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Recomendations for Ultrasonic cleaners.
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Rpg
Member
You don't need one. Spend your money on range time and cheap ammo.
venomballistics
Member
I think you would prefer a tumbler over an ultrasonic cleaner, at least at the beginning of the clean brass quest.
I have found that a tumbler works much better than US cleaner. I may not be using the correct solution. My Hornady US cleaner is hands down time consuming and doesn't clean like the tumbler. The cleaner runs for max 480 seconds then it requires reset. I run the tumbler for hours and get better results.
WhitleyStu
Member
As already stated you can clean brass with a tumbler, but if you want the ability to clean other items like guns, knives, weed eater carbs... then stepping up to a little bigger USC would be a wise move. I started out with a small L&R then moved up to a Crest Ultrasonics unit. I can justify the price as I see it as a general cleaning tool as much as a reloading accessory. Also, my wife has very clean rings and diamond earrings, too.
Recomendations for Ultrasonic cleaners
I bought one, beakers and all. What a mistake. A huge hassle, plus the cases were squeaky clean/overly clean. You must lube very well later.
In my humble opinion, Vibrating is the way to go. I can walk away and come back hours later and all is well.
I bought one, beakers and all. What a mistake. A huge hassle, plus the cases were squeaky clean/overly clean. You must lube very well later.
In my humble opinion, Vibrating is the way to go. I can walk away and come back hours later and all is well.
m657
Member
After generally disappointing results from US cleaning of brass, I did a bit of reading on the subject.
While not claiming any special accuracy of conclusion, I left the subject with the impression the reason 'cleaning brass' with US isn't satisfying to most, is the very nature of the concept "cleaning".
Surface debris certainly is gone, and residue of powder/lead etc. What ISN'T gone is "tarnish" that dulls brass and makes it appear 'dirty' even when it is absent surface debris.
Gun parts etc are 'cleaned' with the notion of removing something physical--lead/combustion fouling/various muck. They then are "clean" as the surface of the part is absent that debris and doesn't appear tarnished.
Brass remains with a color variation of 'tarnish' which requires some form of physical scuffing/polishing to remove.
The only 'brass' I've cleaned via US that was satisfactory, was some old nickle cases from my Black Powder days, that actually DID have a crust of stuff.
It's a waste of MY time to use US for brass brass. I use it for other cleaning with good effect though.
My opinion only.
While not claiming any special accuracy of conclusion, I left the subject with the impression the reason 'cleaning brass' with US isn't satisfying to most, is the very nature of the concept "cleaning".
Surface debris certainly is gone, and residue of powder/lead etc. What ISN'T gone is "tarnish" that dulls brass and makes it appear 'dirty' even when it is absent surface debris.
Gun parts etc are 'cleaned' with the notion of removing something physical--lead/combustion fouling/various muck. They then are "clean" as the surface of the part is absent that debris and doesn't appear tarnished.
Brass remains with a color variation of 'tarnish' which requires some form of physical scuffing/polishing to remove.
The only 'brass' I've cleaned via US that was satisfactory, was some old nickle cases from my Black Powder days, that actually DID have a crust of stuff.
It's a waste of MY time to use US for brass brass. I use it for other cleaning with good effect though.
My opinion only.
Save your money.
Ben_hutcherson
Member
I bought one from Harbor Freight. I started out using the RCBS solution, but now typically just use a squirt of Dawn and a pinch of Lemishine. This is not a whole lot different from what's in the commercial solutions, but is a whole lot less expensive. If you do try to use some sort of homebrew solution, be sure that you always include a little bit of detergent as the reduced surface tension of the solution helps the US clean much more efficiently.
As other have said, my brass does generally come out squeaky clean, but not shiny.
Also, I learned the hard way not to let brass sit in the dirty solution for an extended amount of time(like overnight). On the times I've done that, I've ended up with horribly discolored and tarnished brass that would not clean up by any method short of polishing with steel wool. I don't know exactly what's going on, but I suspect that it's related to metal ions in the cleaning solution plating back out onto the brass. Just take your brass out of the solution immediately after running it, and this won't be an issue.
In my quest for clean brass, I've also recently bought a vibratory tumbler which I use after ultrasonically cleaning the brass. This gets rid of the tarnish that the US doesn't do much about.
As other have said, my brass does generally come out squeaky clean, but not shiny.
Also, I learned the hard way not to let brass sit in the dirty solution for an extended amount of time(like overnight). On the times I've done that, I've ended up with horribly discolored and tarnished brass that would not clean up by any method short of polishing with steel wool. I don't know exactly what's going on, but I suspect that it's related to metal ions in the cleaning solution plating back out onto the brass. Just take your brass out of the solution immediately after running it, and this won't be an issue.
In my quest for clean brass, I've also recently bought a vibratory tumbler which I use after ultrasonically cleaning the brass. This gets rid of the tarnish that the US doesn't do much about.
Bkreutz
US Veteran
I started out using a vibratory cleaner with media and polish, worked well enough but noisy and slow (IMO). Then I got an Ultrasonic (Hornady) It cleans well, but still on the slow side for me. I load and shoot a lot of rounds per week (1000-1500). I tried stainless steel pin tumbling in one of the small (Thumbler) type tumbler and was happy with the results but it was taking too much time to clean the 1500 cases a week. Then (after seeing how Jerry Michulek cleans his brass) I made up a tumbler out of a small cement mixer. I clean 3000 cases every 2 weeks and it takes me 1.5 hours (not counting drying time). For me, SS cleaning is the way to go. I still use the ultrasonic cleaner for cleaning metal pistol parts and magazines.
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jmmitc06
Member
Maybe my philosophy on cleaning brass is different but I find that my US gets the brass very clean. No it doesn't remove tarnish and they may not look shiny and new afterwards but it does remove combustion products from within the cases and does a good job cleaning out the primer pockets. To me at least, I don't care if they look nice rather that there isn't debris inside the brass still. Also the US seconds as a gun cleaning tool, its the best thing for cleaning really gunked up old guns, the stuff just comes off.
Now after experimenting I've found that tarnish and some of the poor performance of the US can be mitigated if the heating feature is not used and distilled or deionized water is used instead of tap water. Also, as good as the stock solutions are, simply adding some powdered citric acid from the grocery store to some DI water with a little soap does just as well for alot cheaper.
If you do decide to buy one, I would just get one from harbor freight. There the same units sold by Lyman but without the branding and therefore are much much cheaper.
Now after experimenting I've found that tarnish and some of the poor performance of the US can be mitigated if the heating feature is not used and distilled or deionized water is used instead of tap water. Also, as good as the stock solutions are, simply adding some powdered citric acid from the grocery store to some DI water with a little soap does just as well for alot cheaper.
If you do decide to buy one, I would just get one from harbor freight. There the same units sold by Lyman but without the branding and therefore are much much cheaper.
Buy a Thumler's Tumbler and save money. Thumler's are pricey, but you will only buy ONE. Former proud owner of 3 from Midway and 2 from Harbor Freight.
Thumler's Tumbler Ultra-Vibe 10 Case Tumbler 110 Volt
Thumler's Tumbler Ultra-Vibe 10 Case Tumbler 110 Volt
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I have a Lyman vibrator which I inherited from my father. Has probably cleaned a gazillion pieces of brass over 30 years. I use the crushed walnut with an occasional teaspoon of "Brasso" metal polish. The walnut IMHO cleans better quicker (about a hour or less) and lasts longer than corn cob media. I seldom enter my brass in beauty contests or use as eating utensils. I don't think I'd buy an ultrasonic cleaner unless I had other things to clean that required this method.
Harbor Freight
Use the 25% off coupon and get this one.
Do you really need it? No!
Does it really clean the cases inside and out including primer pocket? Yes!
I use a Lyman tumbler to polish the cases after getting them squeaky clean in the Harbor Freight.
IMO they do not replace each other but rather compliment each other.
Use the 25% off coupon and get this one.
Do you really need it? No!
Does it really clean the cases inside and out including primer pocket? Yes!
I use a Lyman tumbler to polish the cases after getting them squeaky clean in the Harbor Freight.
IMO they do not replace each other but rather compliment each other.
I use a Thumlers Tumbler with stainless steel pins and really like the results. I use a media separator to remove the pins then toss in a couple paper towels to pre wipe them. Then onto a cookie sheet into the dryer on a dryer clothes rack on lowest setting. Then back into the media separator for those pins that never fell out because they were held in by water retention or jammed in primer holes that the expansion has now released.
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But I have also done the soak clean method and stirred with a stick. It goes band the same way and performs fine. The only issue is to pay attention to the primer holes to ensure they are more or less free of debris. I don't remove the cases until the primer holes are close enough for government work for the soak method.
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So you have higher cost of cleaning and lower cost of cleaning to choose from. Sonic is at about the 3/4 to 7/8th mark between the wet tumble and soak method.
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I prefer not to use the vibratory method but that is just me. Many use it and like it.
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But I have also done the soak clean method and stirred with a stick. It goes band the same way and performs fine. The only issue is to pay attention to the primer holes to ensure they are more or less free of debris. I don't remove the cases until the primer holes are close enough for government work for the soak method.
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So you have higher cost of cleaning and lower cost of cleaning to choose from. Sonic is at about the 3/4 to 7/8th mark between the wet tumble and soak method.
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I prefer not to use the vibratory method but that is just me. Many use it and like it.
