Ultrasonic cleaner that's effective and reliable?

October 9, 2020 7:04 PM

Can anyone recommend an ultrasonic cleaner (eyeglasses, jewelry, dental appliances, etc.) that will work for a decently long time and be effective at cleaning?

After seeing a bunch of reviews that led me to believe that most inexpensive/consumer grade ultrasonic cleaners won't last very long, I went ahead and bought one almost at random. It didn't just stop working, though. On the 8th-10th use, I heard some weird noises from its location, and my partner went over and found flames or sparks coming out of the casing. It was also really warm on the bottom / back and smelled like burning plastic.

We're returning it, but now that I've seen what it can do, I want one more than ever.

Does anyone have experience with one that's reliable and durable? Willing to spend a bit more if it's actually good quality.

I'm also totally willing to look at science/engineering supply type vendors if that's the best way to go.

I saw this line that come in 1.3L - 30L sizes and have drains built into them -- any idea if they're any good?

posted by amtho to Science & Nature (5 answers total)

We bought this one in 2017. My selection method was the same as your (picked at random) but it's been reliable. We use it at least every few weeks. It does a fantastic job cleaning.
posted by bluloo at 8:37 PM on October 9, 2020

I'm afraid I don't know about that model or brand.

Another option to consider is getting a used professional lab model on Ebay. It looks like you can find many for under $150 including shipping. I've used a dozen quite old and abused Branson baths and have never heard of a broken one. (Fischer brand, which is probably a re-branding of an existing line sold under another name if you want to dig a bit, also seem to be pretty robust and widely used.) It may be overkill for occasional household use, but it'll work.
posted by eotvos at 10:07 PM on October 9, 2020 [2 favorites]

Sorry - I misspelled the last suggestion in the above comment. I mean "Fisher." Also called Fisher Scientific or Fisherbrand. (It looks like there actually is a Fischer company that makes medical ultrasound hardware, which is unlikely to be helpful.)
posted by eotvos at 10:22 PM on October 9, 2020

It may be worth looking at Rio Grande Jewelry Supply.
posted by sebastienbailard at 2:43 AM on October 10, 2020 [2 favorites]

Response by poster: Relevant details:

--> This is the model I tried

--> I used it for about 10 cycles in 2 days; I'm wondering if I needed to let it rest or cool down or something? Or if I really want something more heavy duty?

Thanks for the responses so far.
posted by amtho at 9:38 AM on October 10, 2020