, the kid includes an extra belt and it is incredibly easy to repair, the belt is divisible and an outside piece of the equipment you simply take one off and put the other on there is no sophisticated way of connecting the belt, it is truly something my six-year-old could do with almost no instruction, so an adult will have zero issues with that!

If you are interested in rock tumbling, or you just want a very fun project for your children to stimulate their interest in science or to just keep them busy using their imaginations (regarding the possibilities of what to do with the rocks, and imagining whether it will look like and the brilliant colors!) - then this is absolutely a perfect kit to start with.

DO:

Make sure to not put too many rocks. I've never filled mine more than one third of the way, and I wouldn't recommend doing more than that. The amount of rocks you can tumble at a time will vary depending on the size, but I also recommend not doing anything smaller than a dime because during the tumbling process it could crack and chip. I would also recommend not doing anything larger than a half dollar as well (height and width, and that'd be on the largest size). Remember, this is just the hobby edition. I do have to say though, the results are quite sophisticated for just a hobby edition!

All in all, it's an excellent piece of equipment to buy if you're interested in rock tumbling but are unsure if you would stick to it or are not ready to spend a few hundred dollars on a professional Tumbler.

** I did read a few comments about the machine leaking, I have not had this problem at any point. Make sure you are putting on the inner lid correctly, as well as the top lid, then turning the black lid securing piece as tightly as possible. If you do end up having problems, I highly recommend exchanging instead of giving up, because I really have seen that it works and I just want everyone who wants to try this to have the experience I've had!

It's been great fun. Wonderful purchase, no regrets!
235 people found this helpful
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Love it
Reviewed in Saudi Arabia on 22 June 2024
Style Name: Hobby KitVerified Purchase
Grit is nor enough but product is good
Digant Joshi
5.0 out of 5 stars Buy this product and enjoy your hobby but do not pay three time more on Amazon.
Reviewed in India on 28 March 2019
Style Name: Hobby KitVerified Purchase
Excellent product and 100% results producer but now a days this product buy on Amazon is totally foolish idea because very very expensive compared to original cost in USA. Dear buyers don't buy this product.
10 people found this helpful
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