[Kev Loomes]

Kev

You are right about the pump, but boy what a difference it makes. You always seem to be knocking the machines from alltec or is it just alltec you dont like. I had a look at the scorpion the other day and its power is great but without the heater, i'm just not sure.

Not at all Neil, just stating a fact. When a newbie needs advice I think its important to tell them the truth - especially in terms of marketing I think Alltec are fantastic and their build quality is the best in terms of portys.

However that aside, they have become more expensive with chem's and parts and their range of portys are not the most powerful. But I'm sure you know that already

[mark shannon]

Hi Richard

I would agree with the comments regarding the powrflite, I have been very impressed with the performance only drawback is the weight, but once you get the knack of loading and unloading from the van its fine - just watch you bend your knees!!!

It will also easily work with 100ft of hose, so you should never have to lump it up any stairs.

Its a very impressive looking piece of kit, a good selling point in itself.

Paul

Paul no Portys easily work with 100ft of hose without serious power loss.

[Straker Cleaning]

Not many jobs call for more than 50 or 75 feet of hose ........ especially for new carpet cleaners!! I only carry a 50, 25 & 15 in normal circumstances so most machines capable of cleaning normal house from ground floor.
Most people want to build up profits/clients etc, before they go out and purchase equipment capable of more specific tasks 

[mark shannon]

Yes agree Chris i rarely go over 75.

[Susan Dean (1stclean)]

buy the highest speced machine you can afford its that simple because once your used to it ull only want a better one

[Joe H]

Spot on Susan.

[Straker Cleaning]

Sounds like good advice but for person known to have spent £40k on equipment in first 18 months ........ only to pass away ........ it was not worth that amount to his widow 

Bit like saying i should buy a sportscar if i have the money ....... how often can i use it to it's fullest potential  :

[Joe H]

Hi Chris
Its just that I couldnt honestly advise anyone to go thro the back breaking days of having a machine that, yes, will do a decent job, but takes a lot of effort to get there.
Ive been there, done that, and dont want to wear the tee-shirt.
Much better, if they can afford it and within the bounds of sensibility (what ever that may be) to get some decent machinery that will last them a resonable time.

[Straker Cleaning]

Appreciate that Joe and ALL advice is given based on any persons experience 

I have been using porty for 26 years and i am in fairly good nick ........ not had a back ache for last 10 years with all the labour saving solutions and devices out there now 

[Joe H]

Thats exactly it Chris, invest in the quality gear and the job becomes easier.

The CFR500 Perfect Heat was the start of my "better" days, which have carried on with the Scorpion and now the TM. IMO opinion the wand makes a major difference.

[Aquakleen Restoration Services]

If you purchase a porty with or without a heating system built in I would still recommend anyone buy an inline water heater to go with it. Get excellent temperatures and save bags of time waiting for custys tap water to heat up!

[Gary Webber]

If I were anyone considering a new machine I'd look at the post about high pressure m/c. The new Texatherm unit will be THE m/c eveyone will want!

Gary

[Darren O]

Then give us some details about it then.When is it for sale and how much is it.

[Gary Webber]

Details to come shortly Darren,

why not give Texatherm a ring to find out??

[Simon Gerrard]

What I find absolutely astonishing is that people still think that the investment required to buy an entry level Truck Mount is a lot of money.
My first TM cost £7,500 twenty odd years ago and today for that same amount of money you can buy a twenty first century truck mount. Add to that another £5k for a van and another few K's for accessories etc, that's a mere £15,000.
Where else can you invest so little and potentially earn SO MUCH money and not only that but start out with the very best equipment from day one.
Any entry level Truck Mount is well capable of doing £60 - £100,000 of work per year, that's one hell of a return on a mere £15k investment when other small businesses have to invest far more to earn much less.

Simon

[Neil Grainger]

Simon, you are forgeting the £15,000 on a truckmount will eat into alot of peoples marketing budgets on start up. Truckmounts are good marketing tools when you are in the street but without the Jobs when you start up thats a lot of money.

Spend £5000 on a good machine and then spend the rest on marketing to get the business going. Most people start this business without a big budget so to put it all into a machine without any work will  see you go bust very quick.

Marketing is the most important thing for starting up, as long as the machine is good and you are good the rest will come.

[Simon Gerrard]

Neil,
I was making a far broader point.
£15,000 to start up any small business is peanuts in this day and age, peanuts.
You are quite right, marketing is very important, so call it £20,000, that's still peanuts for any serious entrepreneur. Let's not forget carpet & upholstery cleaning is what, 90% profitable, that's 90 pence in every pound generated going towards overheads and yes, start up expenses. Some small business owners would kill for those kind of profit margins.
But if you look at the market a Truck Mount will offer a start up cleaner, he can do anything from lounge carpets and suites to cinema complexes and office blocks, could he reach those markets and be able to serve them properly with an entry level portable, no sir.
I'm not trying to make a Truck Mount case, I'm making a business case, a case any switched on business person should be looking at very closely indeed.

Simon

[Neil Grainger]

For the majority of Domestic work a portable is more than enough and cash is instant. Commercial is a different matter completely, Payment is 30 days at best but the bigger you go up the longer it take's to get paid. Plus its getting this work in when you are a new starter.

Unless you have £50,000 in the bank to carry all start upcost and the fact you will not work much in the first 6 months, £15,000-£20,000 is alot of money, even more so when credit is getting so hard to get.

Build the business first and then go big time on machinery, at least then you no  you have the work to warrant such a expense as a Truckmount.

[Simon Gerrard]

Neil,
I couldn't disagree with you more.
You're making a case for having a portable because you have a portable and so wouldn't dispense advice that is outside your own experience and that's fair enough, but don't be quite so quick to dispel what others with completely different experiences have to say.
The fact of the matter is that £20,000 to set yourself up in a business that is 90% profitable is peanuts in comparison to other small business set up costs where returns are far lower. Surely in the face of this economic downturn any competent business person with an eye on the carpet cleaning business would see the virtue in giving himself the broadest possible market appeal, instead of the narrowest.  In a downturn / recession, businesses still have to look good to their clientèle whereas  a domestic customer will far more easily cast aside the need to have their carpets cleaned because it is, for the time being at least a none essential.

Simon 

[spindle]

you are making a case for a t/m because you have 1
t/m start up cost are in the region of 20 k ....i think we have agreed
new porty start up costs about 5-6k ....i own 1

i wouldnt  dream of splashing 20k on a t/m ....yet..........
until i have enough work to demand a t/m......

running a business requires that you make the most money from the least expense. i dont have to own a t/m to do that.
i know that you are the worlds greatest cc ...who cleans all the cruise ships from here to brazil.....
but how can you expect a newbie to go and spend 20k on equipment then sit and wait for the work to come in??
imho
i think that you need to build up the business,work at it first.then see if there is any point in buying a t/m.

point taken that 20k is not alot to start a business...........if you have 20k