Today I printed out the page from the Harbor Freight site which showed the 30 gallon parts washer on sale for $79..
When I went through the checkout it was actually $69...
so far so good...
when I get it home and read the instructions it says not to use anything except water based solvents... to me if something is a solvent it is by definition not water based... 'likes disolve likes' is about the only rule I learned in Chemistry... If something disolves oil and is water based it is a soap....
No where on the website or the outside of the box did it mention that regular solvents were not to be used... so I am pretty unhappy at this time...
Any of you used a water based " Solvent" and are happy with it ?
Have any other suggestions ? Perhaps I should mount a different pump which will allow regular old solvents to be used ? Thanks, Greg

You MUST use water based solvent in it. Chemical based solvent will melt the motor, melt the plastic hose, and eat off all the paint in the tank. I know, I've done it.

And BTW, water based solvent really sucks.

Water based solvents suck because they have to be heated (130F+) in order to be any kind of effective. Unfortunately nobody tells you this, so the general consensus is that they suck. I worked for a major parts washer company for a few years, so I'm an "expert"

Besides, try being in a state like California where it's illegal to use petroleum-based solvents. No choice = the suck.

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The stable, er, 1 horse :
1987 190D 2.5 Turbo (running well, and bloody-well better since it's the only car I have now)

Got this cleaning tank and fluid from Grainger. it's worked fine for everything I've needed.

Grainger part number 4Z949

http://www.grainger.com

Try the solvent. The tank says you can't use water based solvents. So there solvent might work for you.

Dave

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1970 220D, owned 1980-1990
1980 240D, owned 1990-1992
1982 300TD, owned 1992-1993
1986 300SDL, owned 1993-2004
1999 E300, owned 1999-2003
1982 300TD, 213,880mi, owned since Nov 18, 1991- Aug 4, 2010 SOLD
1988 560SL, 100,000mi, owned since 1995
1965 Mustang Fastback Mileage Unknown(My sons)
1983 240D, 176,000mi (My daughers) owned since 2004
2007 Honda Accord EX-L I4 auto, the new daily driver
1985 300D 264,000mi Son's new daily driver.(sold)
2008 Hyundai Tiberon. Daughters new car

Wow, kinda pricey for that little thing, but it fits the bill. How much use do you get out of the solvent, and does it odor-up the garage like Chem-dip does?

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Jimmy L.
'05 Acura TL 6MT
2001 ML430 My Spare

Gone:
'95 E300 188K "Batmobile" Texas Unfriendly Black
'85 300TD 235K "The Wagon" Texas Friendly White
'80 240D 154K "China" Scar engine installed
'81 300TD 240K "Smash"
'80 240D 230K "The Squash"
'81 240D 293K"Scar" Rear ended harder than Elton John

Thanks for the inputs guys.... I was afraid I was just ' out of touch' with current procedures...which in a way is what yall have confirmed... last night I was thinking I would just use the tank with my kerosene and not use the pump ...at least the tank will be self supporting and at a height I can deal with... had been using black plastic mortar mixing pans from Home Depot sitting on the ground... realatively cheap and seem to not be affected by any chemicals... I may let the inside of the tank paint ruin in order to take advantage of this week's mid 70 degree dry weather....and then sandblast/POR15 it later ...Will check out that agitene from Grainger.... Thanks again, Greg

I had one of those... even the water based solvents will eat the paint off the thing....... I got a used drum mount style from a transmission shop. most of the big shops have moved up to the self cleaning parts washers by now, and the old style that sits on the 30 gallon drums should be free or real cheap from them. I LOVE THE THING!!! kerosene, saftey kleen etc. fabulous!
for those who can't find one, get a stainless kitchen sink from an old resturant supply and drop a pump into a drum of kerosene etc... I have even found those small bar style sinks to be quite usefull in a shop with the drain going to the drum.
John

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John HAUL AWAY, OR CRUSHED CARS!!! HELP ME keep the cars out of the crusher! A/C Thread
"as I ride with my a/c on... I have fond memories of sweaty oily saturdays and spewing R12 into the air. THANKS for all you do!

My drivers:
1987 190D 2.5Turbo
1987 190D 2.5Turbo
1987 190D 2.5-5SPEED!!!

1987 300TD
1987 300TD
1994GMC 2500 6.5Turbo truck... I had to put the ladder somewhere!

I have had one of the same HF parts wash tanks for about 6 years now filled with low odor mineral spirits, no problems at all.

Eric

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'99 E300 Turbodiesel
'91 300D SOLD!
01 Audi TT Quatro
'96 F350 Turbodiesel
'78 Porsche 930 Turbo
way too may projects.......

Same here.

My HF washer is a little more than a year old. I had their water based solvent in it until a month ago. It ate a lot of paint. It just peeled off the bottom of the shelf.

I emptied it and put in 10 gallons of kerosene and a gallon of Gunk. The real stuff. A friend and I bought 8 gallons for $5 a gallon. Great stuff.

My friend has been using the kerosene/Gunk mixture for a couple of years in his HF washer. No problems at all.

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Michael LaFleur

'05 E320 CDI - 86,000 miles
'86 300SDL - 360,000 miles
'85 300SD - 150,000 miles (sold)
'89 190D - 120,000 miles (sold)
'85 300SD - 317,000 miles (sold)
'98 ML320 - 270,000 miles (sold)
'75 300D - 170,000 miles (sold)
'83 Harley Davidson FLTC (Broken again) :-(
'61 Plymouth Valiant - 60k mikes
2004 Papillon (Oliver)
2005 Tzitzu (Griffon)
2009 Welsh Corgi (Buba)

If you're already stuck with the thing, try Simple Green Extreme. I've used it (in a trigger-spray bottle) from Autozone with great success in de-greasing the engine compartment and underbody in a couple of my and my daughter's cars (and her VW leaks everything).

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Gone to the dark side

- Jeff

Bought it before Harbor Freight was around the metroplex. About 10 years ago. Also get a corporate discount (American Airlines) with Grainger, think I payed $85. At the same time I bought the 5 gallon container of solvent. The fluid level is getting low so it is time to buy some more solvent. Interior of the tank is still fine and it does not smell.
I don't use the fluid pump in the tank. Never got around to hooking it up and just have never used it.

Dave

__________________
1970 220D, owned 1980-1990
1980 240D, owned 1990-1992
1982 300TD, owned 1992-1993
1986 300SDL, owned 1993-2004
1999 E300, owned 1999-2003
1982 300TD, 213,880mi, owned since Nov 18, 1991- Aug 4, 2010 SOLD
1988 560SL, 100,000mi, owned since 1995
1965 Mustang Fastback Mileage Unknown(My sons)
1983 240D, 176,000mi (My daughers) owned since 2004
2007 Honda Accord EX-L I4 auto, the new daily driver
1985 300D 264,000mi Son's new daily driver.(sold)
2008 Hyundai Tiberon. Daughters new car

For about 20 something years I have used Gunk Concentrate and Kerosene .. 1 to 9 ratio like they say on the can... it is cheap and works great... I have tractors and all sorts of stuff to keep clean so I need the Economy Size when I do stuff....
I went to O Reilly's wanting some of the Gunk Concentrate....the two guys there had not heard of it... I told them in the past I had bought it there in the gallon container... they checked the computer to find out which paper catalog on their five shelves had degreasers in it... and we found it listed... then the guy walks into the back of the store and brings out exactly what I was asking for.... I wonder how many sales of other stuff they lose with that kind of ' product knowledge' ?
So anyway, I mix it up and place it into the cleaner... and I just use a parts cleaning brush to do what I need to... no sign of paint problems yet.... I still like the unit for that price... I seldom get anything which I don't have to alter some way anyway... so this is par for the course... I will try to find a safe pump and place a small tank away from this unit and feed it from there... I will double insulate the motor from the drive for the pump also... and the whole thing will be on a GFCI circuit....
American Airlines /Grainger discount ? Will have to check with my sister... did not even know about that deal... thanks, Greg

Probably about like the Farm Bureau 'discount' at Grainger...30% higher than Sears.

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Never a dull moment at Berry Hill Farm.

For a very strong water based solvent that you can use straight, I use Zep's citrus cleaner. You can get it at Home Depot. It WILL take old 20 year old hardened grease off of anything and smell like a bucket of oranges to boot. It blows away the "engine" cleaners you buy at the parts stores that are both solvent or water based.

I use to work at ep years ago and the orange cleaner was designed to flush out the grease traps in resuaurants. I love the stuff and its what I use to get the old 617 looking like new.

Sep use to have a solvent based product called Presto and it came in a 7 gallon bucket with a parts basket. The stuff got banned by the EPA because it worked so well it caused cancer in pregnate women!

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1981 300D 147k
1998 VW Jetta Tdi 320k
2001 Dodge Ram 2500 141k
1979 300D 234k (sold)
1984 300D "Astor" 262k(sold)
Mercedes How-To and Repair Pictorials
I love the smell of diesel smoke in my hair

Yall may be sensing that I am opposed to water based products at this time.... that is because I am cleaning gears and axles from Gravely's which I am not going to take all the way apart...thus I can not get water out from inside them...and I want something which will not rust...
Later I will try some of these good smelling things...