Which steam cleaner do you recommend - Daimer vs Dupray Tosca vs VX5000?

[Kevin Brown]

As we discussed a while back on the phone, Accumulator... the Rule of 18 is VERY important when cleaning with water.



It states that for every 18 degrees of increased temperature OVER 118 degrees, the energy instilled into water doubles.



Therefore, the cleaning potential of the water essentially doubles, too. Not exactly due to losses, but easy to remember.



118 to 136 = 2x cleaning power

136 to 154 = 2x cleaning power

154 to 172 = 2x cleaning power

172 to 190 = 2x cleaning power

208 to 226 = 2x cleaning power

226 to 244 = 2x cleaning power



And so on.



Don`t ask me what happens if we start at something like 120 degrees. I don`t do LONG arithmetic. YOU deal with it.

[Jpostal]

I bought a used Daimer but called Dupray to order some attachments since they are in Canada and shipping would be more convenient for me. The rep at Dupray told me the machines come out of the same factory in Italy and are pretty much identical. The customer service at Dupray was not gre due to the language barrier (french Canadian), but the folks at Daimer did not even respond to my request for info.

[C. Charles Hahn]

I have noticed in the specs that the industrial units, say an Optima, have a lot higher pressure. When you go from 72 to 145 psi, how big of a difference is that in time-per-vehicle?



Is the $5000 industrial unit worth it in time saved compared to the $1000 commercial models?

The main advantage where higher pressure is concerned is the amount of effective penetration the steam will have. The super-fine atomized water that steamers generate cools very quickly as it gets farther away from the tip of the tool`s nozzle. The higher the pressure output from the machine, the farther the steam can travel before it cools to a point where it is no longer effective for cleaning tasks. As it remains effective for a longer period of time, it makes the emulsification and extraction of dirt and other grime much easier, requiring fewer passes to get the same job done.



As far as the cost justifying the savings, that all depends on exactly how much you`re going to be relying on the steamer to do as opposed to cleaning via other means. Keep in mind that while steam is an excellent and highly effective tool in a great many situations, there are also just as many times where it`s not necessarily the best/safest choice.



That said, you can get pretty close to the high pressure levels of an industrial unit with a higher end commercial unit like the Dupray Hill Injection (which I have) that puts out 121psi. And the price tag is about half of what the $5000 industrial unit would set you back.

[Accumulator]

Kevin Brown- Speaking of "you do the math"...we never did figure out if/how the Rule of 18 applies to the *pressure* diffs did we?!? That`s what really got my attention with regard to the unit bobwires was looking at.



Hey, did you ever decide on a steamer for yourself? As we were discussing, note what JPostal posted about those two units coming from the same factory.



JPostal- Aha, I just *knew* those "Steambox Mini" machines had to be related! What I can`t figure out is why the specs are so different with (this is from memory, so give me some latitude here...) the Daimer being rated so much lower in the PSI department

[Jpostal]

Kevin Brown- Speaking of "you do the math"...we never did figure out if/how the Rule of 18 applies to the *pressure* diffs did we?!? That`s what really got my attention with regard to the unit bobwires was looking at.



Hey, did you ever decide on a steamer for yourself? As we were discussing, note what JPostal posted about those two units coming from the same factory.



JPostal- Aha, I just *knew* those "Steambox Mini" machines had to be related! What I can`t figure out is why the specs are so different with (this is from memory, so give me some latitude here...) the Daimer being rated so much lower in the PSI department

There may be the odd tweak but from what I can tell the machines are identical. Dupray does have a wider selection of attachments though. Check out this little beauty I got in the mail today..."Extraction" handpiece that works with the KleenJet 5000 steam vac. Can`t wait to try it out.

[C. Charles Hahn]

Heh... looks like the wand for a Dupray Carmen Super Inox.



Are both brands using Technovap units?

[Jpostal]

Heh... looks like the wand for a Dupray Carmen Super Inox.



Are both brands using Technovap units?

The handpiece is from Dupray. Both Dupray and Daimer use the Technovap technology.

[Accumulator]

JPostal- Hey, thanks for posting that! I do want to check out some of those attachments. That extraction gizmo looks interesting, let us know how it works out if you get a chance.



EDIT: I just looked at that thing, and I can`t figure out whether I can use it with my steamer or not



Does it hook up to the steamer at one point and to a vacuum/extractor at another? Like maybe the steamer hooks up to the top/little tube and the vac to the lower/bigger one? Or does it need to be used with a combo steamer-and-extractor unit (unlike what I have)?

[bobwires]

Steam vac eh?



Is there any reason you can`t knock the stains out with steam, then either use a conventional extractor, or use my big Alto Attix vac? Does this attachment really make the steam work that well, when you can`t see/aim it?

[Accumulator]

Steam vac eh?



Is there any reason you can`t knock the stains out with steam, then either use a conventional extractor, or use my big Alto Attix vac? Does this attachment really make the steam work that well, when you can`t see/aim it?

Though I haven`t use it, I think I can see the potential benefits...being able to extract at the exact moment the steam starts to condense oughta work a lot better than waiting to switch from the steamer to the extractor. Or at least it seems that way to me :think:

[Jpostal]

I have not used the hand piece yet and probably wont use it until next when I get into my new shop, but I think it will replace an extractor on lightly soiled interiors. I believe heavier soiling will still require a traditional extractor.



Accumulator - It is made specifically for the steam vacs they sell but if you have a daimer or dupray machine you may be able to modify the hand piece to work in conjunction with your steamer and a wet/dry vac. The nice thing about their steam vacs is that there is a separate chemical tank that you can use to inject a cleaning chemical into the steam which I can see being useful for spot cleaning.

[Accumulator]

JPostal- When you get it into play, post what you can about the hookup. I`ve cobbled together various adaptors for my extractor so I might be able to figure something out.



I do wonder if the opening in that thing will be optimally sized...seems like 99.9% of the extractor wands I`ve used had openings that were too big to get things as dry as I`d like. Heh heh, yeah, I know..they make `em that size to make it easy on the extractor`s motor, but I want stuff *dry* so I use a little Bissel upholstery nozzle that makes the motor work hard but sure gets the moisture out 1000% better.



Ya know, I`ve *never* used my chemical injection! Wonder if I`m short-changing myself there :think: What do you think, you use yours much?

[Jpostal]

Accumulator - I have not used the machine yet other than playing with it for 10 minutes at home one day. It is sitting in storage for another week. I can see the chemical injection being good for other cleaning uses (ie. grout cleaning, gum removal). For auto detailing I think the chem injection would be good for doing door jambs, spot removal, and engine cleaning. I will report back after I have used the machine a few times.

[Accumulator]

JPostal- Yeah, the guys at Daimer made a huge deal out of using the injection for stuff like grout cleaning.



I accumulated yet another vehicle the other week and when I get around to cleaning it up perhaps I`ll use the steamer + injection :think:

[C. Charles Hahn]

JPostal- Yeah, the guys at Daimer made a huge deal out of using the injection for stuff like grout cleaning.



I accumulated yet another vehicle the other week and when I get around to cleaning it up perhaps I`ll use the steamer + injection :think:

Oh boy.... now what did you get?