Rolling Stone by: Brandt Ranj

[excerpt]
Record Doctor’s V is a more entry-level record cleaning machine that’s great if you don’t have a lot of space.

Instead of having a vacuum suction tube on top of your record, the machine sucks dirt from the underside of your album. The Record Doctor V uses the same type of cleaning mechanism as our other recommendations, but it’s only semi-automatic. You need to physically turn the album using a “record turner,” which is included in the box. It requires a little effort, but you’ll end up clean records at half the price of the other record cleaning machines in this guide.

The lack of motor also makes this our smallest recommendation: It’s just 12.5 inches wide and 7-inches tall. Record Doctor includes a 118 mL bottle cleaning fluid and an applicator brush that makes the liquid easy to apply thoroughly. The company doesn’t say anything about how loud the suction tube is but it shouldn’t be too overwhelming, especially since there’s no motor inside. Maintaining the machine is simple: clean the brush attached to the vacuum tube gently, and drain the liquid from its reservoir by pulling a plug on its back.

If you don’t mind putting in a little elbow grease, the Record Doctor V is a powerful way to thoroughly clean your records.