Best value record cleaner/cleaning system

slaw,

Very well, I see your situation now. I just got the impression from your previous post that disgusts me. Whatever/by whoever it was meant to be I do not like calling names.

I come from a very different culture, some things are much insulting than in your culture I´d assume.

I haven´t read all this thread and I have no idea what the heck is going on here since that two weeks.

Someone/thing intruders your posts ? That´s another story. Truly annoying.
Contact customer help, they will do their best I strongly believe.
I have been mistreated too. Someone spread misinformation of my activities. Very tiresome.

I will delete my posts here soon ´cos I suddenly lost all interest to this particular thread.

Have a great day

slaw, I've not read this post for awhile, so going back a month to your comment I'll add this.

While my VPI was set properly as delivered, a friend received one which was not.  He is not a person with much patience so I offered to help.  Contacting VPI I was told (by Mike, though this was several years ago) about the 185 degree setting for the suction tube.  Thinking it through that makes perfect sense, but I agree it should have been in the manual.

I agree that ultrasound is the best method, by far. I had a VPI machine, and tested those results against an Elmasonic US machine running at 80 KHz. No contest. The Elmasonic was far superior.

To spin the records I use a spinner from Vinyl Stack: the Ultrasonic Spin Kit. The spacers also protect the labels.

It's a good combination - they both work well, they both look good, and they both have a fine fit and finish. The Elmasonic is German, and looks it; the Vinyl Stack looks German but is domestic. Good companies, good products. Highly recommended.

Oh dear...

Terry, 
It seems the Vinyl Stack Kit is reasonably priced but does it include a tank and if so what are the exact dimensions. Is a wider tank more handy in practice ? Do they provide any chemicals/solvents, or are they needed at all ? And how much time does it take to clean one record set ?

I just got the newest iteration of the Pro-Ject (marketed as the MK II in the UK) and have been pleased with it.  I paid $499, and the dealer threw in a dust cover. I still use my Spin Cleaner for the really dirty records first...don’t want to stress the new baby yet 🙂.   I am still experimenting with my cleaning process.  

The company has a recommended cleaning process of adding drops of their (diluted) cleaning liquid, turn on the machine rotation, use the goat-hair brush to spread the liquid, reverse the rotation and use the brush again, then vacuum two rotations and reverse for two more rotations.  

My dealer recommended another process that he uses for his record cleaningservice: he uses a Spin Cleaner for the initial cleaning of very dirty records, then attaches the record and cover, adds liquid, then gently scrubs with a Mobile Fidelity cleaning brush.  He then vacuums the machine in one direction.  

I have seen a marked improvement in the sound quality, and my cleaning and drying time is halved.  Love the fact the RCM has no platter.  I have had only two minor problems:  the aluminum arm rests on a plastic collar and is so tight I could not manipulate it; a little engine grease fixed that.  Also, the vacuum arm when fully swung over touches the record lock and causes aluminum shavings to fall on the record.   Slightly adjusting the vacuum arm avoids this. The factory-provided liquid seems to work well