What items do I need to go with my 175?

[Shane T]

I've seen some posts that make reference to a Mex in relation to a 175. Can someone tell me what it is?
I just purchased a nice used 175 and plan to use it to do some pre-scrubbing on carpet and tile. Also I may use it to encap on a small scale.
What do I need as far as drivers, brushes and pads to do these things.
Thanks, Shane

 

[Blue Monarch]

The Mex refers to the Cimex. Read all about it at www.excellent-supply.com

 

[Shane T]

Okay, I guess I should have figured that out. I know that a rotary won't work as well at scrubbing grout as a Cimex or even an orbital but is there a one brush that will work better than an other? What about other useful items to have with the 175?

 

[sweendogg]

I'm in the same boat as you. I just purchased new to me 175 machine. Check out excellent supply and get some of Rick's Fiber Plus and Fiber Plus Max pads, for encap and prescrub. Also do lots of searching. I could relay what I've found but it would take much longer for me to explain then to just let you search. Short hand is a 175 is great for prescrub, encaping, even bonnet cleaning or post bonnet drying. And that is just carpet. Its very vesatile when there is not alot of money to spend on the nicer equipment like Cimex, or the OP machines. Besides Mikeys Board, check out www.encapboard.com, they are the forum hooked on to excellent supply. Both are full of tons of info. :wink:

 

[hogjowl]

For prescrubbing carpets and old style shampoo brush is the absolute best thing you can buy. Get one of both gauges. Use the soft one for cut piles and the harder one for commercial and berbers.

As far as encap. cleaning goes, I'm sure one of Rick's fiberplus pads is great, but a regular old Tuway (or any other) synthetic pad will do.

 

[Dolly Llama]

you need at least one good pad driver, Shane.

The best I've ever owned is a fiberglass? polymer? (some kind of durable composite material) with steel clutch plate (the thing that connects to the rotary)
It has hundreds of tiny short needle like fingers that grip and hold fast to any pad or bonnet you'll throw under it.
They're not cheap though.
Think i paid over a hundred bucks for ours

I've found them to be much better than the wooden ones with stiff nylon(?) bristles.

get several synthetic green striped scrub bonnets.
Some cotton pads
some cotton/synthetic blend pads
a few VCT type pads in white or beige.
(after you safely learn to scrub with them, you can use more aggressive pads on com carpets)

Don't buy a ton of any til you try 'em all and find what works best for you.

I have a shampoo brush, but honestly, we haven't used it in years.
Pads and bonnets work better for us in all carpet cleaning situations we encounter.

With the assortment of bonnets/pads I mentioned, you'll be able to bonnet clean, pre-scrub and encRap any carpet

..L.T.A.

 

[diamond brian]

Powr-Flite has the plastic pad drivers with the short nubs for under $100. Get a dozen or so Glad Pads from CCS for OP. You can strap some weight on the 175 for large grout jobs.

 

[Jay D]

Get like larry and brian said but make sure the block is a shower feed block. I personally would then add a shampoo tank with the shower feed so you can encap(shampoo) with it and a fiberplus pad. Also if the need arises you can use it for stripping or scrubbing floors. Glad pads + 2-3green strip bonnets for prescrubbing. Or a DITTO.

 

[Larry Cobb]

Shane;

As Marty mentioned, a stiff nylon brush will do an excellent job of agitation.

Add a good pad driver & microfiber bonnet for "Encapsulation" and you will have a great interim method.

If you learn how to "heel" the machine accurately, you can also do some grout cleaning.

Larry Cobb

 

[Harry]

175 rotary

I use a cotton pad with green strips .Works great for agitation and encapping.

 

[Frank E]

For scrubbing carpet I have a brush and some fiber plus pads, also use the fiber plus for encapping. I have found for pre scrubbing tile the 3M segmented brush works well, Cobb carries them I believe..

 

[The Cleaning Artist]

You should never scrub a cut pile carpet. I laugh at all these big(as in TM) boasting cleaners that have to scrub to get a carpet clean.

It really is fairly easy when you know what your doing.

 

[breathe72]

Hey "Cleaning Artist"...

Did you know Jimmy Ladwig is looking for you?


:roll:

 

[The Cleaning Artist]

?

HELLO


I'm right here

 

[Jimmy L]

i'M WaTChINg eVeRYoNE.

 

[Shane T]

Larry, Can you explain what you mean when you say "heel the machine"?

 

[hogjowl]

He's talking about turning the machine up on it's side while running. It puts the weight of the machine on the edge of the driver and delivers more torque.

It can also deliver a hole in the wall, if you don't watch it.

 

[Shane T]

I see some pad drivers have a riser. Why?

 

[Ron Lippold]

makes it easier to drive a bigger pad so you dont tear up the base boards

 

[Art Kelley]

You should never scrub a cut pile carpet. I laugh at all these big(as in TM) boasting cleaners that have to scrub to get a carpet clean.

It really is fairly easy when you know what your doing.

I would never make a blanket statement like that. Of course I wouldn't use boatloads of exotic detergents and 70 gallons of water to clean a bedroom, either. When a carpet has heavy soil with worn traffic lanes and thick dark spots everywhere nothing will clean it as well as a thorough prespraying with a good TLC followed by a nice scrubbing with your 175 using a brush followed by a very thorough rinsing with soft water or acid side detergent in your steam cleaner.

 

[Shane T]

Okay, Today I used my 17" Thoro-matic rotary with soft nylon brush to prescrub a very short cut pile cgd. It did a nice job except it really seemed to bog down. I pre-sprayed with in-line and dispensed additionally from the tank on the rotary.
When I got back to the shop I was disappointed to find that the rotary is only a 1 horse unit( I thought I was buying 1 1/2 horse). Will this unit still work for prescrubbing carpet? Will it work better with pads?

 

[Dolly Llama]

if it was dogging down using a brush, g'luck using aggressive pads, Shane

you "should" be OK with pre-spray saturated synthetic bonnets
maybe even be al'ite white VCT pads on most carpets.

But you might find it doesn't have the guts to spin cotton pads or red VCT pads on com.

you won't know til you try it

also, the first time you try cotton or aggressive red pad, start in a WIDE open area and be prepared.
there's a LOT more drag/torque with those compared to a shampoo brush


..L.T.A.

 

[Shane T]

Thanks Larry, I was glad I was in the middle of a large vacant office. It took off on me before I caught up with it. I'm used to the RX-20 and this is nothing like it.

 

[Art Kelley]

Thanks Larry, I was glad I was in the middle of a large vacant office. It took off on me before I caught up with it. I'm used to the RX-20 and this is nothing like it.

A new rotary brush should be broken in before use by running it on rough concrete. Just be careful not to melt the nylon bristles by running it too long in one place. Otherwise the brush will grip on the carpet and be difficult to maneuver (not to mention shredding the hell out of the carpet yarn).

 

[Mikey P]

A full Horse should do fine.

My 3/4 OP rips right thorough em.

My 175 is 1.5 and flys.



Don't listen to the so called artist formally known as rug soaker.
He has stock in Chemspec.

 

[The Cleaning Artist]

Mr Mike,
So HOST kicked yer a$$ again? I would be ashamed.

 

[Mikey P]

I will use a black stripping pad on all resi nylons for now on.

 

[The Cleaning Artist]

You should sell the v and get the host system or hire someone that knows what their doing.

 

[Mikey P]

You should become a Supporting Member before I ban your pad soaking ass.

 

[The Cleaning Artist]

Can't afford to part with the cash right now, I'm saving for gas money for trip to Mikeyain'tbest in 2010.

Allsready gots me a rug DR and some high ph soap. practicing daily.


Would you be interested in buying my book "carpet clean'n fer dummies"? It sure would hep a brother out meeting my goal.