TM or Portable

« **on:** February 06, 2007, 10:14:58 pm »

Just wondering how many people have invested in a truck mount

« **Reply #1 on:** February 06, 2007, 10:17:59 pm »

Just moved over to truckmount an must say its a different world

« **Reply #2 on:** February 06, 2007, 10:22:03 pm »

I gotta say i`m surprised I didn`t think it would be as high as that...........

Im of down the shops to by a TM. :

« **Reply #3 on:** February 06, 2007, 10:36:45 pm »

I was told once when looking at buying mine that 94% of the states use TM's and only 6% of us do for obvious reasons I know but if this was true it isnt no more with the increase in (economical)

TM's coming on the market, but I too am suprised

« **Reply #4 on:** February 06, 2007, 10:55:30 pm »

I don't believe, for one second, the claim about 94% American usage of T/M's I am a regular visitor to a very busy c/c forum, which covers the US and CANADA and the main discussions are and have been for the past 5 or 6 years, about portables and o/p machines, the latter having an increasing market share, but don't take my word for it, Ed Valentine is a regular visitor to this site and I'm sure will confirm that ..................the US and Canadians are very much, users of powerful portables and to a lesser, but increasing extent o/p machines.

robbie

« **Reply #5 on:** February 07, 2007, 07:30:39 am »

Robbie, which forum is that? I visit the American ICS forum and find portables rarely discussed although there is talk on ops machines.

I'd say its more like 85% of proffessional company use truckmounts.

Mike

« **Reply #6 on:** February 07, 2007, 08:06:49 am »

kleen kuip

I've visited this forum for around 6 years maybe more and found a great deal of useful info' on it, including products and machines, systems.

There are links which take you to many suppliers and the machines are literally half what they cost here................they had a " booster box " on the Cross American some years ago and I fancied the machine, as it was powerful enough to be left in the van................appealed to me for it's power, rather than it's looks..............

Pad Man has been mainly responsible for the o/p success, but has others following, due to his success, it's far from new, having been developed over the past 50 years by another company.

« **Reply #7 on:** February 07, 2007, 08:10:15 am »

its the same old story like wfp systems they are not gods gift to window cleaning $:-\$
like TM you are always going to need a porty at some point its just not practical
to have TM any where every where,its all down to your work load,Ideal world have both

not that we have we use ninja

« **Reply #8 on:** February 07, 2007, 08:54:54 am »

As Terry says, there is no Magic Machine............but there are many good systems and in the hands of SKILLED OPERATORS a portable or O/P machine is capable of equalling or outperforming a T/M.

Most TM owners will dispute this..........but, it's down to two criteria..........the operator and the product being used.............obviously, the correct, or best method of using products is critical.

This is not to say, that T/M's are a waste of money, which they clearly are not.........but, a poor T/M operator and there must be plenty, will not do as good a job, as a dedicated and highly competent, portable, or O/P operator.

Carpet cleaning is no different from the rest of the world, with 80% being average and 20% being, highly competent.................problem is, many assume they are better than they are and others undervalue themselves................but, " that's life "

Whatever you use, you should always be open to new ideas, or products.

If I was starting out, rather than backing out, I would probably want a powerfull portable, and a Prowler, or similar in the van.

« **Reply #9 on:** February 07, 2007, 09:26:06 am »

The trouble is once you start using a truckmount you become lazy. The thought of having to use a portable fills you with horror. I don't use a portable at all now apart from a small spotting machine for stain work.

« **Reply #10 on:** February 07, 2007, 10:04:38 am »

guys

the answer to this question is to use a machine that has the benifits of bith machines.

there are some new machines out now that take the portable to its limits and gives you "some" of the benifit of a TM.

The Eclipse is one. I use it from the back of my van most days and if i wanted to hock it up to a tank and heater. I think that my mantance costs and running costs are lower using this type of machine in the way that i do and with no loss of benifit to my customers.

and at the end of the day its got to be about benifits to the customer. making abusiness competive has to be important. having the high purchase price must affect a business profitability.

You can not say that the US market is the same as the UK we are differant in as much as people in the US spend their money and is looked at a consumer market.

just ask any yank the type of responce they get from yellow pages and then look at the avarage uk responce and you see a differance. that differance is that "passive" advertising link yell means that prospects have to go looking for a service where direct responce advertising like say a leaflet is wher you are talking them into using your services.

In the UK I would bet that most new business comes from direct responce and not passive adverts.

so spending large amounts of money on equipment takes it away from bottom line or marketing budgets.

why spend more that you need. when you can make the same money spending less

respect to all you TM owners

respect

Ian Harper

« **Reply #11 on:** February 07, 2007, 02:51:42 pm »

For what it's worth.

I decided to give the TM a rest today and went out with the portables. They are probably the least powerful machines on the market in terms of PSI but have a good vacuum. (SEMCA K353)

From watching my senior technician clean with the portables, I am convinced that alot of work can be done with the portables, it just takes a little longer.

I have decided that with the correct technician, you can achieve similar results to the TM if using the correct chemicals and pre-spray.

I have therefore decided that I will not drag the TM out for every job but will evaluate each on its merit.

I need to withdraw a little to concentrate on selling and I won't give my TM to my team Yet!. (Its like my wife).

We do a lot of low income flats. Pre and Post occupation and this allows me to send my team out on their own with the portables.

I am thinking of selling 5 of the K353's and getting 3 upmarket portables.

So to conclude. The TM has its place and wow is it great to work with, but I will never get rid of the portables.

Having said this, If work became really bad and I had to work by myself, then the TM is the only way to go.

Jeremy

« **Reply #12 on:** February 07, 2007, 05:17:19 pm »

Gentlemen;

I do not have any figures in front of me at the moment; however, I will only use my 35 years of experience in this Industry regarding my comments.

Who ever claimed that 94% of the Operators in the US were using (Petro) TM's must surely have blinders on, or it was only a joke. I would most definitely say that the majority of Professional Operators (those who do this for a living--not including part-timers, btw) are using some sort of Portable system. Furthermore, most are using electric systems.

And, lets not forget that the majority of (Petro) TM users also have some sort of Portable for those high-rise, and or security jobs; or as a back up.

Please note that I have categorized a TM in generic terms: as Petro driven....and not a High-Performance ELECTRIC driven TM/Portable...................................and ANY SYSTEM with 4-wheels as a: Portable.

The very best;
Good Fortune to everyone;
Ed valentine
cross-american corp.

« **Reply #13 on:** February 07, 2007, 05:43:03 pm »

most truckmount users who go from portys to truckmount hav only used very poor spec portys, if they knew what u can do with a high spec porty they might hav thought twice before buying a trckmounnt . i dont fill with buckets , i dont empty with buckets,i dont use my own power on machines , i dont use custys water, it makes as much noise as a petrol tm , and i dont have the extra costs making my costs a third of a tm , and it heats to steam, my van is half as big, my fuel is half, my insur is half, i can get to were a tm cant get, and it costs a big big less than buying and setting up a tm

« **Reply #14 on:** February 07, 2007, 08:14:16 pm »

Ed Thanks V much for the imput as it's great to get true reports and observations not speculation, btw I forgot to mention that these figures were based on HWE methods by a well known middle of the range supplier, so whats OP

James

« **Reply #15 on:** February 07, 2007, 08:23:45 pm »

Paul - what is your set up?

« **Reply #16 on:** February 07, 2007, 08:34:55 pm »

This conversation always crops up a few times each year.
At the end of the day you pick the machine you want/need to use based on;
cash availible
location
type of work your doing
skill level

As your business increases you up grade or buy a second machine All the machines out there are good , thats why they are sold in their thousands.
Just pick what you want at the time you need it.
If you do a good job and the customer is happy then end of story

« **Reply #17 on:** February 07, 2007, 08:43:45 pm »

I own both and would say you pretty much need both if you want a rounded out business and would definitley say you can run a successful business with portables and we did for 12 years

That said i did a lounge carpet today ,cleaned / protected and away in 45 mins, i'm sure i couldn't have done that with the porty, and thats why i got the t/m. It's quicker and i'm getting lazy as i get older.

By the way the job total was £75.00 and i was happy with that!

regards
steve

« **Reply #18 on:** February 07, 2007, 09:22:53 pm »

carpet doctor

with respect, whatch your times.

let me expalane. i have a maid service and pay and chargew for this service on spec and not time. i explane this to every customer and they know what they are getting, but that does not stop them working what they pay out to the hour.

this is so unfair as they buy the service on spec.

one big problem with us english is that we dont say whats on our minds. you could be walking away from a job and leaving a bad taste in your customers months. because they think they know or they might have had someone else in that did the same as you and toke twice as long.

being quick has it draw backs.

please please dont take this the wrong way i say it because i lbelieve that as long as the jobs good it should not mater how long or for that mater how short of time you take. most prospects would agree at the start but if the job does not meet their expections the thought will go though their minds that it had somthing to do with how long you spent on it.

one good example of this is with upholstery, you know when you have one thats been left for years and the dirt is coving the wear. you clean it and it then show the age and wear that the dirt was hiding. the customer now has upholstery that is showing its age. they are now unhappy that they have to live with this old looking upholstery instead of a what they thought was just dirty.

this is why the "wear age" process works so well when you can explane the differance between a carpet thats 10 years old that has two year wear to one that is two years old with 10 years wear.

link these problems with the fact that with a we dont get time with the customer when you are filling up your bucket with water. that sink side chat goes a long way to them getting to trust us

with respect

Ian Harper

« **Reply #19 on:** February 07, 2007, 09:31:57 pm »

I agree Ian, the sink side chat does have a lot going for it. With a truckmount its usually in and out.

Poll

Do you use