Which VPI LP Cleaning Machine?

I'm fairly new to analog, but I bought a 16.5 about 3 weeks ago and all I can say is WOW! I didn't get as good a deal as Sean, mine was $440 delivered from Music Direct. I also use the Hunt brush for dry cleanings. All I can say right now is I never realized analog sounded so d@mn good. It definitely is better than cd. I haven't decided yet about SACD versus analog, but the bottom line is, get the cleaning machine today! 16.5 or 17 I don't know how much a difference it makes, but I DO know that the 16.5 cleans LP's like nobody's business. Highly recommended.

who cleans more than one or two records at a time? clean a record/listen, clean another/listen. if you are doing production buy a production machine, if you are a listener buy a 16.5 do it manually and be happy. take the other 1k and invest in a cartridge or some vinyl or a set of blow up dolls.

The 16.5 I have works fine. The platter does get dirty and so you need to clean it occasionally. I use a brush and hose attached to a home canister vacuum to do this. Also, just after you switch off the unit's suction pump, manually lift the suction arm off the record before the suction pump completely stops. Doing this helps remove the final bit of residue on the record that you might otherwise see.

I've been waiting for a used 17F for nearly two years on Audiogon to replace my Nitty Gritty 1.5fi. After missing nearly 5 listings I finally gave up and bought one from Elusivedisc which is only $125 more than the last one that I missed. It came last week and I was totally blown away by its ease and efficiency. The result is nothing short of outstanding. A class of its own. Now I simply regret that I didn't get it sooner and want to kick myself for buying the new Nitty Gritty just to save a few bucks.

The liquid spillage, however, could be a bit tricky if you're not familiar with the machine. However, after using it for about 10 times, you learn how to control liquid flow quickly.

Sayas - If truly pressed I could probably come up with a dozen or so reasons why someone would want to clean more than one or two records at a time and still not find themselves in your "production" category. Just a few are:

Someone with a larger, older record collection who wants to clean them all and doesn't want to spend 5 years to complete the task.

Someone who doesn't want to haul the machine out everytime they listen to a record that hasn't been cleaned one-by-one.

Someone who frequents garage sales and picks up 10-20 Lp's at a crack on most weekends (including a pristine Brubeck "Time Out" last weekend for four bits)!

I happen to fit into all three categories. I bought the 16.5, having resolved myself to cleaning 5-7 LP's every day until my collection of 2,000+ are done. The reason for NOT buying the 17 WAS to save money, given that I have more time than money. And, the $600-odd dollars saved DOES go towards buying more vinyl, having already bought a cartridge. As for your third option, I would suspect that one who trots out so crude and inane a reference as blowup dolls likely has a pair stowed one's bed.