prowler portable truckmount

Has anybody had any experience with the amtex prowler portable truck mount. I found a older used unit13 hp kohler It seems like a good option for me to be able to use my 5x8 v nosed cargo trailer for both carpet cleaning and my vct cleaning equipment. I had some setbacks in the past few months with medical stuff. I'm finally getting it back together.

Sorry to hear you had some medical issues, hopefully that is behind you fully now.

As for the prowler, I never owned one, but the reviews over the years were pretty bad. That doesn't mean there aren't any cleaners happy with it, but I didn't read many.

I did look at one a few years ago to have as a back-up unit when I was cleaning a ton of store fronts at night, but like I said, the reviews weren't favorable so I never took any more steps of investigation.

Ive heard some bad things about amtex and some Ive seen online are happy with their unit.

the problems some people were talking about had to do with it shredding belts, and there was exhaust issues

these were on newer truckmounts not the prowler

They do have a bad rep on line

I'm not sure what kind of performance you can get out of 13 HP, and a 33blower(mostlikly). Lack of heat, short hose run, and probably noisy as heck; to get the most out of a 33 as possible.
Would I get it? Only IF it is in good cond. And cheap.

Isn't that the whole idea with the prowler?......small truck mount type machine you can bring to the door or inside when needed, kinda like a portable?......which would mean real short hose run?  Or is that another one I'm thinking of, that's basically a small TM on a cart?

I really have no experience with them SB, so sorry I really can't help............but a machine like that sounds like a neat idea to me.

Yea its just a smaller version of a truck mount on a cart. Its really just a gamble. Its in an estate that someone is selling off. Its cheap enough. Comes with 2 wands 150 ft of pressure hose , 2 inch suction hose and a  nice set of ramps for $175.00 . Either way I dont see How I can go wrong. I Know its gonna need some work. Its been sitting up for a few years. I can tell Its an older version. The exhaust on it looks like a car muffler  It dont look like the new ones. From what i can tell online the company only started producing the prowler in 2002 though.

Wow, unless it needs a ton of work/money put into it, and the main components all work, or can easily, I don't see how you can go wrong, buy it!

Heck, I'll buy it if you don't!!
I think it would make a great little backup unit, which would be perfect for me.

Off the topic but I have some encap that came with the whittaker crb. The stuff doesn't smell good at all. It almost has a soured odor to it. Does the stuff go bad?

Missed the "on a cart " part.
$175? Go for it.

I'm gonna go ahead and buy it. Its over a 2 hr drive to pick it up but worth it. Its in panama city Fl. I"m in south Ga. Might check out the beach while i'm there.

For a $175, it is definitely worth the trip. The blower alone is worth twice that if it spins.

Beach idea sounds good as well.

I picked the prowler up yesterday got it home and noticed the choke was not hooked up hooked it up and it fired up on the third pull. Never could get pressure at the wand. I got water to the wand. But it was like it was in a bypass to waste because there was water coming out there. I dont know much about these machines. Just common sense stuff like when using pressure washers. It is electric start ,the battery was dead. there is a magna flow muffler on the top of the machine it has 2 little rust holes and water was seeping out there so I know it needs a few welds to seal that up. The vac worked I have to seal up the vac chamber, the filter housing needs the 2 inch nut and a rubber gasket to pull it down tight. Thats all I know about it, I ran out of time this weekend. I need to find a manual on this machine.

You should be able to find the manual online.

I looked online and couldn't find a manual to the one I have. I sent an email to the company. Maybe I can get one from them.

wow didnt know it was 175$, thats a steal!! would have bought it in a heartbeat if it was close to me.

make sure the pump seals are good and the belt is tight, likely it could need a pump rebuild.

either way so much you can do with the parts alone

Sounds like a good late winter project and you got it cheap enough that you are way ahead at this point.

I think I would ditch the magnaflow and find a small silencer. If the idea is to roll this thing up to the door, you will need it hushed.

It might make a really good machine for flood work...noise and all.

I have it in my shop getting ready to go through it this weekend. I think the heat exchanger is leaking water into the exhaust. I would like to replace the whole thing..I know they at least kept the blower greased because of the grease around the fittings.. I can get a new pump for $300 if it needs it.I dont know how much a heat exchanger will cost. I would like to get it back to like new condition. I haven't been able to reach the guy at amtex yet.

That is a common complaint with Amtex....any small production company really....so don't stop trying. It would be your best resource for information and parts.

it looks like i might bypass the heat exchanger and go for a external heat source. The guy at amtex said the heat on that model was inconsistent anyway. Any suggestions and cost?

Call Johns Heat Exchangers the can make a replacement for you

Wouldn't an external heat source ruin the mobile part of this machine?

There are some heated psi washers that have compact heaters, I would look into that.

http://www.mitm.com/pressure-washers/HSP-3003-3MGR/316

The machine has a roots 24 blower. With the magnaflow muffler as a silencer it sounds like a air raid siren.Is the roots 24 even strong enough to do any good? still no pressure from the pump. I'm just wondering if the machine will be worth while putting a new pump and silencer on it.

Roots 24 is what, 150 cfm? With a little vac leak, you might have 142 cfm to work with....not real great is it?

That being said, it comes down to distance. My old demon extractor was just a simple little electric vac motor, but it was only inches from the carpet. With 142 cfm, you would have to be pretty close to the job....which is what the prowler was designed to be in the first place.

If it is that loud, I don't think I want to be that close to the house where it would need to be with light vac power. Maybe this is a parts purchase after all....even the 24 blower is probably worth $300, so you still don't get hurt.

I was actually thinking about getting a demon. It looks like it would be easier to get around than a full porty. Ive looked on craigslist but no luck. I would really like to find a good deal on a cimex cyclone 15 too.