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I'm looking at getting a good record cleaner. Any good recommendations? I do not want to break the bank, but do not want to get a cheap-o- either.


Thanks,

Travis

travisgreyfox wrote:I'm looking at getting a good record cleaner. Any good recommendations? I do not want to break the bank, but do not want to get a cheap-o- either.


Thanks,

Travis

Do you mean an "RCM" - Record Cleaning Machine? If that's what you're looking for, I bought a VPI 16.5 several years ago, and think it's been worth every penny. There are different lengths of vacuum tubes available for it, to accommodate 12" and 10" record diameters - and even "45's". https://www.soundstagedirect.com/vpi-re ... ners.shtml

Of course, depending on which media material you're cleaning, you'll need to use specific cleaning fluids. You know, alcohol based fluid for Diamond Discs (no slopping water on a Diamond Disc!), NO alcohol based fluid on Shellac, etc.

Best,
Fran

I recently replaced my Nitty Gritty cleaning machine with an Okki Nokki. It's an amazing thing, just about the same as a VPI (also a nice choice). With all the available extras and custom tubes for cleaning different size discs, it was about $700 with shipping from Amazon. I use it daily. They do take some getting used to, but once you get the hang of it, they're super and certainly worth every cent if you're serious about getting the best sonic results from your records.

Over the years I've tried and experimented with many different cleaning solutions. Many people still swear soap and water is fine, but once you see and hear the results from a decent cleaning machine, you'd agree with me. Anyway, I've settled on using the fluid sold by Spin Clean, which you can get on Amazon for $25-30 for the large bottle. I add four capfuls to a liter of distilled water and shake it up to mix. A few drops is all you need to clean one side of a record, so just one liter will do several hundred and the bottle of Spin Clean fluid will likely last a few years. Economical, efficient and it contains no alcohol. The solution cleans vinyl and shellac equally well, it's odor free and lastly, fun to see and hear the results.

Hope this helps,
Sean

I use the SpinClean machine and solution. You can get it on Amazon for around $100 or below, depending on what size kit you buy. Since I don't clean thousands of records it works well for me and does not break the bank. You still may have to manually clean records that are extremely dirty and crusty, but that's OK for me.

Andreas

Are you looking for a record duster or brush? If so, there are all kinds for every budget. I like the ones with store names on them.
Harvey Kravitz

travisgreyfox wrote:I'm looking at getting a good record cleaner. Any good recommendations? I do not want to break the bank, but do not want to get a cheap-o- either.


Thanks,

Travis

I guess I should clarify what I'm asking. I have hundreds of records that need a good cleaning. So, I was asking about machines, systems, ect. that clean records very well (not some old duster or little vacuum kit).

Thanks for all leads so far.

travisgreyfox wrote:I guess I should clarify what I'm asking. I have hundreds of records that need a good cleaning. So, I was asking about machines, systems, ect. that clean records very well (not some old duster or little vacuum kit).

Thanks for all leads so far.

My recommendation is the Loricraft: not cheap but very effective, silent and reliable. It copes with almost all sizes of records as it does not utilize a wand like the Okki Nokki (I have one of these also), cleans each side in about one minute and it really removes everything that is loose inside the groove. I am happy with the money I invested into it some years ago, it paid off - but its price is high, so it makes sense only for people with large collections.

http://www.canfab3d.com/ - clicking the button near the top right of the page takes you to:
https://www.squeakycleanvinyl.com/
https://www.squeakycleanvinyl.com/produ ... nyl-mk-iii

To date I must have washed over twenty thousand 78s by hand! - but sooner or later I plan to get one of these. Looks like an excellent low cost solution. Sucking all free liquid from the surface has to be the best way to go.

CarlosV wrote:It copes with almost all sizes of records as it does not utilize a wand like the Okki Nokki (I have one of these also), cleans each side in about one minute and it really removes everything that is loose inside the groove. I am happy with the money I invested into it some years ago, it paid off - but its price is high, so it makes sense only for people with large collections.

I'm curious why you say the Okki Nokki isn't capable of cleaning all sizes of discs? I've probably cleaned 4,000 discs of several sizes so far with mine. I have all three size wands and although I've found a few where it doesn't quite "reach" far enough in the inner area, but you can still effectively scrub the disc with the supplied goat's hair brush and simply use a soft cotton cloth to wipe off what it doesn't reach while the rest is vacuumed away. Granted, 14 and 16 inch discs can't be cleaned with this, but I have Disc Doctor brushed for when I rarely need to do one. The only other caveat I'd add with the Okki Nokki (and VPI, for that matter) is that you have to empty the waste reservoir often or the suction suffers quickly and the wands require replacement of the velvet strips more often than I expected. Still, this machine is the best I've used so far for the price. a friend of mine bought one last week after seeing and using mine and is also delighted. Of course, we all have our preferences and I can't afford to spend thousands of dollars, if I could, I'd buy a Keith Monks machine.

Sean

OrthoSean wrote:
I'm curious why you say the Okki Nokki isn't capable of cleaning all sizes of discs?
Sean

Sean, besides the limitation in reaching the inner part of the groove that you mentioned, I was referring to discs that are neither 10 nor 12 inch, like Pathés (that are all over the place sizewise), Odeon-Fonotipias that are about 11 inch, etc. Okki Nokki will only work if you tape out the part of the vacuum slot that exceeds the disc diameter, which I find inconvenient and damaging to the felt. The other limitation concerns smaller than 10 inch records, as the wand does not reach most of the recorded surface. The additional inconvenience of Okki Nokki (and the other cleaners that utilize wands) is that we need to frequently clean the felt that contacts the record, to avoid carrying the dirt from one record to another. The machine with the wand does not work well with warped discs neither, which fortunately are not in great number in my collection. That said, the machine is (relatively) low cost and is very sturdy - I have mine for near 10 years. Haven't used it much since I bought the Loricraft, though.