How much vacuum power do TMs really need?

These days manufacturers are selling units with cfm outputs from 100 cfm or less(Banes, etc) all the way up to 850 cfms(Chemspec 860 , Vortexs etc). What do you you feel is enough power to do the job right, and if you think lots of power is better, how much are you prepared to pay to get such a unit? With our dollar strengthening again, more and more units are getting to be affordable again.

 

 

 

Superglide Ken

Edited by Superglide Ken

There is only so much air than can travel threw one 21/2 inch hose.  After that the vac relief kicks in and than what?

The hose is not where the main restriction lies. On 100 ft of hose, 2" vac hose can handle 500 cfm and even 1.5" hose can handle 280 cfm on 25 ft.

 

The wand without a glide can handle only 100 cfm or so. Thus the need to use glides. Pretty dumb to have a 800 cfm super sucker and only be able to use 100 cfm of that.Even 200 cfm if you are dual wanding is wasteful. 400 cfm from 2 wands with glides is much better.

 

 

 

Superglide Ken.

Edited by Superglide Ken

Ken:  Lets talk being 150 feet or more from the unit.  On two wands you can tel there is less restriction on the unit glides or not.

You tend to move to fast with the glide... you won't clean the same... it'll be hard to go slow when the wand is zipping across the carpet.  I feel it will make the carpet more wet... and you might not enough dirt out because your moving to fast...

I like to feel the carpet... 

Steamer: I have news for you. In the begining when you first use a glide wand, you do clean faster. About 30 % or so. But your suction at the carpet is much greater due to almost doubling the cfms at the carpet. So you do not leave the carpet wetter and in most cases , the cleaning quality is improved. This is especially true with the new SSU glides we have out now. If you have a wand that will fit that glide, I am offering you a 30 day test drive of one, just to show you how wrong you are on that. You may have tested a first generation glide that was too slippery(Teflon) without alot of carpet feel, but they are not that way anymore. Just like new cars, the first year out there are a few problems to work out. My first year is up.

Mr. Steamskie:  I thought you had a magic wand?? This will cut your cleaning to 8.5 minutes a job.  You will be done by 10 o'clock each day. Than what?