Ultrasonic Cleaner Questions???

[popeye]

Looking to buy an Ultrsonic Cleaner. A friend is selling his. It has around 2.75 gallon capacity, with 200 watts outage. It does not have a heater. Will this work to clean clock parts? Is a heater necessary? I think he mentioned it cleaned medical equipment, but he used it for clock parts. Will I be happy with this? Thanks.

 

[deena]

Popeye, are the 200 watts the output or PEAK output? A comparable sized ultrasonic by L&R has a peak output of 720 watts and is fan cooled. One by Sonix has 860 peak watts, and 200 output watts. I am not sure if the watts are the most important number or the frequency which is 60KHZ for Sonix and 43KHZ for the L&R machine. Either way, you are talking about spending over $700. even without a heater.
I have the L&R 280 with drain hose (I like that), and heater. I am happy with it. I do use the heater, but I don't think it is a must have. On a large tank like yours and mine it takes some time for 2 1/2 gallons to even heat up a whole lot.
Does your unit come with the basket? They are expensive to buy, so figure that into the price.
I would think that a medical cleaning machine would work just as well for clock cleaning.
Occasionally you come across a used one at auction but you never know if the transducer is shot until you get it home.....at least you know who you are buying from.

 

[Tom Kloss]

My Ultrasonic Cleaner has a switchable heater. Desirable but, in my opinion, not necessary. Size is the important thing. And, as deena says the baskets are pricey. If you do any quantity of movements their wort th investment.

Tom

[colour=blue]“Sometimes you really don’t know if your being rewarded or punished”[/colour]

 

[bangster]

The aluminum foil test should give you some info about the condition of the transducer. Lay a piece of foil in the bottom of the tank, and run it. Pinholes should appear in the foil.

 

[terofpa]

Bangster is right. I once got an ultrasonic tester from L&R that amounted to a very thin piece of aluminum foil glued to a plastic frame. (It was thinner than any off the shelf foil) The tester was placed into the cleaner and if the foil got pin holes or ripped then the cleaner was working.

I have a 450 watt, 3 gallon ultrasonic cleaner with heat that was army surplus and that will dissolve Renolds Heavy Duty foil.

ter

 

[Kevin W.]

Sounds like a good buy, from someone you know.You could heat up your cleaning solution before putting it into the tank.
I looked at some used medical cleaners online and they were quite pricey, even used.

 

[David Robertson]

The aluminum foil test should give you some info about the condition of the transducer. Lay a piece of foil in the bottom of the tank, and run it. Pinholes should appear in the foil.

Popeye,

Please be sure there is also liquid in the tank when you do this test...

Probably something you know.. but I would rather insult your intelligence than have you ruin an ultrasonic.

 

[Thyme]

The aluminum foil test should give you some info about the condition of the transducer. Lay a piece of foil in the bottom of the tank, and run it. Pinholes should appear in the foil.

Popeye,

Please be sure there is also liquid in the tank when you do this test...

Probably something you know.. but I would rather insult your intelligence than have you ruin an ultrasonic.

Actually, you won't even need the aluminum foil. Simply put about 1/4" of water in the tank and start it up. You should see that water bubbling, spurting and looking very agitated and wavy.

 

[bangster]

Or put a frog in. Turn it on. See what happens.

 

[deena]

Wow Bangster, I can't believe you said that. That's almost as bad as my daughter's boyfriend having a 'fighting beta' event this weekend.
His friends are bringing their betas over to see which one is toughest. They have been in training all week which amounts to sitting their jars side by side so the fish can stare at each other and get ticked off.

Anyway, Popeye, did you get the ultrasonic yet?

 

[DC Kelley]

I think you can do fine without the heater. My own ultrasonic is of the "general" type, it has a heater and a timer, but in retrospect it is too small to hold a large clock frame. If I did it over again, I would get a bigger size. I justify it by cleaning all sorts of non-clock things and at times the heat is needed (but not with ammonia based solvents, you really don't want to breath the stuff). Just be sure to invest in some good steel baskets for parts holding and you should be fine.

 

[Thyme]

Wow Bangster, I can't believe you said that. That's almost as bad as my daughter's boyfriend having a 'fighting beta' event this weekend.
His friends are bringing their betas over to see which one is toughest. They have been in training all week which amounts to sitting their jars side by side so the fish can stare at each other and get ticked off.

Well, that's a lot better than putting them in they same bowl...

Or, are you suggesting that is what their ultimate intent is?

 

[deena]

Wow Bangster, I can't believe you said that. That's almost as bad as my daughter's boyfriend having a 'fighting beta' event this weekend.
His friends are bringing their betas over to see which one is toughest. They have been in training all week which amounts to sitting their jars side by side so the fish can stare at each other and get ticked off.

Well, that's a lot better than putting them in they same bowl...

Or, are you suggesting that is what their ultimate intent is?

I am ashamed to admit that I think they are all going to have a chance in the ring with each other......:l

 

[terofpa]

Wow Bangster, I can't believe you said that. That's almost as bad as my daughter's boyfriend having a 'fighting beta' event this weekend.
His friends are bringing their betas over to see which one is toughest. They have been in training all week which amounts to sitting their jars side by side so the fish can stare at each other and get ticked off.

Anyway, Popeye, did you get the ultrasonic yet?

Get your daughter away from this nut! People who abuse animals often are abusive to humans. JMHO

What does he do when bored, stomp puppies?

ter

 

[deena]

I carefully considered your comment and called to check on the beta match. It seems the participants have become attached to their betas after a week of training. Now they want to have a 'strong fish' contest and the fish with the best overall physic wins. I am not sure if the prize is a ceramic fish maze to challenge their swimming abilities or a bag of colorful marbles for the bottom of the bowl.
Glad I called.
So what about the ultrasonic Popeye, did you decide to buy?

 

[Mike Phelan]

What is a "beta", Deena? All I can find on google is various "British Association" acronyms.

 

[Tom Kloss]

What is a "beta", Deena? All I can find on google is various "British Association" acronyms.

Mike, Google "fighting fish".

Tom

[colour=blue]“Sometimes you really don’t know if your being rewarded or punished”[/colour]

 

[Mike Phelan]

Thanks, Tom!
Now I see - betta splendens
We used to breed and sell tropical fish, and have had bettas, but I never knew that anyone actually used Siamese Fighters to fight with!!

Inclined to agree with Ter on that count - it's why pit bull terriers have been banned here.

You certainly live and learn.

 

[deena]

Mike, TJ is correct. When you go into a store and see those fish that sit in the bowl all alone, and looking bored, they are betas.
I think the betas in question have now been elevated to a status equal to celebraties.
The fight is off and they are being judged on looks. One is a 'crown tail' and I think he(she) will be the winner. Now the owners are looking for nicer bowls to keep them in, with colored stones.
Gee maybe this thread should be moved to an aqua lovers message board.
Too ease your minds, daughter's boyfriend has a little Jack Russel terrier that he is nuts over. Takes him riding, camping, trips to grandma's house, and he has his own box of toys. Goes to the groomers for haircuts and is generally spoiled. Soon as he sees my house he goes nuts because he knows he can play with my dogs and also bark at the cat.

We never did hear if Popeye got the Ultrasonic. I for one, would like to know what he decided!

 

[harold bain]

Deena, betas (Siamese fighting fish) are very interesting fish. They are air breathers, and will die in an aquarium that is too deep. The male builds a nest of bubbles for the eggs, brings the female close enough to the nest, then squeezes eggs out of her, while fertilizing them. He then swims down, and catches them in his mouth, and blows them into the nest. When they are done, he will kill the female if she is not taken out. He then looks after the nest and the babies after they hatch. Like CLOCKWORK, he rebuilds the nest to keep the young safe.

 

[Kevin W.]

I am surprised with your fish knowledge Harold.
I just know how to catch Bass.Never knew fish will fight.Well unless you got a big old pike on your line.

 

[Thyme]

Thanks, Tom!
Now I see - betta splendens
We used to breed and sell tropical fish, and have had bettas, but I never knew that anyone actually used Siamese Fighters to fight with!!

Inclined to agree with Ter on that count - it's why pit bull terriers have been banned here.

You certainly live and learn.

Oh Mike,

Tsk, tsk, tsk.

You shoulda known betta.

 

[Mike Phelan]

Mike, TJ is correct. When you go into a store and see those fish that sit in the bowl all alone, and looking bored, they are betas.

Hi Deena
Yes - all is clear now that I know that "betas" are "bettas" - I was thinking that a beta fighter was a sort of second-best alpha fighter, whatever that is/was!!
The ones we had used to droop in a corner except when we had two in adjacent tanks. Beautiful colours, though.

Gee maybe this thread should be moved to an aqua lovers message board.
Too ease your minds, daughter's boyfriend has a little Jack Russel terrier that he is nuts over. Takes him riding, camping, trips to grandma's house, and he has his own box of toys. Goes to the groomers for haircuts and is generally spoiled. Soon as he sees my house he goes nuts because he knows he can play with my dogs and also bark at the cat.

We had a Yorkie for years, and she lived happily with our two cats!

We never did hear if Popeye got the Ultrasonic. I for one, would like to know what he decided!

I would as well - maybe he has, but not tried it yet?
Mine came from a member on here, when it was going to be scrapped, so I needed to repair it and find a source of 117vac.
I only probably repair half a dozen clocks in a year at the most, so the ultrasonic is used for other things as well; it has just cleaned the parts on a turn counter on a coil winder that I am restoring (because there are a few electric clocks with open-circuit coils waiting to be seen to).
There - dragged the thread nicely back on topic now! Over to Popeye.

 

[Mike Phelan]

Thanks, Tom!
Now I see - betta splendens
We used to breed and sell tropical fish, and have had bettas, but I never knew that anyone actually used Siamese Fighters to fight with!!

Inclined to agree with Ter on that count - it's why pit bull terriers have been banned here.

You certainly live and learn.

Oh Mike,

Tsk, tsk, tsk.

You shoulda known betta.

You've been talking to Scottie again, Thyme!

 

[Thyme]

You've been talking to Scottie again, Thyme!

Mike,

Nah, I have my own peculiar form of humor.

I'm probably similarly incorrigible as Scottie is, though.

 

[Mike Phelan]

Me too!