 What's a Jiffy Fiber Tumbler?
It's a handy piece of equipment that helps remove debris from alpaca fleece. The wooden unit is covered with plastic mesh with ¾” hole openings that allows the majority of dirt, dust, chaff & 2nd cuts to fall out on the ground. It is motorized and wooden dowels inside the drum help separate the fleece as it tumbles thus allowing more debris to fall out. No tumbler will remove all the debris, but you'll sure be amazed what ends up on the floor after a 10-minute tumbling.
Who makes them?
They are made right here at Alpaca Heights in Ubly, Michigan by the owner, Mary Hagen and her partner, James I. Fligger. Mary has been breeding alpacas since 1997 and is very involved with generating income from her fleece harvest. Jim gets all the credit for designing the tumbler which he has perfected from an earlier prototype he made several years ago. In Summer 2008 we decided to make these available to alpaca breeders around the country, so Jiffy Fiber Tumbler LLC was born and the Trademark registered. Jim named the company using his initials JIF.
How big are they?
Our drum measures 32" wide and 34" high. It sits on a sturdy hardwood base that contains the drive mechanism and motor. The unit weighs approx. 106#. It has castor wheels so it can be moved easily. The drum portion can be removed from the base by unscrewing 2 bolts. One client wanted us to scale down the unit so it could get through a 32" door opening and we have done that, so that's an option too (same price due to labor involved).
What are they made of?
We purchase quality ash lumber from a mill just down the road from us. We then store it inside for proper drying. Using this hardwood for the base and arms of the tumbler give it good stability. We use plywood and pine for the drum portion.
Who is buying them?
Most are alpaca breeders with a desire to process their own fiber and/or assist them in prepping their fiber before it's sent out to a fiber mill or sold as raw fleece to buyers. We also have several mini-mills that are using them. Some also plan to offer tumbling services to their fellow breeders. We currently have 60 tumblers in operation throughout the U.S.
How much can you put in it?
We recommend tumbling up to 6# at one time, and to check it in 10 minutes to see if that is sufficient or if it needs a few more minutes. Over tumbling will cause problems with tangling or bunching up, you'll learn what works best after a little practice. Personally I like to tumble 1 blanket fleece at a time so I can keep track of each animal.
Where should you do your tumbling?
We do not recommend tumbling in any enclosed area such as a basement, inside a garage, or anywhere you don’t want billowing dust floating through the air and accumulating on things. It’s just too dusty. Ideally you have a flat surface just outside your garage, shed or barn. Roll the tumbler outside and let the dust escape into the air. Cleanup is easy with a leaf blower. I also love to use my leaf blower for a minute or so on the fleece as it is tumbling to extract even more debris.
Is it noisy?
No, not at all. You can easily talk on the phone standing next to it. Because it tumbles slowly and there are no belts or chains or metal coverings, it is very quiet.
 Do you use a tumbler at Alpaca Heights?
I could not be without it now. After each shearing my #1 priority is to set aside the bags of fleeces I know will be shipped off to a mill for yarn and those get tumbled first. #2 priority is to tumble fleeces that I will sell as raw tumbled fiber. #3 priority is to tumble fleeces I will eventually wash and have someone weave into rugs. I actually enjoy the process and it’s worth it all when I can show my CPA at year end that I have generated thousands of dollars in Farm Store/Fiber income.
Does it come fully assembled?
Yes. They are shipped on a wooden pallet surrounded by a large box to protect it. Once you remove that, simply open the hatch door, put your fleece in, plug it in and turn on the switch!
Price is $975 plus freight. We will obtain an exact freight quote for you based on your location. We prefer to ship via DHL Freight. Freight costs vary but a good estimate range would be $280-$380. We want to keep our tumbler price affordable for customers so our 2012 price is the same as the last 2 years. You can save also by picking your tumbler up here at the farm.
OK, I’m ready to order, how do I proceed?
Simply phone Mary at Alpaca Heights (1-866-543-8999) or email alpacaheights@hotmail.com and a freight quote will be obtained for you. You can then decide if that’s within your budget. If it is, we’ll either send one out immediately or within 1-2 weeks depending on how many orders are ahead. We accept MC/Visa and personal checks.
CUSTOMER COMMENTS:
Owning a Jiffy Fiber Tumbler is of the upmost importance for all farms who grow animal fibers. The importance of sending your fiber VM free cannot be understated. Using a Jiffy Tumbler will increase your profits in more than one way. 1st the farmer pays less to ship their fiber to the mill because there is less dirt, less dirt = less weight. 2nd, the quality of the product that is processed will be much better thus commanding a higher price. Our mill will never operate another day without our Jiffy Tumbler.
Craig & Jane Johnson,
Worthington Acres Alpacas & Fiber Mill,
Unityville, PA
I am very pleased with my Jiffy Fiber Tumbler. I have 63 alpacas and
they were shorn March 18, 2010. I have been done with my fiber for about 2
weeks now. While hand skirting I was never completely finished before
February of the following year. This is a great investment and worth every penny.
Anita Eckstrom, 3 Hawk Alpacas,
Murfreesboro, NC
The Jiffy Fiber Tumbler has really helped in the mini-mill that I have at my farm. It has been so valuable that I even ordered a modified smaller version to take to shows and to use for my suri fiber.
Emma Urban,
Urban Dreams Farm LLC,
Riverdale, MI
My husband and I run Dove Point Alpacas in Edwardsville, IL where we raise beautiful, quality huacaya alpacas. After three years of shearing we had tons of bags of fiber in the basement and the thought of hand skirting it all myself was an overwhelming obstacle! I found an ad for the Jiffy Tumbler advertised on Alpaca Nation and knew I just had to have one. When it arrived I was amazed at the beautiful workmanship. This tumbler is pretty enough to sit in your living room! Of course we don't buy them for beauty, we order them for cleaning fiber and boy does it do that! It removes lots and lots of dust and dirt as well as loose vegetable matter and second cuts. It saves me so much time and effort-I just put in a load of fiber and let the tumbler do its thing and come back later to collect my much cleaner fiber! I would never want to be without it. At less than half the price of the commercially sold model I had seen it is a great value as the quality is excellent. You will never regret your purchase of a Jiffy Fiber Tumbler!
Sally Sapp,
Dove Point Alpacas,
Edwardsville, IL
We love our Jiffy Tumbler. It greatly reduces the time needed for hand cleaning. We appreciate the attention to detail that goes in to making the tumbler and you guys really understand the meaning of customer service. Thanks for making this product available and affordable.
Rhonda & Bart Leinberger,
Alpacas of Indian Point Hills,
Petersburg, IL
I'm very happy with the tumbler. Good quality, reasonable price, good customer service.
Diana Homoly,
Spittin' Image Alpacas,
Windham, OH
We love our Jiffy Fiber Tumbler. The design is pure simplicity; with no belt, chain or gears to adjust or wear out. We ordered the smaller size and it is performing just fine.
We set our tumbler up on four cinder blocks to provide some clearance on the underside so we can remove debris as it builds up. Being in the mountains of Arizona (still desert-like conditions) we specifically got the tumbler to get the dirt and dust out of our fiber. Just for fun we collect the dirt in a glass jar to show people just how much dirt can be removed with the tumbler.
The Jiffy also removes a lot of the second cuts but they don't all just drop to the ground but tend to form small balls that start to poke out through the openings in the mesh cover. I use a Magik Brush (lint brush) to remove these small balls by gently moving the brush over the outer surface of the mesh cover, The brush will either actually pull the balls completely out or pull them partially out so you can easily remove them by hand. The brush is also great for cleaning out the inside of the tumbler when you want to switch to another color.
The Jiffy Fiber Tumbler was an excellent investment for our fiber processing business and should last for many years. We can't say enough good things about this piece of equipment.
Gary and Sharon Travis
Dreamweaver Alpacas, LLC, Prescott Valley, AZ
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