Spin Clean record washer Mk II review

[stevieboy]

I
How heavy is the kit shipment?

Regards.

Hi Asit,

Was able to check today. It's 5.895kg.

Regards

 

[tek]

Wanted to resurrect this thread..

How have you Spin Clean owners been liking the kit almost a year on now? I am really contemplating getting this, as it seems quite affordable as opposed to an RCM which will cost me upwards of 30k. Do you guys still use the Spin Clean? Would you recommend I pick it up? I currently use the traditional method (distilled water, isopropyl alcohol, elbow grease) to get dirt out, but it's tiresome and cumbersome!

 

[prem]

I still use the Spin Clean. For the price i find it great value for money. I definitely prefer it to the traditional method of cleaning with distilled water. Malvai finds the vacuum cleaning method superior to Spin Clean but the investments are much higher.

 

[sachu888]

Wanted to resurrect this thread..

How have you Spin Clean owners been liking the kit almost a year on now? I am really contemplating getting this, as it seems quite affordable as opposed to an RCM which will cost me upwards of 30k. Do you guys still use the Spin Clean? Would you recommend I pick it up? I currently use the traditional method (distilled water, isopropyl alcohol, elbow grease) to get dirt out, but it's tiresome and cumbersome!

Hi Tek,
just get KAB EV-1 if you want performance at budget.You will need to provide Vacuum cleaner. KAB EV-1 RECORD CLEANER AT KABUSA.COM


Regards,
Sachin

 

[tek]

Thanks Sachu.. I think a killer combo would be getting the Spin Clean to actually wash and clean the record, and then the KAB EV -1 to Vac clean it. I guess I could get both for much less than a standard Vac RCM?

 

[malvai]

I still use the Spin Clean. For the price i find it great value for money. I definitely prefer it to the traditional method of cleaning with distilled water. Malvai finds the vacuum cleaning method superior to Spin Clean but the investments are much higher.

The spin clean will do the job 90%.... if any of you are as anal as me, invest in a good RCM. its really worth it.

 

[marsilians]

My VPI RCM broke down a few months ago and I have since been using the Spin Clean. Its does a decent job for records that dont need too much of a clean up. The smaller particles spcifically in the grooves are hard to get it. The larger ones come out very easily.

Re: the cleaning solution, I have tried the supplied 4 oz from spin clean and also my own concoction of 99% isopropyl alcohol with distilled water. The difference is negligible as I can't find any.

Just make sure the alcohol is 99% pure as any other may not result in as clean records.

For the longer term, I will probably have my VPI repaired or replaced but the Spin Clean is a great starter system. One caveat, it does not clean as well as the VPI for sure. I would also guess that Nitty Gritty (KAB EV1is a variant of this anyway) probably cleans better as the vacuum sucks out the smaller particles easily.

 

[shaizada]

My VPI RCM broke down a few months ago and I have since been using the Spin Clean. Its does a decent job for records that dont need too much of a clean up. The smaller particles spcifically in the grooves are hard to get it. The larger ones come out very easily.

Re: the cleaning solution, I have tried the supplied 4 oz from spin clean and also my own concoction of 99% isopropyl alcohol with distilled water. The difference is negligible as I can't find any.

Just make sure the alcohol is 99% pure as any other may not result in as clean records.

For the longer term, I will probably have my VPI repaired or replaced but the Spin Clean is a great starter system. One caveat, it does not clean as well as the VPI for sure. I would also guess that Nitty Gritty (KAB EV1is a variant of this anyway) probably cleans better as the vacuum sucks out the smaller particles easily.

Hi!

Can you tell me more about what went wrong with the VPI? I'm assuming it's the 16.5 right? My buddy has been using one for over 8 years with thousands of records gone through it. He is the one who turned me on to it when I was looking for a RCM myself.

I'm curious as I've always wondered what could really go wrong with it. If my buddy can have his last for 8 plus years, I figured it's pretty much bullet proof I think he mentioned that he only changed the tubes when the velvet strips start wearing out.

Thanks!

 

[marsilians]

@shaizada - It is indeed a very, very robust machine and I have used with without any mechanical issues absolutely. However I personally am responsible for my machine's issue. I had left it on one time after a session and during a power outage, there must have been a huge surge and its been toast ever since. I had it checked with a local electrician and it has been patchy since then as it shuts off midway through a cleaning session. A costly lesson learned as I should have used a stabiliser in the first place.

I am having it fixed in August as the dealer I bought it from has promised to do it free of charge.

 

[sunder]

Hi folks,

I also own the Spin Clean for the last few months. It is not perfect, but does a good job for the price (USD 80). No denying that it is very convenient and speedy, compared with other low cost solutions.

I believe that any single cleaning agent may not work perfectly, but a combination is likely to work better. This is because of the varied nature of the dirt that gets into the groove, and no one cleaning agent is good enough to remove all of the dirt. So a succession of cleaning with more than one cleaning agent is likely to work better.

So here is the following I do:

1. To remove visible dirt, I first rinse the record with RO water (free at home and very well maintained) to get rid of the visible dirt. This step can be skipped with visibly clean records.

2. In a plastic bowl I take a small amount of the solution made from the concentrate of "L'Art du Son" (very reputed cleaning agent usually used with vacuum based RCMs). Then using a scratch-free scotch-brite dipped into this solution, I rinse both sides of the record thoroughly. Let the record stand against a support for about 10 minutes till it dries. The L'Art du Son is very well known to get dirt loose from the grooves. [At this stage, one can also use a good vacuum cleaner with proper fitting (not to damage the record). Member Manoj does this with very good result. We do have a vacuum cleaner at home, but we have lost that fitting which is suitable for computers and such].

3. Then I use the Spin Clean (with its own cleaning fluid) to finally wash the record. I use 4 rotations in each direction (although the manual says 3 rotations in each direction) and usually clean typically 15 records in one go (meaning with the single supply of the Spin Clean cleaning fluid). The manual says one can clean 20 to 50 records in one go (depending on how dirty the records are).

4. Finally I let the records dry by themselves. I do not use the cloth-portions supplied with the Spin Clean to be used for drying. I think they leave some lint behind and I do not find them very absorbing either (yes I did wash them before first use). The Spin Clean manual clearly says that all the cleaning is done by the brushes during the spinning process, the cloth is only for drying. Hence I decided I do not need them. I just make the wet records stand against some support for a few minutes and the records get dry very soon. I get better result without using those supplied pieces of cloth for drying.

5. Of course, immediately after the above stage, I store the records away in new anti-static plastic sleeves (got a good supply of Mobile Fidelity Master sleeves).

Of course, I do not need the above elaborate procedure for records bought new. New records also at times need some light cleaning though. In addition, I personally think all new records (regardless of their country of origin) do have a fair amount of debris on them (probably coming from the pressing machine). It is very tempting to use them right away, but it is better to do some light cleaning.

Because of my preferred genre of music (hindusthani classical), I buy a lot of used records here in Kolkata. In the last couple of months, I have bought no fewer than 100 records. I first select them very carefully, usually preferring first prints etc and checking for fine scratches etc (one needs to watch the quality of the label around the centre hole of the record, a lightly used record does not show a lot of damage there. If a seller claims records to be new, this is the best way to check).

With the above cleaning sequence, for 90% of the used records, I get fantastic results. They seem like new records both in appearance and in sonics. When that happens, it gives me immense sense of satisfaction. For Rs 100 to 150 spent on each record and then a bit of labour - resulting in bliss.

BTW, both the L'Art du Son and the Spin Clean as well as all other accessories are bought from elusivedisc.com. Usually my partners in crime are two fellow Kolkatan members - Manoj and Pratim.

At the end , I like to just point out that with the growing number of my vinyl collection, I think I should have ordered the Spin Clean with the extra supply of cleaning fluid and brushes (for USD 125 I think). With the minimum package, only 4 oz of the cleaning fluid is supplied and I have already exhausted a large portion of it.

The Knosti record cleaner is a bit cheaper and works in a very similar way. The basic principle is the same, but the cleaning fluid is different, and there are a lot of reports on the net of residues left after cleaning. This is a very important aspect of record cleaning and maintenance of the stylus. There is a dry cleaning brush called "In the Groove Record Cleaner" (which Pratim had), and it definitely leaves blackish residues on the grooves. Once I got a few records from Pratim, and played them. As usual, I checked the needle after each play, and there was visible black dirt on it which I was able to clean with my stylus cleaner. I immediately let Pratim know about this, and only then both of us got serious to get the Spin Clean, and to my knowledge with the MK II, there is no known report of sugnificant residue left on the grooves.

Regards.

Hi Asit, can we use the L'Art Du Son solution diluted inside the Spin Clean Washer Markll instead of it own solution? Have you tried this method? is L'Art Du Son safer than Spin clean solution?
Thank you,
sunder.

 

[soulforged]

After 6 months of purchasing it, I finally got the Spin Clean out of the box and gave it a spin...

Cleaned 25 records in this first session that lasted for almost 3 hours including cleaning, drying and putting the recs in new sleeves. The condition ranged from previously-cleaned-can-actually-be-played to not-played-for-some-years to downright-dirty. The downright-dirty ones were first scrubbed using my MoFi wet brush and a cleaning solution wifey got from Germany.

The records were cleaned in the order of their condition with the cleaner ones going first. I must say I was pretty impressed with the results :yahoo:

Had an old old copy of Madhushala which was super-gunky. This was the first to go on the platter after the cleaning and the sound was astounding! Almost no crackle and pops!!! The next to go was Madhumati from the not-played-for-years bucket...it was super-quiet. Now going is ELP's Brain Salad Surgery from the already-clean category hyeah:

Part of the credit for the great sound should also go to the minor upgrades I made to my setup - Ortofon OM10 stylus, Clearaudio Clever Clamp and Lehmann Black Cube phono

First impression of Spin Clean - :thumbsup:

Some pics from the cleaning session -

The Arsenal

The Main Weapon

Ready to Go

My Prized MoFi George Benson - Breezin'

Pretty maids all in a row! The plate rack being put to good use...

The gunk!

 

[Hiten]

Thanks for sharing soul. A weekend spent well hyeah:
Regards

 

[Hiten]

...just curious if any one has tried it. How much is the qty. of dust if waste water is allowed to settle for couple of days ? Would be interesting. Alum can also be used.
Regards

 

[Hiten]

I know vinyl addicts are nuts about vinyls. Reading soul's post; curiosity got better of me. Wanted to know quantity of dirt one vinyl can gather over a period of time. had one dirty vinyl. It had clicks, pops and smudges but when played it was not that much irritable to listen to. I cleaned it with Inverter Battery Water and 2/3 drops of organic biodegradable detergent. Scrubbed with new shoe polish brush. Collected that water in a glass. For comparison got another glass of clean water. Alum (which settles the dirt) was swirled 4/5 times in both the glasses and waited for a day. The dirt was collected on newspaper.

Some times it is good to have doubts. So I once again cleaned the same clean vinyl with same process but didn't used the brush, just washed with hands. And only one drop of detergent was used.

Surprised to see more dirt collected on cloth.

Conclusion :
- Even if vinyl is playing fine there may be fine dirt which may alter sound.
- It is good to clean vinyls atleast two times. Three times would be even better.
- 4/5 drops of detergent is enough.

clean 'em and spin 'em : )
Regards