Should I buy a used Vortex ?

[Moser Brothers]

I've seen them for as low as $25,000 for a 2000 UD 1400 with Vortex.

Are they expensive to repair and maintain?

I'd love to get into the big truck club, but I'm not rich and can't afford a $100,000 rig.

I'd get some help and run 2 wands and maybe a 3rd man as a helper. I don't have enough work for it yet, but I'll do whatever it takes to make it worth it. I can't carry all my toys in my Chevy Express extended rig. And a bigger billboard on the side of the truck might draw more attention


....

 

[Jim Martin]

http://youtu.be/dca0zH5otpE

 

[GeneMiller]

I love my machine in the box truck. It's super easy to work on when necessary. I get plenty of walk ups and calls because of the billboard.
its not a vortex but I love it.

Gene

 

[BradFenstermaker]

Lyon those Vortex's are workhorses. Sold mine last yr and its working hard for its 3rd Master.

http://used.jondon.com/view-classif...ner-operator/maryland/frederick/direct-drive/
Check out this beauty

This is a close friend and one of the better used Vortex out there. I wouldn't hesitate running his. He taught me a lot about mine.

The 2002-1999 have the 2 large 140 gal wastetanks, so a good Welder can remove/modify 1 tank out of the truck for ya.

If you do lots of commercial or have a small service area. The 280 gal water and waste tanks are GREAT!

Or if ya plan to dual wand.

Good Luck, with anything used do your homework, Ask for maintance records. Check out those fluids.

 

[AshleyMckendree]

After completely dismantling and modifying a 99 777, and working on several incarnations of the V's for other people (6008's and a few 7000 HATS)

I would NOT hesitate to buy another, even if in rough condition. (As long as the price is right)

If you can get passed the Xentherm system, they are the SIMPLEST systems out there.
Just look how stupid simple these things are:
View attachment 4692

 

[Jim Martin]

its about production.and you better have it if you want to run one...... if you don't....it is a slow painful death...because it is not cheap to keep one of these running....the break down alone on the UD will cost a hell of a lot .......

If you have the work to support one...then go for it......it will do you good.....I promise you if you find one...be prepared to sink some money into it.........it is rare to find one in great shape with no problems.......

Mine did me good...but I had a bunch of huge accounts....the economy took most of them and what was left I gave away...it was no longer smart for me to keep it.........

 

[Captain America]

What about heat on these vortex
Seems like they have huge airflow...but still gotta have heat
Cap

 

[Jim Martin]

What about heat on these vortex
Seems like they have huge airflow...but still gotta have heat
Cap

If the system is running correct....you will have more heat then you would ever need............

 

[Captain America]

I've seen them for as low as $25,000 for a 2000 UD 1400 with Vortex.

Are they expensive to repair and maintain?

I'd love to get into the big truck club, but I'm not rich and can't afford a $100,000 rig.

I'd get some help and run 2 wands and maybe a 3rd man as a helper. I don't have enough work for it yet, but I'll do whatever it takes to make it worth it. I can't carry all my toys in my Chevy Express extended rig. And a bigger billboard on the side of the truck might draw more attention


....

Gotta count the cost..and have the work...miles per gallon to drive a vortex...I have a minivan with about the same machine as my large van gets 16 miles per gallon.....
I found it was about the same to get 2 vans with 2 truckmounts...put one guy on one job and me on another..come to gether for the big jobs..him on one end and me on the other...
Also if one breaks down you have the other
One man operations are easier to maintain and keep up with and customers like the owner...also more profit per job....
I bought a zipper and continue to maintain a one man operation..
You can always soup up your truckmount that you have..kero heater..or bigger engine or blower...
thats what I did with my naamcos and they work great.....
Also remember you still have to be competitive in pricing.....in your area....customers wont always pay for a more expensive truckmount
Also stay out of debt..i expand my equipment one piece at a time..no debt I can't pay off by the end of the year.

the cap

 

[Bill Morgan]

I agree with you Marcus.. Excellent advice to stay debt free as much as possible and don't get over extended.

I'd suggest getting the work to warrant a Vortex first.

Depends on what motivates you... For me, I like having a goal first, building a plan, working that plan, and ultimately achieving it. Some sadistic bastards like putting themselves in high stress situations and claim it's motivation to work harder.

I like positive motivation, not negative or pressure cooker motivation. I'm too old for that..

Good luck and keep us posted.
Bill

 

[Papa John]

My purchase of my 2004 Vortex was my "Hell Mary Pass" to success.. I was in a runt-- spinning my wheels, painfully stuck in the same ditch some of you are in. If I didn't do something to improve my situation- that ditch would have turned into a grave. The funny thing is-- I couldn't qualify for a loan on a basic TM/van set-up... BUT I did qualify for a lease on a new vortex!
I proclaimed! "Success or Bankruptcy-- which will it be!?!--

My Vortex was made and improved by AeroTech.. so its a good one. In order to afford the Vortex I stopped "ALL Advertising" and any other un-needed expense. I would let the Vortex and my great dedication to customer service do the advertising for me..

The Vortex cleans faster n better then any machine I've owned-- and makes an average tech-- outstanding!!

The Vortex is very durable and cost next to nothing to maintain... IF you know how to use it. But the heat in Arizona might affect the vortex differently then SF.
I heard crazy stories about how some of you may have run you Vortex with out Blower filters-- at least that's what Greenie tried to get me to do a few times.... That's Just Stupid---- would you want dirt to get into the combustion chamber of an engine??-- of course not but the damage would be the same...

But be sure to check out the city ordnances where you will be parking the Vortex- I cant park it over-night in residential areas and its a big issue here in San Francisco--- So I may be selling mine in near future to "Out of my Area" CC-- Not enough biz yet to support 4 trucks yet.. but working on it..

Oh Moser- I had my Vortex for sell last year at Proline in Sacramento-- But judging the condition I received it in when I decided to take it back-- It was obvious that no one read the manual or knew how to operate it..

But Yes INVEST in best equipment you cant afford!-- I did and it worked for me..

 

[Mikey P]

I heard crazy stories about how some of you may have run you Vortex with out Blower filters-- at least that's what Greenie tried to get me to do a few times.... That's Just Stupid---- would you want dirt to get into the combustion chamber of an engine??-- of course not but the damage would be the same...

He meant the built in lint filters, not the filters inside the tank.

 

[Moser Brothers]

My purchase of my 2004 Vortex was my "Hell Mary Pass" to success.. I was in a runt-- spinning my wheels, painfully stuck in the same ditch some of you are in. If I didn't do something to improve my situation- that ditch would have turned into a grave. The funny thing is-- I couldn't qualify for a loan on a basic TM/van set-up... BUT I did qualify for a lease on a new vortex!
I proclaimed! "Success or Bankruptcy-- which will it be!?!--

My Vortex was made and improved by AeroTech.. so its a good one. In order to afford the Vortex I stopped "ALL Advertising" and any other un-needed expense. I would let the Vortex and my great dedication to customer service do the advertising for me..

The Vortex cleans faster n better then any machine I've owned-- and makes an average tech-- outstanding!!

The Vortex is very durable and cost next to nothing to maintain... IF you know how to use it. But the heat in Arizona might affect the vortex differently then SF.
I heard crazy stories about how some of you may have run you Vortex with out Blower filters-- at least that's what Greenie tried to get me to do a few times.... That's Just Stupid---- would you want dirt to get into the combustion chamber of an engine??-- of course not but the damage would be the same...

But be sure to check out the city ordnances where you will be parking the Vortex- I cant park it over-night in residential areas and its a big issue here in San Francisco--- So I may be selling mine in near future to "Out of my Area" CC-- Not enough biz yet to support 4 trucks yet.. but working on it..

Oh Moser- I had my Vortex for sell last year at Proline in Sacramento-- But judging the condition I received it in when I decided to take it back-- It was obvious that no one read the manual or knew how to operate it..

But Yes INVEST in best equipment you cant afford!-- I did and it worked for me..

My backyard is a concrete parking lot, I can fit at least 3 or 4 UD truck back there. I doubt I could get a loan on a $100,000 Aerotech. So if you didn't advertise how'd you get enough new business to pay for the lease? If I had one I market it on facebook and EDDM


....

 

[dealtimeman]

If you can afford it and it think it will give you more confidence or pride in your it would be great!

 

[Papa John]

My backyard is a concrete parking lot, I can fit at least 3 or 4 UD truck back there. I doubt I could get a loan on a $100,000 Aerotech. So if you didn't advertise how'd you get enough new business to pay for the lease? If I had one I market it on facebook and EDDM


So buy a used Vortex-- but 1st investigate what it costs to lease a new one. BTW-- hope you know that if you spend 30K on buying a used Vortex-- it only cost you $15k in real dollars-- cuz of the write off.

Anyway--on to the question---"how could I afford the $1000/month lease if I didn't Advertise"---
Have you Seen or heard the Vortex in Action?? That BILLBOARD, That sound, That quality, And my Kind, Professional and dedication to making CHEERLEADERS instead of money is what helped me succeed...

Sent from my semi retirement home in the rice fields of Thailand. I could retire now at age 50 but I love the drama of running a business..

 

[Papa John]

He meant the built in lint filters, not the filters inside the tank.

My Bad-You are correct Mikey and thanks that correction- I remember now-it was Noel at Pro-line who tried to get me to operate it without the blower filters. but Greenie did try to get me to operate my Blue line tm without the blower knuckle valve screen. which would be equally bad.

 

[Jim Martin]

My Vortex did not take me from average to outstanding in any way what so ever............
and my confidence and pride was already there before I even started my company.......that's what help me get to where I am today...not the machine....

It did however do everything that I needed it to do with the accounts that I had......and it is the best PTO/direct drive machine to run in the desert heat...

 

[dealtimeman]

a rice burner will get you from point a to point b - yes that is fact. if you could enjoy getting from point a to point b in an way like- faster, with style, more efficiency, wouldn't it be better?


( i should call aerotech and see if they need a salesman)

i have a 4 cylinder honda but prefer to drive my v8 american muscle any day!

most of the time i want to have more power than i need, can't have it always but i will say i like to have that option.

 

[Captain America]

I've seen them for as low as $25,000 for a 2000 UD 1400 with Vortex.

Are they expensive to repair and maintain?

I'd love to get into the big truck club, but I'm not rich and can't afford a $100,000 rig.

I'd some help and run 2 wands and maybe a 3rd man as a helper. I don't have enough work for it yet, but I'll do whatever it takes to make it worth it. I can't carry all my toys in my Chevy Express extended rig. And a bigger billboard on the side of the truck might draw more attention
....

Some thoughts:
The vortex mightbe good for large commercial jobs
I would Write all this down on paper
- how much profit do you make now?
- how much more profit will you make if any?
- do you have the work?
- positive and negatives( expenses, harder to park....)
- do you havetheworker(hardest to find)
- do you have tools to make cleaning faster?(zipper, ti wand, rx 20)
- pass this by your family members, dad, grandad, wife....
I know a guy who grosses 300...400k multi truck but doesn't profit over 40$ If that
I also know 2 other guys who bought vans for 8 year loans and are barely able to eat....
I can gross about 60 k and profit around 45 k less headaches....no debt
The cap

 

[dealtimeman]

MORE POEPLE THAT WORK FOR YOU WITH A CONTROLLED AND WELL MANAGED SYSTEM, THE MORE MONEY YOU WILL MAKE.

the most we could ever do in a year with two people was around 260,000 and there was many, many,many,many,many 12-16 hour days to be able to do that. i am not saying that you need employees and a lot of vans to make money, but once a good system is in place you will have the opportunity to make and keep more money as there is only so much one or a crew of two can do in a day.

a lot of guys prefer to stay one van with a back up or a two van setup and earn a great living, some aspire to have multi truck companies where they are the big boss even though they don't even profit 20%(keep in mind 20% of $2,000,000 is $400,000) and that is really good for them.

The question is what do you want?????????????????

WHAT DO YOU WANT?

 

[Moser Brothers]

I talked to Aerotech and they'll finance most of the cost, they must really believe in carpet cleaners to give out such a big loan. I'm not ready to buy one yet, but if I can scrape up a down payment I may be ready


....

 

[Jim Martin]

All due respect.........but if you have to scrape together a down payment.....then your company is not there yet.......

 

[Captain America]

Lyon. Bro
You've had a lot of input...too much will be confusing...
You gotta boil this down to one or 2 issues...
I would fall in with Jim ....
I believe most guys would agree with me on this forum that the most difficult thing in this business is finding a good worker and keeping him.......
If you don,t have the worker and you. Have to have that worker to payoff the vortex I would wait until you find that worker....
Gotta have the Work and the Worker to make this profitable for you...
However an rx20. And a zipper could take the place of another worker as it will be less labor....
The cap

 

[Captain America]

I've seen them for as low as $25,000 for a 2000 UD 1400 with Vortex.

Are they expensive to repair and maintain?

I'd love to get into the big truck club, but I'm not rich and can't afford a $100,000 rig.

I'd get some help and run 2 wands and maybe a 3rd man as a helper. I don't have enough work for it yet, but I'll do whatever it takes to make it worth it. I can't carry all my toys in my Chevy Express extended rig. And a bigger billboard on the side of the truck might draw more attention


....

Bro what kinda truckmount are you sitting on now
What size engine ...blower and heat?
Cap

 

[Moser Brothers]

Bro what kinda truckmount are you sitting on now
What size engine ...blower and heat?
Cap

Dynachem, 24hp honda, 4 blower, heat exchanged unit and I use a propane heater sometimes, I cimex the bad jobs and clean with a glided TI wand. I had a rx-20 and rotary drimaster sold them for the cimex. I get 240 with the heater on and 180 to 220 without it


....

 

[Carpet Cleaning Fool]

Sure,

I have a used vortex 777 i'm thinking about selling.

It's fully serviced and ready to rock.

 

[Captain America]

Dynachem, 24hp honda, 4 blower, heat exchanged unit and I use a propane heater sometimes, I cimex the bad jobs and clean with a glided TI wand. I had a rx-20 and rotary drimaster sold them for the cimex. I get 240 with the heater on and 180 to 220 without it


....

I believe what you have to decide if you want to go to a 2 man operation or be owner operator....
Remember a good worker is hard to find and if he is really good he will get out on his own and be your competition....
1 worker = 2 headaches+30k per year extra
I chose to stay owner-operator and use part timers on large jobs if I ever needed them
I hold down 5 resturants a month and do all the work myself accept 1 job....so it can be done
1 owner with 1 zipper + 1 rx 20 = 2 workers on wands imo
Also homeowners are more comfortable with the owner in there house by himself.
the cap

 

[Captain America]

I've seen them for as low as $25,000 for a 2000 UD 1400 with Vortex.

Are they expensive to repair and maintain?

I'd love to get into the big truck club, but I'm not rich and can't afford a $100,000 rig.

I'd get some help and run 2 wands and maybe a 3rd man as a helper. I don't have enough work for it yet, but I'll do whatever it takes to make it worth it. I can't carry all my toys in my Chevy Express extended rig. And a bigger billboard on the side of the truck might draw more attention


....

No truckmount is perfect....
Kero-deisel heat.. will always outheat any heat exchanger no matter how big the engine....
Also the vortec will not be as easy to park in some homes....
A pto is not a perfect machine..if the van goes done the truckmount goes down.....
Also who is gonna work on it.. I don't know anyone within 100 miles from me that can work on a pto...but that's in texas....
Every machine will breakdown at some point....
An option if you decide to stay owner-operator some options:
-you can soup up your dynachem?
- larger engine - kholer 35hp(2800$), generac 35hp(2200$)
- 47 blower - 1750$
- kero heater - 1500$(northern tool)2000?(kleanline)
you could get top of the line equipment for one wand for around 5500$ plus instalation
the cap

 

[Desk Jockey]

you could get top of the line equipment for one wand for around 5500$ plus instalation

WOW! I guess that depends who's line.

$5,500.00 is below entry level in nearly everyone's line that I know of.

 

[Captain America]

WOW! I guess that depends who's line.

$5,500.00 is below entry level in nearly everyone's line that I know of.

not talking about building a truckmount from scrach just replacing his engine blower and heat?
I just did this to both my namcos accept the blower
generac engine 33hp is 2000$ ..generac 35hp is 2200$ just talkied tothe guy last month
47 tuthill blower at steambrite they quoted me 1750$ about the same as a 45 blower
kero heater at northern tools is 1500$ i have had 3 of them
if I ever got another I believe I would get a keleanline as he has stainless steel heaters and they weigh less..dont know price?
cheaper than buying a new truckmount
I do the same with my vans...replace the engine or transmission and drive it another 100k or so..stay outa debt..make a profit....imo
cap