[Susan Dean (1stclean)]

cleaning out one of my barns today and i came across my very frist carpet cleaners an extracta model c

wow , single vac , swich on and off pump 80psi ? no cover on the clear water , small little wheels alround and the best bit , no brass fit ments , its on them little silver covered brass things 

and then to my extracta exle wow it was like a roller to the mobel c minds got 7, 000 hours on it lol looks well old now still fires up (bit buny smell) but it still works

what did you start with and could you use it still ?

[Kinver_Clean]

Stimvac Mini in 1980, along with Stapro powder and Solar Lemon for mingers- that was Ph14.5. Woolcarpeta faded before your eyes if you were not quick with the acid.
It is still in use by my daughter's father in law with my old Duo using SPM. Single vac 60 psi, 9" wand. Does him a treat as he is retired and got all day for 1 room. Original pump but a new vac about 15 years ago.
Moved on to a stainless drum with twin vacs on the top, still got 2 of those. Use one in my carpentry workshop for dust extraction.

[Doug Holloway]

Hi guys

Extracta CX, 1982 from Ashcombe.

Cheers

Doug

[clinton]

A host machine...ashcombe hot water extraction single vac..

[Steve Chapman]

Started dabbling with carpet cleaning around 1989 with a small stimvak i bought second hand.

On about the third job it caught fire and dumped all its water on the lounge carpet, needless to say i never saw those customers again 

I can still see the look on their faces now, they were elderly and didnt have a clue what i was doing.

Come to think of it neither did I 

Funnily enough it didnt put me off 

Later bought a second hand numatic ct570 and launched myself as a professional carpet cleaner 

Its amazing im still here really.


Steve

[derek west]

arrrr yes those were the days, my good old boxxer 421 if a remember rightly, with a vintage RX20. 

[Paul Moss]

arrrr yes those were the days, my good old boxxer 421 if a remember rightly, with a vintage RX20. 

 

Yes Derek did not serve his apprentiship the old way and cut his teeth on a under powered porty, but went straight in with a truck 

Myself it was a single vac truvox, then a grace 50/20 then a Cleanrite monster porty

[Kinver_Clean]

Starting with an underpowered machine ( by todays standards)  made us learn how to clean carpets properly. Upgrading to a powerful machine makes life so much easier.

It used to take me 5 or 6 hours to clean a particular carpet about 22x28 ft refilling the water every 20 mins. Wouldn't take that long now with much better results.

[MAX Carpets]

Aschombe DL, with the scrubber great machine in its day (1988). I also brought the solvent machine which is pretty much the same as The Sahara today!

[Jamie Pearson]

I started with a Hydromist 650 doing my mums mates carpets when I was 12.

When then started full time at our business we were using Prochem Steemeasy 400s and a Hydromist 600XTH plus our trusty Cimex CR61s which are still in use.

[Shaun_Ashmore]

I had a janitex misty there wasn't a vac motor in it more like a little mouse with a straw and a 40 psi piston pump.

Shaun

[Billy Russell]

Cleaned my first carpet when i was 13 on a weekend working with my dad, with a good old Numatic CTD570 used that for a few years, then got another, then a truvox little gem ( i think ), Prochem powermax, Then a scorpion, then down graded to my little blower TM, The Phoenix!!!   


All joking aside, there is no way you would get me back using a porty, I'm sorry but the TM wins hands down, This is just my opinion before anyone go's off on the TM v Porty debate! 

[AshWhite]

I had a janitex misty there wasn't a vac motor in it more like a little mouse with a straw and a 40 psi piston pump.

Shaun

This must've been stripped for parts for Billys TM?

[Andrew Briscoe]

Started with a TM4 and an Ashcombe machine, which was also for solvent dry clean,
then another single vac Ashcome similar to Alltec machine.
Then a Alltec twin vac, cfr 500 perfect heat, then a Recoil. Steamway sidekick 6100.
Finally have a HM 470TD Dual operator and a DFusion

Andrew

[Shaun_Ashmore]

Stripped and billy shouldn't even be in the same sentence.

Shaun

[Paul Moss]

Ok i lied.
I started when i was 3 ( shaun was 9) my machine was made from cardboard boxs and elastic bands and had a wind mill as a blower. It took me 6 hours to clean a carpet.

[Jamie Pearson]

What sort of drying times did you achieve Paul?

[Billy Russell]

Ok i lied.
I started when i was 3 ( shaun was 9) my machine was made from cardboard boxs and elastic bands and had a wind mill as a blower. It took me 6 hours to clean a carpet.

Sounds like the machine you use now! 

 

[Paul Moss]

Still more powerfull the one you have small blower 

[derek west]

Ok i lied.
I started when i was 3 ( shaun was 9) my machine was made from cardboard boxs and elastic bands and had a wind mill as a blower. It took me 6 hours to clean a carpet.

thats nothing, i started with a straw and spit. worked 25 hours a day and if it wasn't clean the customer beat me to death and i was grateful of the beating.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xe1a1wHxTyo