Another HF Ultrasonic Cleaner Demo

[DavidB]

I picked up the larger Harbor Freight Ultrasonic Cleaner today. It was on sale and folks have been pleased with it so I figured why not. Here's a link to it: http://www.harborfreight.com/25-liter-ultrasonic-cleaner-95563.html

I have to say I'm pleased with it. My main gripe is the crummy basket it comes with it because the handles only stick up about 1/2" from the bottom. The timer feature is also annoying. I like having it so I don't forget and leave it running forever but I wish it was longer.

With the gripes out of the way here are some results. All of the cleaning here was done with a 1/4 solution of "Purple Power", 3/4 tap water, and a tiny bit of vinegar. In the review of this cleaner from a couple months ago, mjozefow said the vinegar helped with rust so I thought I'd try it (seemed to work).

Here's 2 pictures of some sockets I picked up at a garage sale yesterday before cleaning. The top row has Wright sockets, 2nd has Hornet, 3rd has Thorsen, 4th has Snap-On, 5th are Wizard and OTC.

I ran them through 6 cycles that were 8 minutes each with heat on. I don't think I needed that many. In retrospect 2 or 3 tops would have done fine. Here are the after shots..

Here is a closeup on the Wright sockets before and after.

Next I had some Proto sockets to clean that I also picked up yesterday. The second one for the left was placed in a jar containing the same solution while the other 4 were in the cleaner. I ran these for only 1 8 minute cycle. The cleaner does a good job at getting gunk out of small spaces like writing or lines in the sockets.

After

I had some more Proto sockets to clean...

I put all the Proto sockets in for 2 8 minute cylces with heat. After I removed them from the cleaner I wiped the outside and inside of the sockets with a paper towel. Here are the results.

Here are some before and after shots for a couple other things I cleaned. 1 8 minute cycle on both. Before.

After.

I wiped down the handles of the Channel Lock pliers yesterday with simple green and some paint thinner. The ultrasonic cleaner got the handles even cleaner. Before

After

After this I decided to see what else my toy...I mean machine would clean. I emptied the cleaner and put in a mix of tap water and dish soap. I put one of my wife's ring in for a minute and a half and it cleaned it well. It said on the box that it works well on CDs so I figured why not. My 2 year old loves putting finger prints on DVDs so I have a good supply of dirty CDs. It worked extremely well on CDs. Finger prints were gone within about 5 seconds.

It's very effective at getting gunk out of small places like the print, lines, and scratches on tools. I think you could get sockets as clean by hand but you'd have to put a lot more effort into cleaning them. I'm sure most people don't mind a little gunk in knurling and wouldn't go crazy trying to clean it out, but the cleaner gets it out while cleaning the rest of the tool. Hopefully, the pics illustrate that.

Overall I'm happy with the performance of the cleaner. I've never used another ultrasonic cleaner so I can't compare it to any other machines. I'm primarily going to use it for cleaning tools, small parts, and small engine carbs. I'm sure there are other things I'll find to put in it.

A standard 3/8" ratchet fits in it with no problem but a 1/2" one sticks out. As for sound it's pretty quiet. The sound it makes is a mix between electronic buzzing and the sound of air hissing out of a tire. You can easily carry a conversation right next to it without raising your voice.

Let me know if anyone has any questions or wants more pics. Sorry, for the out of focus places in the photo...I was in a hurry.

Enjoy!

David

PS No, I didn't try any of the spices in the cleaning solution.

 

[selohssa]

Looks like good results. How much noise does it make?

 

[wreckercologist]

How about some pics of the packaging and the cleaner so we know what we're looking for?

Nice results BTW!

I wonder if anyone has tried using Evaporust with one of these, or if it is even safe? I'm just thinking aloud, I've never even tried the stuff but has seen the results on GJ.

 

[DavidB]

How about some pics of the packaging and the cleaner so we know what we're looking for?

Sure, here's the link to it. I'll add it to my original post. http://www.harborfreight.com/25-liter-ultrasonic-cleaner-95563.html

As for the sound of the machine, it's pretty quiet. I posted about after all the pics in my first post.

 

[Bull]

I was just thinking about this AGAIN tonight, as I cleaned ratchet guts and bodies by hand in my dirty old Tupperware of Simple Green with a scongy toothbrush.

I can't believe the shine on the sockets afterward. The Wright sockets, for example: they look like they were polished. Is the difference really that profound to the naked eye?

Can you clean a 1/2 ratchet even though it sticks out? I mean, can it rest on the edge of the machine with no ill effects? Does the lid need to be closed during operation?

I see it is now sold out online

 

[DavidB]

I was just thinking about this AGAIN tonight, as I cleaned ratchet guts and bodies by hand in my dirty old Tupperware of Simple Green with a scongy toothbrush.

I can't believe the shine on the sockets afterward. The Wright sockets, for example: they look like they were polished. Is the difference really that profound to the naked eye?

Can you clean a 1/2 ratchet even though it sticks out? I mean, can it rest on the edge of the machine with no ill effects? Does the lid need to be closed during operation?

I see it is now sold out online

Ha, well your post is partly why I have this thing. Yeah the Wrights really do look that much better. They looked good originally but I think they just had grime in fine scratches on the surface. I think the ultra sonic cleaner just got it all out. That's the only thing I could think of because they do look very nice now. I was surprised.

The lid doesn't need to be on it to run so you'd be able to clean a 1/2 inch ratchet an end at a time.

 

[Bull]

Well, that settles it. If I can clean long ratchets one end at a time, then I am going to get this unit once it is back in stock. I've been agonizing over the idea of spending hundreds of dollars on a unit with a large enough tank to fit longer ratchets, and even those would not fit, say a 15" ratchet; not unless I want to drop BIG money.

Ha, well your post is partly why I have this thing. Yeah the Wrights really do look that much better. They looked good originally but I think they just had grime in fine scratches on the surface. I think the ultra sonic cleaner just got it all out. That's the only thing I could think of because they do look very nice now. I was surprised.

The lid doesn't need to be on it to run so you'd be able to clean a 1/2 inch ratchet an end at a time.

 

[The Muffin Man]

Hmmmmm I could really use an ultrasonic cleaner !

 

[mkirkpatrick]

that is impressive, guess that is one to add to the pass fail thread. Have to keep an eye out for one and use the 20% off coupon.

 

[Bull]

that is impressive, guess that is one to add to the pass fail thread. Have to keep an eye out for one and use the 20% off coupon.

Remind me how that works. It's on sale now for $59. Can I also use a 20% coupon on top of that?

 

[mooman]

I don't believe so.

 

[lipadj46]

Remind me how that works. It's on sale now for $59. Can I also use a 20% coupon on top of that?

yes you can, now if the sale price was with a coupon (like from their coupon page) you could not use the 20% off. But sale items are free game.

 

[Zrexxer]

I would have been interested to see the test conducted with a control, too. i.e. a similar-condition set of tools, soaked in the same solution at the same temperature for the same time, only in a static container without any ultrasonic agitation. I'm curious how much of the results you achieved were due simply to the cleaning solution you used versus the ultrasonic machine.

 

[Bull]

I would have been interested to see the test conducted with a control, too. i.e. a similar-condition set of tools, soaked in the same solution at the same temperature for the same time, only in a static container without any ultrasonic agitation. I'm curious how much of the results you achieved were due simply to the cleaning solution you used versus the ultrasonic machine.

My only current method is a static container of Simple Green, followed by a toothbrush. Not only is the method tedious (the scrubbing of ratchet internals, for example) but the results are not anywhere near as good. This method leaves you without any need to scrub. If I just pulled my greasy sockets from the tub, the grease would be loosened but I'd still need to manually remove it.

 

[DavidB]

I would have been interested to see the test conducted with a control, too. i.e. a similar-condition set of tools, soaked in the same solution at the same temperature for the same time, only in a static container without any ultrasonic agitation. I'm curious how much of the results you achieved were due simply to the cleaning solution you used versus the ultrasonic machine.

I did a control when I cleaned the five Proto sockets as was stated in the first post. Of the five, the 2nd over from the left was placed in a jar of the same solution while the others were placed in the ultrasonic cleaner. The jar was unheated (~74degF) though while the ultrasonic cleaner was heated to ~120 degF. The results showed that ultrasonic agitation removed gunk from the script and lines on the sockets more effectively than the static solution.

Thanks,
David

 

[toxicz28]

I see it is now sold out online

Just checked the link. Shows as being in stock.

 

[Bull]

Just checked the link. Shows as being in stock.

Great news! Now, can you use those 20% off coupons online, or are they in-store only?

 

[quneur]

I don't really find that much of a difference between cleaning by hand vs. ultrasonic. It could be that I'm just using dishwashing liquid and water. The heat could also be making alot of difference.

I found an industrial ultrasonic machine at Goodwill for cheap. I stuck a couple of side cutters and another plier in soap water solution and it didn't get any cleaner than when it went in. Ran it for about 2min.

 

[ZRX61]

Easiest way to clean those blue ChannelLock handles is just wipe em down with a rag & laquer thinner.

I've been known to hit them with the Lemon Pledge & a duster after...

 

[Bull]

I don't really find that much of a difference between cleaning by hand vs. ultrasonic. It could be that I'm just using dishwashing liquid and water. The heat could also be making alot of difference.

I found an industrial ultrasonic machine at Goodwill for cheap. I stuck a couple of side cutters and another plier in soap water solution and it didn't get any cleaner than when it went in. Ran it for about 2min.

Give one of the other cocktails mentioned above a whirl and see what happens. Clearly, the OP has some shiny shiny sockets there. They look a lot better than the ones I clean by hand, and I am thorough!

Easiest way to clean those blue ChannelLock handles is just wipe em down with a rag & laquer thinner.

I've been known to hit them with the Lemon Pledge & a duster after...

He did say that he had cleaned them previously using that method, and as you see the machine got them looking even nicer!

 

[DavidB]

Easiest way to clean those blue ChannelLock handles is just wipe em down with a rag & laquer thinner.

I've been known to hit them with the Lemon Pledge & a duster after...

I did originally. I picked up several channel locks from a garage sale and cleaned up the handles with laquer thinner. It worked well but didn't get every bit off so I put one of them in the ultrasonic cleaner to see what would happen. It helped out some more though I don't think I'd make a habit of cleaning them that way every time.

 

[Danglerb]

My friend has a commercial grade Quest or Crest ultrasonic cleaner, and its easy to see it working, the dirt "boils" off parts. If its not dramatic, maybe that Goodwill unit isn't working?

 

[DavidB]

I found a link that lists two tests you can do on your Goodwill machine. See "glass slide" and "foil" tests. http://www.coleparmer.com/techinfo/techinfo.asp?htmlfile=ultrasoniccleaner_faq.htm&ID=792

 

[DavidB]

Here some of using the ultrasonic cleaner to clean a lawnmower carb I spoke of earlier. I used a heated solution of 1/4 "Purple Power" and 3/4 water.

Here is the carb before.

Here is the carb after 280 seconds and after shooting it with the spray nozzle of the sink to get some of the muck off.

After an additional 280 seconds.

 

[wantedabiggergarage]

Since I haven't had any for a bit (last bit I had, I used last year on an old handplane), Has anyone tried Evaporust in one of these?

 

[Davefr]

Here some of using the ultrasonic cleaner to clean a lawnmower carb I spoke of earlier. I used a heated solution of 1/4 "Purple Power" and 3/4 water.

Here is the carb before.

Here is the carb after 280 seconds and after shooting it with the spray nozzle of the sink to get some of the muck off.

After an additional 280 seconds.

I hope you rinsed it real good and/or soaked it in 99% IPA to carry off any residual water. Water based cleaning solution isn't the best choice for a carb.

I'd choose Coleman fuel (ie Naptha) for something like this. I get it for about $.25/gallon at garage sales. No one seems to be into Coleman fuel powered camping equipment these days.

 

[Bull]

I hope you rinsed it real good and/or soaked it in 99% IPA to carry off any residual water. Water based cleaning solution isn't the best choice for a carb.

Why, what's the danger?

 

[Davefr]

Why, what's the danger?

Water and purple cleaning solution that makes it's way into the tiny passages of a carb can be a bad thing. There are only a few ways to get it out. One is to rinse it in distilled water and then gently bake it dry. The other is to soak it in alcohol which will absorb residual water and quickly evaporate. The final way is to choose a cleaning solution compatible with gasoline.

I clean chainsaw carbs on ocassion and use Coleman fuel which cleans well and doesn't cause problems with residual solvent in certain parts of a carb.

 

[DavidB]

Hmm, well thats good to know. Looks like I'll be soaking it in alcohol.

 

[rhastings80]

I picked up the Harbor Freight 2.5 Liter Ultrasonic Cleaner Item # 95563 last night and tired it out. It was 59.99 and I was able to use a 20% off coupon on it. It seemed to work ok but I didn't get the same great results that DavidB got. I only ran the tools though on 2 cycles and I used warm water and the HF 6 Oz. Ultrasonic Cleaning Powder Item # 91593.

I wonder if I should try and use something else such as vinegar?

 

[Bull]

I picked up the Harbor Freight 2.5 Liter Ultrasonic Cleaner Item # 95563 last night and tired it out. It was 59.99 and I was able to use a 20% off coupon on it. It seemed to work ok but I didn't get the same great results that DavidB got. I only ran the tools though on 2 cycles and I used warm water and the HF 6 Oz. Ultrasonic Cleaning Powder Item # 91593.

I wonder if I should try and use something else such as vinegar?

The vinegar will be for rust, primarily.

No one on here who has gotten great results has reported using that HF powder. Try one of the recipes our members have used and see if the results are the same.

Where is a current 20% off coupon? My May HF sales flier either doesn't have one or I missed it while looking through it last night.

 

[DavidB]

You can find the coupons pretty easily by googling for them. Usually those deal site have links to them. Here is one I found.

http://www.harborfreightusa.com/html/SingleMagLanders/americanprofile/images/20_c.jpg

 

[DavidB]

I picked up the Harbor Freight 2.5 Liter Ultrasonic Cleaner Item # 95563 last night and tired it out. It was 59.99 and I was able to use a 20% off coupon on it. It seemed to work ok but I didn't get the same great results that DavidB got. I only ran the tools though on 2 cycles and I used warm water and the HF 6 Oz. Ultrasonic Cleaning Powder Item # 91593.

I wonder if I should try and use something else such as vinegar?

I didn't try the powder they sell since I had no idea what it was. Try using a solution containg one of the purple or green cleaners. If you have caked on muck wipe it off first since the ultrasonic cleaner doesn't seem to do well on that...at least the HF one doesn't.

 

[Bull]

You can find the coupons pretty easily by googling for them. Usually those deal site have links to them. Here is one I found.

http://www.harborfreightusa.com/html/SingleMagLanders/americanprofile/images/20_c.jpg

Those online ones work ok?

My idea is, once I have one of these, to let really greasy parts soak for a while in the tub before turning it on. The Simple Green/Purple Stuff/Orange Zep should loosen the slime so the cleaner can then blast it off. This is my plan and hope, at least.

 

[DavidB]

Those online ones work ok?

My idea is, once I have one of these, to let really greasy parts soak for a while in the tub before turning it on. The Simple Green/Purple Stuff/Orange Zep should loosen the slime so the cleaner can then blast it off. This is my plan and hope, at least.

Not sure on the coupon I haven't tried it. I didn't think I could use the coupon with the cleaner since it was on sale. Apparently I was wrong.

Sounds like a plan. I haven't tried that but you can experiement with it and let us know!

 

[Davefr]

Those online ones work ok?

My idea is, once I have one of these, to let really greasy parts soak for a while in the tub before turning it on. The Simple Green/Purple Stuff/Orange Zep should loosen the slime so the cleaner can then blast it off. This is my plan and hope, at least.

Yes, the coupons you find online work in B&M stores even on sale items. (as long as the sale item doesn't require it's own coupon).

Use heat!!! It makes a huge difference in cleaning efficiency. Press the heat buttom and when it completes the first heating cycle then press it again. Get that bath nice and warm!! Just be careful if you use a flammable/solvent based cleaning solution!! (Volatile solvents that have been heated and released into the air from ultrasonic action can't do your lungs any good in a confined area).

 

[rhastings80]

I used this coupon:

http://www.harborfreightusa.com/html/SingleMagLanders/americanprofile/images/20_c.jpg

I just printed it out and used it in person at the store. I also bought some 6 ton jack stands and used a 2nd coupon as a new transaction. The cashier didn't mind.

 

[woody 73]

Question: After the part is clean do you wash it off in water to get any chemical off the part? and once done cleaning a socket do you put any oil on it to keep it from rustng if it is a non-chrome socket or non chrome part?

 

[DavidB]

Question: After the part is clean do you wash it off in water to get any chemical off the part? and once done cleaning a socket do you put any oil on it to keep it from rustng if it is a non-chrome socket or non chrome part?

With the purple stuff the tools usually feel slippery indicating there is still some cleaner on the surface once removed from the cleaner. So, I rinse them or put them in a tub of water to wash the cleaner off. After that I breifly wipe them with a towel and leave them to dry. For a non-chrome tool or something else prone to rusting I'd dry them thoroughly (blow drying if you have an air compressor works well) and wipe them down with an oily rag.

 

[Bull]

Plans are in place. I get out of work in twenty minutes. I already called the HF that is close to where I work, and they have the unit in stock. I asked the gal on the phone if a printed 20% off coupon from the internet was ok, and she said "yes."

With any luck, I will be cleaning a batch of grimy Billings sockets this evening.