Side by Side Comparison of: Black Hills Gold Source vs Generic

Amazing!!!!!! I love this so much with a cleaning liquid as well. I run it three times back to back and it makes your rings (of multiple metals look brilliant). It makes diamonds look bran new like the day you got them full of sparkle and fire. Ive tested this on 4 wedding/engagement rings and everyone has loved it and seen a huge improvement. if you wear your rings when you wash your hands i highly recommend getting an ultrasonic cleaner with a cleaning solution due to the soap grime that builds up and general dirt. I put two caps of the cleaning solution into the water. after i use it i leave the top open to let it dry out between uses. also it is not to aloud. one neg is that in the advertising it said it could run for 30 min but i cant figure out how to make it run for more than 300 sec at a time which is why i just run it three times which seems to be enough for my jewelry. You might need to run it longer if your jewelry has been worn for years or is very dirty.

I was shocked at the effectiveness of this cleaner. You would never know that it is even working because it's so quiet, but I so amazed when my jewelry comes out looking brand new. People have even commented on how pretty a few of my pieces are. Many of these are pieces that were dull from sitting in my jewelry box. I honestly thought they would never come clean but this little sonic machine made it happen. I wish I had purchased one years ago. Seriously, not being paid or bribed for this review. It's my true experience with this machine. PLus,customer service is so sweet and helpful. Great overall experience. I have shared with all my friends and family. If you are looking for a new machine. This is the one to get.

I purchased this unit to aid in speeding up the aging process of small batched e-liquid and I have not been disappointed. Fill to the max fill line, sit my bottles in the water and start my 30min cycle. I love it! If I had one complaint/suggestion it would be that a buzzer of some type be added to indicate an end of cycle. Also a big plus that I've noticed with the 30min cycle is that the water is heated in the process. Very nice!Thanks for a great product!

This device worked, straight out of its box, as advertised.It provides a stainless steel tank with a removable plastic tray and wristwatch holder.First thing we did with it was to have it clean our jewelry and keys, submerged in plain water with a squirt of detergent.Next, we tried making liposoma encapsulated vitamin C from ascorbic acid crystals and lecithin powder in pure water without soap. This, too, proved a success, as far as we are able to judge.We could see, by bubbles, that the oscillator produces three, evenly-spaced nodes, along the axis of the tank.The lighted timer counts total seconds, rather than minutes and seconds, which is fine by us.Input power: 120 VAC, 60 cycles, 50 watts. Output 42,000 MHz, producing and destroying cavitation bubbles that loosen all sorts of grime.

This little ultra sonic cleaner leads the pack hands down in it's price range.I purchased this little dynamo to help take the steep (curing) time off E-Juice that I mix for myself and friends who use modified E-Cigs rather than smoke cigarettes . Putting a new mixture through a 2 hour sonic bath can sometimes take as much as 2 weeks of curing time off the total needed to bring out the full flavor of the mix.While the unit offers no conventional heating element, the temperature of the water rises nicely on it's own due to the process itself, if set to the full 30 minutes on the timer. I am not sure if this is specific to this unit or happens with all sonic cleaners since this is my first experience with one. The warming bath should help the mixing process, or if used as a cleaner - the cleaning process.It boasts an incredible number of timer presets to choose from, something I found in no other model evaluated when deciding on which to purchase. They are as follows:By Seconds: 90, 120, 150, 180, 210, 240, 270, 300(default), 330, 360,540, 720, 900By Minutes: 18, 21, 24, 27, 30The 30 minute timer capability closed the deal for me.As to it's cleaning ability; I have used it to clean jewelry and small objects such as my eye glasses and smaller mixing components - mostly out of curiosity. The jewelry required several sessions, but did end up sparkly and bright. In the machine's defense, they had not been cleaned in years. It did a remarkable job on my eyeglasses, getting the crud out of all the nooks and crannies the first time.All in all a very nice machine, well worth the cost if you have a need for such a device.I recommend without reservation.

1st, I bought this mainly for mixing/steeping DIY liquids for ecigs. I love the 30min timer - handy for eliquid making. It seems to work fine - the foil test showed fairly even holes.Furthermore, when contacting the seller with questions, they were more than helpful - even given my main use for it.It does get VERY hot - both the unit and the water(~120degF). So I prefer to let it sit for a couple hours before doing another session.If I do a lot more mixing though, I may step up to a more industrial type unit.

I spent a lot of time researching these smaller cleaners and finally selected this one - as I was not confident many of the others were large enough to hold a pair of common glasses/sunglasses. This one is large enough and I am using it often. I've read about some of them failing and so as a precaution, I looked to see where it was vulnerable. I can see that the On/Off switches could somewhat easily 'die' from humidity and/or condensation getting to them. For that reason, I operate the unit with the lid open. I'm not confident that they have adequately 'sealed' the lid with the gasket to protect the switches. Closing the lid doesn't help or enhance the cleaning, and it only marginally muffles the sound - even with the lid open, it's pretty quiet. So yes, I'm very happy with it - but you might do what I do and run it with the lid always open.

Good price for what turns out to be an extremely useful and effective, no-frills, compact machine ... so far works exactly as advertised - strongly recommend you carefully read and follow instructions/directions - very visible, quick and excellent results! Highly recommended generally for all sorts of cleaning, and very specifically for anyone that uses shaving blades/cartridges you know how expensive the brand names are - this little gem will extend the blade life by several weeks if you clean it once each week - separately many people ask whether this will clean a watch - it will clean all watch components BUT I do not recommend you stick your watch with the movement in the case into the machine or any other ultrasonic cleaner - the watch movement will be adversely affected especially if it's a battery operated watch - far easier to clean a watch with a toothbrush and polishing cloth!

Works amazing!! Although I used bottled water only, with a few caps of blitz gem and jewelry cleaner it cleaned my wedding rings to look brand new! I usually go to my jewerler to clean my rings and they suggested this cleaner. I highly recommend this product!!

I LOVE this jewelry cleaner. I bought it mainly for earrings I wear constantly, so they end up getting hair products stuck to them. I had tried other "ultrasonic" cleaners which were just poorly made versions of what this is. I ended up cleaning everything I had and some friend's pieces. It leaves your jewelry absolutely sparkling and even did a great job on eyeglasses. When I first purchased this, I wasn't expecting it to be as good as taking your items to a jeweler, but it has surpassed that. Now I use it several times per month and everything looks great.

I read all the reviews before purchasing and I was a little worried about what I was going to get for under $20.

I can assure you that what I got is something amazing. As other reviewers said, it doesn't do much in just plain water. But, if you add a few drops of dishwasher soap and warm water....WOW!!!

It cleaned up my wife's diamond ring and earrings so that they looked like we just bought them that day from the jeweler. Maybe even better if that is possible!

I was so addicted to seeing things come out cleaner than I can ever remember that I then threw pretty much anything in the house that would fit into the thing with surprising results every time: Keys, glasses, watches, pocket knives, coins, letter opener, cellphone (just kidding) etc. After I was done with all that, I took it to my family's houses and cleaned everything in their houses that would fit! Unbelievable results again every time. After everyone stopped making fun of me for being a male obsessed with cleaning women's jewelry, I decided to write this ridiculously positive review.

There is NO WAY jewelry can get any cleaner than after a few cycles in this thing with soap and warm water. Don't waste your money on a more expensive unit (as I almost did).

The only thing I can't speak to is reliability. Since I just got the thing a few days ago I am not sure how it will hold up. It feels like good quality but who knows about the electronics. I will update this review if/when the thing stops working. But even if it gives me a year of use its still way cheaper than most the other alternatives that had decent reviews.

So far so AMAZING!

And most importantly:
***DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME USING THIS THING WITHOUT A FEW DROPS OF SOME KIND OF GENTLE DETERGENT OR PRODUCT MADE FOR CLEANING JEWELRY***

UPDATE:I purchased the Ultrasonic Cleaner mainly for my dentures. I have used the cleaner for three days on my dentures.It is difficult to see results in that I have not found any residue or indications that "cleaning" has taken place; however, I will continue using it daily and hopefully I will see satisfactory results soon.I am very pragmatic in following instructions and procedures as a result of being in the US Submarine Service for 25 years where you must follow procedures without deviation as you could cause the sinking of the Submarine and loss of lives of your Shipmates..I printed the tips and instructions you emailed me and follow the tips and also the instruction manual,At your service,Gene

Seems to be just fine. Have used it 3 x now. Silver jewelry cleans very well. I have used a capful of actual cleaner in the machine and started off with very hot tap water and it does better.

Tried the aluminum foil test, it started to disintegrate at about 240 seconds without the plastic basket.I use the basket for my dental braces and it seems to work, came out clean. Will see about the durability after using it everyday for a while.

This unit has much to recommend it, and Black Hills Gold Source has top customer service. It is one of the few in my price range that sports a 30-minute timer, which is great for making liposomal encapsulated Vitamin C. It's a bit of a challenge to pour out the final mixture - tends to splash - but you can adapt to catch the splashes. Very quiet operation.

I just got this cleaner and it took a few tries figuring out how long to put my ring in there to get it sparkly clean but in the end it cleans everything really well. Just set it and forget it for a few minutes. Very easy to use and easy to move from one room to another.

I received the Black Hills GoldSource model 890 Professional Ultrasonic Cleaner on Feb. 26th 2014. Upon opening the package I was pleased at how the product looked. I filled the tank with water, put in my retainers, set the timer and the cleaner started working. That is until July 2nd. So a little over 4 months and the Ultrasonic Cleaner isn't vibrating anymore. Would I by another one? Definitely not it cost too much money to work for a little more than 120 days. After writing the above review I was contacted by Black HIlls GoldSource. The represent agreed that the product should have worked longer than it did and he wanted to send me a new cleaner. One day later I received a new Model 890. The company has stood by their product and that is a very good thing. The warranty period had ended but the rep went above and beyond in his dealing with my situation. My original rating was one star but I have changed that to a 4 star rating because of the actions of Black HIlls GoldSource.

Just received my package yesterday & put my inside to see if it could work magic on my ring ... added the water and a few drops of the blitz jewelry cleaner & when u turn it on u can actually see the dirt coming off I did have to take a tooth brush with some blitz to get into Lil cracks up under my ring but it honestly looks brand new! I put it against my wedding band in which I'm not wearing yet bc I'm not married yet & it looks just like the wedding band! Very shiny & clean! Absolutely love it especially for the price! It's no steam cleaner but it gets the job done.

Does pretty well. I bought it primarily to clean airbrushes and parts. Does a better job on metal and glass than plastic, so far . Did take part of the metalized finish off of a pair of glasses, but they are getting older and the lenses were as clean as when I got them.BE CAREFUL: I emptied and rinsed it and somehow it apparently got wet somehow inside - would not start. I had to set it out in the sun for a few ours to dry it up, and it works again.

Doesn't clean as well as my previous sharper image cleaner worked but is larger and holds more stuff. I like the fact that it has a lid. I wish the holes in the plastic basket were smaller. I have diamond studs that continually fall through the holes. I would also like for the basket to have a small handle so you can lift it out without getting cleaning fluid all over your fingers. I usually run it 2-3 times with straight windex, I do still sometimes have to brush them to get them truly clean.

This is a pretty decent, no frills, jewelry cleaner. The added part for cleaning watch bands is a nice plus. I found that on it's own with just tap water, it doesn't clean the best. Add in a drop of gentle dish soap and a little ammonia/window cleaner, and gets our jewelry just as clean as when we used to take our stuff to the jeweler. Just don't expect it to get it clean after the first run. I generally have to run through three cycles to really get the jewelry clean, which is the reason for only four stars. I had a smaller cleaner way back in the day that was more expensive, but cleaned completely on the first cycle. That said, it's not a huge deal to hit the on button a couple times to get the jewelry nice and clean.

I've bought 4 of these over the years - I can't live without them! I even bought one for work and it's a fav gift for the newly engaged.But, they die after a LOT of use and after a while. I guess I buy one every other year or so. At this price, I just buy another. But don't expect to get 10 years out of this unit. It ain't gonna happen.Since the timer is 3 min, I brush my teeth & clean my jewelry. Clean teeth & clean diamonds!I don't bother with fancy liquids - I bought a huge cheap jug of ammonia & mix with water and a few drops of Dawn dishwasher liquid.Beware putting in jewelry that has tiny diamond pave -or mele - it can shake tiny diamonds out of their settings.Also NEVER put Pearls or soft stones like Emeralds into a jewelry cleaner - you will ruin them. Pearls need to be worn (the body oils help keep them conditioned) and just wiped down with a soft jewelry cloth. This is GREAT for sterling jewelry!

In my quest to disguise myself as a fancy lady, I've realized that taking good care of the items you have it instead of say, just acquiring more junk "Hoarders" style, is a much more successful way to trick others into thinking you are the kind of person who like, reads the news and refuses to take the bus and stuff like that. I saw this little gadget was well reviewed and inexpensive so I clicked some buttons and VOILA, the amazon magicians brought that little baby to my apartment. I read some people said they could get their stuff clean using just warm water and dish liquid so I tried that and uhhh... what the heck was your jewelry dirty with? Water? Because that didn't work at all, dude. So I consulted the amazon magicians again and clicked more buttons and a slightly slower VOILA! A bottle of Blitz Gem & Jewelry Cleaner Concentrate (8 Oz) appeared. Modern 2 day shipping magic. NOW WE'RE IN BUSINESS. Things were sparkling in no time. Jewelry from old boyfriends glittered like they were given to me by current boyfriends. Random coins in my kitchen were looking BALLER. I have to eventually give myself a little talk - "YOU CAN'T CLEAN IT ALL, VIOLET, YOU'RE A MANIAC." I mean, if I had to complain (and lets be real, I always do), I wish the light turned off after it's done running. It does automatically turn off after the 3 minutes go by but you have to unplug it in order for the light to go out. But that's barely a complaint, really. Magnasonic, can you make one of these human size so I can glimmer like a 90's Mariah Carey or one of those Twilight vampires? Just an idea.

worked decently, cant complain for the price

It doesn't get my jewelry very clean, unless I use dish soap and toothbrushes first.

These don't last. Don't expect more than about a year or two before the control panel fails and/or a component on the circuit board melts down when used for just 15 mins daily. This is the second time I've purchased a model sourced from the OEM Chinese supplier and it lasted somewhat longer than a previous step-down model (without the time setting button). So be aware that these are just cheap Chinese models with a fancy logo applied on the outside. They're not Made in the USA and they're not of high quality. And they're certainly not worth $40-$50 for what is a 30 watt model at 42Kh frequency -- plenty of lower-priced alternatives out there.

It's just okay. Pretty cheaply made (hence the price). Had to run by jewelry through 2 or 3 times, with detergent, to see any results. The water comes out a little cloudy, so I guess some dirt was removed, but I'm underwhelmed.

Bought it for cleaning brass/copper/SS vape mods - works okay, best to leave it on the the maximum timer length OVERNIGHT and let it run. I had to let it run overnight 3 nights in a row until it got really clean. Works great for other things like watches.

Not much difference than using jar stuff to me

Had this unit for several months now and only issue is that the cleaning "power" seems to be somewhat weak. I expected to see jewelry and eye glasses totally cleaned after one 3-minute cycle but have had to run up to 5-6 cycles to get the results I wanted. Yes, I'm using cleaning liquid (detergent), but just expected better (quicker) results. Otherwise, works fine.

I don't have anything to compare this to, but it doesn't clean as well as I had hoped. Might be the fact that 3 minutes is the only option. Plug it in turn it on, shuts off after 3 minutes.....

So I got this hoping it would be a good alternative to having to use a small brush to clean under the diamond in my engagement ring, unfortunately not quite as effective as I'd hoped. I might actually return it if I can... I don't know how well it works with other jewelry but after two cleaning cycles I pulled my ring out and rinsed it off and dried it, and I could still see oily residue dulling the brilliance of my ring so I added blitz cleaner to the mix and ran it for three minutes...No go...Finally just used a brush

Mostly good, but does not really clean superwell. Have to run it 2-3 times. For minor cleanups of jewelry it's good. But for very dirty pieces expect 2-3 runs and don't even think about using it with just water. You will need the cleaning fluid for almost all jobs. For the money it's hard to complain. But I would be willing to spend more on a more vigorous cleaner.

I bought this specifically for one ring. It has a lot of spaces on it that gunk can build up. When I first received this product I tossed my ring in it a few times and didn't see much of a result. Then I took a small brush and a little cleaning solution to it and then let it run on one cycle of the Sonic Wave and that is when I noticed a difference.I have not tried it on anything other that jewelry but it is big enough to fit a pair of glasses.

I bought this because it had tons of positive reviews, and I don't know if I got a bad unit, didn't use correctly, or what, but it failed at even the most simple tasks, like removing smudges from the lenses of my glasses or water spots from silverware. It definitely had some ultrasonic activity (poked some holes in a sheet of foil when I did the foil test), but I don't think it was nearly as good of a result as I saw on most of the youtube videos demoing the foil test...I sent it back and didn't get a replacement because it was kind of an impulse buy, but if I needed it, I'd probably give them another chance to send a better unit and/or invest more time into understanding how to make it work correctly. It only cycles for 3 minutes, and i'm not confident that the cycle time is enough to clean ANYTHING, so plan on many cycles if you're wanting to remove tough spots from silverware, jewelry, etc.

It doesn't seem to be working so well anymore. You can barely hear the buzzing now and when I put my finger in the water, it barely buzzes. I guess it was good while it lasted. Going to look into other options.

I have not been impressed. I have tried cleaning a number of things in this. Nothing seems to come out any cleaner than if you cleaned it by hand. In fact, I would prefer hand cleaning.

I have had this thing for a year. It does a good job of cleaning however its not well constructed. Starting right away the thing literally started falling apart, piece by piece. First the hinges, one at a time, then the lid completely off , followed by cracks around the base. For the longest time I held the lid on with tape. Finally the lip around the tank started breaking off. Then a few days ago, the thing just stopped working. I was probably a heavy user of it, using it on average 5 to 6 times a month. I used water and simple green in the sonic cleaner. I'd recommend spending double the cash and buying one that will last.

Not for EJUICE steeping, Foil test was weak after 2min. Isonic Much better

I purchased this to clean my dentures, I don't have any jewelry to speak of to clean. But I have tried it on my dentures several times with and without cleaning tabs, hot, warm cold water, different time cycles and it did nothing to the dentures, not a thing. They looked exactly as they did when I put them in. This thing might do a fabulous job on jewelry and such, but as a denture cleaner it is not. I will say this. Compared to the last one I purchased, this one is a hundred times better. I put a small piece of aluminum foil in there for a test I had read about and it blew huge holes in it in nothing flat. I guess that is how you tell if is working. I will try it on some old coins to see if it works on them before I throw it away.

Does not last more than 6 months. I've had 3 of these in the past. Guaranteed to fail after 6 months of daily basic use. No chemicals, only water.

I have been using this device for almost 1 year. I clean my diamond rings and eyeglasses with it, about once or twice a month. I use warm water from my tap with a small drop of hand soap and run the program twice. Over this time period two of my rings have lost a total of 4 diamonds from their settings after being cleaned. The ones that have come out are all smaller accent diamonds and not the main diamonds of the rings.In one case the diamond fell out some time after cleaning, but in the other three cases the diamonds were jostled out *during* the actual cleaning, so the little diamonds were just sitting in the bottom of the reservoir when I pulled out the basket. I can't say definitively that the cleaner is causing this, but it is very striking to have this happen on three occasions. One ring is over 20 years old, worn every day and never lost a diamond. The other ring is about 2 years old, also worn daily. Neither of these rings lost any diamonds until I started using this cleanerSo, I am not going to use this device any more because I can't risk my jewelry.

A fine product in and of itself, but it broke after a year. The on/off buttons are in the lid, and the connection in the hinge got corrupted. For a month or so I could wiggle it into action, but now... dead. Shame. When it worked, it worked great.

Works just fine, but when plugged in there is a bright blue light inside the unit that is incredibly obnoxious. A small red light on the outside turns on when it's in use (as if you couldn't tell by the humming sound), but the blue light stays on whenever it is plugged in. I use this to clean my airbrush gun several times a day, so I keep it plugged in, and I really wish the light wasn't there.After about 7 months of use the black plastic piece on the lid broke off, taking the small handle bit with it. Makes it almost impossible to open since there is no good way to grip it. Not sure how or why it broke off since it's not a piece that gets any real wear or tear.

Purchased the jewelry cleaner for a Christmas present. Worked great the first 4 or so times. Jewelry looked great.Then it just quit working. Contacted the manufacturing regarding warranty. They responded that it would be replaced or repaired; however by the time I pay for shipping charges it is hardly worth it. Very disappointed in quality- should not have to pay for return postage for manufacturer defect. It also makes me rethink the advantage of Amazon prime if I have to pay for returns for unsatisfactory items.

I've used this a bunch of times now (with a few drops of Dove dish soap as recommended in other reviews) and I don't think it actually does anything. I can hear it running, but when I take my jewelry or glasses out, they're not clean. I've cleaned rings, earrings, necklaces, glasses ... and while sometimes things come out looking slightly shinier, I don't think that's from the work of the machine, it's just from being soaked in water! Stuff never comes out totally clean. I have had better luck cleaning my jewelry with the Connoiseurs products, either the gel or the ammonia solution in the jar. Those combined with some manual scrubbing with a tiny brush make my jewelry far cleaner and sparklier than this machine. My glasses never come out clean either. I always end up having to do more manual work to get those lenses clean. I've read so many great reviews on this machine and I've tried it so many times (usually with at least 3 cycles in a row) but I don't see results.

I've run the machine maybe a dozen times over two months until the on/off button stop working. I expect the cheap switch failed or it's a poor solder joint. I don't recommend this product until the seller confirms the issue is resolved.

Had to return product - swirling scratches in steel drum wall prove product was used not new. Really yucky since granny is using it for her dentures... I checked with the factory and they said the unit was definitely used. I ordered direct from the factory instead and got an un-used unit that works well

Item was Dead On Arrival. None of the buttons would function and unit would not run a cleaning cycle.

Worked for about 1-2 months and now I can not change the run time of the unit. I can only use the default 3 min time as the buttons do not respond when I press them any more. I have tried everything, unplugging the unit, gently tapping the unit, using a different outlet etc.. but the buttons do not respond anymore. Not too happy about this purchase

Ive had mine for abiut 2 weeks now. Ran it mayhe 10 times. And it quit working. Pretty upset and i would like to speak with someone about getting a replacement asap

It does NOT work!!! I followed the directions precisely, ran the cleaner 3 times (for a total of 15 minutes) on jewelry that was not that dirty, and my jewelry was not cleaned at all. My sister has a different brand and her jewelry comes out sparkling clean after a 5 minute cleaning cycle. In reading the directions, I noticed a few spelling errors which made me wonder about their quality control. Save yourself time and money, buy a different brand. Jorja in CA

DON NOT BUY this piece of crap! I have used it less than 10 times to clean my wedding ring and it just stopped working. When plugged in the blue light that illuminates the cleaning fluid will light up but it will not turn on. Cheap & worthless.

This thing died even faster than my previous ultrasonic cleaners, it lasted less than a week. And it didn't seem to work as well as my last one did. Disappointing.

This didn't do anything for me. I wear a lot of makeup, so my sunglasses are always caked with foundation (gross, I know). This didn't make any difference. It was as if I had just dipped them in a bowl of water and took them out.I then tried my sterling silver monogram necklace. Again, zero difference. After putting it in the cleaner, I took it out and it still had marks on it.I'm going to stick with soap and water and windex for my sunglasses and jewelry.

This did not clean my white gold and diamond wedding rings, nor did it clean my sterling silver jewelry. My rings do not look nearly as bright and shiny was when I have them professionally cleaned, and the dullness and tarnish on my sterling silver looks just as bad after cleaning as it did before. I followed the instructions and even purchased jewelry cleaning solution for this machine. It just doesn't work.

Used the cleaner 4 or 5 times and then it quit working, and of course this occurred 3 days after the return/refund window closed. Worked fine the first few times, then once plugged in, the blue light was off and the on button did not initiate a cycle. It was used properly during every use and cleaned properly after every use. I'm not sure what went wrong.

This is the most worthless piece of garbage that you could buy. It does not clean anything, regardless of how many times you run your jewelry through it and regardless of what detergent you put in it. I don't know why I thought I could get something effective on the cheap. Save your money on this and buy something else. If I could return it, I would, but I kept forgetting to open it and as a result I have passed the return date. Totally dissatisfied.