Harold74

I'm going to try my hand at doing some ultrasonic cleaning of bike parts including:

1) Components of vintage bikes that I tinker with.

2) Cleaning of my modern bikes in some cases.

3) Maybe chain cleaning.

I'm currently considering the cleaner shown below and described in greater detail here: H&B Ultrasonic Cleaner.

Before I pull the trigger, does anyone have any recommendations with respect to what Ultrasonic Cleaner would be ideal?

As I see it, the main limitation with the H&B model is that the size of its tank would not permit me to clean a crank or large chainring. That said:

1) I don't know that I need to be able to clean cranks and chainrings ultrasonically. I can clean them fairly well by conventional methods and they're just going to get dirty again quickly anyhow.

2) The cost differential in going from a small tank to a tank large enough to handle cranks and chainrings is pretty significant. So too is the space implications of storing such a thing.

jiangshi

Harbor Freight sells identical unit for $75

79pmooney

There was a thread on this a couple of years ago that went on several pages. Might be worth a quick search.

davester

I have that same unit but under a different brand name. I think it was less than $100. Look around and you'll find the same unit selling under a bunch of different names. They are all the same and work fine.

soyabean

Ultrasonic cleaners are like ebikes.

You need to own your 1st one before you know what you like and want for the next one

jiangshi

I was on my phone when I posted above, and didn't see you were in the GWN. In Snow Pesos, I'm sure the price will be higher, and no Harbor Freight up there.

streetsurfer

That size/model has worked fine for me with bike parts - also gets used for carb parts, jewelry, razors and knives, skate bearings.

A tip I received and have appreciated is to also get a set of Corning beakers for small parts.

panzerwagon 

Some related discussion threads:
https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-v...ck-please.html
https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-v...-formulas.html
https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-v...c-cleaner.html
https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-v...s-cleaner.html
https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-v...-formulas.html
https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-v...c-cleaner.html

My tips:

• Get a slightly larger one if possible, with the heating option. Most times the old grease just flakes off in the heated solution.
• Simple Green Aircraft is gentler on aluminium than the regular stuff. Either way, use well-diluted.
• One can reduce waste and tank maintenance by using plain water in the tank, with parts and a small amount of cleaning solution in zip-lock bags. Keeps the grime isolated.
• Beware: screen-printed decals or paint-filled engravings might get loosened or damaged in the process.

obrentharris 

Ultrasonic cleaners are like ebikes; useful in some limited circumstances but not quite living up to the hype.
They will not remove heavy grease and oil deposits unless you fill them with a very strong solvent, but brushing on the same solvent with a toothbrush will do the same job much quicker. The ultrasonic cleaners work nicely for light cleaning of hard-to-reach areas such as the interiors of derailleurs and the nooks and crannies of most pedals, but be sure to re-lube afterwards.
Brent

Macguyver909

I own two different sizes of the "generic" chinese cleaners. "Creworks" is one brand. these are available on Ebay, I have a 2l and a 10l They both do the job quite well, but are noisy and not as good as a Branson. The 2 Liter is about 70$ and the 10 liter is about 130$. They both have heaters and timers and I have been happy with the job they do. The big size is nice for the big stuff, but I use the small one about twice as much, I have also had good results doing parts 1/2 at a time with leaving some areas hanging out of the solution. I use a strong mix of Simple Green, but this will damage aluminium. These typically have a more powerful ultrasonic generator than the jewelry cleaning type.

I think the 2 liter Branson is 400 $ but the advantage is they have a variable frequency that breaks the gunk of better and are tolerable to be around when they are running.

smontanaro 

That's what I have. It's served me well for perhaps ten years, but I think the heater finally gave up the ghost. I can't complain.

pastorbobnlnh 

IMO, humbly speaking, a larger one (with heat), is the better investment.

smontanaro 

You just say that because you have to clean 37 freewheels every day.

bark_eater 

This thread reminded me to test the one that I picked up a while ago. Its a 10l "Vevor".

Its running on the kitchen counter right now and its loud.

It will eat holes in tin foil, and when running there are captivation bubbles that just hang in the tank, so I think its a good idea to shift the parts being cleaned around incase those "harmonic nodes" will erode a surface.

Only real concern I have with this unit is that is seems like the cooling fan might only run with the ultrasonics, so I'm concerned that it will over heat if I just run the heater. in practice I will start with hot water instead of trying to "slow cook" parts.

Test subjects are looking good sofar, but I think this thing has the potential to erode metal off surfaces, so I'm proceeding cautiously.

Harold74

Just poking my head here one last time to thank everyone for their help. I feel that I'm suitably armed to make and intelligent purchase and to get started on my Ultrasonic adventures.

That is something that I had not considered. This will impact my plans regarding seat post, derailleurs etc. And maybe neuter the value of the Ultrasonic Cleaner.

Can you elaborate on what kinds of decals are and are not screen-printed and how I might determine which I have? I feel capable of identifying paint... I think.

panzerwagon 

Differentiating between the various printing types is probably beyond my expertise, but I’m sure the collective BF brains trust can fill us in.

My experience has been anecdotal with certain parts, after which I became wary of immersing anything with lettering I valued. I can’t possibly come up with any sort of rule.

One example was paint-filled flutes of a seatpost flaking out after the ultrasonic cleaner. Another was a very nice pair of shimano 600EX levers with raised lettering (some kind of vinyl decals?) that detached completely.

I’d originally purchased the ultrasonic cleaner for smaller vintage auto parts (disassembled parts of bosch fuel pumps and injection system), but it’s proven far more useful for bicycle components— chainrings, calipers, cups, cones, chains etc.

tiger1964 

With my help, my wife just ordered me the HF unit. Who knew the official gift for a 40th wedding anniversary was "ultrasonic cleaners"? Well, it beats porcelain figurines or whatever Emily Post says --

plonz 

I also use the Harbor Freight version of the one pictured in the first post. Most useful for chains, cogs and bearing sets. Works well on derailleurs and brakes too. Not necessary for cranks IMO but would be nice to have one big enough for chain rings.

I use Branson cleaning solution. Pricey but makes the heavy grease and grime easy to clean off the component after a cycle or two.

merziac

So gonna chime in here with my 2c?

I always use PB Blaster to soak and soften whatever rust, corrosion, scale, grease, grime, etc.

If you soak long enough, usually at least overnight, it will scrub off some with a wire brush.

Then I soak with brake clean.

Then I dump it in a sealed container of Evaporust, this process has always been my go to before Evaporust and I don't have an ultrasonic yet but was advised to do the same if and when I get one.

This process will always improve results no matter what else you do. And you can use some of the other things diluted in the ultrasonic with heavy duty zip locs for better results as well.

And also as always, there is no substitute for elbow grease before, during and after whatever may or may not be working.

The Thin Man 

For those of you that own a higher end ultrasonic cleaner, like a Branson, what model do you own and what are your overall thoughts on it?

If this is overreaching and considered a thread hijack, I have no problem deleting my post.

miamijim

More important is how to use an ultrasonic cleaner. Proper ratio of water and solution is critical as it helps carry the sonic wave. Get it wrong and there are no waves. Parts must not touch. Never rest them in the bare bottom.

Used properly you’ll see tiny bubbles coming off the parts.

Harold74

This is certainly fine by me as the OP. I'd considered asking the same thing and would welcome any advice in this regard.

plonz 

Thanks for the rabbit hole to chase. I’ve never given a 2nd thought to cramming the cleaner full of parts and throwing an arbitrary amount of Branson solution into the mix. The quest for the perfect ultrasonic cleaning cycle… right up there with how much water to add to a 3 egg omelette, the length of time to stir a boulevardier and how loose do I pack a bowl of perique.

What, me obsess?!?!

RCMoeur 

I've been using a Horror Fraught ultrasonic cleaner for about a year now, mostly for cleaning gunked-up Rapidfire shifters. For most other parts, I use a Park brush, 4:1 Oil Eater, and opposable thumbs to get them clean much faster than an ultrasonic, but for items with "hidden gunk" such as Rapidfires, STI brifters, XCT jockey pulleys, raced bearings, etc. I use the ultrasonic as it can clean where I can't reach.

For gunky shifters, I first dismantle them as much as practical to expose the pawls & mechanism, and if I can I place them in a baggie with concentrated cleaner & fill the rest with plain water.

The HFT cleaner I'm using has a 480-second maximum cycle (8 minutes). After each cycle, I use a scribe or awl and try to work the stuck parts, spraying with Clean Streak to help the process along. After the parts move freely, I'll typically put it in for 5 more cycles (40 min) to get as much of the gunk out as possible - experience has cruelly taught me that stopping after only a few passes results in a re-frozen shifter in a month or so. And that's about the time the cleaner lights its error warning in an attempt to say "hey, I'm a household cleaner, not an industrial one - I'm tired, boss" so I have to unplug it for 20-30 minutes before using again.

Did you know the heater can get the water or solution so hot as to melt & warp the plastic basket? Don't ask me how I know this...

When this one dies (and it's already showing its age), I'll probably invest in an industrial-grade one big enough to handle a complete chainring.

madpogue 

I have a CO-Z brand, same as Neal's shown in one of the threads linked above. It's 6L, looks identical to the 6L Harbor Freight job, but I think I paid right around $100 with shipping. So far so good.

As for recipes, I've used Dawn in water, Simple Green diluted and straight, Rock&Roll Miracle Red Degreaser diluted and straight. Done the baggie trick, as well as yogurt or similar tubs. Be judicious using heat with any such plastic container.