[Rat-race]

Thanks Richard

I will try to avoid.

[Kinver_Clean]

On the pther hand--- I had an R reg citroen dispatch and now have a Pugeot Expert- done around 200 000 miles and no problems with either.

[clinton]

Had my citroen dispatch van for 2 years an bought it brand new..Had no trouble as yet..

[peter maybury]

Rat race.
I was not trying to talk you out of a truckmount as it really is the way to go. I wish that I had made the change far earlier. But you should consider buying a used machine from a dealer with a warantee. You can then decide which vehicle to put it into etc. Finding a reliable machine in the right vehicle is harder than buying the two seperately. If it was a good reliable machine in a van that was not reliable it would be as much use as a bad machine that was in a reliable van. The two things need to be dependable in order for you to work. If your van breaks down with a truckmount then your machine goes nowhere. There is no point taking a non working machine to a customer.

Peter
www.carpetcleanercardiff.com

[Billy Russell]

Agree with Peter, Truckmount is the way to go, i changed nearly 2 years ago, best thing i did after 17 years using portables. Try these guys GP Cleaners 01452 731630, Ask to speak to ian, i think they've got a couple of secondhand ones for sale, and Roman the engineer there really knows his stuff, Really good guys there

[Rat-race]

Thank you Billy,

I phoned Ian (GP cleaners) and we are in talking, he is going to let me know what is available.

regards

[Billy Russell]

Thank you Billy,

I phoned Ian (GP cleaners) and we are in talking, he is going to let me know what is available.

regards

Thats great news 

[richie]

I agree with what Simon has said.  It is well worth going for a TruckMount to start with.   Also again as Simon stated, the Blazer is a basic machine so pretty easy to maintain and work on.  As for the van, well i have to agree.  Citroen are not the best.  If the whole package can be purchased at a decent price then go for it.  Once you have it you can sell the van and buy a Transit.  Moving the truckmount from one van to another is easy enough.  Let me know if you want it done cheap

[Rat-race]

Thanks Richie, I will keep you updated on the outcome.

Unfortunately I have tried to contact the guy several times through ebay and phone without any joy, and that by itself gave me some butterfulies, I will try again but am a bit conscious.

Regards all

[Simon Gerrard]

I have got a Prochem Blazer that I will be selling shortly. Fully restored complete with hoses, wand, recovery tank, hose reel, water tank etc.
Upgrading to a bigger machine.

Simon

[Rat-race]

Thanks Simon
Will you mid to drop some spec/photo for us to have a look, while you wait to acquire your new baby?
I thought the one you have in your van is hydromaster?

regards

[Steve Barnett (Carpet Care Plus)]

Any indication of price Simon ?

[Simon Gerrard]

Steve,
£3k'ish.

Rat Race,
I've got two, a Titan 875 and a Blazer.

Simon

[elliott cleaning]

I remember what you paid for it and the van, Simon

[Rat-race]

Hi Simon

Is this the same package you are getting lead of? (I bought a Blazer Plus with freshwater tanks, hoses, hose reels, wands, hand tool in a Renault Master recently) I won't include the price you mentioned in the past blog.

regards.

[Simon Gerrard]

Yes, but it had a major refit, plus what I paid for it is irrelvant, it is what it is now worth that matters.

Simon

[steven Banks]

On the pther hand--- I had an R reg citroen dispatch and now have a Pugeot Expert- done around 200 000 miles and no problems with either.

Your engine would have been the XUD9TE which are excellent diesel engines which can go on for ever if looked after.

[steven Banks]

Yes, but it had a major refit, plus what I paid for it is irrelvant, it is what it is now worth that matters.

Simon

3k is a very good price imho! Worth that all day long.

[mike roberts]

I wouldn't invest in a second-hand tructmount as my start-up machine, especially if your resources are tight; too many potential pitfalls and costs. I would cut my teeth on a more modest and affordable setup, airline pilots generally don't earn their first set of wings in a 747 or A380. Excellent results can be obtained with a good portable machine at a fraction of the cost of a truckmount, they are also relatively easy to maintain and not tied to one vehicle. What would happen if you bought this trukmount and it was out of action for an extended period or if the van broke down or was accident damaged? You need to factor these possibilities into your business plan and make contingencies just in case. Also bear in mind that being a good carpet cleaner and having good kit, will not automatically make your business successful. The most difficult part about running any business is making the phone ring and converting those enquiries into sales, the actual carpet cleaning is the easy bit.

Spoken like someone who has never had a TM and knows nothing about them.
 Do agree about getting the phone to ring, very true.
If you can get the phone ringing, a TM will print the money....simples. And the guy that chose the porty will be puffing and panting somewhere in the distance wishing to god he had bought that TM when he had the chance.

Simon

Really surprised by comments and suggesting a TM for a startup machine. Personally I would hate to see van / machine sitting on the drive OMG. As Simon has stated it will enable you to complete jobs quicker but that is not an issue for a new starter. Quote 'If you get the phone ringing' and this is a masssive IF !
How much do you intend to spend on advertising / marketing   as this is the key issue. You can have the most powerfull TM in the UK but with no phone calls its useless!

Rat Race it appears... maybe I am wrong but you have no experience, does it not make sense to start with a portable learn the trade and build up to a TM - Hell you might not even like carpet cleaning    

Ps I havent got a portable for sale  

[peter maybury]

The hardest thing to do on this forum is know who to take the advice from. When some body asks for advice on something you always get people wiht little or no experience telling you what to do. Here you have several experienced people who have worked from portables up to truckmounts giving sound advice from their experience over a long period of time. Then you have people who have obviously never even seen a truckmount in action giving advice.
Which advice would you take?

Peter
www.carpetcleanercardiff.com