Wagner 905 Steamer

RickyMartinZ28 · 10-08-09, 08:50

Has anyone used or is using one of these units? They are made for wallpaper but seem to have steam on demand with a push button setup...

Just wondering how powerful they really are, and if they are worth having. Or, if I would be better off investing in an expensive steam unit...

I did a search and came across a thread from years ago where this was discussed, but seemed that most had a more expensive pro setup...

Thanks

-Rick

PS, they are about $100 at The Home Depot and Lowes...

Jakerooni · 10-08-09, 04:07

I have the wagner steamer and for a $100 investment you can't go wrong. The downside so far that I've noticed over the higher dollar set ups is it's not continious fill. So you'll have stop cool down refill and heat back up. But I've had zero issues with mine. I know a few other detailers that are using it and all have had great luck with them. And so far the only time I've ran out on a job is on a suburban. that took almost 2 tanks of water to finish. But normal cars and such I've never ran out of steam yet. Like I said for the dollars it's a hard bargain to beat.

DavidB · 10-08-09, 04:30

Rick,

Check out the reviews on Amazon:

Amazon.com: Wagner 905 1,500-Watt On-Demand Power Steamer and Cleaner: Home Improvement

sgronow · 10-08-09, 06:13

I bought one to help me remove the rear window tint in my 2008 corvette z06.
Worked like a charm. It helped me remove 99% of the tint with the glue intact

Tint removal with steam... - Corvette Forum

I plan on using it to do rims this weekend.

MichaelM · 10-08-09, 06:26

I have had that unit, though a McCullough brand, and currently own a VX-5000 unit. The cheaper units do the job but the higher powered commercial units are much more effective.

Some of the advantages to the commercial steamers are the output pressure they operate with and the drier steam they put out. The vx-5000 puts out "compressed air" like dry vapor steam. It also allows three levels of pressure output to help control the heat better.

The VX-5000 has a good size tank that has gotten us through all but the worst interiors. The fact that it isn't continuous fill isn't a problem because you do not need to let it cool between fillings. You just have to relieve the pressure through the wand before opening the tank.

I liked the McCullough that I had but for me, in an everyday professional setting, it is worth the extra money to step up to a commercial unit. Kinda like stepping up from a pc to a rotary for correction work.

HTH

Edit: Just looked at the specs for both machines again. The VX-5000 has more then double the water capacity, 1.5QT vs. 3.5L, and also heats the steam up 100 degrees hotter, 183 degrees vs 298 degrees.

Jakerooni · 10-08-09, 07:29

yea but the VX-5000 isn't even close to being in the same price range. It's like saying "Hey I have enough money to buy this used honda down the road I just need something that works and this seems to." and you saying" Naw man go buy a porsche they are much better cars and only $70,000 more than the honda your looking at you won't be dissapointed" well duh LOL... of course the vx-5000 is going to be a much better machine but the guy is looking at the $100 range not the $800+ range. apples to oranges here. For the $100 investment you won't be dissapointed at all. And you have to break or go through quite a few wagners before you even touch the initial cost of a VX-5000.

Dsoto87 · 10-08-09, 09:50

Hey jake I own that wagner and after using it around the house I was just wondering where it would be good around a car.

Just wondering what you use it for.

MichaelM · 10-09-09, 05:46

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jakerooni

yea but the VX-5000 isn't even close to being in the same price range. It's like saying "Hey I have enough money to buy this used honda down the road I just need something that works and this seems to." and you saying" Naw man go buy a porsche they are much better cars and only $70,000 more than the honda your looking at you won't be dissapointed" well duh LOL... of course the vx-5000 is going to be a much better machine but the guy is looking at the $100 range not the $800+ range. apples to oranges here. For the $100 investment you won't be dissapointed at all. And you have to break or go through quite a few wagners before you even touch the initial cost of a VX-5000.

yea but whatever. The question was, "Just wondering how powerful they really are, and if they are worth having. Or, if I would be better off investing in an expensive steam unit...?" See any price range listed?

Just giving the OP my opinion from experience. There is no debate here, the vx or similar units are far better then the cheapies. Whether it is worth it is up to the buyer.

Have you ever used a quality steamer, Jake?

RickyMartinZ28 · 10-09-09, 06:06

Thanks for the replies, and I have checked the Amazon reviews, a few days ago actually...

I might look into grabbing the Wagner and giving it a shot.... it'll get used around the house if it doesn't work so well for auto stuff...

I'm not doing much on a mass scale, just a couple here and there, so this may work just fine for now.

Thanks

Jakerooni · 10-09-09, 07:44

Quote:

Originally Posted by MichaelM

yea but whatever. The question was, "Just wondering how powerful they really are, and if they are worth having. Or, if I would be better off investing in an expensive steam unit...?" See any price range listed?

Just giving the OP my opinion from experience. There is no debate here, the vx or similar units are far better then the cheapies. Whether it is worth it is up to the buyer.

Have you ever used a quality steamer, Jake?

Yea. And I agree with you that the vx is a great machine. but it wasn't the point of the question he was asking about LOL. There are steamers out there that make the vx look like a entry level too. real commercial grade stuff. But again no sense in mentioning them as I'm just not seeing that the OP is willing to plunk down $4000+ on a steamer. My next upgrade on a steamer will be to the vx-5000. But the wagoner has outlasted my expectations already and it might be awhile before I need to upgrade.

And I use it for a variety of things. Leather cleaning is a main one. I also sanitize the air vents. Get the gunk out of keyholes, works great for non-chemical attacks on goo stuck in carpets and cupholders. just an all around good tool to have.