Parts Cleaner Question

Does anyone use diesel in their parts washer/solvent tank?

Mineral spirits.

I used to use mineral spirits but its gotten expensive. Now I use solvent from Safety-Kleen. Its about the same money but has a higher flashpoint. When solvent was cheap I wasn't too concerned about using it but with the price of the stuff now I give everything a quick wipedown first to get most of the crud off.

I don't have a parts cleaner, but I really like Avgas

Yep cleans off all facial hair real quick.

I've used diesel in mine for years, just close the lid when not using or your garage will have that diesel smell.

I've used diesel as a pre wash to get the big glop of crud off pre disassmibly. But in the parts washer I use 5 gallons mineral spirits. I was paying $8 a gallon ($40) but just looked and its $14 a galllon ($70)

I was using Stoddard solvent, but it's gotten expensive and I can get diesel for $3 a gallon.

Smell is the main reason not to use diesel. The flash point is higher than true mineral spirits.

Diesel flash point is about 52 C to 175 C depending of the Bio amount.
Regular Mineral spirits is between 30 C and 54 C
The newer 'Green' Mineral replacement is just mixed with water and will settle out over time. That water will go to the bottom of your washer tank and mix with the crud. NASTY.

Been using Super Clean for a while with decent results

Crown PSC 1000 Parts Cleaner

Available at Tractor Supply if you have one

Funny you should mention this because a couple gallons of water is not a bad thing as long as its below the pump pickup. Firstly, the water and solvent don't mix so the water settles. Now all the crud settles in water instead of solvent - water is free!. There is no disturbance in the drum to stir things up so the crud stays in the bottom keeping the solvent cleaner. The water raises the level of your solvent thus giving you that much more to work with. It might take a while for the water to settle out of solvent but it would settle quickly if you're using diesel fuel.

You guys using gas of any sort ... what do you heat your shops with ? I wouldn't personally use gas in a shop unless it has electric heat and even then there are many other things that cause sparks - startup on my compressor, sparks from grinders, the welder, etc, etc.

You can still get true Stoddard solvent? Between the VOC concerns and the toxicity I didn't think you could still get it.

Back during the 1970's gas shortage (with gas lines, limited availability, and different days depending on your license plate number) I worked for a place that sold Stoddard Solvent. For my DD, I poured five gallons in my gas tank and added a like amount of ordinary gasoline. It smelled different out the tail pipe than straight gasoline, kinda sweet smelling, but it burned well when mixed, and at that time was cheaper than gasoline. Lately I to have seen it at what I consider to be an exorbitant price.

I use kerosene in my tank. I mix oil and kerosene to burn so this way I just change out my dirty stuff more often.

Nope, Shell Sol 360 now

I was getting it from my local oil company. It said Stoddard Solvent on the buckets. Used to be $55 for 5gals. Last I looked , it was $70. I don't mind the smell of diesel.

couldn't find it online Do you have a source and price ??

Local Standard oil petroleum distributor , $8.40 a gallon is what I'm remembering several months ago.
I buy five gallons at a time and use it as needed in my garden sprayer to clean parts in my solvent tank as the final cleaning before air drying and hitting it again with spray on brake cleaner and air again

I am in the parts washer business. I work for a large Chemical manufacture that makes the product for washers. This product has no Dot Haz label, it is over 145 Degree flash point and works great. It last 4 time longer then mineral spirits and does not evaporate like mineral spirits. It cost a little more then mineral spirits but works and last longer. Here is a brochure of the product. If anyone needs some drop me a PM

Blewbyu - do you have any distributors near Michigan?

or in Canada ???