Record Cleaning Machine - Loricraft PRC-3 vs. 4?

Well stated Syntax. Could you comment on whether or not the Monks gets the records any cleaner than the Loricraft? I've never read a direct comparison. One issue for me is that I use four fluids in five steps and the Monks automatic tanks can't accommodate that many different fluids and applicators. I also don't like the idea of an automatic fluid dispenser scrubbing the LP surface. So despite the higher quality of the Monks (kind of like a Porsche versus an MG), I prefer the manual application method and simplicity of the Loricraft, not to mention the cost.

The Loricraft is a cheap copy from the Monks.

Syntax,

does this go for the current production run of the Monks with the Son in charge, or just the vintage Monks? and do you know if there are performance consquences related to the different build quality that you could quantitate?

i can see and read that the current Monks machines are more robustly built than the Loricraft and are more automatic, but wonder whether they will likely clean my records better. assuming i do my part properly with either.

thanks.

Thank-you for the responses.

Keith Monks died in 2005 and the company closed. Production resumed in 2008 under the ownership of Keith Mokns son. Does the excellent build quality of Keith Monks RCMs apply to the current production models as well? How does the new company's product compare to the old?

I have a Nitty Gritty Mini-Pro and a VPI 16.5. My Loricraft PRC4 Deluxe arrived yesterday, and the couriers had bashed it around between the UK, the dealer in Vancouver and me in eastern Canada. The pump had come off its mount and its hoses had detached. Ignoring the 'no user serviceable parts' warning as I wasn't willing to courier it back to Vancouver for a simple fix (and possibly more damage in transit), I took it apart. The pump was easily reattached to its base, and the hoses plugged back on their spigots.This machine does a much better job of cleaning than the NG and VPI machines. The other thing that occurred to me as I figured out how to disassemble it and repair the damage was that I could understand why it costs as much as it does. It is complicated inside, and well built. Lots of screws, bolts, sound damping insulation and custom machining, not to mention the pretty brasswork on the 'tonearm'. I'm rather glad it came as it did, as I would have wondered whether the price was just based on small sales, but now I know it is entirely justified given the work inside, never mind the performance for which I and others have bought it. To call it a cheap copy of the Monks machine is either an enormous tribute to the Monks machine or a downright slander, and since I don't have a Monks I can't say which.