How well does the VPI 16.5 work??

Thanks,4yanx and Rwd. Problem solved. I'm not absolutely sure whether it was a loose hold down nut, or the collet on the vacuum post, but I made doublely sure the nut was tight, and I also made a minute adjustment to the height of the collet on the post with a hex key, and that seemed to solve the problem. I think it was the collet. Thanks again for the advice.

The Sota LPC is a better cleaner, and a little easier to use. I wrote a full review comparing it to the 16.5 which I also owned, if you are interested. It costs a little more, but is worth it.

I had a VPI HW16.5 for several years and recently sold it, replacing it with a Loricraft. The Loricraft costs quite a bit more than even the HW17F, but I find there are two nice benefits. First, it does a better job. Records I thought were starting to wear were restored to like new condition. Second, it is quiet. The VPIs and similar machines are very noisy. The Loricraft, on the other hand, makes some noise, but I can actually be listening to a record and cleaning one at the same time, for example. The only disadvantages I see are the slightly longer time to clean (about 1 minute per side) and the use of nylon thread which probably isn't something you'll find at the local fabric store. I especially disliked the noise of the VPI, and the Loricraft is a pleasure to use in comparison and does a great job.

I just got mine 2 weeks ago.all i can say is WOW..WOW..WOW.. but a little nervous about using the brush that came with it

Ttrhp,
Use the supplied brush for spreading a large amount of liquid over the record surface. Do not try to cleanse the dirty record with it since you can damage it(the record).