Are sonic cleaners worth the investment over standard brass cleaners? Looking for pros and cons.

There's a whole thread about this from several months ago. Rather than going back and trying to find it, let me say YES! YES! YES! YES! and YES!!

I have the 2.5-litre Harbor Freight one. It cleans the primer pocket out like the case has never been fired. Wash your cases in hot water and dish soap if they have "range dirt" on them. Then resize to knock out the primer. Throw abut 200 of them in and let the thing run for six or seven cycles. The primer pocket should be spittin' clean. If it ain't, just run them through a few more cycles, stirring once or twice as each one counts down. No need to babysit the thing, either. Just set and go off to do other things. Turn it on again when you get back to it. Don't run consecutive 480-second cycles over and over. The literature says it ain't good for the transducer. I just run 380-second ones with the odd 480-second one until they get clean.

I use a solution of 1/3 white vinegar, 2/3 tap water, a squirt of grease-cutting dish detergent like Dawn (or whatever you have) and a half-teaspoon of the powder that is recommended with the thing. I have no idea what it does; I just use it because I would have to drive a 100-mile round-trip to go back and buy it if I needed it and didn't have it. The stuff is just six bucks, so buy it and use it whether it does anything or not.

The word now is that Lemi-Shine is the way to go. The ascorbic acid is better for the brass than the acetic acid in vinegar. I have plenty of vinegar solution mixed up, so I'll use that. And don't throw away the solution once your brass is clean. I siphon mine straight from the cleaner into a jug, let it settle for a few days or a week if I don't clean any in that time-- and use it again. It doesn't seem to weaken. The vinegar acid doesn't seem to evaporate like a petroleum solvent would. I'm happier than a pig in (you know) with mine. Best thing I ever bought for my reloading adventures. If you have time, look up the thread about them. I think it was two or three months ago. It's quite lengthy and informative. As a last word: I love mine.

The picture below is from another website. I don't remember which one but the info is good, nonetheless.

I have a pretty nice Crest brand US cleaner, and I bought it for cleaning brass.

I've since gone another direction.
http://forums.accuratereloadin...2511043/m/2281046731

I still use the US for cleaning firearms parts, dies, etc... but the SS media and tumbler provide the cleanest brass.

Hey Homebrewer, just to clarify, Lemishine is citric acid not ascorbic acid. Not the same thing.

New Guy, I think it was Handloader magazine that ran an article some years ago regarding case cleaning.

They basically said that the shinest cleanest brass came from a process similar to what you are using except instead of commercial stainless steel chips they made their own by cutting brazing rods into tiny pieces. Very tedious though but perhaps a bit gentler on the brass.

I'm sticking to the US though, couldn't be bothered buying a rotary tumbler.

quote:

Originally posted by Ozzie:
Hey Homebrewer, just to clarify, Lemishine is citric acid not ascorbic acid. Not the same thing.

Sorry. I dropped so much in my younger days, it's all the same to me now. Not really. I know ascorbic acid is Vitamin C and acetic acid is what's in vinegar. I took freshman chem in Fall 1977. Hated it. Made every effort to just pass and forget it. Had to take it again in Winter 1985 because the credit "did not transfer," if you know what I mean. I'd like to try the citric acid stuff. If I could remember, I'd buy some and try it.

http://www.harborfreight.com/2...c-cleaner-95563.html
Found this same identical sonic cleaner being sold on a reloading supply web site for over $200 and here it is for $69. For that price you can hardly go wrong experimenting with it even if you replace it with a more expensive model later.

My little Harbor Freight cleaner does a wonderful job.

quote:

Originally posted by Rusty:
My little Harbor Freight cleaner does a wonderful job.

Yes, they do. I have all but retired my vibro tumbler.