Cleaning fluid for parts washer

What are you using for cleaning fluid in your parts washer?  Just picked up a 20 gal HF washer. Seems likes lots of choices out there. What works best without breaking the budget?

Varsol

In reply to ShawnG :

Must be a Canada thing. Can't seem to buy it in the States...

Mineral spirits. Cheap, effective, not damaging to the pump or typical materials except maybe some plastics.

In reply to stafford1500 :

Looks like that's what the Varsol that Shawn suggested is, mostly. 

I saw someone suggest running like 50/50 mineral spirits and water. The idea being the the crud/dirt would sink into the water layer and keep the spirits cleaner. Any thoughts? 

I use Extreme Simple Green Aircraft and Precision Cleaner. I don't know whether/how much it's less effective than mineral spirits, but it's pleasantly safe/nonflammable and the aircraft version is safe to let aluminum soak in (which the standard stuff is not).

HF has gallons of concentrate right next to the washers.  Yellow color, does a great job

stafford1500 said:

Mineral spirits. Cheap, effective, not damaging to the pump or typical materials except maybe some plastics.

This. Works well and is cheap. 

Varsol, deodorized kerosene, stoddard solvent, mineral spirits. All pretty much the same thing.

If you want to be cheap, diesel will do the trick.

I use the PSC 1000 Parts Cleaner from Tractor Supply.

In reply to Panhandler :

That's what I do.  Saves the cost of a couple of gallons of mineral spirits.  Works OK but spirits still get pretty nasty.  I need to filter them one of these days.

In reply to ShawnG :

Diesel; yeah but the smell. I changed the fuel rail on my motor home a while back and my wife wouldn't let in the house for a week...

In reply to Panhandler :

I hate diesel stink too.

That's why I buck up for parts washer solvent.

As my parts counter guy says "you want the eco-friendly stuff, or the stuff that actually works?"

I bought a 55 gallon drum of Safety-Clean 20 years ago. Still half full

In reply to Panhandler :

Hands down the best is cascade dish pods. Drop two or three into the soup, throw your parts in and walk away. 

Try this you'll be happy. And it costs less than a small coffee at McDonald's. 

PSC 1000 from Tractor Supply has always worked well for me.

Pippins said:

In reply to Panhandler :

Hands down the best is cascade dish pods. Drop two or three into the soup, throw your parts in and walk away. 

Try this you'll be happy. And it costs less than a small coffee at McDonald's. 

I'm an idiot, I don't know why I saw parts washer and my brain went to ultrasonic cleaner. This is my go to for an ultrasonic cleaner. 

Simple green is best cleaner I have ever used, it works on practically everything you could possibly need. Plus, it smells good. 

Simple green is really hard on aluminum if you use as parts washer solvent. 

I ruined a Bing carburetor body by leaving it in overnight.