Originally Posted by
ZippyThePinhead
I ordered one of those Harbor Freight 2.5 liter ultrasonic cleaners. Searching the forums turns up some threads in which folks mention using diluted Simple Green and other types of solutions. But I did not see anything which mentioned using something like
Finish Line degreaser.
Is it overkill, or would it be good?
Too, it seems that in every ultrasonic cleaner thread, naysayers (who might have never used one) abound. What do you use in your ultrasonic cleaner?
I do have that ultrasonic cleaner you just ordered. In my opinion, it is overkill using it to clean bicycle chains. It is good for cleaning other bicycle parts, sunglasses, waterproof watches etc. For bicycle chains, the Sheldon Brown method of sticking the chain in a leakproof container with some mineral spirits and agitating works well. And it is fast, as I can clean my chain in about five minutes. Also, the ultrasonic cleaner is gonna strip much more lube from the innards of your chain, and that in my view is counteproductive.
Oh, HFreight also sells a little bottle of ultrasonic cleaner crystals for about $5 or so.