What Cleaning Machine?

If your budget allows, a Loricraft is indeed the answer. No RCM at any price (except a used Keith Monks, if you can find one) will compare with it.

Every other RCM starts with the same flawed design, vacuum wands and felt-covered slots. A record-straddling wand can't dry a warped record evenly or easily reach the the dirtiest portion of most used records, the area near a sloped lead-in groove. Felt-covered slots pick up contaminated fluid on every pass. You either clean the felts after every pass and replace them often or you get cross-contamination.

The Loricraft and Monks operate on completely different principles. They suffer none of the above problems and they're fairly quiet, no louder than your microwave oven.

Expensive but worth it IMO too.

I also second the RRL + Buggtussel Vinyl-Zyme recommendation. Vinyl Zyme is especially good at reducing sharp clicks and pops.

Thanks for all the suggestions. Guess you must be careful what you wish for. Went in with a VPI 16.5 budget and am now enticed by the logic and recommendations for the Loricraft. Suppose Junior could pay for his own college textbooks for a couple of semesters! Maybe some kind soul must part with a gently used one.

I'll echo the Loricraft recommendations. High build quality, easy to use, simple to maintain. The focused vacuum of the Loricraft yields more effective cleaning than an open slot wand like those found on the VPI or NittyGritty.

I consider it a component that expands my enjoyment of my record collection and measure its value accordingly. Besides the Loricraft, there is no other component in my system I truly regret not purchasing sooner.

Alas, they are rarely seen on the used market. If Junior can get those ISBN numbers maybe *he* can shop the used market. ;-)

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Rballdude
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Loricraft (best cleaner and a pleasure to operate.... incredibly quiet compared to other cleaners and worth every penny.
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Use in combination with RRL super vinyl wash in combination with Heavy Duty cleaner, Premier (to remove mold release compound),and Bugtussel Vinyl-Zyme for older or poorly stored records.
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Rgds,
Larry