After talking with Neil the lad who was seeking advice about sarting out in carpet cleaning last night, I tried to convey my idea of the best starter machine for a newbie to this industry. Neil seems quite keen to buy a new one and I reccomended that he look for the following spec when considering a machine to use.
1. Twin 3 stage vac motors
2. 100-135 psi Pump
3.3kw Immersion or preferably inline water heater
4. 2x25ft lengths of solution and vac hose
5. Twin jet stainless steel wand
6. Stainless steel hand tool
Neil! I would like to just add that while price is an important consideration, saving £50 or so on the purchase price tends to backfire inthis industry when you take into consideration technical backup, product support and good old customer service. That £50 will soon disappear when your stuck with an idle machine that the cheap guy can't fix till next week. Hope this and the other answers help. Merry Xmas everyone. Martin Riley