Portable for a backup?

Joined
Aug 26, 2017
Messages
29
Location
Grants Pass, Oregon
Name
Wayne Thompson
New to all of this, it seems like you guys are all offering great advice. I have been cleaning carpet for 24 years. I used a portable once in a senior assist home because I didn't want to run hoses down the hall from my truck mount that someone might trip on. After that one time experience I would never use a portable again. I had a break down on my truck mount that took two days to fix, I called my customers and said I can do it this weekend but I will not use a portable on it, just wait for my truck mount. I did not lose one job.
 

BIG WOOD

MLPW
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Feb 4, 2016
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13,158
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Georgia
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Matt w.
New to all of this, it seems like you guys are all offering great advice. I have been cleaning carpet for 24 years. I used a portable once in a senior assist home because I didn't want to run hoses down the hall from my truck mount that someone might trip on. After that one time experience I would never use a portable again. I had a break down on my truck mount that took two days to fix, I called my customers and said I can do it this weekend but I will not use a portable on it, just wait for my truck mount. I did not lose one job.
Thanks for you input.

By the way, I like your electric hose reel idea. How long have you been selling that conversion kit?
 

jcooper

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Oct 7, 2006
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IL
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Jerry Cooper
Get a used one, call around to distys who rent them out. Cost you half as much as new.

I use mine once a year to clean fancy upholstery for a spa in a mall. Other than that, total waste. Only worth buying a new one if you need it everyday.
 
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DAT

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Apr 3, 2017
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Nevada
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Bill Cheryl
Im using a portable, and i am doing great...for time being. I guess i am just enjoying the new work and revenues to be concerned with what tools im using as long it gets the job done right.
 
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BIG WOOD

MLPW
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Feb 4, 2016
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Georgia
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Matt w.
I started designing the hose reel kit about 6 months ago, it has been going thru changes and real life uses up to the point that I have no more refinements to make. I have 10 of these kits boxed and ready. Carpet cleaners are a hard breed to market to, we are all doing the best that we can but have different standards. I just started marketing these on e-bay as of a couple of days ago. I am not picking on people using portables but in my experience over the last 24 years of carpet cleaning. I stay busy with no advertising, I only advertised for the first 2 years. Using a truck mount over a portable gave me the edge to do a better job. Using a portable for a backup in my business would not work. Calling my customers and telling them I will not compromise, it is the truck mount or nothing, has given me the reputation that I have. All carpet stores in my area recommend me. I only had the portable available because I used to do upholstery cleaning and it made no sense to me to run a huge truck mount when a portable could do just as well on upholstery. I no longer do anything besides carpet and I stay totally busy. It doesn't make sense to do a sofa for 75 an hour when I can do 200 to 250 an hour doing carpet, at least that is how it works in our area. The carpet that I cleaned with the portable was a 12 by 15 room, full of human pee and soap from the janitor trying to get it out himself. The portable filled the lines with foam right away and my little portable could barely pick up any water at all, even with defoamer. I had to finish the job so I put my little 3 inch upholstery tool on and got on my hands and knees to finish the job, never again. There is just not enough power and air movement with a portable to make it work on carpet , in my opinion. My truck mount has a 25 hp motor on it , my portable has maybe 1/2 hp motor on it or less. How can you compare? Sorry for getting carried away.
No need to apologize. I've never used a portable, so that's a very good way to look at it.

I need to start looking at a used entry level truckmount to put in my trailer as a backup:dejection:
 
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