[mark_roberts]

Id say all new Tms will run fine for a few years and servicing is cheap on them all ie. its only oil and filters.

It really comes down to service and who you can trust not price.  Also dont buy an entry level machine as youll very soon want a bigger one.  Bit like buying a 2x2 stage portable then you want 2x3 stage and so on.

They all have their pros and cons.  Hydramaster are without doubt the leaders in the UK for sales and most importantly after sales service.  They are on call by mobile too 24 hours a days although Ive never needed them after hours apart from a Saturday.

Having said that my van is being repaired two days next week so Im stuck with paper work.  Maybe if I had a prowler then ££££ could be made.

Mark

[jewell]

Hi red
        Just one question were you the guy that put dirty water or something in you clean water tank.And then ran it through your system and messed
The whole machine up.Like i said ive had my machine over the 2 years now.And with proper serviceing ive had no problems ,like many others  i fine the machine very reliable.Guess im one of the luckey ones

[Len Gribble]

Red

If what you say were true (not saying it’s not) I would not be a happy bunny it would be high noon time if I were right!

Can you quantify quote (And had to pay Alltec to fix it twice even when it was suposidly under warranty) unquote? Was it same problem or a new one?

For the love of me I can’t understand why people buy a water softener onboard system at that price unless they are direct feed.

Mark

Nothing wrong with an entry machine I’ve had mine 6 years (thanks express) it dose the job, a few problems not within warranty, which I sort out myself, ninja thinking/toying with upgrading the pump it feels inadequate.


Jewell

As the yanks say one can buy a lemon but sometime you can be the lemon (I’ve returned some crap tools)

Len

[the red carpet]

Woodbridge were and are trying to claim i ran dirty water through the machine and got it all blocked up with sand but it is not sand, i belive it to be a problem with limescale myself.

the first time it happened was over a year ago and the whole system has been drained and refilled, cleaned out flushed through countless times, it has been descalled more times than i can remember. Every time it is cleaned out it works fine and within a few days/weeks the whole system is cloged up and blooked again.

Considering the ammount of times its been filled and cleaned out over the last year (and its still hapening) i think there argument that i filled it up with dirty water is running a bit thin on the ground now :

[Buster Ingram]

Hi Red,
Sorry to hear your still recieveing the thin edge of the wedge from John boy at woodbridges. Before you all start slapping this lad down first you all need to see how they fitted the machine in his van . A class of 5 year old could have done a better job and this is just one of them. The short time I spent with them opened my eye's to poor workmanship. Sadly I have to say the Chem-tex product is great its the service or lack of that is provided by Woodbridges. No one there has a clue how to fit these machines neatly in a van, all they are concerned about it getting hold of your money.
It is true to say that Red does has  a hard water problem in his area where he lives, but frankly the water softer system  they fitted was cobled together and I'd be very surprised if what they fitted will cure his problem.

[Shaun_Ashmore]

it'a shame really because it would have blown a hole in UK TM prices but when it comes down to it the profit to have full time fitters for TMs may have been to high.

Shaun

[jewell]

Hi Red
        I done the same as you and put crap in the clean water tank, but only a small amount, in the end i put an inline filter on the front of the machine, so every couple of days i could clean it out easily. This took 4 months or more to get rid of the problem, so with a hard water problem as well what a nightmare.

Len as for lemons, You dont put diesel in a petrol car and blame the garage and as for crap tools, Ive bought crap machines from so called top manafacturers and now i know at rip off prices and  when i had problems it was a case of  (SEE YOU LATER JOB).

But at (JOHN BOY'S)  woodbridge i speak as i find and they have been as good as gold to me.

Hi Dave, if i remember rightly someone on here phoned up a manufacturer i.e Prochem to check if a van was ok and that the machine would fit in properly and after they had bought the van they then went to have the machine fitted and ooops it didnt fit. They must have gone to town and wore their spurs as well that day. What an expensive mistake to make and costly for the poor customer.

Other T/M manufacturer are fitting T/M's very near or actually overweight for the type of vehicle they are putting them into, there was a debate on the T/M forum about this issue which could have dire consequenses if caught, so i dont think that JOHN BOY isnt looking too bad at all when all the different issues get brought out into the open.       

[Buster Ingram]

Hi Jewell’s

I'm not about to go into a full blown slanging match of who fits what best, All I can say from what I have seen fitted at Woodbridges leaves a lot to be desired. From what I saw fitted in your van Jewell’s you are one of the lucky ones.
Imagine having a 50 gal water tank with a 25hp machine on top right at the very rear of your van, Now picture the seen your travelling up the motor way in pouring rain the front end of your van is aqua plaining with all the weight on the back end, with very little control over your steering and only rear brakes to stop you, need I say more.  And I saw plenty fitted that way
Red is quite correct in what he says about the poor fit on his water softener system (screwed to the side of his van with self tapers) into 1/8" plywood.

I hope Red can come to an amicable agreement With Woodbridges over this and settle out of court.

It was Hydramaster that fitted the machine in Dave Washbrooks van (Max 450 in a Trany.)
poop happens but he had steering and brakes. Sad part he was right on his weight limit.

[Dave_Lee]

Hi Dave,
Ill call you soon.
Before I got my new TM recently, I was shopping around for quotes on the ones that I was interested in.
The first company I responded to was Prochem, a firm I have dealt with all my Carpet cleaning days. They had a special offer going on the NEW Everest. However it seemed they had jumped the gun with the offer. When the first machine arrived from the States they realised that the way it was set up, the exhaust would be a minimun of 4" inside the largest side door van available in the UK. They also werent sure whether they were going to be able to get it in the van at all. They would get back to me - but never did.
Dave.

[Jason Hedges]

Hi Red,

If you live in a hard water area as i do as well expect to have to de-scale your machine on a regular basis. I do mine every couple of weeks and am always amazed how much crud comes out when i do it.

If you want a chat about it please give me a call, have been running a pro mount for about 6 months now so might be able to offer some advice. My number is 07721 827163.

All the best,
Jason.

[John Gregory]

How do you descale them ? I got 2 bottles of descaler off woodbridge with me last service kit not done it yet

Thanks  John

[stevegunn]

My accountant has advised me I need to spend some money,so I've ordered another prowler as I was so pleased with the other one,got a good trade in value off restormate.So anyone looking for a good well looked after prowler just over a year old contact John Kelly but be quick it won't be there for long.Might get a new van too but don't tell the wife

[Buster Ingram]

And a New Wand Steve don't forget the Wand

[stevegunn]

And a New Wand Steve don't forget the Wand

Got one of greenie greenhorns coming 

[Jeff Lydon/Greenie]

A good portion of the invoice is 4 hours labour for fitting it, and the only fitting required is four self tapping screws into my ply lined van :

 

Wow!  Tell me you guys don't really have TMs installed routinely this way?