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Ultrasonic cleaner or parts washer

Updated: 21.10.2026

A carburettor jet and a greasy brake caliper both look like cleaning in a search box. They are different jobs. An ultrasonic cleaner or parts washer choice turns on where the dirt sits. If it is inside a passage, you want a bath the part actually fits. If it is on the outside, you want a pump, a shelf and a brush. The machines in the [parts washer comparison](/hub/compressors/parts-washer) are the FOHERE JX-020S bath at £67.98 and two recirculating washers, the Hilka 84995505 at £66.95 and the Draper 22494 at £126.84. The amazon.co.uk listings and UK review notes were read on 19 October 2026. There was no cleaning trial. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

A carburettor jet and a greasy brake caliper both look like cleaning in a search box. They are different jobs. An ultrasonic cleaner or parts washer choice turns on where the dirt sits.

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.Outside grease or a blind hole
  2. 2.What the small ultrasonic bath will and will not take
  3. 3.What the bench washer is for
  4. 4.Which to buy

Outside grease or a blind hole

External grease on a bracket, a hub or a gearbox solenoid comes off under a jet or a stiff brush, with the part on a shelf so the fluid runs back into the tank. A blind hole, a jet or a clock pivot does not. The brush never reaches it. Classic Bike Hub's carburettor feature splits the work: a rough clean, then a strip, then an ultrasonic tank, because the bath pulls dirt from drillings. The same feature notes that the process can open a crack that was already there, so inspect the part afterwards. Leave about 20 mm around the part. If you only have the outside of a large part to clean, look at the bench washer. If you only have a jet, a 9 litre pump tank is the wrong tool. Paraffin, thinners and the sink are on aqueous or solvent parts washer.

What the small ultrasonic bath will and will not take

The FOHERE JX-020S is the bath in this set: 120 W, stainless steel, a heater and a timer, 4.2 from 35 reviews. UK reviewers report carburettor components, glasses and small tools. Capacity is not on the listing. Two UK reviews say 3.2 litres, about 80 × 230 × 130 mm, shallower with the basket. A caliper or a complete carb body should be measured before you assume it fits. The cycle does not start by itself, and one review says the temperature then rose by about another 10 °C. The wash steps are on how to use a parts washer.
Hilka Hilka 84995505

Testsieger

Hilka Hilka 84995505
9.0/10about £66.95
View offer

What the bench washer is for

The Hilka and the Draper are hose-and-brush machines. The Hilka is 6.5 kg, with a pump stated at 30 gallons per hour and a removable shelf. UK reviews use it on engine parts and gearbox solenoids. The Draper is the 230 V portable, title size 610 × 420 × 260 mm, with a stainless mesh, an inline brush and a draining shelf. Draper's page calls it a 9 litre polyethylene tank. Amazon's material fields say stainless steel, and a UK review says plastic. Neither pump will clean a blocked jet. Both have UK reviews of pumps that will not start: a Hilka rotor turned by hand, and a Draper hammer blow. Those faults belong to the external-grease job. A full carb may need a larger ultrasonic tank than the FOHERE review figure. Draper's own range includes 9 and 27 litre baths that are not in this comparison.

Which to buy

Buy the FOHERE when the part fits a small heated bath and the dirt is in a passage or on a small surface. Buy the Hilka or the Draper when the part is greasy on the outside and will sit on a shelf under a brush. The solvent line, the plug wording and the price are on the parts washer buying guide. A jet left in a pump washer stays blocked. A caliper forced into a basket reviewers call about 80 mm deep may not fit. If you do both, as the carburettor articles suggest, the washer is the first rough pass and the bath is the second, after you have stripped the part and measured it.

Common questions

Do I need an ultrasonic cleaner or a parts washer?
You need the bath if the dirt is inside a small passage and the part fits. You need the recirculating washer if the grease is on the outside. In this set that is the FOHERE against the Hilka and the Draper. Carburettor work often uses both: rough clean, strip, then a bath.
Will the FOHERE take a carburettor?
It may take small carburettor components. The listing does not state a capacity. Two UK reviews say 3.2 litres, about 80 × 230 × 130 mm, shallower with the basket. Leave about 20 mm around the part. If it does not fit, you need a larger bath.
Can a bench washer clean a blocked jet?
Not reliably. The Hilka and the Draper rinse the outside through a pump and a brush. A blocked jet is why people move to an ultrasonic bath after they strip the carb. The Hilka's 30 gallons per hour does not stand in for ultrasound.
Is the bath suitable for jewellery and for engine parts?
Glasses and solid small tools are the easy cases. Keep out glued stones, pearls, opals and other soft gems. One UK review saw nickel plate go dark grey in CLR. A caked brake caliper is a bench-washer job.
How hot should the bath be?
FOHERE reviews describe setting 40 °C or 50 °C, then starting the cycle yourself. The temperature climbed by about another 10 °C once ultrasound was running. The listing does not state a maximum. The 30 minute limit is from a reviewer's reading of the guide.
Can I use paraffin in the ultrasonic tank?
No. One UK review says the FOHERE guide warns against flammable liquids. Reviewers describe water and water-based additives. Paraffin belongs in neither this bath nor the two pump washers.

Related pages

Best parts washer

Parts washer

Aqueous or solvent parts washer: fluid before brand

Parts washer buying guide: dirt, fluid and the plug

How to use a parts washer: fill, wash, drain, waste

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)