Anyone use smaller ultrasonic cleaners?

[ryan]

Thinking of getting a smaller ultrasonic cleaner to use for cleaning parts instead of a parts washer. Going to be cleaning and rebuilding some of the smaller LS parts (like fuel injectors) and it seems like it might be reasonably handy and cost effective ($100 for a smaller one at HF).

I've never used them outside of a lab type situation, so I'm having trouble wrapping my head around it and whether it would be useful. I don't want the size and the mess of a traditional parts washer.

 

[Shran]

This is the one I have - it's way bigger than the ones from Harbor Freight and priced right I think:

https://www.amazon.com/CO-Z-Ultrasonic-Cleaning-Cavitation-Professional/dp/B08LG429PC?tag=959media-20

I'm really happy with it. I use 75% Pinalen/25% water. I use it almost exclusively for carburetors and it works GREAT for that. Nasty greasy stuff like wheel bearings go in the normal parts washer. I don't think I'd even try doing those in the ultrasonic... unless they were in a separate container of solvent, floating in the ultrasonic... they would make a mess of it REAL fast. I have to drain & refill my normal parts washer about once a year and it always has at least 1/2" of crap on the bottom.

This is a good video on how to clean stuff in a separate container that floats in the ultrasonic bath. It probably would not be ideal for big items but little stuff, no prob.

 

[scotts90ranger]

I have the 10L version of that and it's great, sometimes I wish I went with the 15L but it's better than the 6L that HFT has, my boss has that size and it's limiting.

I agree with Shran above, for the most part I just use water and some Dawn to break the surface tension but I happened upon some powdered ultrasonic solvent stuff so I'm trying that...

 

[ryan]

I have the 10L version of that and it's great, sometimes I wish I went with the 15L but it's better than the 6L that HFT has, my boss has that size and it's limiting.

I agree with Shran above, for the most part I just use water and some Dawn to break the surface tension but I happened upon some powdered ultrasonic solvent stuff so I'm trying that...

What does he end up not being able to do in it? I'm so hesitant to get a large one because of the cost. But I can also see this being the kind of thing you find more and more uses for the more you use it

 

[fastpakr]

I’ve had one from harbor freight for probably twenty years or more. It works great, but it’s definitely a little on the small side.

 

[Shran]

What does he end up not being able to do in it? I'm so hesitant to get a large one because of the cost. But I can also see this being the kind of thing you find more and more uses for the more you use it

In my case depth is an annoying limitation. I can just barely fit a disassembled 2bbl carb in it. You'd think 15L would be way more than enough but it gets cramped. I had a little one before that I never used because it barely fit a motorcycle carb, fully submerged. I would like to have the 30L version but the cost is prohibitive for how much I use it.

Get a heated one regardless of size. 30 minutes heated @ 175* in mine is the same as several hours cold.

 

[JoshT]

I have.the little harbor freight that I've used a few times, and the bigger HF that I haven't used yet.

The little one works, but I recommend spending the extra $50 to go with the large one or bigger. Problem is the plastic on the little one is acceptable to solvents that you may want to use. It's also too small for even an ATV carburetor.

Bought the larger one when it was on sale over summer to deep clean a revolver that was too big/long to fit in the little one. Still not sure if the bigger one is large enough, other stuff came up and that got pushed to the side.

If I were buying now, based on the price and positive review here, I'd probably buy the one @Shran linked instead of the large HF unit. Still might of the revolver doesn't fit when I get back around to it.

 

[scotts90ranger]

Yeah, I got a generic Amazon unit, I wanted knobs instead of digital... I always just set mine at 140 degrees instead of maxed out but yeah, heat helps a lot.

Back when I got min the 15L weren't that common and were much more of a price difference than there is now.

They're silly handy, I've fit some smaller 4bbl carbs in mine, sometimes you have to do one side then the other but it works... I've started using it for all sorts of stuff like cleaning dirty tools like random yardsale files and stuff, change found in junkyards, it'll sit for a few months then I'll just find things to use it for... an advantage of just using a like an ounce of dawn is it's cheap to just dump when it gets murky