Oreck orbitor or 175. pad? brush?

[joeynbgky]

I know its been asked before but who cares.........

to agitate prespray whats better, orbitor or big bulky 175? I dont have alot of room on the van.

would i use a pad or brush to agitate the spray? Never used one to agitate pre-spray before

 

[daniel@procarpet]

Is the question really what is more convenient, and can I really use an orbitor as effective as a 175? The answer is no. A 175 is way faster and does a better job. You could get a .5 horse power 13 inch scrubber, but it wouldn't last. A good vacuum, great chems, and lots of heat will eliminate the need for scrubbing unless it is really trashed and even then the high heat and emulsifier should eat it up.

 

[Art Kelley]

I like a big bulky 175. The weight is part of the cleaning process. Find one that is not too heavy (you will develop back problems in a year of using one past your strength level) and not too light. I like to use ones that are no more than 85-90 lbs. Build up your strength with squats and dead lifts and curls. That's good for marketing also.

 

[daniel@procarpet]

I must be weak now. I played sports in high school and lifted weights well into college. My legs and back were rock solid strong. I used to carry a vacuum cleaner in one hand, my minute man 175 braced against my belt in the other hand, and sometimes a sprayer up stairs into homes and did it like that everyday. I was also hacking out 7 jobs a day solo with a 175 and portable. I quit working out 5 years ago except for the occasional week on 6 months off deal. Then I quit using a 175 for most jobs. Now I have to be careful about lifting one in and out of a van. The best thing you can do for strength in handling 175s etc. is deadlifts. Do them correctly for a couple months and your legs, back, grip, and forearms will be noticeably stronger and you will be able to sling a 175 like it is a vacuum cleaner.

 

[Art Kelley]

Staying in shape is part of your job, like equipment maintenance.

 

[DevilThomas]

I use a Orbitec Defender 17" to agitate...85lbs...I think an OP machine gives you more versatility...you could probably get by with a 15" OP machine...approx 65 lbs.

If you have killer heat and flow you could try a Windsor "Drymatic" CRB ...about 15lbs...for prespray agitation.

 

[sweendogg]

Get a scrubber you are actually going to take inside instead of getting lazy and leaving it in the van. I like the 175, but have found that 90% of the time my Host reliant works awesome and lifts the carpet a little more than the 175. Now Commercial is all 175 and large house is all 175. But again get a scrubber you will actually use! And don't be afraid to use Ebay to find it!

 

[joeynbgky]

Ok so on a 175, what color pad or brushes or what?

 

[Noidios]

I'm a big fan of using the Dirt Napper brush/pad combo, but I know a lot of the guys here use the adjust a glide. I've got a 17" dirt napper plate on a 13" Koblenz 3/4HP 175 (only 61 pounds) and it does a great job on the nasties.

 

[Jonee]

joeynbgky,

You better run up and see John....... he will have what you need.

 

[sweendogg]

You'll want brushes and pads.. different carpets different attachments: get a pad driver for your bonnets and pads. Use pads on commercial carpet and bonnets where you need to. Shampoo brush or adjustglide brush work great for piled carpets. Occasionally you'll meet a resdidental carpet that needs pads compared to a brush.