Does ANYONE Build a Semi Durable Porty?

[Willy P]

I should have known better, but thed cheapskate in me jumped at it. A second Ninja Worrier, In less than a year - vacuums replaced 2 weeks ago and on Saturday the pumptec took a shit on me. The warranty is worthless. What a piece of shit. I don't abuse my equipment, I take as good a care of it as possible, but these things are the worst machines I've owned in 30 plus years. A lot of the same problems as the first. I like the design as it makes everything a one trip, but I find the components to be the lowest common denominator. Rubbish.

Who makes a porty that doesn't need all the components replaced every 8 to 12 months?

 

[Lee Stockwell]

You've stumbled into the wrong place for sympathy Willy.


...but we do want to watch this thread!

 

[Ed Valentine]

Willy;

I see that you are holding a club in your right hand!!!! Do you beat on your equipment?!-lol.

You don't need the typical Squirt & Suck generic portable or the common problems I hear with switches burning up, cheap vacuum motors blowing out, and etc....

What you do need is a --INDUSTRIAL system--- for sure and I believe I do know the answer.

Best always;
"Name held by Request"

 

[Willy P]

Kudos to you Ed. Out of the last 4 I've bought, the Recoil was- BY FAR - the most reliable. And you care about your customers with excellent after purchase care. The faceless corporation (Prochem) has proven time and time again to really not give a shit once the payment clears. Sad really.

But if this thread saves one person from buying these shit heaps, my job is done.

 

[Mikey P]

It's like watching a VLM goober crying that his cotton pads need replacing every so often.

Get a truck mount or accept the fact that portables are not meant to be used 24/7.

 

[Willy P]

It's like watching a VLM goober crying that his cotton pads need replacing every so often.

Get a truck mount or accept the fact that portables art meant to be used 24/7.

Bullshit Mikey. Flat out utter bullshit. It isn't used 24-7. I expect to replace vac motors every 12 to 18 months, not 8 to 10 months. Pumptec builds a shitty pump - they don't even last a year.I had one take a shit on me in a month and was told by pumptec that it was a case of tough titty. While I don't agree with it, I understand you protecting your advertiser, but it's important to me to prevent people from taking on shitty rubbish. I believe in HONESTY AND INTEGRITY above all and if that's not welcome, than it's a sad freaking day.

 

[Mikey P]

What brand/types of vacuum were on that unit? Have the same units lasted longer when used in non Prochem portables?


If you knew the Pumptec pump was not going to last, than why buy it?

Did you plan on replacing it and now just want to bitch about it because you hate Prochem?

 

[ruff]

There's definitely room in the market place for a better portable. No doubt about it.
It means better components. Better thought out placement of components so that they last longer. Protection of inside components from leaks. Better ergonomics and ease of maneuvering machine, the ability to load on top (is it really that hard to create a flat top to allow us to load on it?!!) etc. Better fittings to connect components so that they don't degrade and or crack as fast.

Any such well made, industrial type portable will be worth the extra $.

Who makes it?

 

[Willy P]

What brand/types of vacuum were on that unit? Have the same units lasted longer when used in non Prochem portables?


If you knew the Pumptec pump was not going to last, than why buy it?

Did you plan on replacing it and now just want to bitch about it because you hate Prochem?

Yeah, turn it on me because it's me that uses shitty parts to build things.Again - BULLSHIT - for some weird and wonderful reason the blue pumptec outlasts the gold one. The other option is the Cat pump that dumps 200 - 250 PSI when keyed. A Hypro or General won't fit in the compartment.

The replacement vacs are Ametecs,not sure of the origin of the originals.I had higher expectations with the pump system as they switched from the crappy (and problem plagued) little white ones to what seemed like a decent dual capacitor motor. Didn't help.

Prochem is utterly lacking any sense of customer service, but that's not the point, It's using shitty products and claiming a gold standard that personally disgust me. If you hear rumblings from your customer base , isn't it a smart thing to correct it? Apparently not.

 

[ruff]

Willy, if you liked the recoil, why not buy it again?
Any other feedback about the Cross-American portables?

 

[Desk Jockey]

I'd just buy a new one every year and sell off your old one on Craigslist.

You'll always have one that looks and runs like new. Write off the difference of the new and what you can sell the old one for as the cost of doing business.

 

[Willy P]

I'm working on building my own with a General pump and2 of those 8.4 vac motors but it isn't easy or cheap. I wish one of the manufacturer's would step up and use those types of higher quality components. Ed's was the most trouble free and easy to work on. The Worrier has a great body but not much thought or money put under the hood. Like the cute girl you were attracted to but realized there was nothing but eye candy. Is it wrong to expect one freaking year of little or no component failure? I guess so. .

 

[Derek]

have you taken a look at the new Edic porty that ppl were going on about a few months ago here on MB?

 

[encapman]

If you're looking for bang for the buck have a look at...

http://truckport-portable-extractor.com

Solidly built. Excellent performance! Reasonably priced.

 

[Bjorn]

"There's definitely room in the market place for a better portable. No doubt about it. ( NO THERE IS NOT )
It means better components. Better thought out placement of components so that they last longer. Protection of inside components from leaks. Better ergonomics and ease of maneuvering machine, the ability to load on top (is it really that hard to create a flat top to allow us to load on it?!!) etc. Better fittings to connect components so that they don't degrade and or crack as fast.

Any such well made, industrial type portable will be worth the extra $.

Who makes it?"

I made one for Tony Wheelright he cleaned millions sf of casino carpets he paid me to make him something pretty much bullet proof. So I made it for him.

You guys talk and want quality but are not willing to really pay for it.

Trying to please the POG'S it's an impossible job.

I remember when I brought this machine out all the critics " Oh look it's a scooter " " how much for that piece of shit " " holy shit that much!!!!! "

Then the problem with being a small manufacturer soon enough after you do all the R&D for everyone else with your concepts.

This machine even once made a trip to mikey fest a few years back. The rotomoldedplastic guys were all over it.

The components stay cool what a concept ( which is the killer of all portable machines )

I sold just one of these machines to a carpet cleaner Tony, the 5 others I made went to institutions for in-house cleaning. All these machines are still in use today.

I'm sorry there is no money making a Rolls Royce portable NONE.

you may not notice from the pictures but this machine is large with great balance large wheels when it sits on the floor it's not going to roll around. It has a 20 gallon waste tank. Easy to get up and down stairs. The dump valve fits over the standard toilet. It has a chemical shelf.

Lower loading handle. Everything is welded so no leaks or gaskets to break down between the waste tank and the components below.

I would say that willys problem with the pumptec 205 it that he just might run them to death with very little maintenance. I would ask when was the last time you lube the bearing rebuild the pump head with a 30 dollar kit before it crashes?











combine this system with this and it's quite the combo

 

[Mikey P]

Willy


How much money did you make with the machine? How much will it cost you to replace those components? I'm betting you knew exactly how long it would last.


It probably cost you less than the 20 tanks of gas the normal truckmount guy uses in two months.

 

[Desk Jockey]

Terry do you have pictures of the one you sold Tony. I spoke with him about it a couple of years ago and he was very impressed with what you built him.

 

[Art Kelley]

Willy


How much money did you make with the machine? How much will it cost you to replace those components? I'm betting you knew exactly how long it would last.


It probably cost you less than the 20 tanks of gas the normal truckmount guy uses in two months.

LOL. That really is a good way to look at portys. 20 tanks of gas is about how much I paid for each of the two portys I've been using these past few years that allow me to not run my TM for days at a time. I used to have to fill my Pro1200 TM Every. Single. Day., because I used way more than half the 33 gallon tank of gas to do my jobs. So I paid for those portys in less than a month with just gas savings.
Anyways, the used Rotovac CFX I bought on EBay really is a tank. I replaced the vac motors with two low amp 3 stage (12 amp instead of 13) from Larry Cobb, the diaphragm auto pumpout will last forever. The Mytee Air Hog Plus, on the other hand, has been problematic. Crap design on the wheels make it unstable, crap hinges, crap switches. The machine caught fire while in a fancy country club this winter, setting off the smoke alarm and blowing a circuit. Very embarrassing. Too much heat melted the fan housing on one of the vacs. I had to finish the job with my TM.
I'm loving this CFX though, but it is just a 40# vac machine. I normally just use custy faucet for a hot water pump and it works great with the HF and light wanding and the 360i. A modular pump system can be made or Mytee makes the WaterBox which is problematic but can easily be made good.

 

[Desk Jockey]

Ouch! I hate looking foolish (don't know how the porty guys do it ) but at least you had backup to finish.

 

[ruff]

Terry,
One doesn't even know the cost of your machines. Years ago, in your former incarnation on the board, your response was "it will cost ya". Well, that was helpful.

For those of us who do not work their portables every single day, it does not make sense to pay a huge amount of money, as it will take a long time for the machine to pay for itself. However we all love well built machines and are willing to pay somewhat more for a well built and thought out machine.

Your machine for example looks like it is well built, however it looks like (judging by picture only and not from actual experience with your machine), it will be very hard to put in and take out of a van by one person. I for example, need to carry a portable with me at all times, in a non extended van (parking issue) and at times be able to load and unload it by myself.
Is that a possibility with yours?
How much will one cost?

And the saving of gas comparison mike is silly. How many more times per year will Stanley S be able to clean your clients carpet and for a fraction of the price they pay you?
You do get what you pay for and we all prefer well built, long lasting machines.

 

[Mikey P]

its not silly, that's the jew in you speaking.


Stanley and most porty guys leave far more residue than me so in most cases I'm cheaper in the long run

 

[Desk Jockey]

I'd much rather pay the bucks and get something built for the long haul. More for commercial that we can roll near a mop sink and go at it. It doesn't need auto pump out as long as it has a liquid level switch to shut her down.

Good size wheels so it moves about easy at least 350 psi and good vacuum decent size recover and fresh but also the ability to go direct with water if the opportunity allows itself.

Can you also add a sticker on the side like this?

 

[Jack Zipper Zerkie]

I,m still using the portable that I purchased in 1981. A Hoover 15 gal R-2 -D-2 robot. I have changed the pump and 1-vac.I used it with a 175 rotary. I would scrub , then extract with the Hoover with water only. I still use it for flood work. The unit is round with a bubble dome and is very light weight and easy to move and load.The unit spits and sucks like my truckmount only slower. I always flush and clean it after every job and ALWAYS run the vacs for a few minutes to dry them out so the lasted over 28 years. jz.

 

[The Great Oz]

Semi-durable portable? Sure, they all are semi-dependable.

Every portable is a trade off between functionality, weight, durability, weight, cost and weight.

I liked the EDIC shown at Mikeyfest, but all the junk added to the handle side eliminates tip and slide to load and unload from a truck. That's a deal breaker for me, since any portable that requires a dead lift means broken backs or broken wheels.

We had a Steam Genie portable that had a tiny positive displacement vac blower and tanks with lids you could take off and use to carry all your stuff to job site. Once the advanced electronics were torn out and replaced with straight-ahead switches it was very reliable. Even though it was designed to tip and slide for easy loading in the van, it weighed 110 pounds, so few of our techs would use it.

Today we buy a portable based on weight and ruggedness of the box. Internal components are easy to upgrade. Mike's right about the cost of components compared to profitability, as long as those components fail with some warning and are quick and easy to swap out.


PS: Probably easier to modify a cart or hand truck to carry peripherals than strap everything to your machine. I like efficiency, but would make an extra trip if my portable looked like it belonged to a shopping cart bum.

 

[Desk Jockey]

We had a Steam Genie portable that had a tiny positive displacement vac blower and tanks with lids you could take off and use to carry all your stuff to job site. Once the advanced electronics were torn out and replaced with straight-ahead switches it was very reliable. Even though it was designed to tip and slide for easy loading in the van, it weighed 110 pounds, so few of our techs would use it.

We had a couple of Maxi-Port's and yes the electronics and lights were cool. Push the button on the drag wand the a blue light lit showing you had pressure.

But like you re stripped them of all but essential wiring. I liked that unit, a little heavy but she was built rugged. Large clear covers for both fresh and recovery made it easy to fill, easy to wash clean after use. Great vacuum and pressure it was a very dependable unit.

I think we traded them in for a couple of Jiro's. The Jiro's SS but were lighter, they had large rear big wheels which helped on stairs. Looking back we should have kept them.

 

[Ed Valentine]

You do get what you pay for and we all prefer well built, long lasting machines.

Right to the point, Ofer. That's correct and a very basic requirement IMHO.


Best;
Ed Valentine
cross-american corp.

 

[Willy P]

All fixed now. Pump head is being rebuilt and for some odd reason the capacitors had to be removed and some magic done to them. There's no stock of either pumps or vac motors to be had here. I would think a market with a lot if tall buildings and a few million folk would be a good place to do business. I guess not. .

 

[Art Kelley]

All fixed now. Pump head is being rebuilt and for some odd reason the capacitors had to be removed and some magic done to them. There's no stock of either pumps or vac motors to be had here. I would think a market with a lot if tall buildings and a few million folk would be a good place to do business. I guess not. .

Nobody cares about a porty *ack.

 

[Goomer]

Regardless of their average lifespan, I think the Ametec vacs and the blue Pumptec pump are as good as it is going to get. I have accepted this fact, and fully expect to swap out at least 1 vac motor per year, and hope to get a few seasons out of the blue Pumptec. I bought a backup Pumptec off ebay which is rebuilt and ready to go if needed. 90 bucks for rebuild kits. Back up HP vac motors are a buck'fiddy, and one is ready to go if needed and can be swapped out in 10 minutes.

Small price to pay compared to the income they generate.

 

[Willy P]

Regardless of their average lifespan, I think the Ametec vacs and the blue Pumptec pump are as good as it is going to get. I have accepted this fact, and fully expect to swap out at least 1 vac motor per year, and hope to get a few seasons out of the blue Pumptec. I bought a backup Pumptec off ebay which is rebuilt and ready to go if needed. 90 bucks for rebuild kits. Back up HP vac motors are a buck'fiddy, and one is ready to go if needed and can be swapped out in 10 minutes.

Small price to pay compared to the income they generate.

Wow. Vacs for the Worrier were 666 bucks and a 2 week wait.I thought the price was symbolic.