Whittaker Trio - one year later

[Derek]

since April 2013 to March 2014 i used the Trio on EVERY job, except the 1st month or 2 when i had some issues with it and it had to be returned for service/fixing....then i used the Cimex.

my experiences:

- cleans just as good as my Cimex (with their stiffest Trio brushes [blue brushes.])
- mill approved.
- for me it cleans a little faster than my Cimex.
- uses less cleaning solution than my Cimex (10-40% less depending.)
- it is NOT built like a tank, whereas the Cimex IS.
- the handle is VERY poorly designed, ergonomically just TERRIBLE, i can't stress this enough. i just finished 2 months of physical therapy for tendonitis in my index finger because of the terrible trigger design (i'm not the only one with this issue.) sounds ridiculous to me, and it is. i never knew how much that "injury" would affect daily life. i jimmy-rigged my own trigger system as i showed in a picture in another thread here on MB.
- it can NOT be used with a high pH cleaning solution / booster. i boost almost all of my encap solutions with ammonia. this slowly ate up the softer parts of the solution system in the Trio (like small O-rings.) i've replaced 3-4 sol pumps in a year. use their neutral ph encap and you should be good to go.

because of the last 2 points above, since March 2014 i'm back to using the Cimex on all projects that require ammonia or other high pH products. i use these products on all of my more heavily soiled (restoration) projects, which is maybe 70% of them. so while the Trio can clean as good as the Cimex, but because of the fact that i can't use high pH products in it, the Cimex can clean better with a high pH product in it (and it doesn't fall apart.)

it's nice to have a VLM machine that will not break a carpet warranty on the van, especially one that can give Cimex-type results on CGD. this gives us peace of mind in the EXTREMELY rare event of any warranty issue. but it'll probably never come up.

hope this helps others who are contemplating this CGD monster. on the brighter side, the price for a Trio has dropped $800 or so since i bought mine...

my next machine will be a Cimex.

 

[Larry Cobb]

Derek;

Thanks for the report.

It is a shame that the pump system is not more durable.

At $3900 the Trio should be.

All my customers with the 20" Dual Brush machines, are getting good service life.

Larry

 

[GeneMiller]

When I have a problem with an oring I just change it to a better quality. I use a lot of ammonia and peroxide and I find butyl works pretty good. I also use the green a/c orings which I believe are also butyl. I have 3 boxes of standard and metric in different materials.

gene

 

[Russ T.]

Appreciate the feedback Derek.

I heavily considered the Trio last year against the Cimex. I chose the Cimex because it is proven and built like a tank. I had used the Whittaker 2 brush to maintain a community college years ago and it really produced!

I'm glad I bought the Cimex though, especially after reading your report. I think you clean as much CGD as anyone here.


The Clean Machine of Iowa
www.thegreatcleanmachine.com

 

[Derek]

Appreciate the feedback Derek.

I heavily considered the Trio last year against the Cimex. I chose the Cimex because it is proven and built like a tank. I had used the Whittaker 2 brush to maintain a community college years ago and it really produced!

I'm glad I bought the Cimex though, especially after reading your report. I think you clean as much CGD as anyone here.

i'm glad you chose the Cimex Russ. my honeymoon period probably lasted a little over 8 months for me. it's a great machine, except the trigger design mostly. lots of moving parts, so of course it can't be as bullet proof as a Cimex. better O-rings like the ones Gene mentioned would'a been nice of them to install! but eh, they want you to use their encap in it so i get that.

Randy's company cleans wayyy more CGD than i do. there must be a couple others who do as well. i am small-time.

 

[ruff]

Derek, thanks for the review, very helpful.
just curious, would anything been different had you used the smaller CRB?

 

[Derek]

i dont see how Ofer, it's the same machine just narrower.

after 6 months (around 700 hours of use) i had to replace the brush set, they wore down a lot. $110 per brush....3 brushes. not sure how that compares to 6 months of fiber/vct pads on the Cimex.

another thing, that middle 3rd brush DOES contact the carpet. with the full weight of the machine down on the 2 outer brushes, those bristles bend enough to allow the center brush roll to make some contact...not sure how much though.

 

[Desk Jockey]

So if it had a better handle/trigger and pump it would be as good?

I would think the pump would be an easy replacement for one more heavy duty. The handle might be a harder redesign.

 

[Jimmy L]

If the handle is like the GLS where it's rounded and bends your wrists I just found an old 2 foot pipe and bolted it so now the handle is straight across.

 

[Lonny]

Could one simply get rid of the trigger and put a switch on it instead?

 

[Derek]

Richard, yes. the only way the Cimex could then out "Clean" it is in a case like today, a greasy restaurant. i put my 35LB diving belt on the head of the Cimex to really dig in. made all the difference. cant do t hat with the Trio. but that is a rare thing to need.

Jimmy, i did something similar...started a thread with this picture last year...still not the most comfy:

Lonny, a switch could probably be rigged, but i've no idea how to do that stuff.

 

[Derek]

the problem isn't so much the handle, as it is the trigger. this machine is heavier and i bet digs in a lot more than the GLS or similar sized CRB's. this makes for a slightly more challenging time controlling it. while you are trying to control it you are then trying to crank your index finger over to reach that trigger. do that on all of your jobs for 6 months and it wears things (like tendons) down...bad design for a machine this size. even my "new" handle alteration isn't the most comfy. a button maybe?? or better yet something like the Cimex trigger would be the ticket.

 

[Jimmy L]

I have the sprayer attachment and have never used it. I just use a battery sprayer and spray out an area and go over it.

And the straight bar I added is across the top of the curved main handle.

Very easy on the wrists and I get more control.

 

[Jimmy L]

I could send you a pic on your cell phone if you like because I two stoopit to figure out how to post it here.

 

[dealtimeman]

Will you buy another trio if yours goes out?

 

[Derek]

not a new one, if i could find a used one i'd think about it.

 

[Derek]

Will you buy another trio if yours goes out?

heck no

 

[Nate The Great]

What will you get then?

 

[Jimmy L]

When you bought that trio I remember you being so excited about it. But one should wait till the honeymoon is over?

 

[Lee Stockwell]

We should have a "Honeymoon Suite"

...Just for newbies to gush undying affection for their "greatest new love"

 

[Nate The Great]

Isn't that what T_ _ is for?!?

 

[ruff]

Hard to do.
Mike and Saiger are coming with a new one every other week.

 

[Mikey P]

Coming from the man still enamoured with his Hydrahoe.

 

[Jimmy L]

Yeah that Scott guy was something else.

 

[ruff]

Coming from the man still enamoured with his Hydrahoe.

Great wand.
Haven't had it for about 10 years. Currently two Ti wands (no brush head).
Catch up with the readership, "must have" master.

 

[Derek]

Nate, i bought another Cimex since. no more CRB's for me for now.

it cleans great Jimmy, only problem for me is the terrible trig design and the pump had to be replaced every 2-3 months. Whittaker will blame me for that though, since i ran high pH encaps from other company's thru their pump, which killed it. their 7pH Crystal Dry is all they'll guarantee...which i can understand.

 

[Jimmy L]

Switch out that pump for something like a flojet?

 

[Derek]

idk how to do stuff like that unfortunately. took me long enough to figure out how to replace their pumps.

 

[Old Coastie]

...have I mentioned lately how much I like the DP420? Dispenses floor stripper, tile wash, carpet solutions, encap and pretty much anything liquid, scrubs it in and slurps it back up with complete aplomb.

(That means "no problem" if you come from Prattville).

 

[ruff]

Derek,
How is the production ratio CRB versus Cimex?
Did you try any of the other CRB's? Like what Regi or Excellent supply sells.
Did the Trio require pre-vac or would it vac properly?
Wasn't part of your concern using a product that clears away from warranty issues?
Thanks