I have been looking at ultrasonic cleaners for some time now. I have been looking for one to clean brass as well as firearm parts. After scouring the internet for deals I decided to try the Hornady Lock-N-Load Magnum Ultrasonic Cleaner. The major selling points on this unit (at least for me) were: 3L tank, heated tank (32° F to 140° F) with its own on/off switch, timer (0 to 99 minutes) with its own on/off switch, and two transducers. The things I don’t like about this product are: it doesn't include a lifetime warranty (as many other Hornady devices carry one), how the cover sits with the basket in the tank and there is not a drain on the tank.
Cover doesn't sit properly with the basket in place
After unboxing the unit I was eager to see if my parts would fit, and to my surprise my Ruger Mk III upper/ barrel assembly would not fit. I did not expect this, because Hornady’s web page states the tanks dimensions are “9.4in (238mm) x 5.5in (139mm) x 3.9in (99mm)” and my Ruger’s upper is 240mm long which means that it should fit diagonally in the cleaner. The only thing I didn’t account for was the basket being smaller because I couldn’t find any information on the baskets dimensions, so I assumed that the dimensions on Hornady’s website were that of the basket (because you cannot put items in the cleaner without being in the basket, according to Hornady). That is one major reason I am doing the review, so that any perspective buyers know as much about the cleaner as possible.
Here are the actual dimensions, (or as close as I could be with a measuring tape):
Exterior- 250mm x 145mm x 222mm (L x W x H)
Interior Dimensions- Top of the Tank- 241mm x 138mm (L x W) (256mm Diagonally)
Basket Dimensions- 205mm x 106mm x 65mm (L x W x H) (210mm Diagonally)
Power Cord Max Length- 1750mm (Between Plug and Unit)
*Aprox. Dimensions, bottom edges/ corners are rounded (not sharp 90° angle) and made it hard to measure actual flat surface.
Now on to how the unit actually worked. I was quite impressed with the cleanliness of the brass. There are two settings on this unit, temperature and time, and from my first test I believe that the more heat used will reduce the time needed to achieve a desired clean.
Showing current fluid temp and set time, the little circles next to the displays light up blue when heat/ ultrasonic is on
.45 ACP (applies to pic above and 3 below): Top- Dirty, Middle- Cleaned 10min @ 90° F, Bottom- Cleaned additional 20min @ 140° F
.223 Rem (applies to pic above and 2 below): Top- Dirty, Bottom- Cleaned 10min @ 90° F & 20min @ 140° F
9x19mm Nickel Plated (applies to pic above and 2 below): Left/Top- Dirty, Right/ Bottom- Cleaned 10min @ 90° F & 20min @ 140° F (nickel appeared to be faded/ slightly yellowed)
One thing I noticed was some of the carbon was not removed but all it took was a simple wipe with paper towel or a q-tip (or a tumble would probably work as well). The only area I was not able to see results was in the primer pockets because I am relocating and my press isn't with me yet, but I expect they will clean up just as nice.
The only thing I haven’t tested is the ultrasonic cleaner’s ability to clean gun parts, and after I head to the range I will update this post with the results form that. I plan to use Lyman’s gun parts cleaner (don’t use the brass cleaner, I have heard it will remove the finish from firearm parts). I decided on the Lyman cleaner because it is known to have a rust inhibitor in it and I could not find anything stating whether the Hornady gun cleaning solution did or didn’t.
I hope this information is helpful for those looking to get a sonic cleaner.
Cheers,
Camaro2010
Cover doesn't sit properly with the basket in place
After unboxing the unit I was eager to see if my parts would fit, and to my surprise my Ruger Mk III upper/ barrel assembly would not fit. I did not expect this, because Hornady’s web page states the tanks dimensions are “9.4in (238mm) x 5.5in (139mm) x 3.9in (99mm)” and my Ruger’s upper is 240mm long which means that it should fit diagonally in the cleaner. The only thing I didn’t account for was the basket being smaller because I couldn’t find any information on the baskets dimensions, so I assumed that the dimensions on Hornady’s website were that of the basket (because you cannot put items in the cleaner without being in the basket, according to Hornady). That is one major reason I am doing the review, so that any perspective buyers know as much about the cleaner as possible.
Here are the actual dimensions, (or as close as I could be with a measuring tape):
Exterior- 250mm x 145mm x 222mm (L x W x H)
Interior Dimensions- Top of the Tank- 241mm x 138mm (L x W) (256mm Diagonally)
Bottom of the Tank*- 190mm x 95mm (L x W) (205mm Diagonally)
Tank Height- 100mm
Basket Dimensions- 205mm x 106mm x 65mm (L x W x H) (210mm Diagonally)
Power Cord Max Length- 1750mm (Between Plug and Unit)
*Aprox. Dimensions, bottom edges/ corners are rounded (not sharp 90° angle) and made it hard to measure actual flat surface.
Now on to how the unit actually worked. I was quite impressed with the cleanliness of the brass. There are two settings on this unit, temperature and time, and from my first test I believe that the more heat used will reduce the time needed to achieve a desired clean.
Showing current fluid temp and set time, the little circles next to the displays light up blue when heat/ ultrasonic is on
.45 ACP (applies to pic above and 3 below): Top- Dirty, Middle- Cleaned 10min @ 90° F, Bottom- Cleaned additional 20min @ 140° F
.223 Rem (applies to pic above and 2 below): Top- Dirty, Bottom- Cleaned 10min @ 90° F & 20min @ 140° F
9x19mm Nickel Plated (applies to pic above and 2 below): Left/Top- Dirty, Right/ Bottom- Cleaned 10min @ 90° F & 20min @ 140° F (nickel appeared to be faded/ slightly yellowed)
One thing I noticed was some of the carbon was not removed but all it took was a simple wipe with paper towel or a q-tip (or a tumble would probably work as well). The only area I was not able to see results was in the primer pockets because I am relocating and my press isn't with me yet, but I expect they will clean up just as nice.
The only thing I haven’t tested is the ultrasonic cleaner’s ability to clean gun parts, and after I head to the range I will update this post with the results form that. I plan to use Lyman’s gun parts cleaner (don’t use the brass cleaner, I have heard it will remove the finish from firearm parts). I decided on the Lyman cleaner because it is known to have a rust inhibitor in it and I could not find anything stating whether the Hornady gun cleaning solution did or didn’t.
I hope this information is helpful for those looking to get a sonic cleaner.
Cheers,
Camaro2010
