Ultrasonic cleaners - are they worth it

[rolls 912]

Im thinking of buying one... Just so i can tell people i have something thats "ultrasonic" in my garage.

Seriously though, are they a worthwhile investment and how well do they clean? They are about $300 herein oz.

Cheers

[fanaudical]

Cleaning effectiveness is very dependent on the type of the cleaner you purchase as well as the cleaning solution you use.

I purchased an inexpensive cleaner from Harbor Freight for trial, and use water & Pinesol. It works very well for small, hard-to-clean parts - but takes many cycles to get everything clean.

There are quite a few previous posts here about ultrasonic cleaning - try the search feature for more info.

[ivangene]

I use them all the time at work...personally I think contact (like a brush) removes what you want off better and non-contact

a lot depends on what you are cleaning and what results you are looking for.

[rolls 912]

Thinking of guages, electrical contacts etc. Ill have a hunt here to see what the go is.

[ivangene]

well if you clean a guage, there could be small amounts of oil in places that would come loose then form a film on the cleaning solution so when you remove the guage it gets re-deposited on other things...sounds messy but IDK

electronics?

have you ever seen what they clean PCB's with at the end of a flow solder machine? its a dishwasher of sorts...hot soapy water of some form, you could look it up or youtube it

[Hotwatermusic]

I bought one from harbor freight here, filled it with B-12 Chemtool and put my 6 CIS intake manifold tubes in it, one by one. They came out looking cleaner than they've probably ever been in their life, including when they left the factory. Gleaming. I also put my fuel injectors in it and they too came out clean as a whistle. I haven't used it for much else, but I do like having it.

[HawgRyder]

There are cleaners that vibrate (ultrasonic) and some that heat and vibrate.
There are also water soluable solutions and chemical solutions to put in the tanks.
Be careful in choosing the solution you use....also the amount of heat.
With so many choices available...you should do some investigating before buying a cleaner...and check to make sure the tank will use you choice of chemical.
Other than that...yup...they work like a charm with the right choices.
I have used one for years that uses Tri-chlorethelene with heat...it strips grease, paint, and gunk like a charm (just be careful not to inhale the fumes).
Bob

[Fishcop]

Originally Posted by HawgRyder

Tri-chlorethelene with heat...it strips grease, paint, and gunk like a charm (just be careful not to inhale the fumes).
Bob

Or inhale the fumes and enjoy the ride... Pretty sure trichlor used to be an anaesthetic

[Tippy]

We use them at work with a soapy solution. Believe it or not, it strips grease and oils off nuts and bolts but doesn't really knock off dirt.

Really weird, should be the opposite IMO.

[Tippy]

One caveat, ultrasonics can damage parts if they vibrate at the resonance of a parts parent metal.

I wouldn't put critical parts in one unless I knew for sure it will not damage.

We knew of another site who left an aircraft part in one overnight and it disintegrated (sp?) it.

[304065]

I have a little one and it isn't worth it. The big industrial ones are $$$ and they work.

[rolls 912]

How littles little? I saw a 5l one on eBay....

[billjam]

I bought one on eBay for cleaning injectors. Worked really well and cost abot $40 if I recall. The tank holds about half a litre - that's how little!
I guess it depends on what you are trying to clean.

[Mavitec]

What type of chemical are you using to clean injectors because they usually say no petrol base chemical in ultrasonic cleaner.

Mavitec

[billjam]

Originally Posted by Mavitec

What type of chemical are you using to clean injectors because they usually say no petrol base chemical in ultrasonic cleaner.

Mavitec

Caltex Techron fuel injector cleaner. Don't know for sure if it is petroleum based, but certainly feels like it is.
I'd post a pic of u/s cleaner but it's on the other side of the country at present. It has a stainless steel bowl, so I don't see what difference it would make if the cleaning medium was water or something else. I used fuel injector cleaner as it seemed a logical medium to use for cleaning injectors - and it worked.
This link from about post 12 might be of interest if you are cleaning CIS injectors.

[SC-targa]

I bought a lab quality unit on ebay shortly after I got my SC. Great for cleaning injectors and motorcycle carbs. My wife likes it for cleaning jewelry too.

Crest and Branson used to be good ones.

Regards,

Jerry

[quattrorunner]

It's like everything else. Even the name brands have crappy ones.

[quattrorunner]

It's like everything else. Even the name brands have crappy ones. It's complicated till you get into the item specs. Also you can test one with a sheet of aluminum foil. It puts holes in it if it's working so keep that in mind.

[willtel]

I missed out on a monster unit on Craigslist in Atlanta for $1400. It was big enough for a case and the original price on it was like $28k. Probably for the best as I have no space for it.

[rolls 912]

Well I bought a yum cha cheapo one just to give it a try. Cleaned up my old clock mechanism a treat!