Steam Cleaner?

[top189h]

I was thinking about the vapamore, trying to stay around 3-400$, but I also saw some good reviews about the mculloch steamer. They seem to be about a third of the price of a vapamore but I can`t seem to find much in the means of specs on one. Has anyone ever used one? Looking for something good on interiors and can help with stains on carpet. I`m open to all suggestions and if theres another one I should look at in that range I would be glad to learn from you. Thank you for all the help guys

[holland_patrick]

well i have an old one from costco whci works fine but it`s not a pro model.

out of the two you listed it seems the vapamore gets better reviews

[TroyScherer]

I have had the mculloch steamer Highly recommended to me by quite a few guys that I highly respect. I also help that I can pick it up locally @ Harbor Freight. But I have not picked one up yet. I am looking to do so this year.

[The Gloss Boss]

I would up my price range slightly (~$100) and go for a Vapor Clean TR5. It looks a little more rugged (stainless steel body and boiler). Its triangle brush attachment also has clips for MF towels which is a huge deal (at least to me). Pressure and temp is way better than Vapamore or Mcculloch (0-65 psi, 240-270 F at tip). You`ll need that kind of pressure for blowing out cracks, crevices, and vents, and that kind of heat will melt stains and grime way better. I almost bought one, but decided to go huge and get a high end Dupray steamer instead. Either way I think you`ll love the benefits of adding steam to your arsenal and will wonder how you ever did without.

[C. Charles Hahn]

I would up my price range slightly (~$100) and go for a Vapor Clean TR5.

After SeaJay`s thread, I don`t think I`d be caught dead buying a Vapor Clean anything... but that`s just my opinion.

[TLMitchell]

For the occasional user the McCulloch is alright for the price. Got mine for around 90 bucks delivered on Amazon. No adjustment for temp or pressure, you get some water along with the steam and you have to manually turn it upside down to empty it. You also find yourself waiting for it to come back up to temp after blasting for a couple of minutes. It does all I need it to.

Blasting out jambs or steaming under the hood it works great. Also handy for floors around the house. Steaming and wiping foot pedals makes `em look like new with zero effort or chemicals. Better have a plan for blasting inside with steam or you can`t see what you`re working on. I work with both doors open and a small fan behind me to move the steam right out of the other side of the car.

There`s no way I`ve found to "diaper" the triangle attachment with a cloth unless you use a large rubber band or zip tie. I dug into my stash of worn out athletic socks that I keep for metal polish etc and cut the toe end off and pull that over the triangle head. Easy to twist around for fresh cloth when it becomes damper than you want it.

Most of the small brush attachments are redundant and not real useful, IMO. The brass one is great for cleaning a gas oir charcoal grill ! You find a lot of uses for a steamer other than you initially intended.

Both the McCulloch and the Wagner 905 are made by SteamFast which also has their own branded model. The main difference appears to be the attachments.... the Wagner has an attachment for steaming wallpaper instead of the floor cleaning attachments, IIRC.

With the low-buck models you`ll find steam condenses in the hose when you aren`t steaming for a couple of minutes resulting in a small blast of hot water you don`t want to be surprised with if you`re working on something you don`t want to get wet. Not really a problem once you`re aware.

If you`re going to use a steamer on a regular basis I`d recommend biting the bullet and springing for a more capable machine. But for occasional use the McCulloch does OK. Pretty tough to beat for a C-note. YMMV.

TL

[Gurge]

I own a vx5000, but I purchased a mcculloch for a friend and got to play with it

obviously the vx is a better unit (and worth every penny in my opinion)

the mcculloch was still pretty impressive though. I wouldn`t think twice about using it.

however... as pointed out, the large triangle brush with the clips is like a must for doing fabrics and carpets. So it`s probably worth it to pay a little extra for a unit that does include such an attachment

[top189h]

Do you guys know of anywhere to buy a used or a rebuilt higher end cleaner? I really would like to have one for interiors (mostly family cars but we have 8 between everyone so it`s not exactly a light load) and to use on my dragster, my main problem is I can`t get the car too wet because of the parachute and the cover over the oil pan, but after a weeks worth of racing it gets pretty dirty.

[Addicted2Bling]

After SeaJay`s thread, I don`t think I`d be caught dead buying a Vapor Clean anything...

[theamcguy]

Wow I like the Vapor Clean too. Looks to be good value for the money.

[TroyScherer]

For the occasional user the McCulloch is alright for the price. Got mine for around 90 bucks delivered on Amazon. No adjustment for temp or pressure, you get some water along with the steam and you have to manually turn it upside down to empty it. You also find yourself waiting for it to come back up to temp after blasting for a couple of minutes. It does all I need it to.

Blasting out jambs or steaming under the hood it works great. Also handy for floors around the house. Steaming and wiping foot pedals makes `em look like new with zero effort or chemicals. Better have a plan for blasting inside with steam or you can`t see what you`re working on. I work with both doors open and a small fan behind me to move the steam right out of the other side of the car.

There`s no way I`ve found to "diaper" the triangle attachment with a cloth unless you use a large rubber band or zip tie. I dug into my stash of worn out athletic socks that I keep for metal polish etc and cut the toe end off and pull that over the triangle head. Easy to twist around for fresh cloth when it becomes damper than you want it.

Most of the small brush attachments are redundant and not real useful, IMO. The brass one is great for cleaning a gas oir charcoal grill ! You find a lot of uses for a steamer other than you initially intended.

Both the McCulloch and the Wagner 905 are made by SteamFast which also has their own branded model. The main difference appears to be the attachments.... the Wagner has an attachment for steaming wallpaper instead of the floor cleaning attachments, IIRC.

With the low-buck models you`ll find steam condenses in the hose when you aren`t steaming for a couple of minutes resulting in a small blast of hot water you don`t want to be surprised with if you`re working on something you don`t want to get wet. Not really a problem once you`re aware.

If you`re going to use a steamer on a regular basis I`d recommend biting the bullet and springing for a more capable machine. But for occasional use the McCulloch does OK. Pretty tough to beat for a C-note. YMMV.

TL

Thanks for sharing TL. This is a lot of great information. Based on this I may need to look for a better unit than planed.

[TLMitchell]

Thanks for sharing TL. This is a lot of great information. Based on this I may need to look for a better unit than planed.

If you find yourself around Warren give a holler and swing by and give it shot.

TL