Clean It Up
UK Floor Cleaning Forum => Carpet Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: bluez on February 20, 2008, 06:05:42 pm
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Whats a truck mount and how does it differ from the more traditional methods of carpet cleaning. :-[
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oh blimey, here we go again. :-X
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The difference is about £10,000
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Small Willy Big Machine sindrom ;D
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30 to 60 minutes ;)
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Bluez its not a stupid question as you are a window cleaner and know nothing about carpet & upholstery cleaning.However a quick search on google or back threads on this site would have answered your question.
Basically a truckmount is a large self run machine that is static in a van and a portable is a smaller machine that can be carried out of a van,the portable machine uses the customers electric for power.
Both machines clean carpets and upholstery, truckmounts are just more powerful which makes the job easier,especially on large domestic jobs.
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But portables reach the parts truck mounts can't, therefore bring in more work, they are also cheaper to buy and 'free' to run ;D
Well, theres nothing else to do tonight ::) :P ( oh, accept to write a letter for a member of staff to the Home Office so she can apply for her husband and son to join her over here, and they MUST have it by 10 oclock tonight!!! don't know what happens at 10pm, but if I get caught up in this thread it ain't going to happen so we'll find out ;D)
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" therfore bring in more work" ::) ::)
got to admit , first time i have ever heard that argument before !!!
Hows that then?
and as I have both at my disposal , I can,t see the answer, so do pray tell.
Geoff
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Come on Geoff, you must have noticed by now I haven't a bloody clue what I'm talking about.
It's quiet on here tonight and although I'm supposed to be writing this letter and doing my website's chucking an idiot comment in about portables over truckmounts seemed a good idea :-\
"How does it bring in more work?" How about because of it's small size it can reach the places those big scary truckmounts just cannot reach :-X.
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'Big scary'? Why be scared of big things? Must be some issue in your childhood.
In fact the bigger they are the further they reach. 600' presents no problem for the 'big' ones so can reach the same places as portables : 8)
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Not if the doors and windows are locked like some security conscience businesses.
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Not really. You can't run soultion and vac hose up 3 flights of stairs to a flat. Health and Safety just doesn't fit into that. You could go downthe Liahona route but without the knowledge, good luck
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Not if the doors and windows are locked like some security conscience businesses.
;D ;D
Gordon Ramsey is on in half an hour so you'll be pleased to know I'm off then :).
Letter to Home Office didn't get written, rubbish website bringing in some work and ranking high, 'nice' websites yet to rank but still not finished. Oh well, always tomorrow.
Now 1-1 and Lyon will get hammered at Old Trafford, so all is good with the world again.
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Yes you can run pipes up 3 flights of stairs without falling foul of H & S.
Regularly also do offices on 8th floor. Pipes go straight up the outside of the building. Provided you use the correct connectors your pipes don't cause any potential hazzard. Naturally you have to have the knowledge but then that applies to anything we do in this business.
There are guys who clean ocean liners from a truckmount parked on the quayside
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i'm surprised at that reply pete, flats are what, 8ft floor to ceiling? pipes are usually 50ft therefore one length will go at least 5 storeys, as long as you can park below the flat, 2 lengths will do the job easlily,
colin
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I get do get more recommendations ever since I've had my TM as for 8th floor :o it must have been a well paid job, you wouldn't catch me getting out more than 150ft-200ft I'd have gone bust by then!
Paul have you got some 2.5 inch vac hose?
Shaun
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Shaun not yet.
You?
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I meant Paul Elliott but I'm thinking of getting some and the cool cuffs to go with them.
Shaun
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But portables reach the parts truck mounts can't, therefore bring in more work, they are also cheaper to buy and 'free' to run ;D
VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY rare that you could not clean anywher with a truckmount. We have cleaned nightclubs,shops offices and so on that are situated on Piers, on top of multi story car parks, on top of supermarkets in fact just about everywhere. We cleaned the carpets of some offices in a office block on the ground floor where the security would not allow use to have the windows or doors open. We went up the outside of the building 2 floors then back down to the ground floor. Yes it was abit of a pain doing it that way but as the job was in the region 700sqm it was still quicker than using a portable machine plus quicker drying times.
Yes you do have to pay addition fuel when using a truckmount however, you will clean quicker which enables you to have extra time to do extra jobs or marketing which in turn = extra income which in turn = extra profit which means using a truckmount instead of a portable CAN earn you more £££
Where as with a portable you will be buying vac motors, water pumps because of the relativly short life a truckmounts engine & vac blower & water pump should last you 10 years plus. The truckmount im using at moment is about 15 years old. The engine was replaced about 8 years ago however the vac blower & water pump are original fitted rom new.
Which ever way you look at it there are more pluses than minuses for having a truckmount rather than a portable unless of course your name is John Bolton or you have been brainwashed by CT :o
Richie.
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Gary,
Your statment states " portables bring in more work"
your answer to my question " portables can get to places were t/m.s cant "
this initself does not qualify yor statment that porty,s bring in more work, I agree with you porty,s can on occasions get to awkward places. This initself , DOES NOT BRING IN MORE WORK , sorry I just cannot see how you have come to this conclusion.
geoff
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They do a better job
They save time
You look more professional
They leave carpets drier
etc etc etc etc etc etc etc etc ....................................................
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I looked back over about five pages but found no reference which is why I posted the question. Many thanks for the replies they are helpful.
I will probably be back on with some more stupid questions soon as it looks like I have to get into carpet cleaning if I am to keep my biggest window cleaning client sweet.
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That was easy ;D ;D
Of course the truckmount arguments are right. If I had the workload to support one I would buy one immediately.
I've only used a truckmount once, it belonged to someone on here called Dave and it was fantastic.
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Gary,
Are you a full time CC? Many carpet cleaners do not buy or upgrade to a TM just because of high work load. Most would have a TM as they more often than not create a more proffessional image. When i started my own CC company in 1998 i did it without having one single client. I had been CCing for another company for about 6 years prior to starting on my own. I bought a brand new HydraMaster 3.2 with extras costing me about £11,000, because i bought all new equipment i could only afford a van that was about 8 years old however the van was very tidy for its age. I created work via friends & family to begin with then started sub contracting to the company i left to set up on my own. I admit i never made a fortune but i did make enough money to feed my family and pay the bills. I also did alot of demonstrations with John Gotts.
My point been.......you dont really have to have masses of work to own a TM.
Richie.
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No, not a full time carpet cleaner, although I have been cleaning carpets for over 6 years ( 8 I think ) my main business is unfortunately commercial contract cleaning, which I hate, hence my 3rd venture into carpet cleaning on my own.
The image I portray to my customers is professional, even with a small Ninja, to them it is a big professional machine, it is to me too! The biggest mistake that a lot of carpet cleaners make with their marketing is they market to other carpet cleaners, not their customers. Sorry to tell you but a high majority of your customers have no idea what a truck mount machine is, let alone the difference between Hyramaster 3.2 and a Ninja 135psi. Every customer I have comments on my 'big' machine, don't forget 9 times out of 10 it is being compared to a Vax.
I have only had my Ninja for a couple of months and bought a van as well at the same time. In that short time they have both paid for themselves which is pretty good going but I cannot justify the expense of a truck mount at the momment, the girlfriend would never agree for starters as much as I would love one.
I accept they are more powerful and on the whole are capable of doing a better job with the extra psi and vac's they have, don't agree though that they portray a more professional image to the ordinary folk on the street. I would like to have a truck mount and if I stick at this and I get the volumn of work I will buy one, just for the ease of it more than anything else, I lose half an hour on every job dragging and carrying the Ninja around, but time is a luxuary I do have at the moment, I'm happy with one or two customers a day, it is all profit for me as apart from the paperwork and dealing with staff I do little else during the day, and I can assure you cleaning carpets is far more appealing than the hassle and stress of running a cleaning company.
I've heard of John Gotts, he used to write on here many years ago, what happened to him?
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Gary
Don't dismiss what Richie says to lightly. Ok your business is general cleaning and yes I come across general cleaners all the time who vacuum office carpets with a Henry. We all know that they do very little to clean anything out of a carpet, but so be it.
If you hate that business so much & are thinking of venturing into the carpet cleaning business seriously, you would be wise to listen to the Richie's of this world.
Customers who value their carpets & thus are prepared to pay good money to have them cleaned do know the difference as to what system/machinery you employ. The riff-raff who want their carpets cleaned for a tenner really don't care. But is that the market you want to aim for?
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I changed over to truckmounts 2 years ago and i have not looked back. i was always worried about using one at first as to whether or not it was a good finacial move due to the cost of one or if i could get to everyjob. To be honest i have only used my ninja 2 this year. I would have to say that the TM certainly dose clean a lot quicker and dry carpets quicker. I have found that it draws a lot of attention when in use as people often comment on it. They do require more tlc and yes running costs are more. But, i have more time in the day and have found that i can fit 1 - 2 jobs more in the working day. I was really worried at first at how much quicker i was working and as to whether or not my clients would think that i was cutting corners, but to be honest i spend more time chatting to them at the end of jobs. After a year of using a spitfire i went and brought a promount 20 and now have both working. it was one of the best things ive done for my company
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Elliot, I don't think I dismissed Richy at all, I think I agreed with him!!
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Hi Gary,
I didnt say you cant give a professional image with a portable. You can do with ease however, a TM can easily produce a more professional image. I agree alot of customers dont know the difference between a TM & a porty, but lets face it, what would you rather if you were a customer. A self contained carpet cleaning machine that does not use your water, does not use your drain/sink/toilet to empty dirty water down, does not use your electric or a porty that does use your hot water, that does empty dirty water down your sdrain/sink/toilet, that does use your electicity.. Not to mention a deeper drier clean and so on
Richie.