That really depends on what you are doing. The 16.5 does a great job. The 17 has the benefit of a fan so you can clean more records back to back if you are going to be going through large numbers in a short period of time. It is also bi-directional, and of course it does dispense the fluid for you with a pump.
However for really dirty, nasty records it is best to scrub by hand using the brush that comes with the 16.5 (you can order an extra if you get a 17) so sometimes the automated fluid dispensing and brushing isn't really preferable.
The 17 is kind of slick because it does everything for you and you don't need to roll up your sleeves. But honestly the 16.5 gets records just as clean, and as I said for super dirty records you have to roll up your sleeves anyway.
We tend to push the 16.5 over the 17 for this reason but both machines are excellent, and for radio stations and used record stores the 17 is crucial because that fan keeps the motor from burning out when cleaning all day long.
However for really dirty, nasty records it is best to scrub by hand using the brush that comes with the 16.5 (you can order an extra if you get a 17) so sometimes the automated fluid dispensing and brushing isn't really preferable.
The 17 is kind of slick because it does everything for you and you don't need to roll up your sleeves. But honestly the 16.5 gets records just as clean, and as I said for super dirty records you have to roll up your sleeves anyway.
We tend to push the 16.5 over the 17 for this reason but both machines are excellent, and for radio stations and used record stores the 17 is crucial because that fan keeps the motor from burning out when cleaning all day long.