Does any company make a bad pre spray any more?

[Dolly Llama]

Has anyone compared The Flex with Cobbs Powermax?

not side by side cause I've only used one jug of PM (that Cobby sent me) to compare against S&G (that Les sent me) when Les and Larry were competing for the board Juice De Jour standings .
I found both to be very good BTW, with no clear winner.

I've used Powermax and like it a lot. Unless it's a huge leap in effectiveness I don't see myself switching considering Flex is pound for pound TWICE the $$$ as Powermax.

you'll have to compare for yourself whether "huge" leap or not.
but as mentioned, price pr pound means nothing ...it's price pr RTU gal at effective dilution rates is how you count beans


..L.T.A.

 

[GCCLee]

Never used PM as O2 purdy much nails it everytime! It's a system.
Heck, the extraction rinse alone works better than what the guys around here been using

It's Kinda like the one gun powder that works in all your guns : )

I can use it on a Sofa, Granny Bells Living Room or a Crack House.

Put it in a measuring cup an try to rinse it out.
Bet ya pour from the jug next time : )

Welcome to the Detergent Stompin Grounds Folks!

 

[Russ T.]

Flex is awesome and I think will prove to be consistent. I've been using BP products since I started suckin' rug in '99 and have only strayed a couple times. When I've strayed, I've been sorry. I'm a small business owner who roots for the smaller, independent guy though. I don't know Cobb and have never used his product but it sounds like he has a great product...at times. Some guys really LOVE this Powermax (which again, I've never tried). If I were him, I'd try to get it back where it was and keep it there. Price is a consideration, but I think the best cleaners will flock to the best products.


The Clean Machine

 

[Larry Cobb]

Jim;

I called and talked to your wife yesterday about the product you were unhappy with,

but you never returned the call.

I hope you and "the Flax" are quite happy together.

Let the board know how many times you cut your hand on those sharp metal lids (that I hate).

I think you and those "metal containers" were meant for each other.

Don't compare any of our products to the "flash cuffs" either.

Any board members who would like to compare our PowerMax to new imitators on the block,

let me know, and I will send you a sample.

Larry

P.S. The PowerMax with the new Fruit Slice fragrance,
has been well accepted by cleaners and more importantly, their customers.

 

[GCCLee]

Will the sample count towards yur fancy light : )

I don't think it's ability as whole was questioned Tex. However, it's long term constancy was or is.

What I do think is that the Working Cleaners are trying to help you.

Take it from a pee on in your world.
Quit skimpin : )

 

[Jim Martin]

Jim;

I called and talked to your wife yesterday about the product you were unhappy with,

but you never returned the call.

I hope you and "the Flax" are quite happy together.

Let the board know how many times you cut your hand on those sharp metal lids (that I hate).

I think you and those "metal containers" were meant for each other.

Don't compare any of our products to the "flash cuffs" either.

Any board members who would like to compare our PowerMax to new imitators on the block,

let me know, and I will send you a sample.

Larry

P.S. The PowerMax with the new Fruit Slice fragrance has been well accepted by cleaners and their customers.

Yea you called but I got in to late...even if I returned the call...what do you want me to say...there has been more complaints about the "improved" then positive from what I am being told...but just like history shows...you only listen to what you want to here.....

No worries on the bucket....less chance of getting cut on that then trying to pull that plastic ring off to open yours.......

there was no real comparison with the flash cuffs....because they listened and got there act together....in time they will rule the cuff industry....
and you will just keep screwing up something that use to be the best out there....

so just keep fishing with your free little samples and do what you think you need to.....nothing is going to change....because like I said...you are your own worst enemy.......

 

[Larry Cobb]

Jim;

You better run

. . . .

a little faster . . .

Larry

 

[Jim Martin]

Nothing to run from Larry.......it is what it is...

It was a bumpy 7 years using powermax...but its time to move on....I/we want something that we can rely on.......

 

[GCCLee]

Mmm,

The fishy wants better bait : )

 

[tngvegas]

Nothing to run from Larry.......it is what it is...

It was a bumpy 7 years using powermax...but its time to move on....I/we want something that we can rely on.......

I don't agree with everything Jim thinks about stuff, hoses size, wands, etc. But this above is a VERY powerful statement. When I do start a hwe system and if flex is still doing well by Jim then that is what I will use. the powermax was first on the list but now has been bumped to at least number two. I bet i am not the only one to understand where Jim is coming from and having the right cleaning agents to do the job is to me very important. why make this business any harder than it has to be.

Larry, it is childish of you to make fun of somebody who called it flax instead of flex. I always read the posts that Jim puts up and i have never talked to him or his wife on the phone but i can tell that he was only trying to help you make a better product. i gues you don't have a clue about that. too bad. you don't get what having Jim on your side is all about and that is your loss. Wake up larry, it's called the internet and lots of cleaners us it.

 

[Jim Martin]

It is not and has never has been my intention to persuade anyone to use my hose set up...wand..or go with what pre-spray works best for me....I might forget at times but I always try to put in somewhere that it is what works for me....

I have a 7 year history with Larry and Powermax....and as I said above it has been a bumpy road....because it was such a great pre-spray I just made adjustments and kept going with it...
My orders would not arrive on time...they would get lost or just not get processed...so I made a adjustment and started ordering when I was down to a half of a pail...that gave me a time to get a hold of someone if I did not get my order in....problem solved....

Powermax would come all sandy and gritty...I learned to adjust the mix to make it work...again...it was a good product...so I just made it work...

things like this happened time and time again for the last 7 years...and finally it was enough....
the new improved stuff came out and I told them I did not want it...but it was sent anyway...
so just like always...I figured I would try to make it work...and I just could not...
It was not the point that I couldn't...its the point I have a business to run...I am swamped and don't have the time to screw around with this any more...I/we need something that we can open up and know that we can spray it down and it is going to work...It took me a very long time to be able to walk into a home and look at it and know what I had mix to clean that house...after 7 years I knew what spots would come out and what would not...

I think the thing that really set me off was it was right on the heels of me telling him that the pail that he sent me before the new improved smelly stuff.....was as close to perfect that in 7 years I have ever seen it...that pail was the absolute best....and then I got a pail of pure garbage.......

Like I said...I have a business to run and I just do not want to deal with this crap shoot anymore...so it is just time for me to find something else........
If powermax is still working for you then keep with it...don't let what I do or say change what you do...

but I am sure most understand that after 7 years of this up and down stuff... its time to make a change...

I used Flex today....Great pre-spray...cuts right threw everything...I have already used it before in the past when it first came out so I already knew what to expect...
so I think I will just stay with this...learn it a bit more and know that it will stay consistent from pail to pail.....

the bad thing is...the pail of powermax that was as close to perfect that it has ever been...would of given me the same results....

 

[Lee Stockwell]

More than one good vendor here has mistaken a VALUABLE head's up about a product for a "personal attack."(so far from the truth)

A tool that's unusable as shipped, a new machine with an obvious assembly flaw, or a great chemical that seems to go south---If I were the vendor I'd be grateful for the chance to step it up a notch quickly.

 

[Russ T.]

A great pre spray saves time and $$$$$$. When you can spray a product down as a first step with very little agitation, and it really works and keeps you from dropping your wand/power head every 2 minutes to use some other (expensive) spotter....thats what a great pre spray should do. IMO, it is the most important product decision we make. Put it in the hands of an even less experienced tech and that pre spray becomes even MORE valuable. We better be careful lovin' on the Flex or BP will raise the price!


The Clean Machine

 

[Desk Jockey]

I don't know Jim, I hear plastic pails are much safer. You could take your eye out with metal.

 

[Dolly Llama]

I don't know Jim, I hear plastic pails are much safer. You could take your eye out with metal.

what is the deal with the steel pot?
I can't recall ever seeing any CCing chems in a steel bucket

what's up with that, Scott?


..L.T.A.

 

[Lee Stockwell]

My brother's upholstery shop uses lots of glue and products containing solvents. They are always in epoxy lined metal buckets. Seem to hold up better in storage.

Products can off-gas or leach out key ingredients otherwise.

 

[Jim Pemberton]

The solvent collapsed all of the plastic pails they tried.

 

[tngvegas]

good point Lee. also plastic container might let more air in than a metal one. less air means the product will have a longer shelf life.

Or maybe BP just bought a bunch of stock in band-aid. according to Cobb everybody who uses flex will be cutting them selves left and right. Warning: use leather gloves whenever touching the flex container...or you will need that trauma class being taught at M. fest really bad.

 

[Jim Martin]

I have used these pails many times in the past for different things....they are easy to deal with and seal back up......just like every pail out there..once you get them open that is the hard part....you can bend the tabs up with your fingers and not worry about being cut...or just take a screw driver and go all the way around...once it is open and you put the lid back on just push a few of them down and you get a good air tight seal....

some of you old guys should remember that 5 gallon paint cans use to come like this...they were always the best because the paint never dried out as easy as the plastic ones that they use now days.......

 

[Dolly Llama]

some of you old guys should remember that 5 gallon paint cans use to come like this.

most solvent based still do


..L.T.A.

 

[Goldenboy]

Sticking with Cobbs Powermax. Ive tried Flex with Citrus. Didnt see much difference. Cobbs is cheaper no reason to switch.

Golden Boy

 

[floorguy]

Sticking with Cobbs Powermax. Ive tried Flex with Citrus. Didnt see much difference. Cobbs is cheaper no reason to switch.

Golden Boy

yup...and i may even deal with the new smell.....

but so help me if it fooks up with cleaning ability......

 

[GeeeAus]

Never tried the Cobb PowerMax product. Confusingly I use a spray by the same name from a different company.

I'd like to try Cobbs product,but I have no idea how I'd get hold of it in Australia.

Grant

 

[juniorc82]

Sticking with Cobbs Powermax. Ive tried Flex with Citrus. Didnt see much difference. Cobbs is cheaper no reason to switch.

Golden Boy

Sorry waldo but didn't you post a thread a while back pissing and moaning that the powermax clumped up and looked like cotton balls in your inline sprayer and couldn't get it to dilute right? That was my main issue with power max is that I had trouble getting it to mix right or I would get it mixed and by the time I got to the next job it would be all separated with a yellow foamy top of chemical floating on top. I used a jar of flex with citrus and noticed immediately it mixed all the way through no clumping. My other complaint with powermax is that the dilution ratios where very un clear . It said some nonsense about if its a portable mix this much or a entry level truck mount or a large truck mount....then when I would ask larry on here I would get his tap dance routine... hell I still don't know to this day the proper dilution of powermax. That kind of shit. Jim has a point People like mcdonalds breakfast because they know an egg mcmuffin will be the same in a month and even next year

 

[Goldenboy]

Jon I did. Started using hot water from tm fixed problems. Plus I got a new screen for the sprayer. Just got use to these Hydro Force sprayers. Man they are the bomb. Im getting farther down into the fiber carpets looking cleaner. At this point in my career Im getting pretty close to be able to go into a living room and make it almost cleaner then Mikey P. He can here the footsteps. Im gaining on him weekly.

Golden Boy

 

[Larry Cobb]

My other complaint with powermax is that the dilution ratios where very un clear . It said some nonsense about if its a portable mix this much or a entry level truck mount or a large truck mount....then when I would ask larry on here I would get his tap dance routine... hell I still don't know to this day the proper dilution of powermax.

No tap dance.

TM - 1.5 cups per inline sprayer container.

Portables do need more.

Larry

 

[Mikey P]

an Inline Sprayer with what metering tip Larry?

 

[Larry Cobb]

an Inline Sprayer with what metering tip Larry?

Yellow Metering Tip = 8 to 1 dilution

Larry

 

[Mikey P]

5 or 7 quart?

 

[Larry Cobb]

5 or 7 quart?

5 Quart full

Larry