Ultrasonic Record Cleaner 40 v 80 v 120 kHz

@jwr159 IMHO ultrasonic cleaners are a bad way to go. Ultrasound strong enough to clean a record will damage the vinyl. The weak ultrasound used in record cleaners does not do much, but the real problem is drying. Place a few drops of record cleaning solution on a glass slide or mirror and let it air dry. You will see a spot where the fluid was. This is what happens when a record is air or fan dried. To get a record really clean it has to be vacuum dried. There are a number of fine vacuum cleaning machines on the market. I like the Nessie. It does the job, is well made and a good value. The very best record cleaner is the Clearaudio Double Matrix Sonic Pro. It cleans both sides at the same time. You get a totally clean record in about three minutes without a drop being spilled. It is, unfortunately, more expensive than most people are willing to spend.  

I've had a DeGritter for 3 or 4 years, have cleaned hundreds of albums through it, and no vinyl has been 'damaged' - rather, it's been 'cleaned'. I don't even use record cleaning solution, just distilled water. 

I've been very pleased with my Klaudio US cleaner. Simple, one-button operation makes cleaning easy. For the rare occasion that I have a really dirty LP (such as one bought used or one that I'm cleaning for a friend), I clean it first in an original generation Nitty Gritty machine.

Neil will come and give you the low down before long. One consideration is that the size of the cavitation bubble that forms (as well as it's energy) is related to the frequency of ultrasonic vibration. 120kHz bubbles are likely to clean the bottom of a vinyl microgroove, whereas I believe 40kHz might not do such a thorough job in theory. Does that make a practical/audible difference? There's the rub, as there's a lot of money to be saved with a 40kHz machine. I have a MkI Degritter and I'm completely satisfied with it, used after a vacuum clean on a Loricraft.

Thank you all for the reples.

Yes, I agree with you dogberry, one can spend considerably more for a 120 Khz machine vs. a 40 kHz machine, the latter of which can be purchased for $200 from China. 

I am considering the Degritter (120 kHz only I believe) or a machine from Cleaner Vinyl, now selling triple frequency machines.  

https://www.cleanervinyl.com/shop-multi-frequency-cleaners.html  

George Merril also sells an inexpensive machine - $200. He claims it is as good as US. Relies on a jet of water from your faucet. 

Part of me thinks an ititial manual cleaning using the Merril machine followed by a US cleaning at a higher frequency is the way to go. But this is just a hunch. I need to do more homework.