1st truck mount advice

[Jim Williams]

Go to Sunbelt and get one of these. As simple and reliable as they get for around $14,000. If you have $19,000 to spend the Judson is a good choice too. If you want to see a TCS in person some time I would be glad to meet you. I'm in Pittsboro, N.C. Sunbelt doesn't keep TCS in stock so they have to order them.

 

[Bob Pruitt]

So i want a simple basic machine that i can work on myself if need be. In the last 6 years i've never had to go over 150 feet and most likely never will.

So whats the best simple basic and reliable machine out there?

I didn't read the thread yet but the answer is Butler.

 

[bob vawter]

Wait ..I had a 30' by 40' building.....
Is that a garage or could one possibly call it a "shop"

 

[Cleanworks]

Wait ..I had a 30' by 40' building.....
Is that a garage or could one possibly call it a "shop"

Were you parking cars in it?

 

[Hack Attack]

any TM is gonna be a step up from a porty and allow you to be more efficient

with your hose runs anything over 25hp is wasted $$ both on purchase price and running costs

work out your budget first, then decide

 

[Cleanworks]

Most of us started with very little. Although the best machine may be a butler or an Aerotech, the guys obviously on a tight budget. Seems like he's already got the van, if he can get the reliabilt installed for $10,000-$12,000 and he gets a few good years out of it, he's miles ahead of just using a portable. Once he builds up his business he can look a getting a brand name unit. You gotta start somewhere. My first truck mount was a pto installed in a Mazda pick up with a lg heater.

 

[Trip Moses]

Most of us started with very little. Although the best machine may be a butler or an Aerotech, the guys obviously on a tight budget. Seems like he's already got the van, if he can get the reliabilt installed for $10,000-$12,000 and he gets a few good years out of it, he's miles ahead of just using a portable. Once he builds up his business he can look a getting a brand name unit. You gotta start somewhere. My first truck mount was a pto installed in a Mazda pick up with a lg heater.

He has been in business for a while. He’s being cheap.

 

[Cleanworks]

He has been in business for a while. He’s being cheap.

So, he shared his financial issues with you?

 

[Hack Attack]

On a budget, I'd go reliabilt with HX from what I've seen (even though I love me some fuel burner heat) if the HX isn't up to scratch you can still plug n play the LG

 

[Trip Moses]

So, he shared his financial issues with you?

No. I’m just saying from what I’ve read and other places that he is an experienced carpet cleaner. So yes money could be a problem but I doubt it

Then again, some people just don’t mind using busted up old shit

 

[Cleanworks]

No. I’m just saying from what I’ve read and other places that he is an experienced carpet cleaner. So yes money could be a problem but I doubt it

Then again, some people just don’t mind using busted up old shit

He's an experienced carpet cleaner with a portable. Moving into a truck mount can be a scary thing first time. If he's confident with his business model and expects to make good money, he should invest in a Butler or something similar. If he's struggling, he's right to go with something he can afford. We don't need to be such snobs.

 

[Trip Moses]

He's an experienced carpet cleaner with a portable. Moving into a truck mount can be a scary thing first time. If he's confident with his business model and expects to make good money, he should invest in a Butler or something similar. If he's struggling, he's right to go with something he can afford. We don't need to be such snobs.

Yes. By what you can afford. But I am not being a snob saying that buying a machine that you know that you’re going to have to work on is a bad idea. By machine that is going to work and make you money.
A second hand garage built belt eater to me is a bad idea. Even a new garage built style machine is not a good idea. An entry-level machine search as a rage is going to be problem free for much longer

 

[Trip Moses]

I’ve never understood why people are so afraid of a 3 to 500 dollar payment on a new machine when you can make that and more in one day. Especially if you are already in business.
1000 bucks on a new van and equipment is not crazy when most average cleaners can make that much in three days.
The thread is not about financial strife. It’s about buying a piece of equipment that will consistently make money.

 

[Cleanworks]

Yes. By what you can afford. But I am not being a snob saying that buying a machine that you know that you’re going to have to work on is a bad idea. By machine that is going to work and make you money.
A second hand garage built belt eater to me is a bad idea. Even a new garage built style machine is not a good idea. An entry-level machine search as a rage is going to be problem free for much longer

I was knocking reliabilt for its stupid advertising. Things like genuine Lifan engines, no knock offs, when Lifan is a knock off Honda engine but it seems like he's putting together reasonable units at reasonable prices. It's $10,000 cheaper than a name brand unit. For that kind of savings, I'd be willing to take a chance.

 

[Trip Moses]

I was knocking reliabilt for its stupid advertising. Things like genuine Lifan engines, no knock offs, when Lifan is a knock off Honda engine but it seems like he's putting together reasonable units at reasonable prices. It's $10,000 cheaper than a name brand unit. For that kind of savings, I'd be willing to take a chance.

Nothing wrong with saving 10 grand. But for instance if I had to buy a motorcycle to drive across country and I could choose to buy a brand new handbuilt motorcycle or a brand new Honda I would definitely buy the Honda because I want to make it across country

 

[Hack Attack]

I'd take a punt on a reliabilt

my unreliable garage build has in the last 3yrs gone through 3 thermo couplings and 2 lovejoys (I aligned 1 wrong) less than 10mins to change a thermocoupling and 20-30 mins for a lovejoy

depends, if you find yourself saying lefty loosey righty tighty then go name brand and pay someone else to work on it

 

[Jim Williams]

TCS has an excellent track record for being super reliable. They are way beyond the garage build category. I've never seen or known anybody who had a reliabilt. My TCS has 1700 hours on it with no problems so far. When I bought it two years ago I was also looking for the simplest machine made since I do my own repairs. I somehow kept a White Magic Commander running for 14 years and learned that simplicity is a good thing. The mechanic at Sunbelt wouldn't even work on the White Magic so I had to learn to do it myself.

As far as finances go, some of us are supporting a family on only the income of a high class janitor so the lower the payment the better. Especially when you have a wife who needs hundreds of $$$ a month in medicine for diabetes.

Sounds like the guy is doing it right by building his business with a porty and holding out until he can truly afford the TM. You can always move up again in machine later as your business grows and maybe even move up to the Butler like all the elite carpet cleaners. I may reach that point someday if I don't retire first, but to be honest, the TCS has all the squirt and suck I'll ever need. At this point I don't really plan on trying to increase productivity any more, I'm actually thinking I might cut back to a more reasonable workday next year. If I had a $1000 a month payment on a rig it would be harder to cut back being a slave to the lender.

 

[Trip Moses]

TCS has an excellent track record for being super reliable. They are way beyond the garage build category. I've never seen or known anybody who had a reliabilt. My TCS has 1700 hours on it with no problems so far. When I bought it two years ago I was also looking for the simplest machine made since I do my own repairs. I somehow kept a White Magic Commander running for 14 years and learned that simplicity is a good thing. The mechanic at Sunbelt wouldn't even work on the White Magic so I had to learn to do it myself.

As far as finances go, some of us are supporting a family on only the income of a high class janitor so the lower the payment the better. Especially when you have a wife who needs hundreds of $$$ a month in medicine for diabetes.

Sounds like the guy is doing it right by building his business with a porty and holding out until he can truly afford the TM. You can always move up again in machine later as your business grows and maybe even move up to the Butler like all the elite carpet cleaners. I may reach that point someday if I don't retire first, but to be honest, the TCS has all the squirt and suck I'll ever need. At this point I don't really plan on trying to increase productivity any more, I'm actually thinking I might cut back to a more reasonable workday next year. If I had a $1000 a month payment on a rig it would be harder to cut back being a slave to the lender.

TCS is a good choice.

 

[Cleanworks]

TCS has an excellent track record for being super reliable. They are way beyond the garage build category. I've never seen or known anybody who had a reliabilt. My TCS has 1700 hours on it with no problems so far. When I bought it two years ago I was also looking for the simplest machine made since I do my own repairs. I somehow kept a White Magic Commander running for 14 years and learned that simplicity is a good thing. The mechanic at Sunbelt wouldn't even work on the White Magic so I had to learn to do it myself.

As far as finances go, some of us are supporting a family on only the income of a high class janitor so the lower the payment the better. Especially when you have a wife who needs hundreds of $$$ a month in medicine for diabetes.

Sounds like the guy is doing it right by building his business with a porty and holding out until he can truly afford the TM. You can always move up again in machine later as your business grows and maybe even move up to the Butler like all the elite carpet cleaners. I may reach that point someday if I don't retire first, but to be honest, the TCS has all the squirt and suck I'll ever need. At this point I don't really plan on trying to increase productivity any more, I'm actually thinking I might cut back to a more reasonable workday next year. If I had a $1000 a month payment on a rig it would be harder to cut back being a slave to the lender.

High class janitor? Must be talking about Chavez.

 

[kevinj6121]

He's an experienced carpet cleaner with a portable. Moving into a truck mount can be a scary thing first time. If he's confident with his business model and expects to make good money, he should invest in a Butler or something similar. If he's struggling, he's right to go with something he can afford. We don't need to be such snobs.

Yes plenty of experience started cleaning carpets in 1983 after serving in the US Army went back home to Long Island NY and was in the business for a number of years there, then sold off my accounts and moved to San Diego CA and restarted and did it there for a long time as well.

Got out of the business for a long time then got back in in 2010 while living in Denver CO. Wife and i split up i went back to NY for 3 years and cleaned there then moved here to North Carolina and restarted yet again, been here in NC going on 7 years now.

Just bought my chevy van little over a year ago as I knew i would be getting a TM in the future, just paid that van off 3 months ago, just bought a new 2019 car and am buying the house i now live in.
So my expense's are going to go up.

Time to work smarter and not harder, promote the biz more and increase my workload. A TM will make things easier for me.

But yeah, i can't go out and spend 20 grand right now. Really don't want to go used, i never like to go used.

The relia-built unit moneywise is right where I want to be and its new not used. I've read a lot of good things about them.

by the way "Cleanworks" thanks for your support and comment "We don't need to be such snobs"

 

[kevinj6121]

Just looking at reliabilts website. The machine you're looking at appears to be around $10,000. He offers to sell for less if you want to skip the heat exchangers and use your own lg heater. Don't do it unless you have the latest high pressure HT 3 or HT 4 capable of 1300-2200 psi. The old ones are limited to 600 psi which will make tile cleaning more difficult and will prevent you from using any kind of a spinning tool. You will save/make more money in the long run by going with his heat exchange system.

Your right Cleanworks as my LG heater is only rated at 600 PSI so when I clean tile now i'm using a separate pump that goes up to 1200 PSI and just use the portable for water recovery and i can't use the LG heater

 

[Small town janitorial]

I think the term "garage built" is used loosely in the carpet cleaning world. Some of those garage built companies ruined the rep for everyone. For me, paying 7,8,9k more for a unit built in a little small factory instead of a garage doesnt make any sense. I will never have my truckmount serviced at a shop. The nearest service center has a part time mechanic and is over 2 hours away. They take weeks to fix anything. I can weld, wrench diagnose anything on these machines in less than a day. Why would I pay twice as much for a name brand?
Look at the car world. Some of the best built custom vehicles in the world are built in little garages. Some of the worst engineered vehicles I've ever seen are built in some of the biggest ford factories in the world. I understand multi truck operations who dont ever want to wrench on anything and run butlers. That makes sense and it's a sound buisness model. But it's ignorant to just dismiss all "garage built" machines as crap and a bad decision. Talk to the maker and some owners, make the best decision for your particular situation.

 

[FredC]

The relia-built unit moneywise is right where I want to be and its new not used. I've read a lot of good things about them.

I don't know anything about reliabuilt really but are the people who are saying these good things owners? Do you know them? Can you visit someone close that owns one?

I only ask because I can think of at least two manufacturers that I hear good things about and most of the people saying these things have likely never seen one let alone ran one for any time. Usually they just find the owner of the company or someone else that owns one likable. Its kind of odd really......

 

[kevinj6121]

He has been in business for a while. He’s being cheap.

Are you calling someone cheap without knowing anything about their situation, really!! come on you should know better.
I just laid out $3500 to pay my chevy van off early, just bought a new 2019 car and am in the process of buying the house i'm currently living in.
I'll be paying cash in full for my new TM, I own and owe nothing on any of my equipment, all of it was bought new and paid in full at time of purchase. My TM purchase will be no different

I'll finance a house, i'll finance a new car but when it comes to my business I like to own everything outright from day one. Thats just the way i am

 

[Cleanworks]

I run several old units. One is a factory installed Hydramaster cds in a Chevy Astro van which I absolutely love for its ease of use and the fact it fits in underground parkades. My main unit, I designed and had built about 12 years ago. It's a Honda 18 HP engine with a 4ml blower and cat 290 pump with a lg 3ht heater. Can't get any more garage built than that. Has over 6000 hours. Rebuilt the engine at 5000 hours. Still the same blower and pump. Replaced the heater with a high pressure lg3ht. The other one is a refurbished Steamway unit that I got for $500. Overhauled the engine, replaced the Kero burner with a lg 3 HT and it works great. I'd love to have a brand new butler or Cleanco but just can't justify the cost. My old units are powerful, hot, cheap and easy to work on.

 

[kevinj6121]

I don't know anything about reliabuilt really but are the people who are saying these good things owners? Do you know them? Can you visit someone close that owns one?

I only ask because I can think of at least two manufacturers that I hear good things about and most of the people saying these things have likely never seen one let alone ran one for any time. Usually they just find the owner of the company or someone else that owns one likable. Its kind of odd really......

Well I do not personally know anyone who owns one. I only know what I read on this and the *** forum. Other people who have and still own a relia-built all say they like them, And unless these people are just flat out BS'ing i've nothing else to go by

 

[Lee Stockwell]

I've bought 4 PC405s for under 5k each. Bulletproof 4cyl Nissan, like starting a CAR, not a LAWNMOWER.

 

[hogjowl]

You can’t trust Lee’s information. He’s over 65 and on blood pressure medication.

 

[Hack Attack]

He's also not new to TM's and knows the machines he knows

TCS wouldn't frighten me either, they look very similar to what I run. If it's aligned it runs..

 

[hogjowl]

I’ve owned lots of TCS slide in units over the years.
They’re good units