[james roffey]

Been looking at the advantages of a truck mounted machine recently, not that i am looking to get one but i do see it as a natural progression in a few years, although i still think i would need a portable as well as rotary.
While looking through the various forums i came across a guy who said his biggest mistake was buying a truckmount having now gone back to using a portable.

So i would like to ask you guys

1. how many of you have returned to using a portable after having a truckmount i know of one myself.

2. what has been your biggest mistake in carpet cleaning, just so us newbies can avoid and or learn from it.

My mistake was taking so long to find a supplier i was able to trust. bad luck or bad judgement.

[garyj]

Only had the truckmount a month and already just couldn't go back to a portable.

Surprised you mentioned finding a supplier to trust, think I have used all of them over the years and found them all fantastic for customer service, oh yeah, there is one that springs to mind, but they do have good machines.

Really don't think you would need a portable as well, if you can afford it take the plunge and get a T/M.

[james roffey]

Yes thats the one!  good machine but very short sighted customer service they wont be getting another penny off me, glad you are happy with the truckmount what machine did you get.

[gwrightson]

I was always an advocate of portys, convinced that the difference was just the speed.....untill i dropped apon a t.m that has and is serving me well, my portys I still have just in case, but only used once in about 3 years.

The biggest mistake I made, Not investing in a t/m in the first place , but tks to one man M.H. who convinced me twas the only way.

Infact, once you do get a t/m it can be embarrasing as to the hourly rate you can achieve, having said that a little justification speel to the custy  soon eases the feeling away

geoff

[Paul Heath]

Started with a porty but was always determind to get a truckmount...managed to make the investment last year..not looked back.It best thing i have invested in. Still got the porty's but only gathering dust.

[Mike Halliday]

for every 1 person that moves from a T/M to a portable there are 50 that move the other way, why would you let a 2%  minority have such a massive influence on your buying decision?

of the 2 people i know of that have sold there T/m to use a portable 1 of them was skint, he sold his machine to pay his bills. the second was scared of the complexity of the machine.

my biggest mistake was thinking I wasn't a rocket scientist but just a cleaner and charging as such

[Mark Lawrence]

Unfortunatley there are one or two CC's who take the plunge then realise that it aint just a case of plugging it in and switching in on :

There is also the fear factor - afterall they are big and scary at times. Plus the maintenance can be daunting albeit its quite easy.

Then you have the ones that are in their own little porty bubble and feel safe within it. Once out, they feel very very uncomfortable - and want to go back in to it.

Basically most people can handle them, some cant.

Mark

[wynne jones]

The biggest mistake is to think a TM will get you work when it's sat on your drive.

[derek west]

whats a portable? 

[Colin Day]

I can't wait 'til I'm in that position and paying for a T/M and nice new big van with hard earned saved up cash.

It's where I want to be and if I was in a position right now, I'd certainly take the plunge!!!!

[wynne jones]

That's the spirit Colin. You will get there.

Whatever the mind can concieve it can achieve! Or something like that I think.

[peter maybury]

My biggest regret is not going truckmounted earlier, the effort and manpower that used to exist doing large areas with potables was pointless.
My biggest regret on going truckmounted was wasting lots of time and money by buying a secondhand machine that kept braking down.
Best decision was leasing a brand new machine
Peter

[garyj]

James, its a Panther from Woodbridge, absolutely chuffed to bits with it, the heat is amazing and results spectacular. Blasting away at anything and everything with it. Customers love it to, it is noisy though, but everyone knows you're there and what you are doing.  

[terryyy100]

I would hate to go back to my ninga even though it is 400 psi with a built in steam mate.

[Jason Hedges]

Garyj,

I know what you saying about the noise .

I've got a 27hp model & its unbearable sometimes and often gives me a headache! Dont know if theres any way of reducing the noise but I'm working on it at the moment will let you know if I have any break throughs...

Still wouldnt swap it for any porty .

All the best,
Jason.

[james roffey]

for every 1 person that moves from a T/M to a portable there are 50 that move the other way, why would you let a 2%  minority have such a massive influence on your buying decision?

of the 2 people i know of that have sold there T/m to use a portable 1 of them was skint, he sold his machine to pay his bills. the second was scared of the complexity of the machine.

my biggest mistake was thinking I wasn't a rocket scientist but just a cleaner and charging as such

Mike i am not in a position to invest yet in a truckmount but i have since i started 18 months ago gone from a 135psi twin vac Ninja to a 600 psi Airflex triple vac plus invested in a texatherm rotary so i am progressing but still early days yet, but as soon as i can justify the investment i will make it, at the moment it is ticking over when it reaches a point where it is losing me work using a porty i will make the transition.
Plus i am no spring chicken at 45 so i do not intend lugging a porty about in the future

[garyj]

I have the 18hp Jason which alerts the neighbours to my presence, I expect yours is bringing them in from a few streets away  .

Do you run yours at full pelt? I run mine at about 2700 with the HG showing just under 15. Keep meaning to join the Truckmount forum, is it truckmounters.com? They want to know the ins and outs of everything including serial numbers before they let you join don't they?

[Jason Hedges]

Hi Garyj,

My tm is so loud it can be heard from 1/2 a mile away no kidding! Run mine at about 2500rpm which is pulling more through the vac relief valve than the hoses by the sounds of it...

Not only loud draw from machine but huge whistles from vac relief not nice when working nearby...

Trying to reduce massive noise from blower outlet ports as we speak will let you know how I get on....

Not sure Glynn & Simon are that strict on the tm'ers forum nowadays, notice there are a few porty users on there

All the best,
Jason.

 

[clinton]

Sounds very noisey jason

[garyfindlay]

suppose you are trying to grab attention. better than turning up with a machine from homebase etc