The Mechanic’s Buddy: Pro Parts Washing For Small Shops
By Rick Reimundez
If you don’t trust your customized baby to anyone else, you’ll appreciate the Mechanic’s Buddy 3-in-1 parts washer. According to the manufacturer it’s a parts washing sink with a brush and hose, a spray cabinet/jet wash (like a dishwasher for parts), and even a brake washer. And it’s small enough for even home shops.
The ‘Buddy looks pretty portable, too, so you can roll it to where you need it — like under your brakes to clean them (pictured). It runs on 110V power, which drives its heavy-duty pump and motor as well as the heating element. Inside the jet wash is a 22” rotating turntable with a 24” capacity under there so you can auto-wash parts as large as a manifold or cylinder head.
The built in, insulated reservoir has a capacity of 20 gallons of cleaner and it has a low fluid cut off so the heating element isn’t just heating up air.
After some digging, I found that the washer uses a water-based solvent with a corrosion inhibitor that prevents flash rust from forming on the parts you’re washing. The solvent is heated to 160 degrees and then pumped through the ‘Buddy’s 30 spray jets as well as through the parts-washing brush. As soon as you plug it in, it starts heating up the solvent – and then you can set the timer to run the spray jets for up to 15 minutes.
The Mechanics Buddy has an MSRP of $2,100, but you can find it for about $1,750 with some careful shopping.
Mechanics Buddy [Insta-Clean]
Mechanics Buddy 3 in 1 Parts Washer [Automotive Specialty Tools, Inc.]
