Cleaning solvent for parts washer?
 

I am about to pull the trigger for a parts washer, and wonder about effectiveness of water based fluids versus stoddard solvent. I know Stoddard works, but is comparatively smelly, and flammable. This will be for relatively light use in my home garage, cleaning wheel bearings, flushing off engine parts, etc. I am thinking a Harbor Freight type washer, maybe a roughly $100 unit. Some washers say they are for aqueous solvents only, others are good for either type.
Does say, diluted Simple Green work in this application?
What are you using?
Any suggestions and experience with aqueous types would be especially appreciated.

Thanks!!
Bill

Bill,

I picked up a sonic cleaner at Harbor Freight about a year ago. I've used it mainly for cleaning gun parts, but it works great on other small parts just as well. I dilute Simple Green with Deionized water, about a 50/50 mix. Once the fluid is hot the process is pretty quick. Nothing but happy with it and probably the best thing I have bought at Harbor Freight.

:captain:

I use straight mineral spirits in mine, and it gets used a lot! The stuff is very smelly when fresh, but works great as a cutting agent.

Thanks for the recommendations.
I never knew it, but read on the web that mineral spirits & Stoddard solvent are one & the same.
I am leaning towards that, but the smell has me thinking water based if it works AS WELL.
I wonder if Simple Green will work as well at room temp?
Any others using water based stuff?

Here's some good surfing: http://www.safety-kleen.com/products...nt-chemistries

The one concern I have with Simple Green (and I use it a lot) is it caustic so it will discolor bare, anodized, and clear coated aluminum if the concentrate is to too strong or contact time too long.

They have evolved into a relatively large chemical company and have an industrial line: http://industrial.simplegreen.com/

Pure Simple Green has stripped / removed the factory paint inside my ToolShop brand parts cleaner.

Everywhere that the parts washer was submerged in Simple Green has shed its paint in about a 3 month time of soaking in simple green. FYI

Never seen a parts washer with a "mineral spirit" or "solvent" that was stripped of all it paint inside from the solvent itself... hmmm

Maybe the paintjob in my ToolShop parts washer is elcheapo ... LOL

my .02 ;)

this is great to use in a heated parts wash tank.... http://www.chemfree.com/products.html

I have a 30 gallon Snap-On parts washer -- running Mineral Spirits. I don't think it's bad smelling at all and it works real well. The Simple Green dries my hands out every bit as much as the Mineral Spirits. I have a wash sink right next to the parts washer and get the stuff off me as quick as I can...

Greg,
Do you actually run that much solvent in it? Last I looked, mineral spirits runs $8 or $9 per gallon. I suppose a bit less in 5's. Still, a pretty spendy fill....

Yes I do. Didn't realize the cost was that much per gallon.... My 30 gal parts washer is also one that runs a large (huge) cartridge filter in the tank - so with "home use" I've never had to add Mineral Spirits or replace the filter so far.