My experiences is that cheap lacquer thinner actually has water in it, and if you a heating something (prior to powdercoating, etc.) it is OK as the heat with evaporate it off but there is a reason why cheap thinner is "cheap".
Aerosol brake parts cleaner comes in economical qualities or in purer quality. It is very expensive when using it in aerosol cans. Depending on your plans, you can do as I do. I buy Brake parts cleaner in 5 gallon containers and use a barrel pump to either load into a cheap spray gun, or a pressure sprayer (like pictured below) to use on mechanical parts.
On sheetmetal parts, using Phosphoric acid to treat the bare metal works well. Lowes sells a Phosphoric acid brand called Jabco that we screw on a trigger sprayer off of a Formula 409 bottle to spray it on the sheetmetal. Then use Wax & Grease Remover in a spray gun to spray on to flood contaminates off of the sheetmetal prior to priming. Wiping Wax & Grease Remover around with a rag does nothing more than just smear it from one place to another.
