I have gotten lucky again on finding a good deal for shop equipment. When I first budgeted for the shop project's equipment, I have set aside money for a cabinet parts washer. I was looking at this small one.
http://www.gregsmithequipment.com/SWC-500-Spray-Wash-Cabinet_2
However starting back in May, it was back ordered for 5-6 months so I started watching Craigslist for something used. I got an email from Greg Smith Equipment telling that the washers were finally in stock on the same day I saw an ad in San Antonio for a used Impulse II washer from Better Engineering. It was a top loading spray washer and wouldn't handle a full sized V8 block, but just about everything else. My friend Allen, pointed out that if I were to ever clean an engine block, I would want to get it magnafluxed and they would clean it to do that, so why get the full cabinet if I could save serious money (to buy other shop stuff with of course !!) So I called about it even though it was listed as functional state unknown with no power plug on the cord.
The owner seemed like a really cool guy who said it picked it up at a military auction and was planning to use the motor and pump for a farm project, but that fell through so he was selling it. The more he described it, the more I thought it might be able to run full function even though it was full of rust and leaves. When he mentioned that he was coming to San Marcos yesterday and would bring it all the way to the shop n Austin for free, I decided to roll the dice.
We agreed on $600 as is. He delivered it and it was exactly as described so we closed the deal. I took him to breakfast as a thank you and found that he was almost as big a car nut as me which is always cool to expand the car nut network.
After he left, I started cleaning out the leaves and big pieces of rust from removable pieces of sheet metal that was completely rotted from sitting a long time with standing water. I made a pig tail and broke out the generator to test it out in the driveway. After a lot of guess work and trail and error, I was able to the heater element going and then the pump system. I can't find a manual for it anywhere so it was a stumbling process. It would run a short while and then throw a low water alert even thought it was full. I also notice that when the heater and pump both ran it the same time, the generator bogged almost to the point of dieing. It was single phase 220V so I assume a 30AMP feed would cover it. Wrong. It is rated at 48AMP. Fortuitously I have one 50AMP plug for RV hookup. My friend Allen stopped by (he owns an electrical service company, Austin Electric, so how handy is that) and he popped on an RV plug head and we brought it inside to plug it. After Allen checked it out and noticed the sensor for the water level was gummed up, it fired right up, made HOT water and sprayed like nothing I've ever seen. The motor is 3HP!
Next came the flat tire problem. Tire, you say? The rotating table is driven by a small tire like on a wheel barrow. We drove to Home Depot, Sears, Lowes and finally found one that we believed could work. Allen was changing the tire to the right hub and accidentally ripped the inner tube. He agreed to run and get one while I sandblasted and painted some of the parts. He had to go back to Home depot, Sears, Lowes and even Wal-mart to find the inner tube. We got it installed, I was able to POR15 the underside of the lid and today I will run a bunch of Evapro-rust through it and then POR 15 the rest of the inside.
It looks like I have a SWEET parts washer for $600 plus $30 for tire and tube.
first aid kit and eye solution station in my shops. 
My dad was always working on something, but I got the brunt of the injuries. My dad always had some ****** screwdrivers, They were used as pry-bars, chisels, and whatever else. He was working on his car one day that he couldn't get started so he pulled a plug wire and shoved a screwdriver in it. He told me "Kevin, hold this right here and tell me if it gets spark" The neighbor probably heard me yell four houses down. Electricity doesn't bother me until I get shocked. 
