Why are record cleaners so expensive?

@whart Look, man, there was no antagonism implied or intended. Especially not if people are going to get bent out of shape over a question about a mechanical device.

"Most folks are allergic to hype, and I’m not going to tell you that veils were lifted or the orchestra was in the room. What I will tell you is that I’ve spent a fair amount of time and money messing around with various record cleaning methods, machines and techniques and not only have a lot of records, but some very valuable ones. I can get a record very clean using a basic VPI. But some records, particularly older records that have been exposed to who knows what, require multiple cleanings, and in my experience, multiple approaches. That’s where the combo of a couple different devices, including ultrasonic, starts to pay off."

There - that's what I was looking for in the first place - that and @mapman 's earlier take.

As for the suit, fly rod, and vacation - those are all objects or experiences custom made for one person only (or a couple, in the case of the latter) and not really suited for anyone else. That's a far cry from a mass-produced (relatively speaking) cleaning device.

I probably will invest in a VPI once my collection approaches a decent number.

I got an early HW-17 on ebay for around 250.00

has it worked?  yes saved a number of records

has it paid itself off   not really :)

The price it takes to buy a used (or even new) VPI HW-16.5 will get you perhaps as good a record cleaner as you need. Far better than a Spin-Clean and far cheaper than an ultrasonic cleaner.

Simao,
I also use the Spin-Clean, but I finish up with a KAB EV-1 to vacuum off the bath water. The EV-1 is basically the top portion of a Nitty Gritty record cleaner, and hooks up to your own vacuum cleaner. At $169, it's an economical alternative to the machines with a built-in vacuum.

I believe the results from this combination are better than using the EV-1 alone and WAY better than the Spin-Clean alone.

Well, Sim, I'll take your question at face value.

First, an ultrasonic machine is not a glorified vacuum cleaner. Not remotely.

Second, sonic difference. I used to clean with a two wand method on a VPI. Now I clean at 80KHz and hear as big a difference as doubling the cost of a component. Many of us have a  $3,000 phono stage, or amp, or table, or speakers. Hence cleaning for $3,000 is perfectly viable on a strict cost/benefit analysis, on this measure alone.

Then there is the cost of a factory retip, about $3000 for mine. Since a recent study showed that the grunge in a record groove is one third diamond grit plus grease, which is a premium grinding compound, removing all of that grit should multiply the lifespan of a stylus. $3000 for record cleaning is a bargain on this measure alone.

Then there are the records. If you have 3000 records, it's only a dollar apiece. Even if you buy at garage sales, a dollar each is not significant, on this measure alone.

So there you have it. Out of reason? Not by my analysis.