I'm primarily a porty guy at this point of my life. I underestimated the benefit of owning a
CRB. I scoffed at the pricing but didn't see many used ones for sale. Lots of people that I trust in this industry gave it high marks, I took the plunge and it's by far the most bang for your buck tool I can think of when it comes to using a porty with an apo and inline filter. When using a porty guys use 2 inch hoses, boosters of all sorts, inline filters and fancy wands to increase soil and water recovery. And all of those measures will help.
They don't help like a
CRB though, especially if you use an apo with an inline filter. Nothing kills performance like a dirty filter. Prevac is not an option with an in line filter, but even still my air hog collects a lot of debris as it should. Ever since I started using the
CRB I've noticed that my filters are really clean. On some jobs I used to change the filters more than once because of the suction loss before it was filled. Stronger truckmounts won't feel that drop off like a porty. It takes time and it's messy to change out a filter. I need fewer wand passes on carpets if I've vacuumed and used the
crb prior to HWE. I think that gives you some time back in the long run. I use my
crb on most every job. I'm 99% residential. Its as fast as my 13 inch 175 but it's lighter and it removes hair far better and lifts the carpet fibers. It also takes up less space on my van.
My favorite part of using the
CRB is I know it's cleaner, it's a great sales tool, it helps set you apart from the guys that don't use one. Truckmount shmuckmount if I come behind a guy that doesn't use one I'll eat his lunch. If I had a truckmount I would still use the
CRB because it's such a great sales tool. Customers love to see the hair rats removed...At least the way I do a presentation. I'm hardly ever rushed on my jobs so I invest more time into better presentations.
I've been cleaning for over 25 years. I still enjoy it. I spend more time explaining the importance of proper vacuuming and regular cleanings than most guys I would think. I take the time to explain the downsides of using the wrong types of spotters in an easy to understand manner. I also explain the importance of post vacuuming the job regardless of the method. I'll probably jinx myself by saying this but I get like one redo per year and I have one bad review that was for cussing out my customer not for the work performed.
I'm using it to clean grout and tile, wood floors too. It's not perfect and it's ineffective on some carpets.
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