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Re-reading this I'm not sure if it comes across as a bit heavy.
It is meant to be informative and to try and show anyone looking at this as an add on that it isn't just 'get a machine'.
I'm the extreme end of works on here, no domestic, no small commercial, all my jobs are hefty and days on end to finish but I had to get to where I am.
I'm certainly not saying that's better than anyone else and for a lot of reasons it isn't.
I've gone through the set ups and different machines and it can be over analysed, cost being the main factor and getting the best machine for the money.
I've only ever bought secondhand machines until the hotbox this year (there was a new Thor in there at one point a long time ago) and they've served me well.
I've done the analysing from a different perspective.
If your'e doing it the way I have or the new machine way you need to be good on the spanners or have service people that can put the machine right, when it goes wrong, because it will and that will be when you don't want it to.
Part of my RAMS shows the service history of the machine in use and because of the clients I have that is done around 6 monthly.
The two I've got are both diesel and less thirsty than petrol ones (if I don't turn them up to full flow), again - is this a consideration?
I've run them both against the Honda 13 HP 21 LPM and they are quieter , even with bigger engines - my works can be out of hours, can be in front of trading supermarkets, commercial premises but diesel are much more expensive and harder to get, certainly out of the 4K price range, unless it's a Hilta/Yanmar 15LPM, that can be picked up for a couple of grand but don't have the capability to get the job done.
Like this post, it can be overanalysed and then you start scratching your head.
Steve Knight has a machine for sale in the 'for sale section'. Steve's a carpet cleaner I believe and would have looked after it so maybe worth a message.
Whatever you decide, this can be a very lucrative add on or as people on here have done, made into a full time business.
There's a lot of dirty premises out there.
All the best.