I use this in motorcycle shed to clean parts & it replaced a Harbor Freight unit that looked very similar but this one is quite better. The pump is obviously an upgrade from the old HF unit though the main body is nearly identical save the paint here is much better. Powder Coat I guess. I used a water based solvent, Simple Green's Industrial solution, I mixed it 50/50 to water. Didn't clean very fast so I got a low priced electric griddle at Walmart for about $20. I placed the parts washer atop this, set the heat to a very low control and as soon as the solution warmed up it cleaned so much better than the old petroleum based solutions like Castrol or Safe-T-Kleen. Incredibly fast & effective!!! Plus in past I'd have to wash the petro based cleaner off with a soapy solution. With the Simp Green stuff, it is very water soluable already so a quick hit with the hose does the trick, One Stop Cleaning. There are many water based Degreasing solvents. People don't like them because they don't work well unless warmed up. Take my word here. Get your solution heated up, no more than say 110-120 deg F and it's not too hot to stick your hands right in but will work so much better than your grandpa's solvent or Safe-T-Kleen type chemicals. Great little washer, wish it was bigger but I have so little space now. A real bargin. Read more
So far so good - I'm restoring an old motorcycle and using this to clean up parts that have been sitting for a while. Used Simple Green Aircraft concentrate diluted about 4:1 and left cast aluminum pieces to soak overnight - did a great job. For smaller parts that don't need soaking the flow through brush is very convenient and effective. I like that I can close the lid and have it always at the ready for a quick degrease instead of using spray cans of gunk like I used to - much neater this way. Longevity remains to be seen but what's to say - it's a steel tub with a submerged circulating pump - I would guess the only thing that might wear out will be the pump and it looks like that will be fairly easy to replace. Update 9/23/2020 Don't leave this sitting with solution in it - I left it for a few months (I know, I know - my own fault) with a couple of tool steel blocks in it, resting on the bottom of the tub. When I finally remembered them and tried to take them out I found that they were stuck to the bottom and pulled up some of the paint when I pried them loose. There are now some bare steel spots in the bottom of the tub which I will repaint with Rustoleum after doing some sanding. So I still like it but I don't believe that the tub is actually powder coated but is painted. Use it for a day or two and then drain it and let it dry and it should be fine, but leaving it full with the lid closed is not advised for more than a few days. Speaking of leaving the lid closed I found some rust on the hinge which I think was caused by water vapor in the internal atmposphere of the parts washer - so I'll be leaving the lid open when the washer is not in use. Read more
Good value, but you get what you pay for. Positives: it cleans parts, is small and compact which is ideal for chainsaw parts (my primary use for it) and the flow brush is handy. Negatives: it really needs a filter on the pump, or maybe a drop out where large bits can fall and not be sucked back up. Hose arrangement is wonky, wound up replacing the flex hose and the hose on the brush with a longer unit, and I wish it had a heating element since it can only take water based solvents. I'll add a heater to it eventually though. Would recommend Read more
just the right size and weight, does not use a lot of cleaner that can go to waste and portable enough to carry around easily Read more
I bought this in May of 2021 and have been using it a couple times a week since. It's February, 2022 now. It says it isn't for use with solvents, but I have always used 91% isopropyl alcohol and have had no problems. Today, I went to use it and it was clicking and had very little flow. It turns out, the pump outlet broke. Every time I use it, I clean it out afterwards and bend the hose down so I can close the lid while it's stored. I would imagine that is what ultimately made it break. The pump says it's a submersible fountain pump, so I decided to see if Harbor Freight had something similar which I could use until I could get an exact replacement. I found a 264 GPH pump there and decided to give it a try. Much to my surprise, it turned out to be the exact same pump. The only difference is the color and brand name. Even the front cover from the original fits. It was $22.99, and I paid another $8 for a 2 year extended warranty which I probably will need. This has served me well and I still highly recommend it. I think if it breaks again, I'll modify the outlet so it has some type of rigid support between the pump and the flex hose. For now, I'm just going to install the new pump and get back to work. Read more
After reading comments regarding not being able to control flow/pressure to reduce the "splashing" beyond the tank perimeter I added two items. The first one I installed a 1/4" Loc-Line hose assembly (#40413, comes with different size nozzles) which increased the ID from the OEM line and secondly a petcock valve to act as a relief valve. Which worked out perfectly. I could have just used a "control" valve off the output port of the pump but I decided against that due to the pump's impeller is magnetically driven and I did not want to take a chance that it could slow it down with back pressure. Now with the brush hose assy and the other gooseneck line it gives me many options for cleaning parts. Also, there is no real "filter" on the intake of the pump, it's just a grating. What I did is just placed a Shop-Vac sponge filter around the pump and the tank shelve retains it in position. I am a retired Machine Tool Repair Tech and in my opinion overall a good value. Read more
