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Ultrasonic cleaner recommendation

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  • January 4, 2020 at 2:04 pm #30384
    Xenophon2

    Any recommendations for a GOOD ultrasonic cleaner?  For 3 years I was blessed with the use of a 6-liter unit that was discarded and auctioned off by a lab, I got it for a song.  Used it to clean chains, cassettes and the likes.  Terrific results, everything came out looking like new and spotless.  Then the heating element died and in doing so it fried 2 of the transducers.  Can’t be repaired and just yesterday I found out that the same model new costs over 1500 Euro (!).

    On amazon I see plenty of Chinese models costing about 100 Euro but surely there must be a performance difference….  Am willing to spend about 250 Euro/200 GBP on it.  Should be 6 liter, stainless steel chamber, basket and have heating capacity for the detergent.  

    Any recommendations?

     

     

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  • January 14, 2020 at 2:20 am #954479
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    ktache

    I had the original chain on

    I had the original chain on my 92 marin palasades break quite quickly, probably shimano and me changing under load.  Went to Sachs Sedis and never had a chain break, did have a 9 speed quick link go a few years back, good bike so had probably been removed too many times for cleaning the rest of the drivetrain.

    When I could no longer get quality Sram 8 speed chains for my commuter I gave KMC chains a go, they still make a large range for variety of systems.  I decided to follow their advice and not use my chain scrubber and solvent degreaser.  It has not seemed to have had a noticable decrease or increase in chain life.  What it did do was make my life a great deal simpler.  I still give it a really good wipe before lubing, several times a week when needed, with a very good wipe and flossing at the weekend, thick Finish Line cross country lube too.  Then rather than using the scrubber every few weeks, you know when you give the chain a quick twist and it sound grindy, just a lube, and because the chain is not stripped no need for the double application.  Quick wipe later and off.

    The KMC doesn’t seem to do the grindy when twised thing either, maybe the good original lube really does stay where it is meant to.  They could be right and stripping it does allow dirt in with the fresh lube.

    And much less desire to do the strip down drivetrain clean every so often because the chain is not sparkly clean now.  You know on a grubby cassette and jockeys.

    Still scrubbing the 9 speed Sram on the good bike, and they have cut the top end 9 speed chains from their range, with regular strip downs, XTR and all that.  Never stays clean anyway, nature of off road riding.

    The single speed KMC on the new Rohloff build stays one hell of a lot cleaner, and so much easier to clean, single sprocket at the back.  Lumps of mud can actually stick to the outside, no jockeys to grind it in.  All further from the filth too.

    January 10, 2020 at 1:23 pm #954477
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    Dingaling
    Jimmy Walnuts wrote:
    vonhelmet wrote:
    As for Campag and their eleventy billion pound pin peening tools… nope.

     

    I’ve never met anyone who owns one. When I used to fit the pins I used Lezyne’s 15 quid tool.

    We should meet and close the gap in your experience. During a moment of temporary insanity I bought the campag chaintool and a few pins. I have always enjoyed having the right tools for a job and I have very few that haven’t paid for themselves (most of them several times over) but the chaintool is one of them.

    January 10, 2020 at 12:50 pm #954475
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    Biggie Smells
    vonhelmet wrote:
    As for Campag and their eleventy billion pound pin peening tools… nope.

     

    I’ve never met anyone who owns one. When I used to fit the pins I used Lezyne’s 15 quid tool.

    January 10, 2020 at 12:32 pm #954473
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    vonhelmet

    In 6 years of riding I’ve

    In 6 years of riding I’ve never had any problems with KMC links.  I have, however, once snapped a Shimano chain which I can only assume broke at the stupid break off pin that they provide.  Now sure, maybe if it was “properly installed” it wouldn’t have broken, but I’m by no means ham fisted so if getting it “properly installed” is beyond me I’ll just stick to the quick links.  As for Campag and their eleventy billion pound pin peening tools… nope.

    January 10, 2020 at 12:16 pm #954471
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    Secret_squirrel

    I snapped a chain in the

    I snapped a chain in the worst possible way…

    Many years back a I re-used a shimano 10  speed chain that I had split and rejoined.  I forget why – I think it was maybe my first 10sp experience.  That chain snapped on the way to the LBS on a test ride, and as best as I could reconstruct the plates had splayed apart and got jammed in the mech.

    Pretzeled the XTR rear mech cage and the non-replaceable ritchey hooded dropout on my MTB.   Fortunately it was steel frame so after much ££ I was able to get it all fixed.

    A thing you only ever do once though…

    January 10, 2020 at 12:02 pm #954469
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    Nick T

    Depends how it snaps. If it’s

    Depends how it snaps. If it’s bent itself wider than the chain and you put 800w on the crank arm, it’ll bring your mech with it as it goes round 

    January 10, 2020 at 9:56 am #954467
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    srchar

    I managed to break a KMC

    I managed to break a KMC quick link, but it was years old and had probably been through at least 20 open-close cycles. I’ve also snapped a Shimano Ultegra 6600 chain at a factory-joined link too – just goes to show that nothing lasts forever.

    I don’t understand how a snapped chain would take out your mech and wheel though. The only time I’ve ever seen that happen was when a mate’s (Canyon) derailleur hanger failed.

    January 10, 2020 at 8:27 am #954465
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    Nick T
    Jimmy Walnuts wrote:
    A KMC quick-link is just as good. 

    I wouldn’t say they’re just as good, but they’re probably good enough. You’ve not had one one fail yet but they do fail regularly enough, you can find plenty of evidence with a quick search online, and when they do there’s the risk that it’ll take your rear mech, rear wheel, or both, with it when it goes. I don’t think there’s ever been a reported failure of a properly installed pin. 
     

    I’ll have those spare pins off you if they’re going begging though! 

    January 9, 2020 at 9:25 pm #954463
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    Nick T

    I only ever use the pin 

    I only ever use the pin 

    January 9, 2020 at 9:23 pm #954461
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    Biggie Smells

    Hmm, that was back in 2010

    Hmm, that was back in 2010 when Campagnolo had just released 11-speed and it was all shiny and new. I don’t know anyone who still uses the 11-speed pin on their Campagnolo chain these days. The first thing I do is throw the wee pin bag in the workshop drawer! A KMC quick-link is just as good. 

     

    Nice to read that Zinn uses ProGold ProLink though. I use it all year round.

    January 9, 2020 at 9:05 pm #954459
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    Nick T

    It says it on that bit of

    It says it on that bit of paper with every new chain that you chuck away, here’s a website though – skip to the bottom

     

    https://www.campagnolo.com/UK/en/CampyWorld/Corporate/installation_of_campagnolo_11s_chains

     

    they say it because removing a chain for cleaning isn’t necessary, and it’s technically unsafe – the chain is designed with a specific open pair of plates with the tag attached, this is the only one that will correctly mate with the peened rivet they provide. When installed correctly there is no weak link in the chain, unlike with speed links etc. Here’s Lennard Zinn on the subject too

     

    https://www.velonews.com/2010/03/technical-faq/technical-faq-maintaining-an-11-speed-chain_108165

    January 9, 2020 at 7:30 pm #954457
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    Biggie Smells
    Nick T wrote:
    Campag don’t advise chain removal so I leave everything on the bike when cleaning and I still get several years of use out of them before the need to replace

     

    I’ve never seen that mentioned myself (got a link?) but if they’re stating that then it’s to sell more chains – just like KMC and their quick-links.

     

    I’ve been riding bikes fitted with Campagnolo for a hell of a long time (I have five ranging from Record, SR and Record EPS right now) and I’ve been removing Campagnolo chains to give them deep cleans using a tried and tested two-stage cleaning process (degreaser then white spirit) with zero issues to function and longevity.

    January 8, 2020 at 1:08 pm #954455
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    hawkinspeter

    Awavey wrote:

    Awavey wrote:
    srchar wrote:

    StraelGuy wrote:
    I don’t bother anymore, simply not worth it.

    Same here. Plus, my commuter, which is the bike that sees all the crud, is fitted with Veloce; a new 10-speed chain only costs £11. I used to faff around rotating chains at 1,500km, but life’s too short.

    I always remember being told by a grizzled old cyclist if you think you need to sonic clean your chain, actually you’ve left it too late to clean it already.So I just de-grease,wipe excess muck off it and replace as a consumable as needed

    Ironically, I only used mine on brand new unused chains.

    January 8, 2020 at 12:18 pm #954453
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    Awavey

    srchar wrote:

    srchar wrote:

    StraelGuy wrote:
    I don’t bother anymore, simply not worth it.

    Same here. Plus, my commuter, which is the bike that sees all the crud, is fitted with Veloce; a new 10-speed chain only costs £11. I used to faff around rotating chains at 1,500km, but life’s too short.

    I always remember being told by a grizzled old cyclist if you think you need to sonic clean your chain, actually you’ve left it too late to clean it already.So I just de-grease,wipe excess muck off it and replace as a consumable as needed

    January 8, 2020 at 11:26 am #954451
    0
    cougie

    https://www.youtube.com/watch

     

    DIY for next to nothing !

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