[boshravie]

That’s a very interesting point Mark, the point is I spoke to Edward from Ashbys, and his answer was that these pumps only have 3 months warranty, isn’t amazing we buy a washing machine which cost more or less the same price and we get  1-5 years of warranty on them, but when it comes to do with business most of these companies just rip people off.

I think I have to put it to Ashbys I writing and ask my independent engineer who is working on the machine at the moment to clarify that for me too.

So grateful for your help Mark-Slaney

[Matt Seymour]

Why not just ditch the Ninja and get something else?

That's what I intend to do. You can't keep throwing money at it. It's funny how a lot of people seem to start off with Ninjas, but then move on to something else - even machines with less power/lower spec sometimes. There has to be a reason for that.

I don't like the way they look either. It's not exactly the most attractive or modern looking machine on the market. It's long overdue a bit of a cosmetic revamp.

[boshravie]

Hi matt, well to tell you the truth I like the Ninja, because is a good size for the jobs we do, we work in a lot of tight areas and it serves the purpose, and in general is good machine if the people who fit the pump, fit it properly, there is no problem with it.  I have another spare one which has been working for at least  8 years without any problem. So its not the machine, it’s the human who are not true full.

[ianharper]

why would you use them if you dont need. you can get the same service from local guys for example apex in billericay will fix any machine. just because you buy a machine from one guy does not mean you have to use them to service. its my view that you are paying for two guys wages when you take a machine thats why they take all day. to justify the charge. its a real sham  as the ninja is a great machine.

Or, have a go yourself most stuff is easy. its good practice to carry spare parts so you can fix on the run.

I think if someone started up servicing ninjas on the side they would do very well. and it would focus Ashby's to provide completive rates. i know that many on here could provide this service.

[Joe H]

Boshravie
You spent £8000 on the machines in 10 years.
I have a 3 vac Scorpion which is now about 6, maybe 7 years old (I am the 2nd owner).
The previous owner had no problems. I have replaced 2 vac motors (one that blew was entirely my fault - so its really only one) and uprated the pump from 300psi t0 500psi (I could have overhauled the 300 pump and its motor for less then couple hundred).  So in total, inc the vac I wrecked, its cost less then £1000.
The service from Solutions Cornwall is top notch, no question about that, and Ed Valentine (in the USA and the maker of the Scorpion), John Bolton and of course Nick, are very experienced people who are very willing to help.

As to the fact you like Ninjas cause they can get into tight spots (think thats what you said).
Whats a tight spot???
I leave the Scorpion in the van, and easily hook up 100ft of 2" hose and it sucks extremely well.
100ft covers all but one of the domestic houses I do.  Note:- the big one needs about 120ft but even if I bought another 50' the Scorpion will cope.

Invest in the right equipment and the right people.
People are important, the horror stories I hear on here about Ahbys and the poor service at times from another supplier already spoken of on here, Alltec, -I am just amazed how so many of you put up with it.

I get brilliant service not only from Solutions Cornwall but also from Restormate in Newcastle Upon Tyne, and as little as I do deal with them now - Cleansmart.

And there are plenty of small businesses that can handle service and repairs of pumps and vac motors - cause what inside our machines are common to other types of work - nothing that special.

[Phillip Mold]

My Ninja is now over three years old and going string, one vac motor has had to be replaced (machine was three years old then), but the original pump is fine. A tip someone gave me is before switching pump on to release the pressure, then crank it up once pump is running, and release pressure before switching off, not too sure about the logic but I think its a bit like driving, you don't set off in top gear at 60 mph, you build up to it.

In general I agree with the comments about Ashby's customer service attitude, first six month service done at dartford, ever since been serviced at Royston near Cambridge, totally different experience and no hard sell while waiting.

[Steve Barnett (Carpet Care Plus)]

The Ninja is a good machine and served me well for 3 years, it only recently had a vac go pop - once I replace that I will be selling it.

Don't equate poor customer service with poor equipment - I've never used a Scorpion so I take others word that it's a good machine, but clearly the machines reputation would suffer if Solutions didn't offer such good back-up.

[JandS]

Same as Phil and Steve.
Find it a very good machine.
Have it serviced locally at £37 a time.
Their solution hose is second to none.

John

[brianbarber]

Whilst on subject , can any of you guys recommend somebody in the south east to service the ninjas, either in Kent, or maybe Essex or sussex,
Willing to travel for reasonably priced servicing.

Mr B

[boshravie]

Hi guys
Many thanks for your replies, well to answer the 1st question, about spending £8000 with Ashby’s, well it wasn’t just for machine, it was for all kind of services and different item that I bought from them through the years.
 I have now found some one local after all these years, you see I am based in Brighton and there wasn’t any one that I knew of who could service ninja, and who ever I asked they said that I have to take it to Ashby’s, its only recently thanks to one of you guys on here that I found an engineer in Brighton.

Brighton is a city that have lots of narrow roads and basically you cant park outside of a house or flat to bring a pipe from van to clean carpets, and lots of flats in Brighton are old Regency buildings with lots of stairs so we need something like Ninja to deal with these kind of jobs.
I love ninja, they are very good machine that’s why I kept mine all these years, its just the service from Ashby’s  and I never deal with them in future.

As I said before its shame to work so hard to build your business for years and just loos it the way they are by bad customer service.

I most grateful for all your comments.

Bosh

[boshravie]

Whilst on subject , can any of you guys recommend somebody in the south east to service the ninjas, either in Kent, or maybe Essex or sussex,
Willing to travel for reasonably priced servicing.

Mr B

Yes:
Elm Grove Vacuum Centre in Brighton
112, Elm Grove
Brighton BN2 3DB
Tel: 01273-694705

Speak to Bob, he is a GEM absolutely great guy.

Bosh

[Oneills onb]

Did you take your machine there alex? Bobs very helpful and knows his stuff very good prices aswelll and a quick turn around

[boshravie]

Did you take your machine there alex? Bobs very helpful and knows his stuff very good prices aswelll and a quick turn around

Yes Oneills
And I am so grateful to you my friend, Bob is saint, he is a great gentleman. That’s why I will recommend him to the world.
Once again I am so grateful to you.

Bosh (Alex) :-0)

[Oneills onb]

Always happy to help mate, at least his prices are fair!!

[boshravie]

Always happy to help mate, at least his prices are fair!!

Yes my friend he is a man of Honor.

[Vernon Purcell]

Hi Vernon
Pump Tec

Yea they have about 20 diffrent models
common on is a 205 V with a Fasco motor or a 112V with a brush motor which one do you have?
Does your machine have heat?

Hi Vernon Purcell.
To tell you the truth, I have no idea what kind of bump it is, because I have never taken it apart as I am not technical in these matters, its just my new engineer that I have found in my home town, who is much more skilful than Ashby’s and a kind man told me that its Pump Tec. What different would that make any way?

Well they made a 205 with a fasco motor. This was a 200 psi pump, what people have done is take this 1/3 hp motor and crank it up to 500 psi with a spring in the bypass making it work too hard. If it reaches full pressure and you depress the wand trigger your pressure will fall to something like 200 psi, where as if the pump is fitted with the correct size motor, when the wand trigger is depressed presure drop will be about 475 psi, the small motor cannot keep that pressure up, it can only dead head the pressure, also you have to check your chemicals you are using, I have a customer who may be on this board who changes his pump head every 8 months or so. By the way I was the first importer of Pumptec high pressure pumps into the Uk about 17 years ago. I still have the original advertising material showing this pump as a 200 psi. When it is used as a 200 psi pump its the greatest pump in the world

[boshravie]

Hi Vernon
Pump Tec

Yea they have about 20 diffrent models
common on is a 205 V with a Fasco motor or a 112V with a brush motor which one do you have?
Does your machine have heat?

Hi Vernon Purcell.
To tell you the truth, I have no idea what kind of bump it is, because I have never taken it apart as I am not technical in these matters, its just my new engineer that I have found in my home town, who is much more skilful than Ashby’s and a kind man told me that its Pump Tec. What different would that make any way?

Well they made a 205 with a fasco motor. This was a 200 psi pump, what people have done is take this 1/3 hp motor and crank it up to 500 psi with a spring in the bypass making it work too hard. If it reaches full pressure and you depress the wand trigger your pressure will fall to something like 200 psi, where as if the pump is fitted with the correct size motor, when the wand trigger is depressed presure drop will be about 475 psi, the small motor cannot keep that pressure up, it can only dead head the pressure, also you have to check your chemicals you are using, I have a customer who may be on this board who changes his pump head every 8 months or so. By the way I was the first importer of Pumptec high pressure pumps into the Uk about 17 years ago. I still have the original advertising material showing this pump as a 200 psi. When it is used as a 200 psi pump its the greatest pump in the world

Hi Vernon Purcell

Many thanks for your in-depth information, its very interesting to know these facts. We don’t use any chemical in our solution tank, we stopped this many years ego, as we always pre spray the chemical to carpet and then agitation, so solution tank is always plain water, and in fact Ashby’s told us that we have to set the temperature of water in the tanks at 50degrees which we do, so what’s the solution?

The trouble is not many people sell these pumps these days!!!

Bosh

[nevil]

Hi Vernon.

I still have one of your pumps in my Grace machine. It's never missed a beat. I think it's around 200 or maybe 225psi. Never even serviced it. Don't use it full time now as I have a TM. But it was a superb upgrade from the 135psi pump that came with the machine. The extra little bit of psi doesn't sound a lot but in the real world makes a huge difference. I am not convinced that the old shurflo pumps kick out anywhere near 135 at the wand.

[stuart_clark]

Boshravie
I have had three ninjas over a ten year period and although the machines were fine when they were working, i hated going to Ashbys when they were not! I felt that i recieved very bad service from them from start to finish, but that is very common with hwe extraction machine suppliers.
Good suppliers are few and far between, Nick from solutions is a real breath of fresh air! I havent experienced service that good  in the twenty odd years that ive been in the business
I just hadf a problem with a pumptec pump i bought it from woodbridge commercial, but saying that the fault wasn't realy a warantee repair, in fact the pump was only three months old but had corroded completely and valves were not seating properly! I have been using Ultimate master from altec! and believe there chemical has caused the damage to my pump! i emailed robert saunderes from Altec and he has refused to accept responsability even though his tecnical people told me that there chemical was corrosive and would cause damage to pumps, apparently they infact install a differant black pumptec pump in there machines to combat this, but of course we are not to know that are we ? 

[stuart_clark]

Further to my comment with regard to Ashbys, they serviced my Ninja quite a few years ago now and a day after recieving it back from them it broke down!!
I sold two of my ninjas and only have one now which i keep as a back up machine to my  Scorpian, the ninja isn't in the same league as a scorpian!
Ashbys insist on having your money before sending out any parts! All pumptec pumps come with 12 months warantee and not three months, if i was told this by Ashbys, think i would be giving Trading Standards a ring !
Stu Clark