The best parts washers, compared.
Top pick: Hilka 84995505 – Highest score for external grease: about £66.95, 4.5 from 118, a shelf, 30 gallons per hour and a named safety cut-out. Updated 20 October 2026.
Home mechanics, cycle workshops and anyone cleaning jets, carbs or small tools are the usual buyers. Garages that wash parts all day usually move to a larger aqueous cabinet, which is not in this set. On amazon.co.uk the word washer also means a flat metal ring, so the title has to be read. Pump or bath is set out on the [ultrasonic or bench washer](/hub/compressors/parts-washer/sub/parts-washer-ultrasonic-or-bench) page. A parts washer puts cleaning fluid onto a greasy component. That is either a recirculating tank, with a pump and a shelf, or a small ultrasonic bath. Dirt inside jets, carburettors and fine mechanisms wants the bath, and the part has to fit the basket. A machine that sprays water at a patio or a car is a different purchase too.
Home mechanics, cycle workshops and anyone cleaning jets, carbs or small tools are the usual buyers. Garages that wash parts all day usually move to a larger aqueous cabinet, which is not in this set.
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Personal buying guide
Question 1 of 2
Where is the dirt?
The Hilka 84995505 is a red bench parts washer listed at £66.95, 6.5 kg and 48 × 37 × 26 cm, with 4.5 from 118 amazon.co.uk reviews. The bullets state a recirculating pump at 30 gallons per hour, a removable parts shelf and a safety cut-out, and the included-components line is the washer itself. UK reviewers use it on engine parts and gearbox solenoids in a shed, and they describe a strong flow that is tidier than an open tub, though the jet can throw fluid onto the wall. Two UK reviews say the pump would not run until the cover was removed and the rotor was turned by hand, and one review simply says the pump broke down. The amazon bullets say a 3.5 gallon solvent capacity and do not name a fluid, while UK reviews mention paraffin and Jizer. Hilka's own page says the fluid should be an aqueous non-flammable degreaser and that thinners are unsuitable. Non-UK reviews that report thinners melting the body are not the UK star line, the listing does not state a voltage, and a brush is not in the box line.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want a cheap bench washer for greasy parts on the outside, and you will follow Hilka's aqueous FAQ rather than the word solvent on the amazon bullets.
Less suitable: You plan to pour paraffin or thinners, or you need the voltage and a hose written on the amazon listing itself.
Specifications
Common questions
Can the Hilka 84995505 be filled with solvent?
The bullets describe a 3.5 gallon solvent capacity and do not name an approved fluid. The listing question about different solvents is unanswered. UK reviews mention paraffin and Jizer. Non-UK reviews say thinners melted the body or the pump.
Does the Hilka bench washer include a hose?
The listing asks whether it has a flexible hose and does not answer. The bullets list a pump, a safety cut-out, a 30 gallon per hour rate and a removable shelf. They do not confirm a hose.
Is the Hilka 84995505 portable?
The listing question is unanswered. The stated weight is 6.5 kg. One UK review says it can be emptied and moved between jobs.
The FOHERE JX-020S is a 120 W stainless ultrasonic cleaner with a heater and a timer, listed at £67.98 with 4.2 from 35 amazon.co.uk reviews. UK reviewers use it on jewellery, spectacles, carburettor components, clock parts and small tools with dried grease, and they say water plus an additive works better than water alone. A UK review sets temperature in 1 °C steps and the timer in 1 minute steps, and says the clean does not start by itself when the set temperature is reached. The listing does not state capacity; two UK reviews say 3.2 litres, and one gives usable space of about 80 mm deep by 230 mm long by 130 mm wide, shallower once the basket is in. Those reviews also say the temperature can rise by about another 10 °C once the ultrasonic cycle is running, and the guide, as one reviewer quotes it, says not to run longer than 30 minutes and not to use flammable liquids. One reviewer saw nickel plate go dark grey after CLR and a 30 minute cycle, and reviewers warn off glued stones, soft gems and plated finishes. Voltage is not on the listing; one UK review reports a three-pin plug, earth continuity to the case and a 10 A fuse, and one unit was returned because it did not work.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You are cleaning jets, small tools, glasses or jewellery that fit a bath reviewers put at about 3.2 litres.
Less suitable: You need to degrease a brake caliper or an engine casing, or you want to use paraffin or another flammable liquid.
Specifications
Common questions
Does the FOHERE JX-020S have a heater and a timer?
Yes. Both are in the title. A UK review describes temperature steps of 1 °C and timer steps of 1 minute, and says cleaning does not start by itself when the set temperature is reached.
Can you put flammable liquid in the FOHERE cleaner?
The listing does not name a solvent. One UK review says the user guide warns against flammable liquids. Reviewers describe water, washing-up liquid, CLR and ultrasonic fluid.
How big is the FOHERE tank?
The listing does not state a capacity. Two UK reviews say 3.2 litres. Another review calls the usable space shallower than expected, especially with the basket fitted.
The Draper 22494 is a blue 230 V portable parts washer at £126.84, rated 3.4 from 27 amazon.co.uk reviews, with a title size of 610 × 420 × 260 mm. The bullets say it is not suitable for solvent-based cleaning fluids, and they include a removable stainless mesh, flexible pipes with an inline brush, and a draining shelf. UK reviews praise a lid that keeps the smell in and a filter you can reuse, and they run water-based degreaser because a UK review says the tank is not heated and the pump uses power only while it runs. The listing material fields say stainless steel, while one UK review says the body is robust plastic and the lid closes with catches. The same file describes pumps that needed a hammer blow to start, a motor that failed after a few uses, and a replacement motor that was dead on arrival. Lid clips broke, Draper would not sell the clip alone, and one lid bowed until it no longer sealed. Reviews also say the tank is heavy once full and must stay upright, because the internal plug is not fully leakproof on its side.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want the solvent ban and 230 V written on the listing, and you will keep the tank upright on a water-based degreaser.
Less suitable: You wash parts every working day and need a lid clip you can buy as a spare, or you expected a heated stainless cabinet.
Specifications
Common questions
Can the Draper 22494 use water-based degreaser?
The bullets say it is not suitable for solvent-based cleaning fluids. UK reviews describe solvent-free or water-based degreaser. The listing question on water-based cleaners is otherwise unanswered.
What is the Draper 22494 made of?
The listing material fields say stainless steel. One UK review says it is manufactured from robust plastic rather than metal. The bullets do name a removable stainless steel filter mesh.
Does the Draper 22494 have a filter?
Yes. The bullets include a removable stainless steel filter mesh, plus flexible fluid pipes with an inline cleaning brush.
Scores use the three amazon.co.uk listings kept for this page, with prices, stars and review counts saved on 19 October 2026, plus the Hilka and Draper pages for the fluid and tank lines the listings leave open. Editorial scores are not a lab test. A star average is not a workshop safety result. Non-UK reviews of melted tanks are not scored as the UK star line. Weights sum to 100.
Amazon evidence
30%Star rating on amazon.co.uk, then a deduction when the count is small. Non-UK reviews of melted tanks are not scored as the UK star line.
Listing fit
35%A named fluid limit, a stated 230 V supply, a filter or a shelf, and a heater or timer where the job needs one. A bullet that says solvent while the brand page says aqueous is deducted. A material field that contradicts a UK review is deducted.
Review outcome
20%UK reviews that describe a finished clean score higher. Pumps that will not start, broken lid clips, a returned unit, and plating damage are deducted.
Value
15%Shelf price in GBP against a machine a UK review can actually use for the job on the title. A low price does not erase a fluid contradiction.
Choose the machine by the shape of the dirt, the fluid the maker allows, and whether 230 V is actually printed. The three amazon.co.uk listings below are a bench washer, a portable washer and a small ultrasonic bath. They are not a lab test, and they are not a serviced workshop cabinet.
A parts washer puts cleaning fluid onto a greasy component. In this set that is either a recirculating tank, with a pump and a shelf, or a small ultrasonic bath. External grease wants the pump. Dirt inside jets, carburettors and fine mechanisms wants the bath, and the part has to fit the basket. Floor cabinets and serviced machines from Draper, Solutex, D-Grease and Safetykleen are a different purchase. A machine that sprays water at a patio or a car is a different purchase too.
The Hilka bullets say a 3.5 gallon solvent capacity and do not name an approved fluid. Hilka's page says an aqueous non-flammable degreaser and that thinners are unsuitable. The Draper listing bans solvent-based fluids.
Amazon material fields say stainless steel. One UK review says robust plastic, and Draper's site lists a 9 litre polyethylene tank. Treat the mesh as stainless and the body as plastic unless you see otherwise.
HSE sheet SR23 says never pour waste solvent down the drain. Used aqueous fluid is not drain-safe because the fresh product is water-based. A business classifies solvents, oils and oily water.
The Draper 22494 listing says it is not suitable for solvent-based cleaning fluids. Hilka's own page says an aqueous non-flammable degreaser and that thinners are unsuitable, even though the amazon bullets only say a 3.5 gallon solvent capacity. The FOHERE listing does not name a solvent. One UK review says the user guide warns against flammable liquids. UK reviews of the Hilka mention paraffin and Jizer.
Draper's site lists the 22494 as a 9 litre polyethylene tank. The FOHERE capacity is not on the listing; two UK reviews say 3.2 litres, and one review calls the basket shallower than the tank. Only the FOHERE has a heater and a timer in the title. A 3.2 litre bath will not take an engine casing or a brake caliper. Both bench units have UK reviews of pumps that will not start. The Draper has a stainless mesh and an inline brush, and reviews of lid clips that were not sold as a spare.
Three typical situations, each with a recommendation from this comparison.
You want a small bench washer for engine parts and gearbox solenoids, and you will follow Hilka's aqueous line rather than the word solvent on the amazon bullets. The 84995505 is about £66.95, with a shelf and a pump stated at 30 gallons per hour.
You are cleaning jewellery, glasses, carburettor components or small tools that fit a bath reviewers put at about 3.2 litres. The FOHERE JX-020S has a heater and a timer in the title. It will not take an engine casing, and one reviewer quotes a ban on flammable liquids.
You want 230 V and a ban on solvent-based fluids written on the amazon listing, and you will keep the tank upright on a water-based degreaser. The Draper 22494 states both. UK reviews include pumps that would not start and lid clips that were not sold on their own.
The top pick for greasy parts on the outside is the Hilka 84995505 at about £66.95, with 4.5 from 118 reviews, a removable shelf, a pump stated at 30 gallons per hour and a safety cut-out named on the listing. The unnamed fluid, pumps that needed a hand start, and the missing voltage are already in that score. No best-value award is given. The Hilka is already the lowest shelf price and the highest score, and labelling the FOHERE as best value would treat a 3.2 litre bath, a figure that is only in reviews, as the bargain version of a bench washer. The Draper at about £126.84 with 3.4 from 27 is not that pick either. The FOHERE is the small-parts bath, with a heater and a timer in the title. The Draper is the listing that writes 230 V and a solvent ban.
Hilka 84995505
Highest score for external grease: about £66.95, 4.5 from 118, a shelf, 30 gallons per hour and a named safety cut-out.
Not awarded. The Hilka already holds the lowest price and the only award, and the FOHERE 3.2 litre figure is review-only.
Editorial
Peter F. is the editor for DIY & tools at productscompared.co.uk. Comparisons in this category are checked against amazon.co.uk listings, review evidence and public UK sources.
Guides on what to look for, how to use a product, and common mistakes.
Public UK sources and the maker pages below. amazon.co.uk listings for these three parts washers, shelf date 19 October 2026.
This page contains affiliate links to amazon.co.uk with the tag pcuk26-21. If you buy through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Prices, stars and review counts are the UK listing lines from 19 October 2026. We did not run a lab test.
