Parts Washers
Browse used parts washers for sale from riders across the UK. A parts washer is a lidded tub with a pump that circulates degreaser through a flexible spout or a brush head, sized from four-litre benchtop units up to floor-standing tanks of twenty litres and more. It is what stops cassettes, chainrings, chains and bearing parts being cleaned in a bowl of dirty solvent on the bench.
How does a parts washer work?
Fluid sits in a tank beneath a perforated shelf, a small pump lifts it through a spout or brush, and it drains back through a strainer, so the same few litres clean a dozen drivetrains before they need changing. Benchtop models suit a home workshop and one bike's worth of components at a time. Floor-standing units from trade brands such as Sealey, Clarke and Draper swallow a whole wheel or crankset and usually carry a fusible-link lid designed to drop shut in a fire.
Parts washer or cleaning station?
A parts washer handles components off the bike, in degreaser it keeps and reuses. A cleaning station handles the assembled bike, in water it throws away. Anyone stripping hubs, cassettes and chains regularly wants the washer; anyone coming home covered in mud wants the station. Both want a level surface beside the workbench and a plan for used fluid, which must not go down a drain.
What should I check when buying a used parts washer?
The pump is the failure point. Solvent left to dry around the impeller gums it solid, so ask for it to be run and listen for a pump that hums without shifting fluid. Check the tank for weeping at the drain plug and along the seams, flex the spout — the plastic goes brittle and splits where it bends most — and see whether the strainer basket is still present, as they are frequently lost. On a solvent-rated cabinet, confirm the lid latches and the fusible link is intact, and inspect the mains lead and switch, since degreaser perishes cable sheathing.
Is a used parts washer worth it?
Yes for the tank and lid, which do not wear out, and less so for the pump, so price a used unit as though a replacement pump may follow. A tub handed over full of black fluid should come down further, because disposing of it properly becomes your job: waste degreaser goes to a household waste recycling centre, not a drain. Buy new for a solvent-rated cabinet you will use weekly, and for the seals, which perish with age even on a unit that has barely been run. For occasional work, a chain bath and a brush do most of the same job for a fraction of the money.