Remembering the old cleaning equipment from our family

[Mark Saiger]

A conversation came up today, and we were talking about old cleaning machines.

Yes, my family started on portables...and we even made the tools for the industry for awhile.

There were two similar machines at the time, the Deep Steam (DSC you might recognize them as now) ...and the SteamTronics. We bought the SteamTronics Company and made these large portable machines.

They were all stainless.

Had a 2 inch sutorbuilt suction pump,

2 hp electric motor,

vac release set to 15 to 16 hg,

ceramic sealed water pump but only put out about 100 psi,

a 1500 watt electric heater...

and a drag head wand with a lead filled weight.

Boy, were we cleaning! LOL....and I lifted that thing up many sets of stairs by myself when a younger person.

The pic of a unit together with the drag head is a pic found on a craigslist once, but we still have the first original Machine number 1 and some others and parts in my parents shop with other prototype parts.

I took these pics last April visiting my dad on his 79th Birthday...in the hospital for congestive heart problems...he will be 80 years of age this year!

Just felt needed to share here some of my past tonight finding these pics

And....he picked up old ChemLawn Units my dad built and made into a direct drive...he made a number of these units and mounted in other would be competitive cleaners vans for FREE....NO Charge...even made brackets a lot of times to help out newbies....

He has left some big shoes for us boys to fill I say everyday!

Got to find those direct drive pics and post yet tonight....

 

[Mark Saiger]

Our old 93 GMC and Butler...still going Strong with over 250,000 road miles, over 11,000 hours...original drivetrain...equivalent to 619,000 miles on original motor...cleaning part time, not taking oil yet....

 

[Mark Saiger]

Recognize this one?

Still cleaning in Bemidji, MN with Brother Dave...

 

[Mark Saiger]

old 97 Butler...still cleaning in Fergus Falls, MN

 

[Mark Saiger]

The Ron Beatty 02 and the Newer 2008 both now in Bemidji, MN still cleaning

 

[Mark Saiger]

 

[hogjowl]

Are you aware that you're carrying on a conversation with yourself?

 

[Mark Saiger]

That custom all Aluminum Trailer we had done when doing restoration.

 

[Mark Saiger]

 

[Desk Jockey]

Pretty sweet!

 

[hogjowl]

Don't encourage him!

 

[Mark Saiger]

 

[Mark Saiger]

 

[hogjowl]

I'm in hell

 

[Lee Stockwell]

I'm in hell

And loving it

 

[hogjowl]

It's 8pm. I'm surprised the staff has left you in the activity center.

 

[Lee Stockwell]

Just got in from a huge day, waiting for supper.

 

[Sierra Clean Care]

It's 8pm. I'm surprised the staff has left you in the activity center.

Sometimes they need a break aswell......

 

[Jimmy L]

Activity center.....that was funny!

But I'm still in the lobby waiting for my meds : )

 

[hogjowl]

Go to the nurses station and wet your pants

 

[Onfire_02_01]

You have a thing for shiny rims don't you.

 

[Steve Lawrence]

Good stuff, Mark. We had the old Deep Steam units, almost identical to yours. Tiny Sutorbilts, bucket brigade, good times. But that underpowered equipment made better technicians of us, especially at spotting. The young whippersnappers of today do not know how good they have it.

 

[JS41035]

. Those old timers were awesome.
Now we can just google an answer or watch a you tube video. I remember when we all met in 99 in Columbus. Like having the lights turned on. Especially if you were still on the Bane train.

 

[Mark Saiger]

I'm still searching my computer for that Chemlawn unit my dad made up and mounted. Saw it last week on the computer.

Was impressed how long it kept running up to just a few years ago and was retired... It still ran though!

Got to find that pic....

 

[Ed Valentine]

Mark;

I do remember all those old companies (ex: Deep Steam/Karpet Steem/Badger/etc.....) A few years ago, I wrote down approx 30 "old companies" that were in the business of manufacturing HWE equipment which are no longer.

Yep, some great memories; some not.

Best, and great thread!

Ed Valentine
cross-american corp.

 

[Lee Stockwell]

Scot - Johnson machine from California was cloned by Gibraltar Fabrication in Muskegon MI. It was called Karpet-Steem. I had one of them.

Bane was first the Indiana distributor for them, and subsequently took over the machine after the unfortunate death of the owner.

 

[bob vawter]

How 'bout that Gene Bates!

 

[Chris A]

Go to the nurses station and wet your pants

 

[BradFenstermaker]

Awesome Saiger's history book.

Marty and Jimmy go check yourself in the local Nut House.
Freaking hilarious.

 

[Mark Saiger]

Found them.

Was working on a PowerPoint presentation this morning and they popped up on my computer

This is just one of many my dad mounted into vans in his day. He made many of the parts and plate mounting brackets to get these as direct drive units.

This unit, the owner who got it from us has it a bit messed up in the pics....but this is one of the units.