Buying a new parts washer - advice

[azscj]

I have been using the same parts washer for the last 15 years or so. Its your typical 20 gallon free standing parts washer that basically has a pool of solvent in a metal tub with a pump that has long since stopped working. Its time for something newer and better.

I have a friend who has a System One parts washer he swears by. It recycles your solvent and separates the sludge out and you have clean solvent again.
This company is now owned by Safety Kleen.
Cost of the machine is about $4500. So not cheap but a really good machine...is what I want to believe.

http://www.safety-kleen.com/products/parts-washers/solvent/model-s-series

Wondering if anyone has advice on anything similiar they have used.

 

[CafeTools]

I think I would rather buy new solvent unless I washed parts for a living and found myself standing over the parts washer for hours a day. $4500 is a small fortune when there are much more reasonable options out there.

 

[azscj]

Well...the problem I am finding with parts washers is there is no middle ground here really and online reviews are really lacking. Seems you can either buy a really cheap or really expensive unit and thats it.
I do use a parts washer on a daily basis in my shop so its an important tool.

 

[Tallpilot]

$4500. Woah. When Snap-on is cheaper; we should stop and think.

https://shop.snapon.com/product/PBC4828

I’ll bet that is a rebrand you could find cheaper but in any case with legendary customer service I’d go with this before I spent $4500.

Note: They also have an automated version. If you are really wasting half your day washing parts and want that labor back get one of those. But please don’t spend $4500 on a manual parts washer.

https://shop.snapon.com/product/PBC57A

 

[cvairwerks]

Order a new pump and put a filter on it and keep going. If you are going to drop some serious $, then move up to a heated unit if you can justify the added costs.

 

[azscj]

Snap On is a good option...I can look into that.

The heated units are good but I dont have the floor space for one of those and also you need to deal with the waste water they create. So there is a trade off there as well.

But for sure I am not keeping the style I have now. Ive done my time with those and stepping up to something better.

 

[Fcvapor05]

Those SystemOne machines are really amazing, and they're expensive for a reason.

The Snap-On unit someone linked, and most parts washers like them, are just a basin with a pump and a filter. Pay more money and you get a better filter or stronger pump, but that's about it.

SystemOne machines don't just filter the solvent- they actually collect the waste solvent and redistill it into clean solvent and separate the 'swarf'.

The stand for the basin contains a self contained, fully automatic closed loop solvent distillery. When you consider that, 5 grand isn't crazy at all in my opinion.

In my opinion makes very little sense for a home shop unless you just have money to burn- but with the rising employee safety requirements in the US as well as the cost of using solvent up at a high rate in industry, machines like this do actually make financial sense for industrial customers. From what I hear they're selling a lot of them.

 

[nutjob]

Take a look at Greymills. This is the one I have. Found on Ebay and I think cost me $250 and purchased the solvent from Tractor Supply. I made a rolling cabinet with drawers that it sits on, much more space efficient than the drum mount type.

https://www.amazon.com/Graymills-Standard-Mounted-Solvent-Washer/dp/B015FOU5MS

They also have a drum mount if you like that type.
https://www.graymills.com/solvent-drum-mount.html

Both of these are made in US with quality pumps that sit in the solvent.

They do make many other types and I am sure you could spend $4k easy

Kevin

 

[rsanter]

Part of what matters is what you are washing.
I find that having pressure to blow the stuff off has some real power and time savings.
What I have wanted to do is use a blast cabinet and a sandblast gun to use with solvent so I have the benifits of the power blast and the chemical

 

[bobcatdan]

I get away just fine with my little Grays Mill part washer. I love that it is free standing unit, but only takes 5 gallons of fluid. I use kerosene and it is less than $20 to fill. Fluid gets crappy, I change it and dump the old kerosene in the waste oil tank. If you are willing to spend $4500, I want to say to but mine new is $800. Grays Mill HK150. I bought mine off CL for $35. At work we have the hot water based washer. Unless there is much better soap for them, they are beyond useless. Don't clean well and the filters can plug under a week pretty easy.

 

[homebuilt burner]

I was lucky enough to find a Greymills 500a on Craigslist for $50. It is a big machine, that takes a lot of fluid. It does a great job. I need to buy some of the parts washer cleaner bags to clean the fluid before it gets too bad.

 

[zkdiesel]

Sell you this one at a deal!

 

[azscj]

zkdiesel.....So is that one of the older System One units? You have used it? Whats your input on that as a parts washer?

 

[zkdiesel]

zkdiesel.....So is that one of the older System One units? You have used it? Whats your input on that as a parts washer?

Yep, it’s older but not and antique

Have two currently, when working they are awesome and the best! Though the reclaim function can get to be a pita when it doesn’t want to work. A lot of stuff going on to make it work and sometimes you need to throw some time and money at it to make it function again

Weighs 500lbs so be aware of that also

 

[Elsinore13]

A while back I ordered a new parts washer from Snap On. Ended up getting back ordered but they had a larger unit collecting dust that they let me have for the same price. Found out they were made by Build-All.com but after checking prices I seem to have gotten a pretty decent deal by not paying "extra" for the Snappy logo. Pumps from inside of a large cartridge filter that sits down inside the tank. Looking forward to using it one day in semi retirement mode...a man can dream...a man can dream...

http://build-all.com/catalog/rpc/bms/

 

[Indexmill]

$4500 is f*cked even for use every day. So is the $3k Snap On. That kind of money will buy a lot if BrakeKleen and compressed air... Just sayin.

 

[American Locomotive]

There is just no way to justify $4,500 for a parts washer for home shop use. The $3,000 Snap-On one is even more absurd. It's just a sheet metal box with a tank and pump that they're charging $3,000 for. At least the System One has some mechanical works going on under the hood to justify its cost.

I also recommend looking into a basic GrayMills unit.

 

[zkdiesel]

There is just no way to justify $4,500 for a parts washer for home shop use. The $3,000 Snap-On one is even more absurd. It's just a sheet metal box with a tank and pump that they're charging $3,000 for. At least the System One has some mechanical works going on under the hood to justify its cost.

I also recommend looking into a basic GrayMills unit.

I can get him into a system one though for a hell of a deal!

 

[ClappedOutBport]

I have been using the same parts washer for the last 15 years or so. Its your typical 20 gallon free standing parts washer that basically has a pool of solvent in a metal tub with a pump that has long since stopped working. Its time for something newer and better.

I have a friend who has a System One parts washer he swears by. It recycles your solvent and separates the sludge out and you have clean solvent again.
This company is now owned by Safety Kleen.
Cost of the machine is about $4500. So not cheap but a really good machine...is what I want to believe.

http://www.safety-kleen.com/products/parts-washers/solvent/model-s-series

Wondering if anyone has advice on anything similar they have used.

What the F? $4500? Who cares if the slude is separated? Are you washing parts for NASA? It all settles to the bottom and stays there. Last time dad cleaned his there was about 4" of much in the bottom. But it was still washing parts...

Safety Kleen Model 16. Probably 40 years old. Should be plenty for any homeshop. I'm sure there are other cheaper, quality options.

 

[azscj]

Just coming back to this. After looking alot closer at the System One parts washers they didnt make any sense because of the maintenance costs. Its one thing to buy a machine like that...its another when the circuit board or motor goes out and how expensive they are to repair.

Ordered this other unit from Safety Kleen and will just have them change it out solvent as needed. Still better than what I have today.

http://https://www.safety-kleen.com/products/parts-washers/solvent/model-3444

 

[sberry]

I am out where I can use hot pressure washer, I really rarely use the tank, the solvent lasts a long time.

 

[azscj]

Just adding some photos here of what I bought. For what I am doing its the best fit for about $1500. Call Safety Kleen when I need them and they clean out and change the solvent. Great piece of equipment.
I also built a dolly for it you can see in the photo so I can move it anytime I need.

20191017_213819 by Marcus Anghel, on Flickr

20191017_213859 by Marcus Anghel, on Flickr

 

[Lookin4'67Galaxieconv]

Nice!