Itty Bitty TM

GeeeAus

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So I'm looking at really small TMs. Good heat is a MUST. I hear Pretty consistently good things about TCS from a few owners I have spoken with. Rotovac is great to deal with and carries these units. I really like the Brave machine because it's the smallest investment and the smallest unit. It's a goal I might hope to reach a bit sooner.

It's got a terrific gas burner which will give me awesome heat. Lift is good too at 15"Hg. But flow is a bit soft at 156CFM. I am currently using either a small but punchy twin motor porty or a Nautilus MX3-500H on larger jobs.

Chuck Monson has recommended a larger unit which is only minimally heavier (weight is a BIG factor). The air flow is very much better on that unit, over 280CFM. But it's quite a bit more to buy, which is completely understandable given how much more accomplished it is.

Even the cheaper machine was some way off. The larger one is even further.

What to shoot for.....?

Will the performance of the small mount really be an issue to me coming from a porty? Is it better to keep working with the porty and take more time than I was hoping to reach the next big thing?

The hardware:

https://prosupplyusa.com/collections/equipment/products/tcs-brave
http://carpet-cleaning-equipment.net/tcs_warrior.shtml
 

carpetcleaner

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Rob Litwin
I have a similarly sized TM. When cleaning with 150ft or less hose, I can't see/feel any difference in how it cleans or dry times than my last TM which had a 45 blower.

I prespray, BrushPro, extract most of the time. The carpet looks great and dry in a few hours.
 
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Cleanworks

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Go with the bigger machine. 156 cfm is just not enough. The advantage of the TM over a portable is quicker set up, faster cleaning and better dry times. Having more airflow will allow you to use a larger flow tool like a rotovac or zipper and still give you good dry times. All truck mounts have good suction. They are all capable of at least 14 inches hg. The difference with larger blowers is the airflow (cfm). The more cfm, more water is moved through the hoses faster. Minimum blower size should be a roots 36, Sutorbilt 3ll or 4ml. All will give you aprox 280-310 cfm.
 

Jimmy L

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Knew someone who had problems with that Little Giant heater. Beware of the support for it.
 
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Cleanworks

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Has to be misprint... no way it's 156 cfm
It is only 156 cfm. It is a 3m blower. M stands for medium pressure. The 3l blower, l stands for low pressure, has considerably more cfm. Both will produce the same lift but the 3l will give you dryer carpets and will enable longer hose runs.
 
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GeeeAus

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Rage in Australia is $27,000 when on special.

No rage for me.
 
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Jim Williams

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Good Lord! I was getting ready to recommend the Rage but for that price I would keep portying. Are you guys down under able to charge enough to cover those higher expenses?

Might want to look into one of these extreme portables like Cobb sells. Tell you what, pay me $10,000 and I'll paddle a new Rage across the pond.

If you're going to spend that kind of money the Rage is a good step up from a porty. Well designed, plenty of heat and suction. It's all you'll ever need in a truckmount unless you are dual wanding.
 
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GeeeAus

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Grant Baverstock
Simple question...

What will Brave perform like as compared with my portable?

Lets get at it...
 

DAT

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Bill Cheryl
I've been debating on whether to get chief 2 or 370.. if I was in your position, I get the warrior or chief. I'd say that be close to rage or 370 spec in heat and CFM... I wouldn't know tho..never had a tm myself..
 

GeeeAus

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Nautilus with continuous heat would be OK.

Not softer though.
 

Cleanworks

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And I gather no better than Nautilus?
Not much. The whole point of a tm over a portable is production. You want the increased water flow, vacuum and heat. If you are prepared to spend $10,000, draw that belt a little tighter and spend $15,000 on a better quality machine. You won't regret it.
 

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