Best Ultrasonic cleaner?

[Jas29]

Need something bigger then the harbor freight 2.5L. Looking for something around 6L

Edit:
Was looking at this one
http://www.angelpos.ca/6-L-158-Gallon-300W-Ultrasonic-Cleaner-with-Heater-Digital-Timer_p_15.html

 

[HTGTS350]

Certainly not the chinese POS I bought.

 

[Danglerb]

Crest or QSC, a pro model. If you need one, less than the best will cost you money on a daily basis.

 

[Davefr]

If you want "best" then look at the L&R Sweepzone series.

This is why. (8 transducers used to sweep the ultrasonic activity thruout the entire tank). By contrast, those low end Chinese US cleaners usually have only 1 or 2 transducers.

 

[Jas29]

I should have said best in the 350 price range the L&R sweep zone 200 is out of my budget at 600 dollars

 

[Jas29]

Bump

 

[Packard V8]

I should have said best in the 350 price range the L&R sweep zone 200 is out of my budget at 600 dollars

The one you like has two transducers for $370 versus the L&R with eight for $600. Four times the goodness for less than twice the money. May be a case of get what you pay for.

jack vines

 

[Skin]

I had the small engine shop I help out at purchase a Sharpertek unit about 3 years ago. Needless to say its been used a lot in that environment and works wonders with their varnish buster formula. Night and day difference compared to the results from parts dip cans. Their newer models have a digital read-out for temp and time, also made in the USA and they include the stainless steel baskets (which other brands charge a small fortune for). Can't speak to the quality or results of other brands but I've been very impressed with this unit that I have access to.

 

[pauls_workshop]

Question for this thread: For a casual user that does small engine carbs once in a while, are the HF versions any good and which one? Or other similarly OK very low cost option out there? Not looking for anything cadillac here. Looking at $75 or less. I've never used any so have zero experience with these, but think it could be just what I need for carb work. I could not justify over $75 for one though as I would not use it enough. thx- Paul

 

[Danglerb]

You won't find anything I think cheaper than HF that is big enough to do even a small engine carb, and the HF has worked OK for many, but it is HF so some will be junk and DOA and need returning, some will only last a short time. Use a coupon, get the warranty.

I don't know a "lot" about them, but seems to me as long as you get heat and cavitation, one won't work a lot better than another.

 

[pauls_workshop]

Thanks Dangler, appreciated.

 

[Bull]

I paid about $400 for one from Crest. I like it because it is 19.5" long, so I can fit longer ratchets and breaker bars in there. I do wish it were wider. It did a superb job of cleaning the throttle body on my Roadmaster!

I'll grab the model number later.

You don't need to spend money on a heated one. After running for a while, the solvent in an unheated one gets plenty hot on its own.

 

[James_B]

Are any of the ultrasonic cleaners rated for flammable solvents?

I have a 3D printer that uses an ultraviolet curing photopolymer resin. The uncured resin needs to be cleaned off the printed part with 90% isopropyl alcohol (70% IPA will work, but 90% is recommended).

I've been running 70% IPA in a cheap POS ultrasonic jewelery cleaner (done outdoors on the driveway to minimize any serious fire risk if anything goes wrong), but I'd like to find something better and safer.

 

[gunner3773]

I had the small engine shop I help out at purchase a Sharpertek unit about 3 years ago. Needless to say its been used a lot in that environment and works wonders with their varnish buster formula. Night and day difference compared to the results from parts dip cans. Their newer models have a digital read-out for temp and time, also made in the USA and they include the stainless steel baskets (which other brands charge a small fortune for). Can't speak to the quality or results of other brands but I've bee very impressed with this unit that I have access to.

+1 on Sharpertek and their carb cleaner solution

 

[impactsocket]

How long will the HF ultrasonic cleaner hold up to occasional use? How long will it last during daily use? Is there any brand that is even close to the price of the HF ultrasonic cleaner?

 

[Danglerb]

How long will the HF ultrasonic cleaner hold up to occasional use? How long will it last during daily use? Is there any brand that is even close to the price of the HF ultrasonic cleaner?

HF is a roll of the dice, some will be DOA, some work a few months, some cockroaches may eventually learn to use.

Daily use, I would buy one, make sure it works, then still get the extended warranty before the time is up to get one. If you get the extended warranty and its DOA they replace it, but you need to buy another warranty "I Think".

Other option, skip directly to a premium unit, and no it won't be anything like the HF price.

My concern with something flammable, would be the humidifier effect, you know how an ultrasonic humidifier throws off a ton of vapor, if a cleaner does something similar with a flammable liquid it could get nasty.

 

[James_B]

My concern with something flammable, would be the humidifier effect, you know how an ultrasonic humidifier throws off a ton of vapor, if a cleaner does something similar with a flammable liquid it could get nasty.

Thats what I figured and the reason I used a cheap ultrasonic in the middle of the driveway on a long extension cord. If anything happens, it isn't going to be close enough to anything else to consume more than the cheap cleaner and the freshly printed parts from the 3D printer.

 

[TommyK]

Are any of the ultrasonic cleaners rated for flammable solvents?

I have a 3D printer that uses an ultraviolet curing photopolymer resin. The uncured resin needs to be cleaned off the printed part with 90% isopropyl alcohol (70% IPA will work, but 90% is recommended).

I've been running 70% IPA in a cheap POS ultrasonic jewelery cleaner (done outdoors on the driveway to minimize any serious fire risk if anything goes wrong), but I'd like to find something better and safer.

http://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/19690000520_1969000520.pdf

 

[James_B]

http://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/19690000520_1969000520.pdf

Brilliant. That's just the kind of out of the box thinking I needed. Thanks.

 

[Provincial]

This is the same NASA that spent millions to develop a pen that would write in zero gravity! The Russians used pencils.

Very good idea. Simple. Cheap. Effective. Environmentally sound.

 

[Davefr]

How long will the HF ultrasonic cleaner hold up to occasional use? How long will it last during daily use? Is there any brand that is even close to the price of the HF ultrasonic cleaner?

I have one as a backup to my L&R.

Here's are the problems:

- It can't be used continuously. If so it'll overheat and go into thermal shutdown until it cools down.
- The heater is either on for one short cycle (6 minutes max. I think) or off.
- You can't dial in a regulated temperature or any meaningful time interval >approx. 6 minutes.
- The cooling fan is really crappy. It'll get noisy or die pretty quickly. However it's just a cheap computer fan that can be replaced.
- The plastic case is about as thin as an eggshell
- Capacity is pretty wimpy at around 2.5 qts
- The switches don't seem like they'd hold up for long

However it's cheap, it does clean and it does have some form of heat.

 

[Bielio]

This is the same NASA that spent millions to develop a pen that would write in zero gravity! The Russians used pencils.

Very good idea. Simple. Cheap. Effective. Environmentally sound.

Graphite from pencils is flammable when tiny particles go airborne.
The graphite dust from a pencil can cause problems for mission critical components as well... like CO2 scrubbers and ventilation systems.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/fact-or-fiction-nasa-spen/

 

[mrborohachi]

https://www.bransonic.com

Is what they had at my old work. That thing had to be on for at least 4 hrs each day.
It was an older model with LEDs that lit up what function it was set as. Some workers had it set at degas instead of "set Sonics" the cleaning mode.

 

[RBFD415]

I have had the HF unit for around 8 months - I don't use it on a daily basis - but have used it often. The unit is just big enough for a disassembled motorcycle carb or a lawn mower carb. I use a mix of Simple Green industrial & water. I'm very impressed with it, but you have to run the parts through multi times - but they do come out impressively clean! The face plate is coming off the unit- but for the price I think it was worthwhile.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

 

[calandrod]

Any update for the year 2021 on what quality non HF units people are using?

 

[IndyGarage]

I have a 6 liter sharpertek that I've been running probably 20-30 hours a year for about 10 years, still works fine. I wouldn't recommend it for commercial use, but for DIY use it works great

 

[Davefr]

Any update for the year 2021 on what quality non HF units people are using?

Elmasonic made in Germany

 

[Rinspeed]

Any update for the year 2021 on what quality non HF units people are using?

Look for a decent quality used unit on Ebay or other auction sites. Crest, Branson, Blackstone and L&R are some of the better makers. Spend $500 for something that will last the rest of your life rather than some made China **** that might last two or three years if you are lucky.

 

[GrantCee]

35 years ago (no, I'm not exaggerating), I bought a new L&R. It's seen a LOT of use since then, and has never given me a bit of trouble.

Buy once, cry once.

 

[Davefr]

Look for a decent quality used unit on Ebay or other auction sites. Crest, Branson, Blackstone and L&R are some of the better makers. Spend $500 for something that will last the rest of your life rather than some made China **** that might last two or three years if you are lucky.

Just be careful buying used. Transducers are electro-mechanical devices that diminish in performance/wear out over time. If you buy used, make sure the seller accepts returns and immediately test the unit using the foil test. Just because the unit makes noise doesn't mean it's performing well. Also make sure the seller shows an image of the bottom of the unit's tank. If you see signs of erosion stay away.