Tell me about medium capacity ultrasonic cleaners

[cantunamunch]

Anyone have a unit in the ~3L size they would like to recommend?

9"x 4"x 5" tank size would be about the right fit.

 

[cantunamunch]

Well, given the *crickets*, I'm going for the cheapest unit, never mind digital control or drainage valves.

 

[Seldomski]

Heating is a good feature. What are you cleaning?

 

[cantunamunch]

Vehicle bits, aquarium bits, skate bearings, bicycle/skate parts and non-woven cloth bits

 

[Seldomski]

Drainage valve is nice to have.
Heating is good (speeds up the cleaning with a detergent). You could get around this by heating the water first before pouring it in the basin. The water would stay warm for a while, but not maintain a set point temp.

The one we use is probably $1000-$2000, used in a laboratory. I am guessing your price point is lower?

 

[cantunamunch]

Drainage valve is nice to have.
Heating is good (speeds up the cleaning with a detergent). You could get around this by heating the water first before pouring it in the basin. The water would stay warm for a while, but not maintain a set point temp.

The one we use is probably $1000-$2000, used in a laboratory. I am guessing your price point is lower?

In the size I'm looking at, $250 ish gets me heat and digital timing. Going slightly bigger on size and adding one extra driver doubles the price.

 

[DanoT]

I don't know anything about ultrasonic cleaners but as a guy who years ago used to own a roller skating rink, I do know the best way to clean and lube skate bearings.

We used to use semi precision, open one side bearings and would soak them in carburetor cleaner to remove cheap stock grease or clean old bearings. Engine de-greaser, or any other chemical cleaner that you can think of won't work as well as carb cleaner.

Once they have been soaking for a while in a jar so you can shake it a bit, take out the bearing and tap open face down onto corrugated card board (soaks up the carb cleaner). Then flip the bearings face up and leave to air dry. Couple of drops of Tri-Flo Lubricant per bearing and you now have a set speed tuned bearings that will be very, very fast compared to stock.

 

[Seldomski]

We used to use semi precision, open one side bearings and would soak them in carburetor cleaner to remove cheap stock grease or clean old bearings. Engine de-greaser, or any other chemical cleaner that you can think of won't work as well as carb cleaner.

You can use any solvent you like with an ultrasonic cleaner. I suggest you fill the sonicator with water only and put the nasty part + solvent in a glass beaker (or other glass container) and immerse the beaker into the sonicator water. That way, the sonicator basin stays clean. Your cleanup is limited to a small beaker that has walls that don't get dirty.

Sonicator can rapidly clean any part, including parts with complex internal geometry. For instance, I cleaned an assembled calculator with one of these machines (I did remove the battery first). Solvent was isopropyl alcohol.

 

[oldschoolskier]

Harbour Frieght sells one cheap (even cheaper on sale), heating with timer, no drain. For the price consider it a disposable that may last, while you figure out if it’s what you really need.

So far ours has lasted and it works as well as the higher end units for a ton less money (the longer it lasts that more I smile).