[RANT] Don't buy GT Sonic ultrasound cleaners: they don't know what they do - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: mcinque
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: June 17, 2018, 04:29:46 pm
content: I purchased a "budget" 6 liters GT sonic ultrasound cleaner with drain tap and heater.My choice was for a budget one because I will use it it only 10-15 times a year.GT Sonic seemed a good choice between incredibly cheap anonymous brands and expensive known manufacturers.Well, the fact is that for me they don't know what they do.#1 They sticked the temperature sensor under the tank only with a rotten adhesive aluminium tape. As soon the tank reaches just 60°C the poor glue on the tape looses its grip, the sensor fell down and doesn't touch anymore with the tank: the temperature goes up uncontrollately.Possibile risk of fires after that the solution inside boils and evaporates completely.I properly removed that and glued with proper thermal glue.2# The drain tap was poor quality, the sphere inside rusted after 1 hour.I changed it.3# They sticked anirondrain pipe under a inox steel tank. After 1 week of distilled water inside the tank, it rusted and all the rust came off the drain filter, contaminating all the solution inside.I have no solution for this. The only way could be to use antifreeze liquid instead water but I wonder how it reacts with ultrasound cleaners liquids.Lesson learnt: for an ultrasound cleaner, go for an incredibly cheap one without heater and drain tap or stay with proper brands.

author: thm_w
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 18, 2018, 08:31:49 pm
content: Could try to use a rust removing solution, then attempt to coat the pipe with something inert?Or replace the drain cover with a rubber stopper and string.Poor design for sure.

author: mcinque
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: June 18, 2018, 09:18:40 pm
content: Quote from: thm_w on June 18, 2018, 08:31:49 pmYes, something like evaporust would do the job removing rust inside but I really don't know how to coat the pipe internally.Should be galvanized I guess. To try removing it I should disconnect the heaters before, than the transducers and finally cut the silicon sealant that keeps the tank sticked with the chassis.Maybe some spray zinc would do the job but I fear that with temperature and ultrasounds it will come off. I think it should be properly galvanized by immersion in melted zinc.Probably sealing the drain it's the best solution like you suggested but I can't believe this crap.

author: Ian.M
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 18, 2018, 10:32:15 pm
content: #1 is poor design.#2 is poor materials. If you don't really stay on top of your QC and incoming parts inspection, its not unknown for scummier low-bid suppliers to substitute other materials, especially if your buyer is pushing them hard on pricing. The ball in the valve probably was mild steel as it rusted so quickly.#3 may be poor materials or may be your fault. If you fitted a replacement valve with a brass, cast iron or galvanised steel body it is your fault - electrolytic corrosion due to dissimilar metals. Its unlikely the pipe is ordinary mild steel. It would probably be showing traces of surface rust on its exterior if it was. If it is poor materials, its quite likely the filter end fitting was made from the wrong grade of stainless - recycled cheap cutlery or similar and the filter wan't passivated after drilling the holes. The dissimilar grades of stainless in contact + an anaerobic wet environment under whatever dirt had settled on it can lead to rapid crevice corrosion and rusting of areas depleted of surface chromium. If it can be dismantled, you can check the pipe interior for pitting and rust, and clean up and electrolytically passivate the tank end fitting. If it cant easily be dismantled, if you can take the valve off, you can probably inspect the pipe interior with a small dental mirror or similar + a white SMD LED on two fine magnet wires taped to it for illumination.Worst case: if the pipe interior is badly pitted, you may need to replace the whole drain in silver-soldered copper & brass with a thin PTFE gasket between it and the tank (both sides) to electrically isolate it so it doesn't corrode due to electrolysis.Also, I wouldn't leave aqueous cleaning solutions in it when not in use. As soon as its cooled down, drain it into a plastic can, and when you refill it, wash out the can to get rid of the sludge that settled out.

author: leham
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: June 22, 2018, 10:10:46 am
content: Quote from: Ian.M on June 18, 2018, 10:32:15 pmor use a bit of PVC pipe.

author: Ian.M
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 22, 2018, 11:50:30 am
content: PVC isn't an option if you ever want to use it with solvents.

author: leham
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: June 23, 2018, 07:36:14 am
content: ahh true

author: mcinque
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: June 23, 2018, 08:20:49 am
content: QuoteProbably.QuoteIt's annoyingI thought I could do like at work with a branson unit: 365d with water inside. But, now that you pointed out, that unit has a plastic drain tap...

author: Raj
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: June 23, 2018, 09:19:32 am
content: I'll call them smart.They know how to make cheap stuff that breaks after set timeperiod.

author: mcinque
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: June 23, 2018, 09:24:23 am
content: Quote from: Raj on June 23, 2018, 09:19:32 amwe have different opinions about cleverness.A product that stops working after warranty can be considered some kind of "smart" planned obsolescence but a product that breaks after 1 week is definitely not a smart idea.

author: james_s
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 26, 2018, 04:49:21 pm
content: Can you return it? I think I would try, the thing is obviously not fit for purpose.

author: mcinque
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: June 26, 2018, 05:59:52 pm
content: I'd like it. But even if I purchased it on eBay from a shop that said to ship from Italy (on Amazon there were only foreign vendors and I was forced to choose eBay just because of that detail, I was trying a better management of any possibile issue with the purchase), after some days the purchase I understood that the shipment was not made from Italy.When it arived I saw it was shipped from China. Of course seller abused of the "shipped from" field, but we all know that eBay doesn't care.I can not ship it back to China because:- I contacted the seller about the issues (drain tap rust and temperature sensor). I fixed it and I thought it was fine at that point, only until the month after. I accepted to fix it since I paid a low price, so now I can not send it back. I took the risk.- even If I had refused to repair it, a return shipment to China would have been extremely expensive from here.I learnt the lesson. This was not a proper fraud because they shipped me the object and they provided me "support" a (a partial refund), but it's some sort of scam for me: a product bad engineered, which can cause fire, that rusts prematurely sold as a good product, shipped from China instead Italy. They lied to me.Just for personal culture I'm following a UK YouTuber that lives in Shenzen since 11 years and explains their culture, their way of living and their common way to do business selling expecially with cheap imitations, and I found in my purchase the behavior that he tells about most electronic parts and devices Shenzen sellers.Personally I don't like that culture and way to do business.

author: james_s
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 26, 2018, 09:00:32 pm
content: It's probably too late now, but you could have filed a claim with ebay that the item was not as described and there is a very good chance you would have received a refund.

author: bd139
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 26, 2018, 09:06:36 pm
content: Chargeback, shitpost everywhere, chuck it in the trash.To be honest if I buy something from aliexpress and it turns out to be shit they always side with me and refund instantly. eBay, not so much. Never thought EBay would rank lower than Ali.

author: james_s
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 26, 2018, 09:11:48 pm
content: I don't think I'd chuck it, it seems it won't be too difficult to re-engineer it to fix the shortcomings, but I would still try to get a refund. The purchaser of a brand new piece of equipment shouldn't have to re-engineer it to make it serve its most basic purpose.

author: JohnnyMalaria
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 26, 2018, 09:34:40 pm
content: SIX liters? Any half decent cleaner that size will cost much, much more than the $77 online for the GT. Sometimes size isn't everything. It takes a serious transducer or more to get a decent enough amount of energy in the water. My little cleaner was about $150 and holds a whopping one liter. But it puts out a lot of power.

author: mcinque
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: June 27, 2018, 10:34:50 am
content: Quote from: JohnnyMalaria on June 26, 2018, 09:34:40 pmThe power is ok, and generally speaking it could do the job fine if it was built more decently. I know that well known brands cost another price but I'm not asking for huge quality and transducer life foreveryday use, I ask only to clean a piece without burning down the garage and a unit that can last for 4/5 years using it 1 time a month (I'm asking for ~50 washings of 30 minutes each, not huge numbers). I am aware that I cannot pay 100 and have something that worth 1000 or even just 200.Quote from: james_s on June 26, 2018, 09:11:48 pmI will not trash it, I will try to fix it, it's not rocket science.About the refund, for my way of doing business, I accepted the unit the moment I accepted the partial refund: for me I'm not in right to ask for more now.This post is here only to inform other potential customers how GT Sonic ultrasonic cleaners are made.

author: JohnnyMalaria
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 27, 2018, 11:33:28 am
content: Quote from: mcinque on June 27, 2018, 10:34:50 amThank you

author: mcinque
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: June 27, 2018, 01:25:28 pm
content: Update: also the metal basket rusts. It is not made of inox steel and they tried to coat it with some chrome-like finish that - as you can see - it doesn't do the job.This product is a toy.

author: sn4k3
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: June 27, 2018, 03:15:43 pm
content: Stange, my don't get any rust and i have them for more a year with solvent always inside.I don't know about the construction because i never dissamble but the outside looks different from mineMy are the P series:http://www.gtsonic.net/prod_view.aspx?TypeId=96&Id=202&FId=t3:96:3I have P3 and P9

author: james_s
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 27, 2018, 04:11:46 pm
content: It's possible that it's a counterfeit unit. It's hard to say, but it's not uncommon to find copies of semi-reputable Chinese brands in addition to copies of Western brands.

author: mcinque
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: June 27, 2018, 07:15:40 pm
content: Quote from: sn4k3 on June 27, 2018, 03:15:43 pmP series are another series, completely different, this have less electronics, electromechanical timer and heater and simple electronics for ultrasound generation. This model it's their "entry level".By the way, What kind of solvent? If it is something not water based, I guess it's quite normal that doesn't make rust any metal surface.Quote from: james_s on June 27, 2018, 04:11:46 pmYes, it's possible. If it's counterfeit, they successfully copied also the label fonts keeping the same chinglish "please read the instruction before using" instead "please read the instructionsbefore use" that I see on the official website images; this is the kind of detail that low level chinese counterfeits usually doesn't take in consideration.

author: sn4k3
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: June 27, 2018, 08:55:23 pm
content: Quote from: mcinque on June 27, 2018, 07:15:40 pmDistilled Water + 20% of PCB cleanerOne time i used tap water on the 9L version, still once...

author: mcinque
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: June 27, 2018, 10:01:38 pm
content: Quote from: sn4k3 on June 27, 2018, 08:55:23 pmSo, this leads me to conclude that:A. my unit is a cheap counterfeit, ORB. they have no or poor consistency/quality control: some units are fine and some not.If you could look how the unit is assembled inside this would clarify, expecially the temperature sensor.Of course since they are two different versions, there is the possibility that mine (the entry level model) is manufactured in a different way but transducers should be the same.

author: Ian.M
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 27, 2018, 11:30:30 pm
content: For A, its possible someone is the factory is running a 'ghost' shift*, which would explain exactly correct labels etc. but inferior materials used for higher value parts subject to tight inventory controls.Also, you may start with distilled water, but once you wash anything in it that isn't extremely clean to start with, the ionic contaminates it picks up will make it conductive, and allow electrolytic corrosion to proceed at a significant rate.* Ghost shift:http://archive.fortune.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/2006/05/01/8375455/index.htm

author: mcinque
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: June 28, 2018, 10:56:22 am
content: Quote from: Ian.M on June 27, 2018, 11:30:30 pmYes, it is. And the only way to avoid it it's to purchase from an official distributor.Unfortunately I didn't find any of it in EU otherwise I would had purchased from official channel.It's rare for me to purchase from eBay (too much inconsistency, different specs than declared, even the same seller will send you different batches from different manufacturers for the same component) so I try to avoid that channel but this time the story gone in this way. As I said, lesson learnt.

author: sn4k3
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: June 28, 2018, 02:54:04 pm
content: Quote from: mcinque on June 28, 2018, 10:56:22 amI buy mine from GearBest, priority line (no duties tax)But i saw some on aliexpress, eu warehouseAlso you got other products like:https://www.eleshop.nl/ultrasonic-cleaner-2l-met-sweep-functie.html