Anybody got a sonic cleaner for cleaning brass?

[jeff43]

If you have one ,how do you like it?I looked at on yesterday and they sound like they would clean better and quicker.I looked at a Lyman and Hornady ,they said id would clean brass in 10 minutes,primer pockets and inside the case.I see Frankford Arsenal has one for about half the price of the others in Midway.I have a Frankford Arsenal vibrator case cleaner I've had for several years and have had alot of trouble with the connectors coming off of the wires(about 4 times.)Let me know if these work good or not.

Thanks Jeff

[Guest cardcutter]

I saw the same thing just today. Iwas wondering how they did.

[allenwaddle]

I have the Hornady version and while it does clean the brass pretty well I find it to be very slow. After you get the brass clean you must rinse the solution off and then wait on the cases to dry. I thought about putting them in the oven and then read about that causing cases to crack. I now use my old tumbler and use the sonic cleaner only for cleaning certain gun parts.

Allen

[jeff43]

Sounds like they are to good to be true.Thought they would be a faster way to clean primer pockets,and clean really tarnished brass.

Thanks Jeff

[JeffsSig]

Sounds like they are to good to be true.Thought they would be a faster way to clean primer pockets,and clean really tarnished brass.

Thanks Jeff

Look at stainless steel media and tumbler . Will clean pockets. SS wont wear out. Not cheap to get started but nothing worth having is. Yes you have to dry it after you use SS but spread it out and let it dry while you do something else.

[Patton]

My friend has a sonic and it cleans well but I don't know how it does for burrs though.

[chances R]

Looked at all of this stuff recently. I got the stainless media and a lortone tumbler......definitely the right choice for me. It is a little more work, but the results are great. The brass will look better than new inside and out. No more costs for media as the stainless lasts indefinitely. Two tips, buy a cheap 3" magnet to help find the 'loose' stainless pins that may drop out when you use the separator, and if the sun isn't out, I simply place my wet brass on the tennis shoe rack in the dryer and let it run for 20-30 min.

[Rickey]

Does the ss media ever get hung up in the brass? I'd like to try something differentother than corn cobb media it gets too dusty

[chances R]

Nope, not hung up. Falls out easily in the seperator.

[McAllyn]

I have the Hornady Sonic. It's definitely quieter and more thorough than vibrating and no dust, but the limited capacity and extra steps with rinsing and drying turned me off.

Mac

[PoofNoEyeBrows]

I have the Hornady sonic unit also and love it. If you get one I would suggest using distilled water

[mkphillips]

I use a sonic cleaner only for my precision ammo for it really is a pain to clean them that way. For target purpose (handgun) I either clean the cases in 1:1 white vinegar or in a solutions of dawn dishwasher solutions and waters, let the cases in the dawn soak for a few hours. The vinegar or dawn solution cleans almost as good as the sonic clearer, just maybe not the primer pocket as well. To dry the cases: if it is warm outside I sit them in the sun, if cold I use the oven set to 200 degrees and I have never seen a cracked case.

I'm currently working on making a 5 gallon bucket into a cleaner that rotates...think cement mixer.

[Guest kilo33]

I currently don't use a sonic cleaner, but I was in the market for one. I came across a pretty simple method for cleaning the brass. I no longer want a sonic cleaner.

Here is what I use:

Water tight container (old laundry detergent bottle)

Lemishine, about 1 table spoon

Dish, hand, laundry soap

Hot water

I usually let this sit for about an hour and shake occasionally

Rinse the brass good and let air dry in the sun

[SHARPPOINT]

kilo33, would you post some before and after pictures of your brass cleaned that way?

[Guest kilo33]

will do

kilo33, would you post some before and after pictures of your brass cleaned that way?

[Billco]

I bought a sonic cleaner at Harbor Freight a while back ($49/$29 with the coupon I had). It does clean brass well, but as stated earlier limited quantities and all the drying process were a bit too time consuming for my liking. I just accumulate my brass and set a timer for about 4 hours in the tumbler. The sonic is ideal for parts and even jewelry.

[jeff43]

I guess Ill stick to my vibrator/tumbler.Sounds too time consuming to dry the cases.

Thanks Jeff

[Guest A10thunderbolt]

Looked at all of this stuff recently. I got the stainless media and a lortone tumbler......definitely the right choice for me. It is a little more work, but the results are great. The brass will look better than new inside and out. No more costs for media as the stainless lasts indefinitely. Two tips, buy a cheap 3" magnet to help find the 'loose' stainless pins that may drop out when you use the separator, and if the sun isn't out, I simply place my wet brass on the tennis shoe rack in the dryer and let it run for 20-30 min.

I thought SS wasn't Magnetic.

[Ajruger]

Depends on the grade of ss.