I plan to re-open my vacuum shop & need to know which shampooers to buy.  Since I hear that Hoover Steam Vac SpinScrub (NOT the Dirt Devil Easy Steamer style) is better than its competitors, I'm not sure whether to get the Classic or Platinum?  I know the Bissell ProHeat & Royal/Dirt Devil are junk & the Rug Doctor doesn't scrub the carpet good enough like the XXX & Hoover do.

Extractor type

1. Hoover Steam Vac SpinScrub w/Clean Surge
2. Hoover Platinum or XXX R/C Steam Vac
3. XXX Duo Power (Hoover Dual V)

Scrubber/polisher type

1. Aerus/Lux Floor Pro
2. Koblenz Cleaning Machine
3. Hoover FloorMAX (or Floor-A-Matic)
4. Oreck Orbiter

hooverman wrote:

Hooverman

At the shop i work at..we sell the Hvr spin scrub with nothing but praises...have proven to be very reliable as we also use them as our rental units...so you can imagine the abuse they take. I also own one and love it.  But ive also heard some great things about the rug dr.....that it cleans better ..removes more water from the carpets...ect.  would like to try one out and test it tho. Bissells are a nightmare to work on....seem to be the most problematic ...break down..fall apart ...well 'at least the ones that come to the shop. Wish you the very best on your vac shop.

turtle1

The rug doctor has the Carpet and Rug Institute seal of approval - at the gold level. 

Tested and Approved for Superior Cleaning
by the Carpet and Rug Institute

Rug Doctor's already superior deep cleaning system now has the prestigious Gold certification from the national trade association for the carpet and rug industry - the Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI).

Because of CRI's rigorous testing and stringent standards, only 10% of all submissions receive certification within the three passing levels - bronze, silver, or gold. Although the majority of consumer carpet cleaner manufacturers have submitted machines to CRI, Rug Doctor® was the first consumer and commercial-use machine to earn CRI certification. Today Rug Doctor is still the only carpet cleaning system for home use with the Gold certification from CRI.*

The CRI Gold certification means that this is a superior, professional-grade carpet cleaning system. The Gold logo represents a thorough and rigorous testing process by the independent third-party lab that sets the highest standards in the carpet cleaning industry.

As of 03/2007

I'll go for the Hoover SpinScrub; but for scrubber-type I don't know wheter to go for Lux or Koblenz.

My advice FWIW is to be knowledgeable personally and professionally with whatever products you carry and sell.  Perhaps if more than one is appealing to you have both for sale and let users' reactions, experiences, and feedback dictate your ultimate product choice for exclusive sale.

Carmine D.

Since I've had GREAT experience with the Electrolux shampooer (my parents had both the B-8 3-brush & the Turbotool vacuum-driven mdls since 1970) I think I'll buy a few Lux shampooers (but even used ones on eBay are more expensive than Koblenz)  The ONLY thing I don't like about these scrubbers is they can't pick up water from floors like a Hoover Floor-A-Matic can but the Lux seems durable since it lasted 40+ yrs hard use; I dk about the Koblenz.

My Electrolux is like this but its aqua & not grey like this one shown.

but $200 is too expensive for me to buy an Electrolux used from eBay (my parents paid that much for new one back in 1970) why so expensive?

The 3 brush Lux polishers/shampooers were fine for their times.  Simple, lightweight, quiet, all metal.  Fold down handle for easy storage and transport.  Easy to clean after use: Remove the polisher/shampoo brushes and brush plate and rinse in warm water and let dry.  Tank is on the small side.  Biggest problem is finding the right shampoo and solution mix for all different carpets w/o creating alot of suds.  A chemist worth his/her salt can assist with the right one for most/each carpet type.  Most users also have a tendency to oversoak the rugs with solution with these 3 brush models.  They last for ever.

Carmine D.

Severus wrote:

Hello SEVERUS:

To my knowledge at least 2 retailers carry and sell this brand now with a model ideal for home use: Kohl's and COSTCO.  Usually retails for $400-$600 and always a sale on them.  Impressive machine.  Competes with a pervasive number of authorized retailers who rent these by the day along with selling all the different solutions.  Rental users tend to return these in terrible shape and the retailers put out for rent w/o always scoping out/servicing properly after return.  More reason to buy/own your own.

oh well if you think the $200 is expensive, turn a blind eye to Sebo's new Disco polisher head for their cylinders or Felix/Dart uprights.

hooverman wrote:

Considering the price of a new one, $200 is realtively reasonable as long as shipping fees are low or non-existent.  Rug shampooers are not used daily but a few times at most during the year except by those who want to polish floors as well.  Nonetheless, I'd say the war and tear factor is substantially less with reasonable use and care. 

It's a new world.  $200 now stands as no money and there are few new good electrical devices, other than small appliances, that you can buy with it.

Venson

Venson wrote:

Hi Venson:

If I recall correctly, the last time I bought one of these new lux 3 brush machines in the mid 80's, they were selling for $300-$400.

Carmine D.

The Floor Pro from Aerus is an excellent unit. The cost new is $899 with a five year warranty. The three brush design has been around since 1924 since the first unit came out. It does excellent cleaning and can be used commercially. This unit can not be bought new  for vac shops. They can only be bought new through an Aerus Representative or office. These units are durable and used ones  when you can get them last a very long time. I personally used one in commercial carpet cleaning for 10 years and had no problems. Very easy to demo and sell. It is the proper weight for doing waxing and cleaning  . 20 pounds. Very easy to manuever due to the three brush design.  If you buy for your store go with B-9 onward . All that had changed was name and color to go with the current unit.  for more info PM me.

procare wrote:

Hello Procare:

I had one of these.  It was made in Sweden by Lux for export.  I gifted it away several years ago before moving.  It was still working as good as new!

Carmine D.

Here's an interesting relatively low priced floor polisher/cleaner.

http://www.hammacher.com/Product/75775?promo=Home-Care&catid=42

This vendor HAMMACHER SCHLEMMER & COMPANY, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. WWW1
HAMMACHER SCHLEMMER • 147 E. 57th ST • NEW YORK, NY • 10022 • 1-800-321-1484 has a unique unconditional life time guarantee. 

The Home Floor Scrubber / Polisher.

This home floor cleaner scrubs and polishes any hard surface floor or carpet with a commercial machine's vigor, yet is easily controlled with one hand. The dual, counter-rotating nylon brushes spin at 470 rpm to remove deeply imbedded stains from carpets and buff a brilliant sheen into hardwood floors, tile, or marble. The 1/3-horsepower machine can be used with any home cleaning solution or stain remover and is as easy to operate as a vacuum cleaner; the brushes engage with a tap of the foot pedal, its lightweight, slim design and wheels allow you to quickly navigate around furniture and along walls, and the 18'-long cord provides enough slack to clean large areas. Three sets of pads--felt (wood floors), microfiber (tile) and terry cloth (carpet)--accommodate different surfaces, or you can leave the brushes uncovered to scrub concrete in a garage or basement. The rugged ABS housing and 18-gauge steel handle ensure years of reliable use. Plugs into AC. 40" H x 11 1/2" W x 8 1/2" D. (6 lbs.)

Item 75775

 $149.95

The smart tyrant writes his own story to ensure that it is favorable.  The lazy will repeat lines from the book without fact checking. 

Severus wrote:

Venson wrote:

Severus and Venson:

I have a 2 brush HOOVER 5130 from the late 50's/early 60's.  I still use it.  Works well.  All still original.  Certainly easily usable with one hand as the ad says about the new model posted that copies it.  In fairness to the double handle Lux 3 brush, it is easily usable with one hand too.  I like both machines and would probably sell both if I had a store and there was a demand by customers for waxers/polishers and shampooers.  While I carried and sold the HOOVER 2 brushes for many years, when customers wanted a 3 brush I would refer to a Lux rep for sale.  Not that big a demand, especially for home use at the price.

Carmine D.

who made these shampooers?  I've seen these when grocery stores used to rent them; but don't know who made them.  When was the last time these were still for rent?  Does anyone have these Blue Lustre or Rug Doctor shampooers?  Plz post any info about these scrubbers.

hooverman wrote:
REGINA

But wouldn't a Hoover SV SpinScrub or Dual V be better than Rug Dr. or Rotovac?  Which give better results if I were to shampoo carpets?  Or should I get a Thermax or Rinse N' Vac or the old school Rug Dr. 2-pc unit?

I would go with the Aerus/Lux Shampooer's. Easy to use, splash guard is wonderful for keeping suds off of woodwork and furniture that you are not moving. Tray to set it in, this tray also keeps the brushs up so the brushes won't get smashed down. I was disappointed when they did away with the cord winder, but you get a much longer cord in the trade off. I used mine a few months ago, mine has the cord winder and I used a heavy duty extention cord due to the short cord. Ease of cleanup is a breeze. In the past I have used hoovers, rug doctor, blue lustre and none compare. On top of that they have a dry suds Turbo Shampoo that is absolutely wonderful. The tank has water marks and you add a capfull per line and by capfull I mean the tank cap itself, how much easier than that......

One more thing, the shape is unique and allows you to get into tight corners and around things more easily. As we get older, there are some items that cannot be moved easily and as long as you are careful and keep a micro fibre cloth with you and wipe the legs if any shampoo happens to get on them, problem solved. I have jewel tone carpets and shampoo once or twice a year. The shampoo also brings back the brightness to those jewel tones.

PS, almost forgot, cleanup is a breeze, after shampooing.

Procare knows way more than I do about this and as he said, you may want to pm him.

Sincerely,

Bud

budmattingly wrote:

Agree as written.  I would add for the furniture legs this suggestion.  Tip/tilt the furniture piece and place a a small square of folded aluminum foil under the leg before shampooing.  Allow a small amount of surplus foil that you can use to wrap around the bottom of the leg's foot.  Especially if the furniture piece is heavy and sinks into the rug.  Then remove the foil when the rug is dry.

Carmine D.

Here is a link to an article comparing different types of carpet cleaning.  It is somewhat biased towards hot water extraction, since that is the method recommended by Shaw and other major carpet manufacturers.

http://www.baneclene.com/articles/methods.html

A while back it was noted that Riccar was getting into the carpet cleaner business with a hot water extraction system similar to the Rug Doctor.  Any news on this?  As previously noted, Bissell has expanded into the rental business with Big Green Cleaning machines at Lowes. 

It's my understanding that anything other than hot water extraction methods would void the warranty on my carpeting.  

Hooverman this thread is a year old from when you first wrote it. Did you ever re-open your shop and are you still looking for a Carpet Machine? Is this for rental? If so I have the Simplicilty/Riccar unit and I am really happy with it so far... as are the customers who have rented it. If you want more specific Info you may PM me. Lucky.

Severus wrote:

Hello SEVERUS:

Merry Christmas.

Here's a link that may interest you on RICCAR:

http://www.nybakke.com/capture.htm

Carmine D.

Severus, There are a few things that will void your warranty. Not using the so-called "Steam" cleaning which is really hot water and chemical is not going to void the warranty.It also depends on the manufacturer. It is stated to not to have a silicone based anti soil solution put on your carpet. Scotch Gard that has been put on later will keep you from getting dirt out of the carpet. As far as Baneclene, they are fine people. I met them when we went to seminars on spot and stain removal from the leading expert in 1975. At that time the expert told my father and I when we asked what the best process to clean was away from the rest of the carpet cleaners. He said for professional cleaning use- Von Schrader dry foam-vacuum extraction and for do it your self - Electrolux floor shampooer system. He couldn't say anything in front of the audience because he was to push his company's hot water unit. At that time we were using both units and were very sucessful with them. The Aerus( formerly Electrolux) Floor Pro is the same fantastic unit just improved thru the years. Von Schrader is still around too. If you have Wool blend or wool as well as cotton rugs hot water extraction is out. Procare

The machine that can't be beat--XXX SteamMaster ProPlus!

hooverman, That XXX is also sold as Hoover. Procare

hooverman, The model # is FH50240 Multisurface Pro and Model #FH50220 Pressure Pro. Procare

procare wrote:

Merry Christmas Procare.

I've found hot water shrinks the fibers on cotton and wool rugs.

Carmine D.

I concur with the praise of the Aerus/Lux Floorpro. If you desire a superlative cleansing of your carpets, I highly recommend  picking up/rinsing with a Hoover Steam vac using white vinegar in water, totally breaks up any soap residue and acts as a defoamer. squeaky clean! I have also used a Kirby shampooer and followed with the Hoover steam vac with excellent results

Trebor wrote:

Hi Trebor

I also have tried it the way you mentioned...with both machines...and the results were excellent. Well worth the time and effort.

turtle

When CU tested carpet cleaners some time ago, they found the ones with stationary "cross action" brushes did the worst job cleaning rugs. 
Those are usually on the cheaper machines, though Bissell and Dirt Devil do have low cost machines with rotary brushes.

What worries me is the soap residue all the extractors leave behind. 
My workaround's to go over the rug again with the machine filled with only hot water, thus "rinsing" the rug.

Would be nice to find a "dry" carpet cleaner that really works without producing gobs of fine dust that clog vacuum bags in a hurry.

I guess I'm going for a Hoover SpinScrub Steam Vac mdl #F5914 for now; they seem to last longer than the others.

The Royal has been great for us almost no issues

I have experienced excellent results using the HOST carpet cleaning compound. It is made of ground sea sponges saturated with solvent. No harm done by walking on it, no soaking of carpet, and no need to move heavy furniture to avoid stains from wood legs/metal buttons. It dries to a granular residue, not a powder.

Actionvac wrote:

Just wanted to add my kudos for the Royal Procision 7910.   Works greats.  I like the two scrubber bars instead of the floating heads on the others.  It has two suction locations..before and aft..the brushes/liquid dispenser.  Soap and water are dispensed separatedly so I can rinse or use soap.  It is very stingy with the soap.  Don't know if it is too stingy.  However, we have old carpets and have always had an animal in the house.  Cleans carpets great.  They look like new.  I bought a carpet cleaner to use on the older carpet because I wanted complete control over how much water and soap went into the carpet.  3 yr warranty.   Very pleased.......so far.     (NO.  don't work for them.  I'm in an auto related business.)

n2n2 wrote:

Thanks n2n2,

It's great to hear from actual users who can say flat out, "This works for me."

Personally, I think that your 7910's sparing application of rug cleaning detergent may not be a bad thing. Sometimes, residue left by way of over application can attract and hold dirt.

Best,

Venson