Parts washer help needed

FOMOGO

FOMOGO

#1
#1
Okay, I have a commercial (Zep) parts washer. John doe individual cant deal with Zep. They are a bunch of ... well you know if you deal with them. At least they are here where I live. I am looking for suggestions for a cleaner to use in it that works good. Never was overly impressed with the Zep parts cleaning fluid. Used to use straight solvent and that would get the job done. But it is just way to dangerous to have in the shop with as much welding and grinding that I do. I have looked at the stuff that Northern tools sells. Anybody use it? How does it work. I haven't bought any yet as I need to have a total of about 25 gallons and it adds up quick...

Like some tools in the shop it just sits there but when you need it, it needs to work for you. I know somebody out there has already been down this road and hopefully found something they like. Opinions welcomed...Good or bad...

Thanks guys.
 
FOMOGO

FOMOGO

#4
#4
Regular ZEP parts washer fluid is non flammable.

Another person here locally suggested Mineral Spirits. I had forgotten that. Thanks for reminding me.
 
cfrewilly

cfrewilly

New Member
#5
#5
hey fomogo,
I know this is an old post, but I have the 20 gal HF washer and I use Diesel/kerosene/ mineral sprits In a 50%, 30%, 20% mixture and it works great. If parts are really nasty I power wash them first. I have been using this for years with great success even though the HF pump is not recommended for solvent based cleaners.
 
joebiodiesel

joebiodiesel

Member
#7
#7
When the price used to be reasonable I used mineral spirits. Now I just use kerosene and don't miss it.
My parts washer won't even circulate until there is around 50 gallons in it, so cost is definitely a factor for me.

Joe
 
FOMOGO

FOMOGO

#8
#8
ole4 said:
Tractor Supply sells metal 5 gal pails of parts washer fluid. It is solvent based not water based.
Click to expand...
Ole, Tractor Supply is the one place I have not looked for parts washer fluid... Thanks for the heads up I will go there this week as I still have not taken on the task of cleaning that beast out and replenishing the fluids. Not something I am looking forward to doing. I like that it is solvent based too! I used straight solvent at one time.... Worked very very good too.


Doug
 
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C

cdownie3

Member
#9
#9
A big part of changing the parts washer is getting rid of the old stuff. We use Safety Kleen and a company called Crystal Clean. Well under 200 bucks and they come to you. On another note mineral spirits are much cheaper from a oil/chemical distributor in bulk, they use it in dry cleaning. have your wife ask where they get it next time she is picking up the Batsuit.
 
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J

jim85541

Member
#10
#10
years ago a shop I worked at bought used dry cleaning fluid from the dry cleaners next door. It was non flammable and worked well. I assume now that it caused cancer, ingrown nails, world hunger, and male pattern baldness. Anyone know if it is still available and works safely?
 
M

Mariah

#11
#11
jim85541 said:
years ago a shop I worked at bought used dry cleaning fluid from the dry cleaners next door. It was non flammable and worked well. I assume now that it caused cancer, ingrown nails, world hunger, and male pattern baldness. Anyone know if it is still available and works safely?
Click to expand...
I think that was carbontetrachloride, it is bad stuff that goes right under your cuticles and into your blood stream where it eventually does major damage. Banned and outlawed many years ago.
 
6

62civa

New Member
#12
#12
I worked my teenage years at a dry cleaner. The solvent used from maybe 1950 until about 1990 or so in California was called "Perc" which was short for percloretheleen (sp) It was outlawed because it caused liver cancer among other things. It was non-flammable and super degreaser. My old boss was an old car nut and we regularly cleaned car parts in the dry cleaning machine. It was also great for cleaning oil based paints from paint brushes....they would come looking like new!

Latter I worked in the electronics industry and we used tricloretholeen (sp) to clean circuit boards....it worked really well to degrease my motorcycle parts back then. It was also outlawed for causing bad cancers. I should be dead form all the exposure :O
 
steven Durham

steven Durham

#14
#14
Way back when I worked at the Beverly Hilton Hotel we changed out a 450 ton Chiller and it use R-11 Freon and a saved a few gallons and it worked great for cleaning parts but it evaporated into the open air. But today it's hard just to buy it not good to the atmosphere.
 
maverick1

maverick1

Active Member
#15
#15
I worked for the power company and we used to get a Freon cleaner in aerosol cans and it was a super good degreaser. Our cable splicers used it for cleaning.
 
W

wthanel

New Member
#17
#17
We have a cheap HF like parts washer on the farm. It's big but the solvent I buy at the farm store evaporates out then back to the farm store for another 5 gallons...not cheap.

I have had and used the safety-kleen model 14 parts washer for years. Not cheap but it works good the solvent does't evaporate and when the solvent needs replaced you just call safety-kleen.

Model 14 | safety-kleen.com
 
FOMOGO

FOMOGO

#18
#18
wthanel said:
We have a cheap HF like parts washer on the farm. It's big but the solvent I buy at the farm store evaporates out then back to the farm store for another 5 gallons...not cheap.

I have had and used the safety-kleen model 14 parts washer for years. Not cheap but it works good the solvent does't evaporate and when the solvent needs replaced you just call safety-kleen.

Model 14 | safety-kleen.com
Click to expand...
Mine is a Model 30,

Model 16 and 30 | safety-kleen.com

It is a love/hate relationship...

Doug
 
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