[RATTY RUSS]

I found this website last night and my eyes are still stinging after reading old treads well past 3am this morning!!!!! Great Site

 ???My problem is this>>>>>>>>>>>

I'm a all round small cleaning business with most of my work coming for a good window cleaning round which i brought off half the company i used to work for last Aug. With the business came a  Champ hydro mist HWE machine (brooke down after 2 weeks pump + brush motor) so repaired that but now the extraction moter gone. Machine is old (about 9yrs) and a pain in the ar@~ to get up the stairs by myself. So looking to get a new one But which one?     I have been looking at the Fivestar but i am worried that it is not going to be as good as the big old thing!!!

Can any one HELP!!!

Most of my jobs are small (care homes, domestic) but i do get the bigger (large pubs & office) jobs here and there.

[John Kelly]

I hear this all the time, I only do small jobs etc. Thing is a bigger more powerful machine will not only do a much better job but will also do it with less hassle and in a much shrter time. Obviously slightly more to fork out at the start but its worth it in the long run.

[Andy Hogarth]

I agree with John, I do a few very small jobs with an old numatic and when I first joined this board planned to buy a machine one step up, like a puzzi.
However the more I read I realise It's not as simple as getting a crappy machine, Posting some leaflets and making shed loads.

I still don't plan to go in and run with the big boys, My budget and experience won't allow that but in my opinion, for what it's worth, The machine of choice for a newbie like me is the grace 5020, Everyone who's used it gives it great reviews and for the price it is the best I've found yet.

Basically the more you spend the better machine you will get, hence better results.

Heres a link for the grace
http://www.btowstore.com/epages/Store.sf/?ObjectPath=/Shops/15094/Products/CRAFT02A

It divides into 2, has 2x3 stage vac,130 psi, 3 jet wand and a Free heater too Apparently an all round great starter machine

Hope this helps

Andy

[RATTY RUSS]

Thank you both for taking the time to reply to a newbie!!!!!!

The thing is i would really like a machine that has a built in brush so it can earn its money and not just my sweat.... also i slipped a disc about 8 weeks agoe so gotta be carefull at mo but back out there full time.

[carpetclean]

hi Russ you have to be careful on the forum as people do tend to push their own products most people can see through the threads but newbies can be  blind to it. most machines out there do the same job. you have to stay within what you can afford at the time pointless stretching yourself to the point of snapping. i started with a prochem powermax which did the job was easy to get upstairs it can even be carried. I know of one successful cc who after many years in the business still swears by it.but there are other manufacturers who do just as good a machine for similar prices so i am not advocating prochem. also shop around different suppliers get a deal they are out there i managed to get a supplier local to me who gives me 25% discount, on all i buy. lot of money saved. others have tried to get the same deal at the same place and have only been offered 15% so i was very fortunate to secure the deal. bargain  with them as there are  a lot of people chasing a small  market

[RATTY RUSS]

Thankyou Peter for your advice as it is all taken on board,

I have a good suplier with a 20% discount on every thing i buy from fairy too machines and he is always on the end of the phone if i need him (Good jod as my hydro mist went on me half way though a jod and brought a spare to me there and then)Top bloke. 

I have read treads where some have started with a fivestar and added a bigger machine when the time comes and keeped the fivestar as a backup/spotter, so i might take that route as well.

[stevegunn]

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