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Parts washer buying guide

Updated: 21.10.2026

You have a greasy caliper on the bench and a search box that also means a flat metal washer. This parts washer buying guide puts the dirt, the fluid and the plug in that order. The three machines kept from amazon.co.uk are the Hilka 84995505 at £66.95, the FOHERE JX-020S at £67.98 and the Draper 22494 at £126.84. Stars and the full table sit on the [parts washer comparison](/hub/compressors/parts-washer). This page does not crown one of them. The listings, the review notes and the makers' own pages were read on 19 October 2026. There is no lab test. A qualifying purchase through our amazon.co.uk links can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

You have a greasy caliper on the bench and a search box that also means a flat metal washer. This parts washer buying guide puts the dirt, the fluid and the plug in that order.

Our top picks

Hilka Hilka 84995505

Best overall

Hilka Hilka 84995505
9.0/10about £66.95
View offer
FOHERE FOHERE JX-020S

Alternative

FOHERE FOHERE JX-020S
8.4/10about £67.98
View offer
Draper Draper 22494

Alternative

Draper Draper 22494
6.8/10about £126.84
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Start with the dirt, not the badge
  2. 2.Fluid the machine is built for
  3. 3.Plug, tank and lid
  4. 4.What this guide will not rank

Start with the dirt, not the badge

The first split is the shape of the dirt, not the star line. Grease on the outside of a bracket, a hub or a gearbox solenoid wants a recirculating washer: a pump, a shelf and a brush or a jet. Dirt packed inside a jet, a drilling or a clock pivot wants an ultrasonic bath, and the part has to sit in the basket with room around it. Classic Bike Hub's carburettor feature puts the jobs in sequence: a rough clean, then a strip, then a bath, because the bath reaches passages a brush does not. The Hilka and the Draper are the brush-and-pump machines. The Hilka is 6.5 kg, with a pump stated at 30 gallons per hour and a removable shelf. The Draper title size is 610 × 420 × 260 mm, with an inline brush and a draining shelf. The FOHERE is the 120 W bath, with a heater and a timer. The geometry is on ultrasonic cleaner or parts washer.

Fluid the machine is built for

Buy the fluid the maker names. The Draper listing says the washer is not suitable for solvent-based cleaning fluids, and UK reviews describe water-based degreaser. The Hilka bullets only say a 3.5 gallon solvent capacity and do not name an approved fluid. Hilka's own page says an aqueous non-flammable degreaser and that thinners are unsuitable. UK reviews mention paraffin and Jizer. Non-UK reviews say thinners melted the body or the pump. Those texts are not the UK star rating. The FOHERE listing does not name a fluid. One UK review says the user guide warns against flammable liquids. Fire, storage and the sink are on aqueous or solvent parts washer. HSE's vehicle-workshop page tells garages not to degrease in an open bucket.
Hilka Hilka 84995505

Testsieger

Hilka Hilka 84995505
9.0/10about £66.95
View offer

Plug, tank and lid

UK mains are 230 V and the plug is BS 1363. The Draper title states 230 V. The Hilka listing does not. Hilka's own page says 230 V 50 Hz and 26 W. The FOHERE listing does not state a voltage. One UK review reports a three-pin plug and a 10 A fuse. A machine sold for a 120 V socket is a buying problem. Draper's page lists a 9 litre polyethylene tank. Amazon's material fields say stainless steel, and one UK review says robust plastic. Trust the mesh as stainless and treat the body as plastic unless you see metal. The Hilka listing says 3.5 gallon, type not stated. Two UK reviews put the FOHERE at 3.2 litres, smaller once the basket is in. Hilka's site describes a fusible-link cover. The amazon bullets only say a safety cut-out. Only the FOHERE has a heater and a timer in the title. A UK review says the Draper is not heated.

What this guide will not rank

A 4.5 from 118 does not prove the Hilka pump will self-start. Two UK reviews say it sat still until the rotor was turned by hand, and one says the pump broke down. The Draper file includes a hammer blow to start the pump and a motor that failed after a few uses. A weekend aqueous wash can live with a small bench unit or a small bath. A garage that washes every day should look at spares, not at this three-listing set. Who to choose is on best parts washer.

Common questions

What should I check before I buy a parts washer?
Check the job, then the fluid, then the plug, then the tank. External grease wants a recirculating washer. Dirt inside a small passage wants a bath the part fits. Confirm 230 V and a BS 1363 plug, and measure the part.
Does "solvent capacity" mean I can use paraffin?
No. The Hilka bullets say a 3.5 gallon solvent capacity and do not name a fluid. Hilka's own page says an aqueous non-flammable degreaser, and that thinners are unsuitable. Follow that page.
Is the Draper body stainless steel?
The amazon material fields say stainless steel. One UK review says robust plastic. Draper's page lists a 9 litre polyethylene tank, and the bullets name a stainless mesh. Treat the mesh as stainless and the body as plastic unless you can see otherwise.
Do I need 230 V and a UK plug?
Yes, for a machine you will plug in here. The Draper title states 230 V. The Hilka listing does not, though the brand page says 230 V 50 Hz and 26 W. The FOHERE listing does not state voltage. A 120 V washer is not a UK buy.
How big a tank do I need for a home garage?
Big enough for the largest part you will wash, with the shelf or the basket in place. Draper says 9 litres. The Hilka listing says 3.5 gallon, type not stated. Two UK reviews put the FOHERE at 3.2 litres. An engine casing does not belong in that bath.
When is an ultrasonic bath the better buy?
When the dirt is inside a passage and the part fits. A bench washer is the better buy when the grease is on the outside. Do not assume 3.2 litres, a review figure, will take a whole carb.

Related pages

How to use a parts washer

Parts washer

Aqueous or solvent parts washer: fluid before brand

Best parts washer: who should buy and who should skip

Ultrasonic cleaner or parts washer by where dirt sits

Sources

Public UK sources and the maker pages below. amazon.co.uk listings for these three parts washers, shelf date 19 October 2026.

  1. HSE sheet SR23, solvent degreasing (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  2. HSE, cleaning or degreasing substances (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  3. HSE, water-mix wash fluids (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  4. HSE, storage of flammable liquids (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  5. GOV.UK, hazardous waste (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  6. Draper 22494, 230 V portable parts washer (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  7. Hilka 84995505 bench parts washer (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  8. COSHH Regulations 2002 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  9. DSEAR 2002 (retrieved 19 October 2026)