Review for Lyman Turbo Sonic 6000 Ultrasonic Case Cleaner,115V, 7631725

Author: BillRights {!} from Annandale, Virginia on Oct 29, 2012
Pros:  power, size, controls, convenience, beauty
Cons:  fragile lid, weak heater
Would recommend:  yes

BillRights wrote:

Every company I have worked in for 30 years has had industrial ultrasonic cleaners, so I wasn't expecting too much from a homeowner model that costs 1/4 as much for equivalent capacity. I was pleasantly surprized! Most of the performance and features are excellent. I own many Lyman products and have admired them for good design and good engineering over the years. Lyman is solid! This ultrasonic cleaner has plenty of agitation power, nice distribution of sonic energy throughout the bath, quiet operation, nice stainless steel tank, excellent parts basket, good drain, nice controls and attractive appearance. The lid works well in that it keeps steam (from the heated cleaning bath) in, and the condensate drips nicely back into the tank when you open the lid. Bottom line: It cleaned my parts. And did it well. However, when I was drying the unit with a paper towel one time, to put it away, I pressed a little too hard on the plastic lid and snapped off a plastic hinge for the lid. I assure you, I wipe kitchen counters with much more force than this, so it was not abuse. Looking at the broken parts, the molded hinge features are none too beefy considering the brittle plastic material. Or maybe this is a case of poor quality control in the molding process of manufacturing. I have pulled a support ticket at the Lyman web site, told them of the problem and asked for a replacement lid. We will see.... Other than that, the tank heaters are a little weak. Set the heat the night before, go to sleep and then use the unit. You'll be fine. (Maybe I exagggerate, but it takes at least 3 hours.) But the lid is tight-fitting, so long heating is not a problem as far as loss of cleaning solution. It's a homeowner model, so I accept this. Overall, this is another fine Lyman product (made in China by Intertek), that takes advantage of Lyman's high standard of engineering and large sales volume to deliver a nearly-industrial-grade product at a very good price. I recommend it.