Clean It Up
UK Floor Cleaning Forum => Carpet Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: grant home clean on August 28, 2009, 11:48:06 am
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has anyone tried or got one of these machines airflex turbo 3 x vac 600psi pump going to be buying new machine in next couple of months and this looks a good machine or what about the alltec triple read good reports on here about that machine just after as much info as possable thanks grant..
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.... have you looked at the Scorpion?
I know mentioning it is provocative on here with some..... but what the heck..... its weekend and we not had a good ding dong for ages.
Seriously though........... it is a good machine, vacs connected in parallel (the best way IMO), 500psi, fairly light (that is important when you lugging it upstairs in flats with no lift - check the weight of others).
OK it has no onboard heat, but neither do a lot of machines on the market, and those 3 vacs that do have a onboard heater dont as soon as you turn the vac motors on.
In line heater works very effective.
and it has a feature that one carpet cleaner wish he had on his newish 3 vac machine now that he wants to mount it in his van. Comes in very useful at other times as well.
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have to have a look at the scorpion, as i said i am waying up all options at moment but havent heard any reports on the airflex turbo on here but looks good..
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Have you looked at the Texatherm system - looks interesting.
That does have some reviews on here.
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The thing that puts me of the Scorpion apart from no heat and looks cheap and nasty is it dosent have a preasure gauge any machine with a 500psi pump should have one as standard you shouldnt have to guess what psi your working at especially when cleaning upholstery.
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.... have you looked at the Scorpion?
I know mentioning it is provocative on here with some..... but what the heck..... its weekend and we not had a good ding dong for ages.
Here we go!
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Hi Guys
Was at Alltec last week and sales of the Advance have been going well.
Airflex's suppliers, Cleansmart have a good reputation but there don't seem to have been too many sales yet judging by the comments on here.
The Ninja, powefrful 2 vac. generally gets good reports although service from Ashby's appears to let it down.
Personally I would never buy a machine without heat, I believe it is fundamental to achieving top cleaning results.
I know there is an argument that you can agitate for ages and achieve a good result even with cold water, but heat is essential in a lot of stain removal.
When I was doing my stain removal demos at the CCDO I tried using a Scorpion to remove a softened paint stain and it just didn't !!
Cheers
Doug
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Grant
I would try and have a go with some of the machines first unless you have a set up in mind.
There is now a choice in the 3 vac set up market.
I have had a go with some other set up,s before i bought the alltec 3 vac.
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Has anybody in the UK got the new version of the Ninja looks a top machine.
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I had a scorpion for a short time and I must admit that the build quality does let it down, I did try the Alltec and I thought it was a better machine although the Airflex does look good, Ashby's sell a ninja with 3 vacs and a V2 heater which Roger has got but they do run at £4k, I think Clinton had a quote earlier this year for one. Wonder how many plugs you need?
Shaun
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By "build quality" Shaun, what do you mean?
Did bits fall of it? or are you talking about its looks? or what?
Having had one now for nearly 2 years I can honestly say I have not suffered anything I can call build quality problem - and mine was 2nd hand when I got it.
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the more i look at them im swaying towards the alltec but think i will go and take a look at the airflex turbo and see if i can arrange to see one in action...
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Do you think the wheels on the Scorpion might buckle with the weight of a preasure gauge.
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Falling apart
Shaun
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the more i look at them im swaying towards the alltec but think i will go and take a look at the airflex turbo and see if i can arrange to see one in action...
good idea to try both set ups not too shure on altecs customer service but i do know cleansmarts back up and customer service is very good.
one thing how is the altec for getting in and out a van if you have to take it out looks front heavy and awkward. airflex looks quite a practical machine
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Don't forget to ask Clinton and Joe and Roger they all have different 3 x motored machines. IMO I think the Alltec based on quality build and what Alltec machines I have had in the past.
Shaun
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Shaun
I agree with you on the alltec build and quality on there machines and have found the after sales service first class. :)
Grant
Like shaun i have used alltecs over the years as well as other makes and always found the quality better on the alltec..
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I have a Alltech and a Recoil, as back up to my recent purchase of a truck mount.
Both are similar age, the Recoil is prob a bit older.
Alltech has had numerous vac motors and 2 pumps, heater has always given me problems.
Loading unloading of Recoil is much easier.
Recoil has had 1 set of brushes in one of the vacs.
I find if either have a bump, like down a step, or coming off van, Recoil seems more flexible, whereas Alltech bits drop off or break, handle has come off, rubber trim around bottom etc, and have to have a good supply of fuses for the Alltech.
As for repairs 4 bolts on waste tank and your at the vacs, easy to work on the Recoil
Not one for buying because of looks, works well with cold/tap water and inline heater, ie constant heat when i want it, no waiting for heat ups.
I forgot to mention the Alltech lives on garage loft, Recoil is on van with truckmount.
These are just my findings, not biased in anyway by suppliers etc
Andrew
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Should have added, not used the Airflex, only seen it at last years CCDO, am sure it is a good machine, just hasnt been out long enough for a fair comment by anyone, time will tell.
Andrew
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Hi Guys
When I was doing my stain removal demos at the CCDO I tried using a Scorpion to remove a softened paint stain and it just didn't !!
Cheers
Doug
So in your opinion Doug, why, when using the Scorpion you couldnt get a result.??
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Hi Joe
The solvent softens the paint and the hot water then softens it further allowing it be removed.
Quite simply with cold water it didn't soften enough to allow removal.
You must have found that with your TM, a lot of fresh paint can be removed without the need for solvent if you get the water hot enough.
Cheers
Doug
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My experiance with heat as on the tm is not new.
Why?
Cause I use heat on the Scorpion via a Mytee in line heater which has twin chambers, switched separately so I can have full heat or half heat.
I use the Scorpion when I am doing suites because I can control the heat better then on the Prowler.
I dont like high heat on suites so pour couple bucketfulls of hottish tap water in the tank and I usually run at half heat via the Mytee.
So with 3 vacs and the CFR handtools and heat I want, I can do a good job.
So to me, a machine with 3 vacs, high capacity pump but no onboard heat is no problem, in fact has advantages over a 2 vac machine with onboard heat in the machine.
And lets not forget that whilst the Alltec 3 vac looks very nice, it does have a reduced dirty water tank capacity to be able to fit everything in its body.
Now what is better - a nice shiny machine (no practical value) or a large tanks (less bucketting).
I know which I would pick, cause I got one and sticking to it.
Of course both the Alltec and the Scorpion can be fitted with auto dump (and auto fill) but how much as an extra??
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the more i look at them im swaying towards the alltec but think i will go and take a look at the airflex turbo and see if i can arrange to see one in action...
good idea to try both set ups not too shure on altecs customer service but i do know cleansmarts back up and customer service is very good.
one thing how is the altec for getting in and out a van if you have to take it out looks front heavy and awkward. airflex looks quite a practical machine
The Altec TV has the 3 motors at the rear of the machine over the back wheels which makes it easy to tilt up. I can't see why you would think it was front heavy ??? The airflex looks a nice machine but I prefer a machine to be made using GRP as it's easily fixed should a crack/leak appear....
I've had no problems getting the Altec in and out of the van and I'm hardly a muscle bosun!!!!
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Hi Guys
Joe, since I got my Drimaster tool I now prefer the TM to porty for upholstery, it's a wonderful tool but does use a lot of water.
However for a lot of suites a twin vac porty with heat will allow one to achieve excellent results, not sure the extra vac would make much difference.
It's a debate we don't have very often, it's just assumed 3 vac is better than 2 but I would argue two vac with heat is probably better on upholstery and not much difference on carpets.
Cheers
Doug
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but unless you got a super dupa more expensive TM then you cant control the heat other then turning the revs of the engine down which affects the blower performance, so whilst the drimaster may well be a good tool (never tried one) I do want to control heat on suites - my personal preference.
With a air flow optimised system I would have thought 3 vacs are better then 2 as 2 is better then 1.
And as for cleaning carpets, well yes again 3 vac air optimised are going to be better then 2 - and dont forget some 2 vac machines are in series so vac optimised which even Alltec dont recommend - so knock on the head for the Ninja.
At the end of the day we are all going to have our personal preferences but it seems so funny that looks seem to get better rating with some fellow professional carpet cleaners then performance.
After all, its performance gain that attracts some away from portables to TM as their main machine ie you and I.
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I have a Ninja with V2 Steamate and the "heat" blasts the dirt out in my opinion i recently used M power on some upholstery extracted with f and f rinse, unable to use steammate with my uphostery tool !
Results poor, took ages to get a good result very hard work, even though i agitated for ever or so it seemed i remain to be conviced of m power and cold water, stubborn grease etc only goes when i use the steam on it, thats what i have found anyway.
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James
The cold water thing with Scorpions and M-Power is borne from the nut cases on here who seem to think the rules are that when you buy a Scorpy or M-Power you must only use cold water. THATS RUBBISH.
I use M-Power (hot) on suites and Solutions Heavy Duty when the going gets tough and have some really good results - that has to be true or I would not continue to do it, simple as that.
However there are more then a few very succesful carpet cleaners who have a Scorp and regularly only use cold water with the right cleaning fluids.
One has been posting on here regularly within the last few days (and its not me cause I prefer using hot).
The others mostly confine themselves to Cleantalk because they know there so much bull spoken on here about the cold water issue - so they dont bother. Pity really cause they are very experianced guys who have a lot to offer to others. But because of the stupidity of a few, the many lose out.
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Joe your away on another rant again.
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Everything I said is true. Sad....but true.
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I have been carpet cleaning now for about 6 months so i am no expert i bought all my kit from cleansmart including my airflex turbo it is a great machine with really good drying times and along with my envirodri i am getting great results.
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Also the after sales service from cleansmart is second to none Mat is great guy and very helpful.
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hi mark cheers for the info will have to give cleansmart a ring and go and have a look...