Had a Solus 500 for 9 months.....

[MikeH]

Hi folks,

It seems that every month something happens. It's amazing. Today I set up all ready to get busy and then I hear a massive pop and see smoke bellowing out of the lower casing.... It's driving me absolutely nuts, it's a great machine when it's working but it's the frequency of balls ups are really starting to grind my gears.

Anyone else got a Solus 500 and if so can I expect this model to be a pain in my asshole on a monthly basis? Thanks in advance.

Mike H

 

[Nate The Great]

I only have an old cobra portable from US products. I've heard nightmares regarding the circuit board on there portables. I was also looking at that machine when they first introduced it.

 

[MikeH]

Circuit Boards, today I think my pump took a dump, my truck smells like a plastics factory on fire, switches, seals, it goes on and on and on. The thing always takes a crap at the worst possible time as well. It likes to take a dump on me when I'm working at the most difficult nickle and diming tightass households here in LA that are located in an appartment complex where you walk half a mile and go up 5 flights of stairs even though everything is on one level, you know those places that have 1000 units and lots of fake plants and pools no one use.... I swear I just wanted to push it into the Pacific Ocean today, and I think the guys at my supplies HQ where I bought it think I'm sabotaging it because I am in there every month. I know for a fact one of the vaccum's is going to take a crap on me as well.

It's making me old quickly

 

[randy]

They moved much of their operation to Mexico about a year ago. They were once a great company, now they suck and are way over priced. You can buy a M-5 for $2,000, not including wand & hoses. A similar unit in a US products portable will run you closer to $4,000-$4,500.

 

[dealtimeman]

i agree mytees the way to go.

 

[Curtis Pennington]

I had a couple of Cobras back in da day.....there in the dumpster. WE switched to Mytee's and 2 Ninja Warriors.

 

[Nate The Great]

I had a couple of Cobras back in da day.....there in the dumpster. WE switched to Mytee's and 2 Ninja Warriors.

I agree... I forgot that we also have 2 ultimates too... The old school ones, not the rotomolded ones they sell now. Momz used to kick ass with that machine. At 3 gallons fresh and waste tank, it's for the birds...

US Products is too expensive for what you get.

 

[Desk Jockey]

Too many circuit board problems, the performance never matched the looks of the machine or the literature.

 

[Nate The Great]

Too many circuit board problems, the performance never matched the looks of the machine or the literature.

I like picture books too uncle Chavez!!!

 

[Desk Jockey]

Yea I know the kid of picture books you like, Manga with the sexual cartoons! :shock:

 

[jstucky]

Yah man...Had a Solus 500 demo model. Great when it worked.

Had LOTS of problems....LOTS!!!


Pretty much had to give the thing away when it was almost all pooped out.


Is it their circuit boards that make a 1000 watt heater heat so well?? Seemed to have A TON of heat and only a thousand watts. It had small tips in 11001's but still...Seemed to BLAST the heat

 

[MikeH]

Thanks guys.... Guess what, I got my Solus back and within 48 hours my Vacuums crapped out. Absolutely pulling my hair out. After 9 months it's getting beyond a joke. It does get great heat and it looks good although hard to keep the body clean but my God if it doesn't take a shit on me once a month I'm shocked, but twice in 3 days is taking the ever living piss. I feel like calling them up and trying to stick my head down the phone and give them the blowdryer treatment. I am planning on a truckmount within a year but this week I had to reschedule 9 jobs and fill up my one day off this Sunday.

I would never EVER recommend a US Products extraction unit to anyone. The fact that they are called US Products and made in Mexico just about speaks volumes for that company. I just wish I got on this board way back. I bought it because it was American made, or so I thought and didn't want crap but I'd take a Chinese model if it worked consistently. What a joke.

 

[John LaBarbera]

Thanks guys.... Guess what, I got my Solus back and within 48 hours my Vacuums crapped out. Absolutely pulling my hair out. After 9 months it's getting beyond a joke. It does get great heat and it looks good although hard to keep the body clean but my God if it doesn't take a shit on me once a month I'm shocked, but twice in 3 days is taking the ever living piss. I feel like calling them up and trying to stick my head down the phone and give them the blowdryer treatment. I am planning on a truckmount within a year but this week I had to reschedule 9 jobs and fill up my one day off this Sunday.

I would never EVER recommend a US Products extraction unit to anyone. The fact that they are called US Products and made in Mexico just about speaks volumes for that company. I just wish I got on this board way back. I bought it because it was American made, or so I thought and didn't want crap but I'd take a Chinese model if it worked consistently. What a joke.

Who was the distributor? What does he say about all of this? How much did you pay for this machine? Was it new?

Jason Stuckey had contacted us because he wanted to trade his Solus for a Mytee spotter. We did it knowing his machine didn't work, but we want to see how it was put together. Lots of circuit boards. I think too many. The reason that the heat work pretty good is they have a circuit board (logic system) to operate a solenoid valve that send water from the heater back to the solution tank when the operator is not drawing solution. I counted at least 4 circuit boards. If you got rid of the boards you would have no heat. The pump would have to be changed (pm motor with a controller (circuit board) )
The vac motors on top seems to be susceptible to getting debris in them.

 

[MikeH]

Spoke to Charlie at US Products and hit him straight up with the info I got here and gave him the whole 9 month abortion it should have been up front. He told me that the components are from "around the world" and I told them "they were shit" and that it's lost me as much business in $ value as it's cost me to pay the thing off. I bought the unit at Uncle Sam's in Culver City CA and I like the guys, I have worked with them for supplies for half of my carpet cleaning life which is 4.5 years. They say I am the only guy to have a shitty machine. I told Charlie at Us Products that I could have bought a Mytee for half the price and had an Olympus that had one problem in 3 years but I have had 8 in 9 months with this unit, I have built a solid rep, 4 years upgrading every 2 and then I purchase a US Products Unit and now working my tail off to satisfy my customers I have let down. Some twice thanks to the Solus 500. Of course it's my fault because some customers have used a rug doctor and dumped crap in their carpet and only a powdered defoamer works....

I'll take a machine that doesn't crap out every month which is not the Solus 500 but twice in a week... after 9 months.... come on. The supplier is embarrassed and US Products are going to look into my machine, but that doesn't stop me paying the price or renting a machine out that has no heat for $50 a day and looking like a Craigslist clown and ruining my very good reputation I have worked hard to establish.

I will keep you all posted. Very very dissapointed. $4500 in no joke starting your own business and trusting in what is apparantly American quality.

If it was a car I'd have a new one, a washing machine I'd have a new one... US Products... back to square one.

 

[kevinj61]

I've had my solus 500R for about 3 months now and so far now problems at all, I think it works very well, however there are many other machines out there with the same specs for allot less $$$ that I'm sure would work just as well, if i had it to do over again i would have bought one of the others and saved some money

 

[Ron Werner]

I had the Cheyenne, which is now a Prochem unit. Simple machine, no boards, just motors wired to the switches. This was in 94. I think I even rewired it once. Only part I had issues with was the pump, would dribble every now and then. Just a 100psi so nothing fancy like the new ones these days. I did like the design and water capacity, 18g soln, 15 recovery.

 

[Nate The Great]

I had the Cheyenne, which is now a Prochem unit. Simple machine, no boards, just motors wired to the switches. This was in 94. I think I even rewired it once. Only part I had issues with was the pump, would dribble every now and then. Just a 100psi so nothing fancy like the new ones these days. I did like the design and water capacity, 18g soln, 15 recovery.

We've got one of those Prochem Cheyenne on a deal buying some equipment. I believe the fresh water tank is flawed. 1 crack on one of the front wheels made the unit leak. Most likely it was dropped or bounced around previous to us getting it. I just took out the motors and pump, and tossed the machine. The one thing you liked about the machine is it's own down fall imo.

 

[Lefty724]

Could all of the foam killed your vac motors? Not saying it's your fault…just saying. Give John at Mytee a call since you are in LA and maybe he can help you with a used unit or new one?

 

[MikeH]

That's what I'm led to believe. It has come to light the liquid defoamers don't work only a 'special' powdered one gets the job done.... this magical powdered defoamer seems to only reside in Idaho where US Products as well. Would have been nice to have been told that when I bought it but there you go. Now enjoy your Sunday everyone I have to do 4 jobs tomorrow with 2 at half price and one for free to keep my customers satisfied. If anyone knows the email/name of the head honcho at US Products so I can send him my comments and kindest regards in selling me $4500 of total and utter crap I'd appreciate it.

I will for sure be looking at Mytee products from here on in.

 

[Ron Werner]

[quote="Ron Werner"lch3y2s]I had the Cheyenne, which is now a Prochem unit. Simple machine, no boards, just motors wired to the switches. This was in 94. I think I even rewired it once. Only part I had issues with was the pump, would dribble every now and then. Just a 100psi so nothing fancy like the new ones these days. I did like the design and water capacity, 18g soln, 15 recovery.

We've got one of those Prochem Cheyenne on a deal buying some equipment. I believe the fresh water tank is flawed. 1 crack on one of the front wheels made the unit leak. Most likely it was dropped or bounced around previous to us getting it. I just took out the motors and pump, and tossed the machine. The one thing you liked about the machine is it's own down fall imo. [/quotelch3y2s]

Well if its DROPPED, yeah, that could cause a crack in the fw tank where the wheels mount. I would "weld" it back together, mount a strong plate to mount the wheels to it, and keep going. When you have a good design, make it better.

 

[randy]

So how many $4,500 units are they going to sell if they continue to put out total crap like this ?
Mike, You should post this to every board in this industry every three months or so,
Post on ripp off report.com
Pissed consumer.com
Craigslist rants & raves section
Then post a youtube video showing the entire industry what a piece of shit US products sold you for $4,500.

The above postings will get listed by the search engines and come up when some goggles Us products. At Least you can warn other cleaners.

 

[Nate The Great]

[quote="Nate The Great":16ualm3h][quote="Ron Werner":16ualm3h]I had the Cheyenne, which is now a Prochem unit. Simple machine, no boards, just motors wired to the switches. This was in 94. I think I even rewired it once. Only part I had issues with was the pump, would dribble every now and then. Just a 100psi so nothing fancy like the new ones these days. I did like the design and water capacity, 18g soln, 15 recovery.

We've got one of those Prochem Cheyenne on a deal buying some equipment. I believe the fresh water tank is flawed. 1 crack on one of the front wheels made the unit leak. Most likely it was dropped or bounced around previous to us getting it. I just took out the motors and pump, and tossed the machine. The one thing you liked about the machine is it's own down fall imo. [/quote:16ualm3h]

Well if its DROPPED, yeah, that could cause a crack in the fw tank where the wheels mount. I would "weld" it back together, mount a strong plate to mount the wheels to it, and keep going. When you have a good design, make it better.[/quote:16ualm3h]


True, but no other machine has a fw tank that close to the ground. It's only a matter of time before it cracks from some employee/helper dropping it or bouncing it taking it out of the van. I'm never had a problem with the old a$$ Century machines to the Mytee and Sandia machines. Imho of course. That crack in the tank looked to be welded/patched and it still leaked. Not worth running the risk of it leaking in a customers home. Atleast I wasn't going to risk it. :wink:

 

[Ron Werner]

as the owner, I didn't drop mine, at least not intentionally
I see your point though. I just liked the idea of not having to dump my FW if I had to get to the mechanics of the machine. Just dump the Recovery and open it up. I had a Ninja that did what Mike's Solus did, consistently break down (it was an old dept store company machine, the techs dropped it more than your old Cheyenne), so it was a nice feature when I bought my own, and came in handy when the pump or hose would leak a little. Just opened it, tightened it up, close it up and go.

 

[Out of Character - 0]

When we started cleaning carpet, my jansan supplier convinced us to buy a Cobra 500 for $4200. Our pump failed 2x, the heater control was defective, the pump pressure control knob failed, and the fresh water tank split in the back by the cord hooks. That was the last machine I bought from them. They also sell prochems, he talked me out of a tm and into the cobra, I think he planned on selling me a tm after I bought the porty.

A few days ago I went there for the only item they still get to sell me and the same salesman was using the same "truckmount" comparison to sell some other fool a cobra 1200.

 

[MikeH]

Hmmmm, I was led to believe my Solus 500 was as "good as a truckmount" and then told when I went in for the umpteenth time with my Shithouse... ahem, sorry Solus 500 last week (I bought it September 19th 2009) that it really isn't.

On the plus side my complaining to US Products didn't get ignored, they called my dealer and sent some parts and I guess tomorrow I'm going to find out what, if at all, a kick in the pants I get. One thing I will give Charlie at US Products, is a prompt action on my compliant. So no problem with Charlie at US Products, but lot's of problems with the cheap components festering in my machine just waiting to die and cost me more money and lost jobs.

In all seriousness though, I have been very frustrated and angry with the lack of consistency of the unit but like I said when it's working it's great, sadly that's only 11 months out of 12 when I have calculated the math pro rata, and what really pisses me off is working my days off when I should be resting my body and drinking cold beers, it's hard enough doing what we do for 9 years but to work twice as hard for a little less and four times on a Sunday in 100 plus degrees of heat this past weekend.... now that really pissed me off.

Either way onwards and upwards. Looking forward to chatting to John in San Diego and talking about some Mytee's.

 

[MikeH]

True to form exactly a month after I had my Solus 500 checked out, top to toe, new vaccums put in.... my pump takes a crap out on me once again.... 3 days lost work and counting and after 10 months "I was told I need a new machine...." I am so mad. I canceled a weekend away last month to honor my customers and ended up putting myself in the ER as I over did it with work. Now I staring at canceling my trip to England as I may have to buy another machine as this Solus 500 is a piece of crap.

I'm not sure who to blame here, US Products are in denial and think that they have the greatest machine ever made although I do credit Charlie @ U.S. Products for getting some parts from Idaho to California. Is it Uncle Sam's Distribution in Culver City where I bought it, they didn't make the unit though and Sergio and his staff have jumped on the problems as best they can and turned it around as soon as they can.... It seems that it's my fault for buying the machine, I just canceled one of my customers (the same customer) for the FOURTH time this month, in the last 6 weeks the vaccums have crapped out and the pump has crapped out twice in a month.... This piece of shit is destroying my business and stressing me out big time.

 

[Willy P]

Pull the heater. Why the hell they put an internal heater in a machine is beyond me.1000 watts wouldn't heat up a cup of tea. Kleen rite makes a kick ass 3200 watt in line so you can open up the jets a bit for some flow.You cook up your components with that internal shit. Curtis, I'd like to know how often you use those Ninja Warriors. Mine was new last year, works part time and I've done both vacs and pump. POS. The old Recoil keeps on chugging along....

 

[Jimmy L]

:shock:

 

[John LaBarbera]

Pull the heater. Why the hell they put an internal heater in a machine is beyond me.1000 watts wouldn't heat up a cup of tea. Kleen rite makes a kick ass 3200 watt in line so you can open up the jets a bit for some flow.You cook up your components with that internal shit. Curtis, I'd like to know how often you use those Ninja Warriors. Mine was new last year, works part time and I've done both vacs and pump. POS. The old Recoil keeps on chugging along....

Hi Willy,

Do you think that the heater is the problem or is it the pump circuit board?

 

[Bjorn]

what size extension cords are you using I bet your not using #10s

are you plugging into GFIs