Of course you can use a rotovac with a portable, make sure you get good water lift on the portable. And it is not time consuming to refill , really  5 min. I've never used a truck mount, but I'm doing commercial jobs(big ones) and the custommers are incredibly happy with my results (maybe a TM will cut the time earning you more per hour), it's all how you use the equipment that you have avd your technique and chemicals!

Maxima: You would not need a generator for power if the electric was off as there is power next door that you could purchase or plug into. Just carry a 50 ft heavy duty extention cord.

The olympus is not a good choice. It blows fuses and breakers. Either of the other 2 would work well. Both would work well with a rotovac machine. You do not need steaming hot water with a portable. Far more important are good agitation and good extraction, plus good chemicals for good emulsifing of the soil in the carpet. Small commercial cleaning jobs are very possible as well as long as water supply is not a problem.

Ken

If money isn't an issue. Get a TM, don't mess around spending over 3-4k or more on porty stuff. Save, save, save.

Have you checked out the Mytee or Timbucktoo line of portables. Spend the least on porty and save for the TM.

R-3 Quadpak sounds like your best purchase.

Good Luck man.

Check it out.

http://www.steam-brite.com/carpet_cleaning_machines/portable_extractors.htm - http://www.steam-brite.com/carpet_cleaning_machines/portable _extractors.htm  

I have been waiting many years for Kens worlds most powerful portable

Mr Singh

Shiva will strike you down

and your next life you will be a chem dry franchise owner

Mr Singh

maxima wrote: Yeah, I read that somewhere in the forum. Now I'm thinking about the what IF'S.................................................... What if a customer says you stole a $3,000 ROLEX? What if a customer get electricuted? What if a grandfatherclock falls over because of my hoses? What if a Vase gets bumped and breaks?

What if you just forget about carpet cleaning and start a different business?

When choosing a good portble follow these important rules.

1. Sucking

2. Pumping

3.humping

4.Is it Gully?

Sucking it must suck hard and deep to extract the water.

pumping it must pump long and hard for hours deep into the carpet.

humping if its to heavey you cant hump it up and down stairs

Gully do I even have to explain about the Gulliness?

You really want HEAT. Part of the cleaning pie.

Did you look for a spitfire 3.2.?? I almost bought one of them.

New I believe they were 12,995.00, too much for a small TM.

You got it!

this is a picture of me im 5'7 205 lbs

maxima wrote: Thats no Problem what so ever! My thinking about the business now is the R.O.I. , How soon can a new cleaner expect to gain return on the equipment alone. Lets think about it how may carpets would You have to clean to pay off machinery ranging from $5-9K Thats a lots of dirty carpets And then at that break even point is the equipment still in good enough condition to keep on going??? Someone please reason with me or help me talk this out, I need to see some realistic numbers here because just beginning this can be discouraging.

You need to go and get more training in buisness management. If you are so worried about breaking things and if you will make any money you are starting off with the wrong frame of mind. 

 Go do something else like in a factory where you won't hurt yourself or someone else. 

IF you can't take risks in life go work a a dounut shop and serve coffee

Max....how serious are you...??

if your starting from nothing you have hell of a hill to climb....

ok say once you get the machine.... do you have a customer list with ready to go custy's??????

if no the hill just got a little steeper...

So you advertise...how is the next question????

flyers on cars or in the mail box...photcopied by you and delivered by you??

Yellow pages....$300 to 5000 per month depending on size of ad..

Newspaper....oneday run or a feature series

Direct Mail

ALL OF THESE COST MONEY...

ok you get the calls...do you have someone to answer the phone?? or do you let it go to voice mail??

Voice mail...all you hear is click..I know when I don't have anyone on phones this happens to me....

say if you get the calls....

Do you have a program to keep you organized so you don't double book..

how many calls can you do a day???

say if everyone wants Monday??

man there are so many little hiddens that you don't know until you come across them.

Can I give you a dollar amount...HELL NO  but I can tell you this..if it's just a part-time thing most likely you'll fail...it truly is a full time job..

Good luck

private message Mr.Singh and have a look at his Nordic 1 electric TM also

seems to me for the price of a good porty and accessories you can have an electric TM which IMO looks more professional than a porty

or...........if you can find someone silly enough to part with their Prochem Legend XL I've been VERY happy with mine

small workhorse IMO

maxima,

Sounds like you will not be doing the cleaning yourself and will be relying on employees.

BE PREPARED

Suggest you keep it simple.

Sounds like you are attempting to get as close to a truckmount as possible at portable pricing. When firing up these overpowered monsters you will experience fuse blowing problems, awkward and heavy equipment for one operator. More to think about and more to go wrong.

If you already have a handle on 125 restaurants you already have the nucleus of a good business. The extra money you will be spending on labour and chemicals will more than offset the extra for a truckmount.

Go for the Mona Lisa, you will not be disappointed.

And don’t buy propane! Stay away from dangerous open flames. I am sure your insurance agent will agree.

Restaurants and truckmounts are like bacon & eggs they go together.

P.S.
If you are a restaurant manager and must stay after your already long shift for security reasons what would you choose:

A 2 hour truckmount job or a four hour porty job? The choice is very clear for most managers and if they are already being cleaned by a truckmount it will be hard to knock them out.

Since i bought my TM I am saving many hours per month on my restaurant/resi. acct's..

And lovin'it.......................

Ted has a great cimex...which will beat any tm on commercial carpet hands down.

maxima,

I have given your new endeavor some alternative thought. That’s of course if you don’t take the excellent above advice.

Buy my Drain Vac. Perfect for restaurants and very efficient. Can be a one man operation and equipment can fit in a hatch-back or the trunk of a car for that matter.

You will have 100ft. vacuum capacity, truckmount pressure and hot water in restaurants is as hot as truckmounts. It can stay outside like a truckmount or be taken inside.

http://www.kleenkuip.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=2392&PN=1 - Drain Vac $2,495.00
http://www.kleenkuip.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=2422&PN=1 - Optional Cat Pump 2000 PSI $850.00
http://www.drainvac.com/ - drainvac.com
Wand & hoses approx. $700.00

Canadian Funds
U.S. approx. 18% less.

You do not require any labour costs to fill and drain this unit and the cat pump can also pressure wash and allow you to clean hard surface floors like kitchens in restaurants. It’s sounding better all the time.

I would not be concerned with the Drain Vac sitting on the toilet because customers will not be in the restaurant when you are cleaning. And the dirty water gets dumped into a toilet anyway regardless of the portable you choose. With the portable you have to pay someone to do it, with the Drain Vac you do not.

I have seen worse things going on in a restaurant kitchen than any carpet cleaning machine in a washroom.

maxima,

Judging by your questions & comments you sound like a very cautious suspicious and fastidious person and there’s nothing wrong with that. But, be aware that the employees you hire are generally only hanging around long enough until a better job comes along. Most will care more about themselves than you and your customers and your equipment.

Be prepared for aggravating calls from those restaurants in the middle of the night. The nature of most employees is that they do not want the stigma of their friends thinking they are cleaners. And PHD’s wont’ apply.

This is not a fast dollar business and has its share of problems. (You are already in the “what if” stage).

The way I see it is that you are best to go the Drain Vac route for cost cutting, efficiency and simplicity. Utilizing your existing van that you have concerns with. It can be used inside or outside.

If you still are thinking portable truckmount. Looks like you can’t do better than the http://www.carpet-cleaning-equipment.net/prowler_truckmount.shtml - Prowler . Or maybe dougs advice is best. What if you look for an easier more profitable business?

maxima,

One more option…

We have a 10HP 3 phase electric motor mounted on a frame with a #5 Roots Blower and a 2500 PSI Giant Pump. This unit is considered and http://www.kleenkuip.com/used_equipment/used_in-plant_truckmount.htm - In-Plant carpet cleaner for plant cleaning. No reason you could not take it in and out of your van. All you would need is a generator to run it electrically.

With this large blower you could clean faster and dry those carpets quickly and even operate two wands at the same time.

maxima,

There are no longer Duties & Taxes going over the border since NAFTA.

What if your state has serious dirty water dumping laws as many do. Have you considered where the Prowler will be automatically dumping to?

The fines for dumping are heavy. Check it out first.

I personall thing TM on commercial carpet is just one big waste of time....so if thats the machine your going to clean dirty rests with... get ready for call backs, wick backs, going back, and broken back...lol

sounds like the theme for broke back mountain...lol

well if you'd quit using that dang Tide Steamer it's work awesome!!!

actually when it's nasty commercial grade carpet is when a post OP or bonnet does wonders

it has nothing to do with tide.....but you wouldn't know that now would you steaminpile....

but why should I explain...

don't knock anything unless you've tried it

Steamer,

I like what you said but you missed the most important part that hurts the worst.

MONEY BACK to a dissatisfied customer.

Is it not interesting that all this info we are all offering cost us all a lot of money by trial and error not to mention the years of aggravation AND we are offering it all for free.

The internet is a wonderful tool for learning and information. I wonder if anyone is listening.

Of course you entertain his love for a prowler...it's what you want to hear.

So many beginners fail because they try to be big on a small budget....

As a professional ..I know I can use a prowler(housewife's tool)...with Carmel for soap

But as a beginner, you're just going to screw up...

A beginner should have professional equipment...and quality cleaning products until they know what they are doing....

it's better you get into a used TM for 10 grand....

you'll love it so much...you'll end up buying a new one...

Go for the Prowler. I love mine! Buy it get open . Its going to be much more power than you will need. Plus the fact when you do most commercial jobs you have to use a portable anyway!

live it love learn it clean it

Gully

maxima,

If you look and re-read suggestions that pros have made to you over the last week or so and don't take them you may find yourself productive with more aggravation than you really need.

Since you are not doing this necessarily for money I would now suggest that you scratch the idea and look for a more pleasant way to spend your spare time. The rest of us need to do this to survive.

You still have an out. Take it. This is not an easy business. However you accumulated your money keep doing it. And tell us all how. We may switch.

Maxima

Let us know if you have decided to jump into the pool.......there are times that you can ask so many questions that you your self talk yourself out of the adventure.

Anybody have a pic of the Nordic 1 I keep hearing about??

Hey, Maxima ROI's vary in this industry.

I believe the record for a one man truck is $357,000.00 yr.

SS's around my area pull in close to $2,000,000.00 yr.

nordic 1 is not a portable

Mr Singh

Maxima kept us all in suspense. He sucked our brains dry and left us all hanging.

Does anybody think he actuallly purchased equipment of do you think it was just nightrider pullling our chains one more time.

Carpetologist;

Your comments are very well taken. I have also thought that if the inquirer asks for help and many extend their hands (thoughts and comments) in good faith, then it would be the honorable response of that individual whom considers himself/herself a good business person, to conclude by Thanking everyone rather than leaving everyone hanging by their short hairs.

This could have been a typical hit & run situation so typical in our Industry------unfortunately.

Good Fortune to all;

Ed Valentine

I guess the generic statement: "ALL portables are the same" is the eact same as this one: "ALL TM's are the same" to.

ALL automobiles have the same tires, steering wheel, seats, etc....

HARDLY TRUE. And, after our achievement demands (CE Approval) in design and engineering on several models , that is not only a generic statement, but also an uninformed information.

Good Fortune;

Ed Valentine

http://www.cross-american.com - www.cross-american.com

Saleman always backup their products as the most this and that.. Even if its not true.. And a rare one say their unit is the most powerful and its True and you know who I'm talking about..