PARTS WASHER from harbor freight

[T77911S]

i was looking at the 40 gal parts washer, anyone have one?

[Formerly Steve Wilkinson]

I did. Total junk.

[awdbandito]

Just an fyi, it is easy to build a parts washer using an aquarium pump, a container of your chosen size, a strainer, lengths of hose, and a washing solution.

[trak ratt]

Without part numbers it's hard to tell but I prolly have one. Pump and related parts don't like petrol products so know that going in. Crummy filter system and no real drain. Mine has worked OK but have never really been happy with it. BTW I use glass bricks to fill some of the volume when soaking smaller parts so you don't need as much cleaner. Looking for alternatives myself.

[porschenut]

So where's a good place to look for a good parts washer?

[911pcars]

"Good" depends on your parts washer budget and how big, fancy you want it.

Harbor Freight's version. It's just an empty steel container with a lid and legs. The pump is the key. The seals must work with the solvent. A replacement HF pump is around $30-$40. The whole thing is what, <$100?

Sherwood

[Formerly Steve Wilkinson]

Do a Google search for "automotive parts washers" and you'll get a bunch of hits, and from there on, it's up to you to figure out the quality. But if you go to a site that deals with shops and sells stuff like Kleen-Tec (US-made), you're much better off than the places that specialize in rock-bottom prices for DIYers, like Harbor Freight. I doubt you'll ever find a tech who has a rolling toolchest full of Snap-Ons buying anything from Harbor Freight or Northern Tool...

[Tim Hancock]

I have had a HF parts washer for about 15 years. About once a week on average for the past 15 yrs, I have opened the lid, flipped on the switch...... I cant really think how a more expensive unit with the same features would have helped me over the years. Now if you are talking heat, agitation etc, that might be a different story.

[911pcars]

Originally Posted by Formerly Steve Wilkinson

......... I doubt you'll ever find a tech who has a rolling toolchest full of Snap-Ons buying anything from Harbor Freight or Northern Tool...

I think you might be surprised.

A tech with a rolling tool chest of the above tools is probably working in a garage atmosphere with a commercial parts cleaner.

An owner with the above setup in his garage will likely be cognizant of the disparity in tool fashion and upgrade all garage accessories accordingly.

And then there are owners who actually work on their cars.

Sherwood

[trak ratt]

Originally Posted by Formerly Steve Wilkinson

1) Kleen-Tec (US-made),
2) I doubt you'll ever find a tech who has a rolling toolchest full of Snap-Ons buying anything from Harbor Freight or Northern Tool...

1) Kleen-Tec is one I've been considering too
2) True dat but then buying my 12 ton press, wheel and furniture dollies, cherry picker, air hose, and retractable reels, aluminum jacks and jack stands, wall clock (with Porsche decal), hand vacuum pump, and much more from HF didn’t mean I’d miss a track weekend either. Though my wife did insist on a Rotary Lift, HF and others have their place. Quite frankly if I worked on cars for a living I wouldn't buy most Craftsman ratchets and wrenches either.
To me my HF parts washer wasn't a "fail" but I'd rather have a better one.

[Formerly Steve Wilkinson]

"A tech with a rolling tool chest of the above tools is probably working in a garage atmosphere with a commercial parts cleaner. An owner with the above setup in his garage will likely be cognizant of the disparity in tool fashion and upgrade all garage accessories accordingly."

That's what I said. Maybe I should have said "professional" rather than technician.

[jwernquist]

I have the exact same parts washer from Harbor Freight except mine is called a Tool Master, same manufacturer, same price. Always works always turns on. Hasn't fallen apart and most importantly cleans just as good as any parts washer will. I've had mine for 4 years now and couldn't even begin to count the times i've used it and no issue.

It's cheap and it works good.

[rbuswell]

Originally Posted by T77911S

i was looking at the 40 gal parts washer, anyone have one?

I've used the Harbor Freight 40 gallon for about one year. It's not big enough for bigger projects (i.e., gearbox case, etc.), it won't accept petroleum based solvents and the pump actually pushes too much volume and it can splash around some. They are cheap, pretty reliable and have a small footprint for the typical DIY garage.

Not sure what the concern is about the drain. The best way to drain one is to use the pump itself to fill a jerry can and clean what's left off the botton after using the small drain in the bottom of the tank to get rid of the rest into your oil change pan. The filter is simple, cheap and re-usable after a few minutes of rinsing out. If your garage isn't heated, they can freeze up pretty bad in the winter so you may want to drain it in the fall if you don't get warmer days in the winter months for it to thaw out.

HF tools and equipment are not for the professional who works all day on cars, or plumbing, or carpentry or anything like that. They are cheap tools that do the job most of the time for the occasional DIY user and, at least at the store I go to, accept back tools that you aren't happy with (broken, under-powered, etc.). I took two different parts vibrators back to them and they cheerfully replaced it or would have refunded my money if I pressed it. The third one was the charm after a small modification I made to it to beef it up a little (kind of a Tim Taylor thing).

If you watch their ads you'll see that given what they want for stuff during a mega-sale, the margins must be huge so they want returning customers a lot more than cheating you out of the few bucks you paid for something you didn't like. HF is not for the Snap-On crowd and yet I've seen the exact unit I own in the shops of restorers and other devoted Porsche lovers with Snap-On stuff everywhere. HF is the right stuff for the classic shade-tree mechanic and I recommend it assuming you understand the limitations.

[RWebb]

why not just find a solvent-worthy pump and make one out of an old metal bathtub from a junk place??

[911pcars]

In case of a fire, you'll want to slam a metal lid closed to snuff it. Otherwise, have a supply of marshmellows handy.

Sherwood

[beamonk]

I have a junky harbor freight one that I cut a drain in the middle of. I found the saftey clean guy and bought a drum of cleaner, I cut a drain hole in it and plumbed from the washer to the drum. I put the pump high in the drum so the solids would go to the bottom and it has worked for years. I have changed the fluid once over the years. I don't use it a great deal so it will last a long time. Every so often I may buy 5 gallons of solvent from the auto parts store to top it off, although I haven't topped it off for a couple of years.

[surflvr911sc]

Just grab a used one of these...

[theclaw]

I have a smaller parts washer from another import supplier and used it on some smaller Triumph motorcycle engine parts. It's been in the attic ever since. Nowadays, I just get a big drum or container (left over plastic bin works). Pour cleaner it there, grab a brush and go at it. If you wanted to you could recycle a utility sink and hook up a pump and away you go.

[theclaw]

Originally Posted by surflvr911sc

Just grab a used one of these...

Now all you have to do is plumb the water line to the drum of solvent. Presto! Just make sure you keep it on "rinse and hold" I'd hate to see what happens when the dryer element fired up!

[N11Porsche]

Somebody on this board has a portable dishwasher that he uses as a parts cleaner. He posted some pictures of how well it did, pretty impressive for a dishwasher!!