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spitfires?

+4
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Post by Matt; My carpet cleaner Wed Jan 25, 2017 10:12 pm

What size blowers in those? I see 3.2 and 4.0 units.
33's/36's blosers
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Post by milspec6 Wed Jan 25, 2017 10:21 pm

Can't be a very big one since they run smaller motors. Of course, the customer doesn't know anything about that.

I had a competitor that ran 2 spitfires out of a large cargo box truck. They advertised as having "Twice the power as any other cleaner" and ran ads with two wands running all the time to prove it.

It is all in how you produce the show. I looked at a used one years ago and I don't think I have seen a used one that wasn't rusted to hell. Simple steel frames it looks like and once the paint goes, so does the metal.

It would not be high on my shopping list.
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Post by Matt; My carpet cleaner Thu Jan 26, 2017 1:33 pm

So for a few years Ive been kicking around this idea in my head. Setting up a Upholstery cleaning only van. Small van, water tank, small TM. Use 1.5" hoses. Easier set up, dont have to run Tm at full speed. When i use my Everest, I done even take it off idle. suction good, heat good. Fuel consumption-low.
*this is the year I think I'll get around to doing it.
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Post by milspec6 Thu Jan 26, 2017 4:10 pm

I like what you are thinking here, I have often thought about a dedicated upholstery rig as well. The only problem is that we often enter the home for one service and pick up others once there.

If you went in to do living room furniture, what happens when they suggest the tile and carpets as well? Now you have to use the under-powered rig or else try to schedule it for another time.......as we all know, they will lose interest when that happens.

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Post by dp1 Thu Jan 26, 2017 5:01 pm

I wouldn't get them, I heard horror stories from my IICRC teacher back when I took the carpet cleaning class, this was 15 - 16 years ago though.
If you want to go that route, I would recommend getting a boxxer 321, that's a solid machine ( I've personally used it a while back ), you can put it in small van ( transit connect ) and you can use it to go underground parking ( low clearance garages ) and you can still use it for carpet and tile and such.
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Post by ACE Services Thu Jan 26, 2017 5:28 pm

32 spitfire has a 33 blower
40 spitfire has a 4 blower
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Post by milspec6 Thu Jan 26, 2017 5:39 pm

ACE Services wrote:32 spitfire has a 33 blower
40 spitfire has a 4 blower

Well now, isn't that cleaver of them? I wish Butler labelled like that.
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Post by Matt; My carpet cleaner Thu Jan 26, 2017 5:43 pm

milspec6 wrote:I like what you are thinking here, I have often thought about a dedicated upholstery rig as well.  The only problem is that we often enter the home for one service and pick up others once there.

If you went in to do living room furniture, what happens when they suggest the tile and carpets as well?  Now you have to use the under-powered rig or else try to schedule it for another time.......as we all know, they will lose interest when that happens.

turn that around. You Enter the home to clean upholstery and mention what you can do for the carpets. Give them a specific quote for carpet areas.... bamm.
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Post by Matt; My carpet cleaner Thu Jan 26, 2017 5:46 pm

dp1 wrote:I wouldn't get them, I heard horror stories from my IICRC teacher back when I took the carpet cleaning class, this was 15 - 16 years ago though.
If you want to go that route, I would recommend getting a boxxer 321, that's a solid machine ( I've personally used it a while back ), you can put it in small van ( transit connect ) and you can use it to go underground parking ( low clearance garages ) and you can still use it for carpet and tile and such.
which is exactly what id like to do. Small parking lots, small footprint to set up, better mpg(cuz i hate the mpg of my 305 extended 1T. I yern for the mpg of my astro van(18-19mpg)
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Post by milspec6 Thu Jan 26, 2017 6:22 pm

Sounds like you know what you want to do, so I would say do it. We have a guy near me that runs a Legend out of an Astro van. Seems like the suspension wouldn't like it, but he doesn't carry any water. Connects to the house and dumps via APO on-site as well.

If you can get away with the dumping like that, I would go that route with a medium-sized TM but no tanks.
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Post by ACpower1 Thu Jan 26, 2017 7:14 pm

you dont need a TM to clean upholstery, most any portable will do fine.. rarely do you need or want the heat and any sapphire type tool has more than enough vac/ water flow to run it
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Post by milspec6 Thu Jan 26, 2017 9:20 pm

A portable will do the job as long as it holds enough water. I still don't like the flow rating on any of them, but they can work.
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Post by Matt; My carpet cleaner Thu Jan 26, 2017 9:39 pm

ACpower1 wrote:you dont need a TM to clean upholstery,    most any portable will do fine..    rarely do you need or want the heat and any sapphire type tool has more than enough vac/ water flow to run it
Spent 15 years humping a small porty for upholstery...
Out of the van...
Up the stairs...
Down the stairs...
Back into the van...
For 1 sofa..
For 1 recliner....
Never again. Rather drag hoses.
Did I mention ... Fill the tank, empty the tank. Clean up the spill.
That's why I'd like a small one with a water tank. Pull 2 hose...fire her up.
But, I hear what your saying:)
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Post by milspec6 Thu Jan 26, 2017 9:57 pm

I'm with you Matt, couldn't force myself back on a portable either. I think you are on the right track.
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Post by dp1 Fri Jan 27, 2017 2:03 am

I couldn't be happier to join the club, I also hate portables, that's why my minimum charge for portable is $ 200, lol. But I only have one room, yup $ 200, I should give an option to lower the minimum charge to $ 150 if they want to unload my portable out of the van, lug it up and down after I'm done and load it back to the van, hey that's $ 50 off bruh, lol.
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Post by Devon07 Fri Feb 10, 2017 6:28 pm

Porty works fine BUT dragging hoses will be better....BUT not if you get that Spitfire! worst move anyone can ever make. if I had one to get rid of, I wouldn't even give it to you...I like you. Wink
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Post by ACE Services Fri Feb 10, 2017 8:53 pm

I wouldn't go that far. It's no worse than a PC blazer. Both are entry level machines
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Post by milspec6 Fri Feb 10, 2017 9:09 pm

I have never been a fan of any entry-level equipment. This has held true for just about everything including guitars....at some point, you will grow past their usefulness and need to buy a better unit. I prefer to buy the equipment that you need from the very beginning and enjoy the longevity. I still suck as a guitarist, but all my gear is pro-level so I will never out-grow it.

Spend the money up front or spend even more later.
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Post by ACE Services Sat Feb 11, 2017 5:55 am

For the most part I agree with you Rob. But I also seen too many times when I was at ILS, the sales person would up sale to the customer. While means more than they can afford. Then it gets repossessed 6 to 8 months later. I'm a firm believer in funding your business. But if you have not built a customer base. Then why spend 35000 and can't pay your bills.
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Post by milspec6 Sat Feb 11, 2017 6:07 pm

We are on the same page there ACE, I've seen that happen a few times as well. The difficult thing is knowing when it is time to make that jump? I bought that Butler unit in order to get work....and it worked. I never think it is a good idea for a business to operate under status quo, one should always expect to grow and the equipment needs are part of that growth.

Still, I am also like you in that I paid cash for nearly everything that I have purchased in this business...that box truck being the only exception. Doing that makes it far less risky as nobody is going to take it away from you for nothing in return.

Always a tough call, but how long should anyone expect an entry machine to last in this business? I don't see a spitfire going 4,500 hours as an example, one would have to buy 2-3 of them to equal a more professional unit.
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Post by Mo Sat Feb 11, 2017 9:26 pm

Im sure a big rig payment is what puts a lot of new businesses under
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Post by milspec6 Sat Feb 11, 2017 11:02 pm

It does Mo, I've been thinking about that very thing with this box truck. Once we reach Spring, I plan on replacing that coil and making it the primary unit, but repairs on a box truck are not cheap nor simple to pull off.

Simple things like a flat tire becomes a big expense or if there is a problem with the diesel engine....well, there isn't a diesel mech for 45 miles, so that would be another large towing bill.

I will be going back to a Butler unit by the end of Summer, but it might happen earlier as well. I pay off the loan in July, so hopefully it makes me some money for awhile this year.
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Post by kleen1 Sun Feb 19, 2017 9:19 am

I started in the mid 80's with a porty and was thrilled to get one of the first truckmounts in our area about 1989. I hate loading and unloading, cleanup, having to get up and down stairs etc. Now I'm going back to using a portable for some commercial and residential in high rise buildings. Of course having a 14' box truck with a tommy lift makes things easier and I will not be cleaning in any building that doesn't have an elevator. There are a lot of buildings in this area catering to seniors in these high rises and nobody seems to have portables anymore. I also plan to charge as setup fee when using a portable. My portable weighs 150 lbs. has auto-fill, auto-dump and 1200 psi capability.
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Post by dp1 Sun Feb 19, 2017 11:01 am

milspec6 wrote:It does Mo, I've been thinking about that very thing with this box truck.  Once we reach Spring, I plan on replacing that coil and making it the primary unit, but repairs on a box truck are not cheap nor simple to pull off.

Simple things like a flat tire becomes a big expense or if there is a problem with the diesel engine....well, there isn't a diesel mech for 45 miles, so that would be another large towing bill.

I will be going back to a Butler unit by the end of Summer, but it might happen earlier as well.  I pay off the loan in July, so hopefully it makes me some money for awhile this year.

Get AAA membership Bob, the highest one costs $ 160 / year ? It covers 1 tow up to 200 miles and 3 tows for 100 miles. Not sure if they cover box trucks or not though ?
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Post by kleen1 Sun Feb 19, 2017 12:44 pm

I don't think AAA covers any commercial vehicle, especially a box truck.
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