I did mention the pressure drop. Without knowing what kind of resistance the loading adds, and the effects on the pump, you can't know whether you're making things better or worse by swapping a filter that looks dirty, with a clean one. Probably not a big deal, but I'm just imagining people prematurely replacing filters just because they see it looks dirty. Carry on.
The manual states:“We recommend cleaning or replacing the filter after every 50 to 100 cleaning cycles”. I clean every 50 cycles and replace every 150 cycles. Sometimes I’ll replace sooner if the filter is very dirty before cleaning and still very “dingy” afterwards. Not much guidance there.
I think thats abut right, I replaced my filter after about 120-130 records, I cleaned it 3-4 times between those records, every time i changed water, I bought 25lt jerry can of distilled water, and already half way. Looking on amazon for a new filter options, I think best bet is getting 30PPI filter, cut it to size and replace them more often.
Haven't read all of the posts in this thread BUT am interested in the Degritter and planning on buying something like this soon. Have been following the cleaning threads on this and other sites for some time and have found that many of the serious vinyl people use a RCM and US in combination -- taking advantage of the pluses of each. Am looking for an easy-to-operate machine like the Degritter and would prefer just a single machine for cleaning purpose. Can those who use the machine regularly tell me if it is sufficient for ALL record cleaning needs? Want a machine that will handle new record brushups, renew older records that can be helped, maintain the current library, and show whether a questionable record can be saved. Is the Degritter up to these requirements? My arthritic wrist wants as little manual labor as possible. Also am wondering if there is a way, when purchasing, to ensure you are getting a current model and not one from the older runs that apparently, had issues that have been resolved in later builds. Thanks, Degritters...
In my estimation, the Degritter is all you need. I had a Spin Clean, Squeaky Clean vacuum cleaner and homebrew ultrasonic before the Degritter and the Degritter blows them all out of the water. I 'm sure someone else will have a different opinion, but I'm only holding onto the Degritter for the foreseeable future. I bought mine from Music Direct and it is a current model. I don't think they have any old stock lying around.
I just moved my Okki Nokki to the other room (and may sell it) given that I frankly don't buy records anymore that are such a mess the physical vacuum system is required. That said, I've cleaned hundreds with the Degritter and it's so automatic and painless it takes the place of a brush.
I still use a vacuum cleaner prior to the Degritter, but only because I'm paranoid about gunking up my Degritter. It makes no difference to sound quality - the Degritter is sufficient on it's own.
My Degritter arrived yesterday. Can't wait to set it up and start cleaning this week. Have regular ole distilled water on hand. That's all I need, plus the included solution, correct?
Yes - you're good to go! I use around 1.5ml of solution per tank and change the tank / clean the filter every 40 records or so, but then I'm generally only putting through new records or used that are in good shape. If you've got anything that's pretty cruddy then I'd change it more often than that. Happy cleaning and any questions ask away - I think there's a few of us happy Degritter users on here now who should be able to help if you need it. I think the manual you get with it is pretty good now so have a read through first and that should answer a lot of questions you might have.
I haven't been able to go through this entire thread yet so, what kind of distilled water is everyone using? Anything fancy or just regular store-bought DW? I was about to get an Audio Desk when I ran across the Degritter. The consensus seems to be that the Degritter is superior, yes? Thanks.
Thanks! I just got off the phone with Jeff Harris from Reference Audio. I ordered a black Degritter and he was kind enough to throw in a few accessories. Jeff pretty much said the Degritter has taken over the market. One thing I read repeatedly in this thread is people's battle with static on their LPs. I completely defeated this problem with a DESCO de-ionizer that I set up in front of my TT and run during record flipping and changes. Any dust pretty much just blows off with little effort. A good de-ionizer neutralizes the charge in seconds. These are generally used in labs where static electric charges can be a problem.
Would you have a link to what you use, @AArchie? A quick search only turned up some pretty expensive units. A Zerostat works pretty well for me, but it involves a lot of hand changes, juggling the record (which supposedly should be held in the air) the Zerostat and a dust blower bulb. Every switchover is a chance for me to bump or drop the record, so I'd love to find a way to minimize that.
I think this is the one I have. Desco - 60505 High Output Bench Top Ionizer, 120VAC Yeah, I didn't mention how expensive they can be. I was extremely lucky and I bought this on eBay for about $75 brand new. I've never tried a Zerostat. A guy on the Decware Forums talked about a de-ionizing machine he used and that got me looking.
You won't (shouldn't) get any static from the Degritter. FWIW I use the Furutech Destat III if necessary and it's very effective. The zerostat works but is a little finicky in use.
That Furutech looks like a nice little rig. I never had a dedicated RCM before but so my static comes from handling the LPs in my very dry climate -- dusty too. Looking forward to my Degritter. Should arrive Monday. I'm planning on using regular distilled water and the supplied solution. I asked the seller about the utility of a spare tank for a pure distilled water rinse and he didn't think it was worth while since after several LPs, that tank would get contaminated with the cleaner. (Assuming switching tanks back and forth and the cleaner residue in the lines and on the LPs.) Makes sense to me. I like justifications for doing less work! lol
That's pretty cool. I was in during the early phase and it's nice to see the hard work of a scrupulous company pay off. And thank goodness to finally have taken record cleaners out of the "made in the garage" look! I think Degritter has upped the game, where people will demand more in aesthetics, just like Apple has in the past.
I got my Degritter and I'm cleaning records. I haven't played anything yet and I probably won't comment on how it cleans but I can unequivocally say that this cleaner is beyond convenient to use. Given all of the money I've sunk into my system, this was a great investment. I can't imagine spending $500 to $1000 on a vacuum cleaner that I had to stand over with pads and cleaners doing one side at a time. With the Degritter, I put the record in, start the machine and walk away until I have a clean and dry record to either put in it's sleeve or play. The vendor recommended using the Heavy cycle, which I am doing. I've never deep-cleaned any of my vinyl before and while it all looks clean already, I'd like to essentially do it once and have peace of mind that it's as good as I can reasonably do.
When you get the 50 cycle notification, take a good look at the filter. This will give you an indication as to how dirty your LPs are/were.
Yes, I'm looking forward to that. The before and after of my vinyl is unremarkable so the filter will really tell what's going on! I've done 21 so far using the Heavy cycle and I've had to top off the tank 3 times and after just a few cycles, the cooling cycle gets activated. The Heavy cycle is a bit of a burden but I'm counting on only ever needing the Light cycle subsequently -- if at all.
Yeah! Like I mentioned early in the thread: virtually every method of record cleaning (aside from just swiping a brush on a record before playing) struck me as cumbersome and a chore to one degree or another. I had no interest in turning record cleaning in to a side hobby. And all record cleaners were either noisy, or ugly, or both. It's amazing how many bulls-eyes the Degritter designers hit with this product: looks great, works great, super intuitive UI, flexible in use as you'd want, updatable so keeps getting better, and simple and even fun to use. Someone mentioned his dealer said the Degritter was taking over the marketplace for record cleaners (aside from the cheap ones), and I can see why.