Record cleaning devices - cheap = case economy?

[Phil Lawton]

Just mulling over the purchase of a vinyl cleaning machine.

I've seen the range of machines and have to ask if buying one of the cheaper ones (typically £50-70) would prove to be a false economy. Should I simply bite the bullet and get a VPI machine?

[Ali Tait]

Go for one of these-

http://maquinaphk.xpg.uol.com.br/models.html

You need to use your own vacuum cleaner, but it does as good a job as any of the more pricey machines IMHO.

I've found this to be the best of the cleaning fluids I've tried-

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/The-Right-...item3f4517afea

[struth]

Depends on how much vinyl you have and intend to have tbh but the vacuum ones are in a different league to the cheap ones that imo are worse than none unless you are careful. it is a big outlay so you need to feel youve got enough use for it or youd be better just sending a few away to be cleaned now and then

[Gordon Steadman]

Just mulling over the purchase of a vinyl cleaning machine.

I've seen the range of machines and have to ask if buying one of the cheaper ones (typically £50-70) would prove to be a false economy. Should I simply bite the bullet and get a VPI machine?

Yes!

If you mean the dip and rinse machines then they are a total waste of money.....in my opinion of course. I am having to reclean all the records I did previously with one of them. Washing them in the sink with washing up liquid is at least as good. A friend is about to lend me a proper one so I can get all mine done over the next month or so.

Good ones are expensive but so is the record collection.

[Barry]

Phil, if your record collection is 200 LPs or larger, the purchase of a decent RCM makes economic sense, for the simple reason that you can use it over and over again. To have your records cleaned by an audio dealer who may posses such a machine usually cost about £2 a go, so if you purchase one yourself for ~ £400, you will have paid for it and still have the machine to clean further LPs (yours, as well as those of your friends. )

[Audio Al]

If you can stretch your budget I would advise a Moth RCM , You can buy a kit or a factory built unit
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MOTH-RCM-2...item3f4e78606f

and
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MOTH-RCM-2...item4d33c0c838

My Moth does the job better than the Okki Nokki I had previously

[JohnMcC]

I've been using a cheap Disco Antistat for the last year and I've cleaned over 200 LPs with it. I've had excellent results, but I worked out the following method after less successful results from the first dozen or two:
1) make your own cleaning fluid by the litre - it's cheaper and more effective. I use 90% - 92% distilled deionised water, 8% - 10% isopropyl alcohol, with a few drops of Sainsbury's basic dishwasher rinse aid - say half a teaspoon max in one litre;
2) throw the liquid away after cleaning 10 - 15 records;
3) if you only clean a few records and want to retain the liquid, filter it through a ground coffee filter paper in a small funnel - the filter supplied with the Antistat is useless;
4) keep the level of liquid just above the brushes;
5) let the record sit in the liquid for a minute or two, turning it through 120° every 30 seconds;
6) then turn record swiftly for 10 revolutions each way;
7) allow records to dry naturally on the supplied rack for an hour at least;
8) when completely dry, slip each disc into a brand new plastic-lined inner sleeve - not just a paper one.

For me the results are spectacular - almost silent surfaces (apart from scratches, of course) and a stylus which almost never needs cleaning (I use either an AT95E or AT120E).

[gsq4848]

I use the Spin Clean, no doubt not as good as a RCM - nor would I expect it to be for £80 or so. It improves playback, on some records more successfully than others. Generally pleased with the results though.

[Oddball]

I use a couple of Knostis .
One that has hottish tap water (not that hard our water) in it ,with some liquid soap (not Fairy) and the other with clean iso - prop and distilled water .
I change the cleaning liquid as many times as I feel it needs it before finally rinsing in the clean rinse solution, which hopefully means I don't get any streaking

I have a couple of cases of albums left in an unheated but dry room and they have small areas of mould or something on them.

So its painful , but I have had some excellent results ! You need to be in a good mood to do a load


But I would love to make my own machine , and might just have a go when I am feeling creative

[Gazjam]

This.

Go for one of these-

http://maquinaphk.xpg.uol.com.br/models.html

You need to use your own vacuum cleaner, but it does as good a job as any of the more pricey machines IMHO.

I've found this to be the best of the cleaning fluids I've tried-

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/The-Right-...item3f4517afea

You can spend hundreds of pounds more on "proper" machines, but your records wont be night and day cleaner...or maybe even cleaner at all.
I've the same machine and fluid as Ali and even dusty charity shop specials come out dead silent and mirror black.
Even brand new LPs sound better after a clean as the mould release agent is washed and hoovered off.