Now then

Stepping up my garage nerd game, just wondered if anyone has an ultrasonic cleaner? What size did you go for, do you use it much? And if so, any tips/advice?

I want one to do normal bike stuff like chains and cassettes, but also for use on motorbike bits cleaning up old carbs and so on

Ta

I got a small one a few years back, you could just get a 36t cassette in it. Pretty much a waste of time. Would to be significantly bigger and probably heated to be effective. Those were a lot more expensive.

Yep – the ones I’m looking at are heated. Did you use a detergent or just water?

Work kindly bought this one for doing work stuff in:

Comes in very handy for doing bike parts too…One bonus of starting at 6am 😉

Can’t recall what size I have but I have one. It’s heated and was about fifty notes.

They’re great for carbs and various bike bits, also great for router cutters with resin build up.

I use carb cleaner in mine and then a citrus degreaser sometimes.

If I had a really mucky chain I’d pre clean it first. It’s better at deep, intricate cleaning rather than where a jet wash might be quicker.

I rarely use mine but that’s just circumstance. It’ll be great again when I need it.

You can do jewellery and all sorts too.

Cleaning chains? Isn’t everyone using Putoline now?

As said it’s good for deep intricate stuff, I can’t think of anything you would need it for save for suspension or brake components.

They’re bloody noisy though and pretty fragile if you forget to put water in (or even if you don’t). The industrial sized one at work probably breaks down once a year or so and it only gets used twice a week.

Well, yesterday I bit the (well cleaned) bullet and ordered this

https://www.allendale-ultrasonics.co.uk/1-3-litre-digital-ultrasonic-cleaner-tank-with-heated-bath-220v

First job will be cleaning all the carb parts off my neighbours Bandit 1200 that I’m recommissioning for him so we’ll see how good a job we can do of that. I’m also going to do all my cassettes and chains so I’ll report back on my findings.

I am such a nerd…

Good for lots of things but exercise caution. The cleaning solution you find effective for your chain will probably dull/strip anodising in a few minutes. Not the correct or best tool for degreasing transmission parts or anything anodized. Go easy on carb bodies too as powerful degreasers will discolour the alloy double quick to an ash grey finish.

Theres a bit of a learning curve with these things as to duration, heat & the best solution for the job. For light cleaning a bit of fairy liquid works ok. For grotty transmission parts a dilute high strength degreaser & a dishwasher tablet gets most of the clag shifted.

Used to use one at work, to get the last 0.01g of contaminants off a clean sample.

Used to take most of the day running it to clean itself to prove that it was actually cleaner than the parts. I’d have been shot if I put a chain in it!

Not the correct or best tool for degreasing transmission parts or anything anodized.

Out of interest – what would be the correct/best tool for this?

Out of interest – what would be the correct/best tool for this?

You’d probably be better with just a normal parts cleaner, one of those bowls with a little gun and a pump that recirculates the degreaser.

Ultrasonics are good for delicate things like carbs that get gummed up and need soaking / agitating to break up the varnish that forms when fuel evaporates, or where you can’t get to the insides easily. And where you want to get things really clean (like the inside of carbs or injectors).

For a Chain and cassette, you really just want to blast the crap off it. As soon as you take it outside it’s going to get dirty, there really isn’t any point in getting it that clean!

If you were regularly stripping brake calipers on bikes it might be useful for cleaning the bodies, but even then for one off’s you can just use a can of brake cleaner to flush out any dirt.

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Not the correct or best tool for degreasing transmission parts or anything anodized.

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Out of interest – what would be the correct/best tool for this?

Probably a degreasing bath & solvent that can be properly recycled. The kind of thing that’s got a basin & brush connected up via a pump.

Not the correct or best tool for degreasing transmission parts or anything anodized

Washing up liquid, a tooth brush and a old rag has been enough for me.

Regarding cleaning, I saw a good video about keep ultrasonic cleaners from turning into a sludgy mess. The summary was to put the components to be cleaned into another container filled with solvent, which are then placed into the cleaner. The filth then gets contained in the container which can be easily cleaned / discarded, without needing to ever clean the actual cleaner itself.

Waiting for a workshop revamp, but will definitely be looking out for one of these, so interested in people’s feedback…

Regarding cleaning, I saw a good video about keep ultrasonic cleaners from turning into a sludgy mess. The summary was to put the components to be cleaned into another container filled with solvent, which are then placed into the cleaner. The filth then gets contained in the container which can be easily cleaned / discarded, without needing to ever clean the actual cleaner itself.

Even better, just get a probe you can suspend in a beaker and wipe off afterwards.

But even so, I still think it’s the wrong tool for the job. Ultrasonic cleaning is for stuff that you’re then going to handle/assemble in a clean room. The chain on your bike does not need (and can’t really ever be) that clean.

Yup, we use them at work for pump gland cooling water mesh strainer baskets.

I put a couple of cast aluminium stems in that I was cleaning up to examine for a project and utterly ruined the surface, I think I actually dissolved some of it as they appeared (even) more porous when I was done. That was using an industrial solvent.

In short, be very very careful.