Record Cleaning Machine


I'm looking for a good quality RCM for about $500-$700. I've narrowed down my choices to the VPI HW-16.5 and the Nitty Gritty 1.5.

A friend is suggesting the Nitty Gritty due to the fact that the design of this unit minimizes the chances of "decontaminating" the cleaned side of the LP.

Comments?
agiaccio
Just a couple comments re Markd51's comment about the Nitty Gritty. I can scrub discs just fine on mine. Can't imagine wanting to bear down on them more than I already do. And I never spill anything when I flip them, but I have to confess I used to before I stopped overdosing with fluid. Just takes a little practice.
I use a cheap Nitty Gritty [Model 1 manual type] . Beside the unit I have an old DD Turntable that doesn't work [cheap] that I do the srubbing on . Then I turn the LP over and place it on the Nitty Gritty to suck off the solution . For a couple hundred $'s [cheaper if you find the Nitty Gritty used for $100 or so] this is a lot cheaper than the VPI or the Fluid Injection Nitty Gritty's .
I have had 3 VPIs since they were first introduced. Initially, I bought a Nitty Gritty to compare with the first VPI with the wand in the lid. I sold the Nitty Gritty to a friend who still has it. I had had a Keith Monks string cleaner in the early 70s, but sold it as a pain to operate. In 2001 on Sept. 14th while stranded in London, I went to the Hammersmith Show and heard the Loricraft. I bought one on returning to the States. Its main benefit is a clean string on which the vacuum arm rides as it crosses the record. One never has a contaminated wand crossing the vinyl.

The Loricraft also cleans better. I had very many records previously cleaned on the VPIs and found they sounded even better when cleaned with the Loricraft. The one liability of the Loricraft especially in these days of the weak dollar is that it is expensive. Record cleaning fluids also matter.
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I agree with Tbg....Record cleaning fluids matter a great deal....you need to pick the right one.....
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Rgds,
Larry
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Owned a 16.5 for lots of years. Nice unit, worked fine but I used it rarely. I was afraid to become deaf while using.