Truckmount for Best Fuel Economy ?

Larry Cobb · Mar 18, 2012

With the increases in fuel cost . . .

I have been getting requests for TM with best fuel economy.

That would be our 16HP model with #3 blower:

http://www3.cobbcarpet.com/zen3/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=66&products_id=4931

With smaller capacity Ford vans on the way,

do you think this entry-level type of TM will become the standard in the next few years.

Larry

Mikey P · Mar 18, 2012

Please tell me your pal from Wichita Falls aint building that for you.

nice price!

Jamesh921 · Mar 18, 2012

With smaller capacity vans on the way, do you think this type of TM will become the standard in the next few years.

Absolutely not.

Although there may be a few tree-huggers that insist on being as "green" as possible, most cleaners opt for the more powerful performers. Taking their "Big Boy" TM would be like trying to take their guns - you'll have to pry them from their cold, dead hands.

clean image · Mar 18, 2012

750 psi is max?

If yes then no

1500 psi min req

Larry Cobb · Mar 18, 2012

The Feds are demanding fuel economy numbers . . .

that can ONLY be met by smaller capacity vans.

The trend has to be to less weight.

Look at the Vortex TM trend.

Larry

P.S. Max pressure is 1200 PSI for grout cleaning.
Mikey- several vendors construct this package.

Larry Cobb · Mar 18, 2012

Speaking of green . . .

also have a TM prototype that runs on compressed natural gas.

Larry

Lee Stockwell · Mar 18, 2012

What is the fuel economy of the Chinese motor versus US engines?

Larry Cobb · Mar 18, 2012

Lee;

This engine has a fairly high compression ratio & overhead valves, which help the fuel economy.

This particular engine is built by the company that also built the 13HP Honda engine that we have used in the past.

I have only tested the 13HP Honda engine for small TM's in the past,

and they also had good fuel economy.

Our measurements (edit:for 16HP) show 3/4 gallon per hour under typical carpet cleaning load.

Larry

floorguy · Mar 18, 2012

Ok ok ok .soooooo wait a sec

the 13hp gets about 3/4 per hr.....and my 4cyl nissan gets ohhhh 1.25ish...

so about .5 worse or what 40%???

yet I KNOW it allows me to be 40% more efficient, let alone where i would be if i was dueling a good chunk of time....

UHHHHH anyone see the stupidity here??

kinda like the diesels.....lets make them have a regen burn, where they use MORE fuel to do it, rather then just make it get better MPG... so instead of pushing 25 MPG...lets make it get 20 or less, due to regen burns....

WTF

Mind you my "numbers" are just guesstamits

clean image · Mar 18, 2012

I'm with Doug

An over worked small engine is not going to save that much more fuel than a efficient larger engine like the kohler agesis.

And the difference in engine weight is less than 50#s guessing

Its all a price point

Larry Cobb · Mar 18, 2012

Doug;

We have some Nissan 4-cyl. TMs in the field.

They get good fuel efficiency, but burn more than 1.5 GPH.

Since they are in a much larger frame the total machine weight is two to three times as much.

Not really a good fit for the smaller capacity vans coming out.

Larry

GeneMiller · Mar 18, 2012

my a15 on high burns 1.2-1.23. i have a separate tank so it's easy to measure. i use to check it every tank but haven't in years. some of the numbers are still on the wall . i kept a ledger in pencil on the inside wall.

gene

Larry Cobb · Mar 18, 2012

Thanks, Gene, for the keeping the GPH figures.

What was the HP of the engine ?

What blower & pump was it powering ?

Do you know the RPM it was operating at, when you did the GPH checks ?

Hydramaster did a nice study of fuel consumption of many engines used on TM's,

but I don't think the Nissan was compared.

Larry

Dolly Llama · Mar 18, 2012

do you think this entry-level type of TM will become the standard in the next few years.

nope..not in the "foreseeable" future

the price point is the only thing that's attractive on that, Larry
Not all enamored with that Chinese motor
It doesn't mean much that the Co builds some motors for Honda (to "Honda's" specs)
cause that's not a Honda engine , it looks like a typical $300 POS Chinese engine

fuel consumption;
(my TM)
25hp Kohler /45 blower @ 14HG running at 2900 rpm , 1.1 GPM
at 3200 rpm @ 1.25 GPM
i run a separate tank, so I "know" what it uses ..it's not an estimate

shade over a dollar pr machine hour $aving$
("IF" your guess of 3/4 gph is right)

I know a dollar pr machine hour can add up to 6-700 bukz a year to the average BD
But don't you think an operator could recover that and more in increased performance with a better TM?

I'm curious what new HX technology you've found to get 200 degree water from a 16hp engine??
(at any kind of sustained flow)
that would be a break thru with congratulatory hi-fives in order

smaller foot print TM is where it's at .
That way smaller, more fuel efficient vans can be utilized ..
That's where the lion's share of fuel is burned ..the van, not the TM

..L.T.A.

AshleyMckendree · Mar 18, 2012

Is that the $299 DuroMax 16hp motor?

I bought 2 of em for the hell of it last year, been meaning to build a machine from em.

floorguy · Mar 18, 2012

well of course not.....

but i wasnt comparing it for the sake of small van vs regular vs box

Mikey P · Mar 18, 2012

Is that the fuel tank on top?

How long is that engine going to last?

Lee Stockwell · Mar 18, 2012

The PC 405's in the diesel vans run off separate 11 gallon gas tanks. We get 1.3 gallon per hour, figuring total hours/ total gallons over several fillups. If I stayed on top of tuneups and air cleaners it would likely be a wee bit better.

General Emperor 1500psi pump, Sutorbilt 4L, 47 blower. Nissan 1500cc. starts and runs like a scalded rabbit, almost never a hiccup.

I hate the sound of someone trying to start their lawnmower.

Jamesh921 · Mar 18, 2012

Jamesh921 · Mar 19, 2012

I hate the sound of someone trying to start their lawnmower.

:shock: :roll:

hey Marty, blow me :lol:

John Olson · Mar 19, 2012

Why Give up power,performance and quality when the best machines out there are already fuel efficienct?

Everest 650 1-1.25 gph
Hyundai Engine 1.6 liter (68 HP/3600 RPM)
Gardner Denver TL650 Triflow Vacuum Pump 650 CFM (HP & HP 650)
408 CFM (Everest & 650)
General Emperor Water Pump 3,000 PSI Max (HP & HP 650)
1,200 PSI Max (Everest & 650)
Water Flow Rate 5.5 GPM
Console Dimensions 47”L x 30-1/2”W x 39”H

Apex-.95-1.18gph
Kubota Engine .97 liter (31 HP/2700 RPM)
Gardner Denver Triflow T408 Vacuum Pump 408 CFM
General Water Pump 1,200 PSI Max
Water Flow Rate 5 GPM
Console Dimensions 47”L x 30-1/2”W x 39”H

The Peak .75-1gph
Kohler Engine .68 liter (26 HP/2850 RPM)
Gardner Denver Triflow T408 Vacuum Pump 290 CFM
Cat 3CP+ Water Pump 1,000 PSI
Water Flow Rate 3.7 GPM
Console Dimensions 47”L x 30-1/2”W x 39”H

Legend .75-1gph
Kohler Command Engine .67 liter (23 HP/2950 RPM)
Sutorbilt 4MVL Vacuum Pump 330 CFM
General Water Pump 1,000 PSI
Water Flow Rate 3.5 GPM
Console Dimensions 39-1/2”L x 31-21/32”W x 32-7/8”H

Blazer .75gph
Briggs & Stratton Engine .57 liter (18 HP/3200 RPM)
Tuthill Vacuum Pump 270 CFM
Cat 3CP Water Pump 1,000 PSI
Water Flow Rate 2.7 GPM
Console Dimensions 38-31/32”L x 31-27/32”W x 32-1/16”

steve g · Mar 19, 2012

Larry Cobb said:
With the increases in fuel cost . . .

I have been getting requests for TM with best fuel economy.

That would be our 16HP model with #3 blower:

http://www3.cobbcarpet.com/zen3/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=66&products_id=4931

With smaller capacity Ford vans on the way,

do you think this entry-level type of TM will become the standard in the next few years.

Larry

no I don't think that will be the trend. a #3 blower is too small of a blower, isn't that what a cub XL had?? its simply not enough blower to be able to efficiently clean the carpets with a reasonable production speed. are you really saving fuel if it takes longer to do the job?? #4 blower should be the blower that every entry level machine starts with. pair it with a 22hp engine and you have a good residential and ok commercial machine.

Lyman · Mar 19, 2012

Excuse me mrs piff, I have to go gas up every 1-2 hours. No fuel tap, even more savings.

NobleCarpetCleaners · Mar 20, 2012

The fuel burn expense on a TM is simple a marketing distraction. Ya might consider the ease of maintenance, repair and availability of components, however take a close look at your profit and loss figures and sober up. Fuel economy of a TM???, might as well obsess about the office supply columb on the spreadsheet.

Ron K · Mar 20, 2012

Broke dicks should be more concerned with how much it costs to have the machineNOT be running!

rhino1 · Mar 20, 2012

I'm not hung up on overly powerful TM's and the small blower wouldn't scare me from using it on short hose runs and there is a good market for TM's in that price range....

BUT would not even consider buying that machine with that POS toy engine. Come on, how much could it cost to put a real motor on that?

And how much would it cost to have a coordinated paint job? Thats got to be the ugliest thing I have EVER seen.

Larry Cobb · Mar 20, 2012

Chris;

I feel the Kohler 34-40 HP series of engines are the best choice for our TM's.

But the question was for best fuel economy . . .

The 16 HP clone engine is a good performer on many racing karts,

which implies some inherent degree of durability.

Larry

Truckmount for Best Fuel Economy ?

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