Hi everyone, I finally broke down and admitted that I need an ultrasonic cleaner. There are a lot of brands, a lot of reviews, and a lot of opinions out there. I have looked at Rio, Otto Frei, and Stuller. I just want a small one, but I want to spend enough so I won’t have to buy another one ever, but don’t want to spend too much. Just occasional use. Any brand recommendations? Any brands to stay away from? Thanks much!
Bernie
Been using Ultra CR for about 25 years now. Works great and is gentle on all stones. There really isn’t many stones that I don’t put in it for cleaning. No ammonia so there is no cent to it.
Hi,
so when you say it is gentle for all stones, may i assume you are referring to the CR solution itself, and not necessarily the ultrasonic machine with its heat and cavitation options turned on…,which can damage stones, yes?
one piece of advice that i have found helpful was that i should not expect more from a tool/ equipment than it is designed to do…and that i should polish in such a was as to have the least amount of residual compound on the piece, prior to ultrasonic/ heated solution
also, i highly recommend a good steamer…blows off residue, dries piece instantly …i only have experience with reimers steamer…
i have had good luck with this ultra sonic…it is small (1 quart/ 4 cups), not too pricey…i have 2…one for pre-polish compounds, and one for final polish compounds…small is better for me because i like to change solution often, when there is a lot of compound in suspension…
julie
Hi Julie, how long have you been using the Diamondback. I saw that one, but it says this in the description: “This item is designed for light-duty use; for consistent results in a heavy-duty use environment, we recommend ultrasonic cleaners made by Sharpertek or Elma.” So, it scared me away. Thanks
Bernie
Larger units make a louder buzzing sound so I’ve always wondered if they are more powerful and work faster, or if a larger unit just needs more power to get the same result in a larger volume of solution. ???
Rather than filling the ultrasonic with solution I fill my small one with plain water and put a glass beaker of cleaning solution into the water. I have ultrasonic’ed pieces in pickle that way. I’m not saying that’s a good idea, but I do it on occasion. Having a few beakers on hand is not too onerous.
Rio sold blue plastic stoppers for their beakers and maybe the material has changed, but mine softened too much and drop into the beakers. A better solution to that would be nice.
Hi Bernie,
my first 2 units lasted probably 10-12 years…then one of them wasnt heating up past like 45 degrees F, so i replaced that one about 5-6 years…
i haven’t had the opportunity to compare it to a larger $300-500+ machine…so i couldn’t say if my smaller one is not as effective…but then again, i don’t go into it with heavily compounded pieces…
i think it is stronger than the smaller “jewelry cleaner type ultrasonic cleaners”…?
i didn’t wanna plop down $500 for a bigger one…
oh…and it’s just me and not heavy duty usage!
my thinking is that if i don’t go into it heavily caked with compound…the heated solution does alot to soften the compound residue, and the ultrasonic just sort of microscopically knocks it off…like poof clouds into the solution…i am not trying to aggressively knock the compound off…
if i do have a caked on spot, i will go into the heated solution without cavitation first, to let it soften up first and make it easier to poof off…
also..:keep in mind…a lot of compound, in held suspension in the solution, can agitate on the surface of the piece too
a steamer is one of those things you don’t know how you lived without, until you have one, especially for instantly drying a piece…no water spots…no scratches from wiping/ touching…
(i do not like the steam on demand type…i like control if my steam output…i prefer a boiler type steamer…like reimers…
julie
Would denture cleaning gadgets work?
I don’t use my ultrasonic cleaner a lot. When I do, it is typically to clean up shop worn pieces that are being cleaned in batches. I sometimes will use it to clean polishing compound out from deep spots that I can’t reach with a toothbrush or toothpick. I do a lot of pre-polish work and this has reduced the amount of actual compound that I have to use. There are also compounds that are easier than others to dissolve and remove such as the LUXI line. I still just use tripoli and rouge. Goop without pumice does a good job of dissolving polishing dirt and I use that more than anything after polishing. It also cleans my hands, which is what it is designed for. My first ultrasonic cleaner was a small low priced model that didn’t work well. I finally did an aluminum foil test and only found a couple of spots that were actually working. I then bought a Best Built model (2 quart I think) and it works a lot better. I also bought a steamer that doesn’t get used much at all. It does a great job of cleaning faceted stones and their settings, but I don’t do that kind of work much. It probably belongs in my never used tool museum. I guess that my suggestion is to not buy a small capacity cleaner just because you don’t make a lot of jewelry. Spend some money on it. You get what you pay for doesn’t always apply, but I think that it does when you are buying an ultrasonic cleaner. Also be sure to buy the cleaning compound made for it. Finally, you have to remember to turn it on when you walk into your shop, not when you need it. If I remembered to do this, I might use it more. I hope this helps and good luck…Rob
I’ve been using a 2.6 quart ultrasonic from perrin, which was on the less expensive side but still had a heater function. I’ve only had it for about 6 months but I’m really pleased with it so far. I use magic green cleaner from stuller which is an incredible cleaning mix.
