Best tool to prescrub besides 175?

[PTMatt]

Whats the best tool to prescrub carpet besides using a 175? I currently carry both a 360i and a 175 on our trucks but both me and my techs are getting worn out from unloading the 175. Just looking for a lighter alternative thats also effective.

 

[Lee Stockwell]

a SMALLER 175?

 

[Bob Foster]

Whittaker GLS

 

[Johnny]

OP machines are lighter and scrub better than 175s.

Everytime I post about prescrubbing with an OP, "someone" sez they are too slow.

 

[Dmreed4311]

Get a used host machine off ebay, you can get them cheap and they ROCK!!!!!

 

[Charlie Lyman]

My back was hurting from unloading the 175. I made some ramps from a couple of 2X8's and a ramp kit from lowes. Now I don't mind dragging it out for the nasties.
http://www.lowes.com/pd_201536-29318-11 ... facetInfo=

 

[BradFenstermaker]

If your mostly residential go for an older Host machine. I picked one up on ebay cheap.

Get the zebra brushes if you can. Its the middle brush aggresiveness. White is the softess, then Zebra and last is Black for commercial.

I have white and it still does the job. Zebra is mixed white and black. They are light weight and easy. Just vac off all the hair bunny's win your done with the job.

Nothing like tossing out someone else's junk in a living room while the client is watching. Lol

 

[Brian R]

My Orbot OP machine works great for scrubbing. I use an agiclean pad before I pad the carpet if it's bad.

Works like a charm and an OP with the wheels down is so easy to use.

 

[steve g]

the host machine is a light duty machine. it would work really good if it was heavier and had more power. it will get the job done but its not going to be that fast. The times I break it would I think I would like using a 175 better. it does work great on polyester friezes

 

[Giorgio]

Host machines work perfect!!!

I use mine almost daily for residential and commercial. The best part is they're light weight, fast and easy to use.

they're all you need.

For small jobs use one Host machine. for larger rooms you connect two of them together for a large 24" scrub path. Also, the handle removes quickly so have a hand held scrubber for stairs too. Rock on!!!

They're Host-O-riffic!!!

btw, when running dual Host machines they plug into each other so you only have one electrical cord to trip over.

 

[Ron Werner]

Cool.

Sebo works nice too, esp on the more delicate carpets. Its only 11lbs, very easy to use.

I've used a Whittaker on some carpets and noticed its just a little too aggressive ie plush rental carpet tends to bloom too much. It scrubs it up great but...

 

[John Watson]

All youen young guns amaze me, Do yous spray yours TLC everywheres too?
we used a smaller version of the 175 swing machine for the past few years. The only time My Helen would bring it out of the truck was when our prevacing didn't lift the TA's to satisfy us or after we had did an area and it still needed a touch more..But I guess you can call me lazy or smart, but I only spent time on needed areas. Just like prespraying and double stroking. Dr Edgar P. York taught "Spend your time cleaning the soiled areas, the clean areas just come along for the ride.." Some call it cleaning smarter not harder...

There is a big assortment of tools to use for pre or post aggitation, some have all, Manny more have and use none. Becarefull, you might make "The Great Waldo Peckerhead's Famous list"

 

[idreadnought]

The most effective scrubbers for carpet are the counter rotating brush machines. There are several types. Host was the first to come out with one. Used mainly for their sawdust cleaning system they work great for aggitating prespray. I started off using one and it did get me hooked on scrubbing carpets before they are extracted. The problem with them, very slow. The motor on them is not very powerfull and the cleaning path is only 12".

There is another type that powerflite sells and others, cobb Is one. It is a powerfull crb scrubber and I have never used it. The problem is weight. The thing weighs 80 pounds or so.

Finally I come to my favorite. The whittaker crb scrubber. Original one was called the gls scrubber which is an all powder coated white collored machine. The newer ones are called lomac and they are a powder coated and stainless version. They work amazing well, are only about 48 pounds and have a 15" or 20" cleaning path. We use them every day. I havn't even had one break on me yet. Customers are very impressed the way it scrubs and lifts the fibers and it makes extraction much easier. There is one on ebay right now btw. Search whittaker Lomac it is a 20" version and weighs 5 pounds more or so.

For my company it really is the perfect fit for performance and usability. The weight thing is a very big deal when you consider going up stairs and lifting in and out of the van 4 times a day. IF a tool is too much effort to use it won't get used. Then it has no value.

As a side note many other companies actually brand the same machine which is made in austria. A company called brush and clean sells one, hydroforce sells one (available through interlink) and I think a company called mist and brush sells one. I have never purchased a new one, I have always bought off ebay or craigslist.

Another way we use ours is for encap cleaning the edges. we use a cimex for the paths and then bought an edge brush that fits the lomac that will dig out the lint and clean the edges quickly.

Pm me if you have any other questions about them. I really am a big fan as is my customers