Extractor purchase nearing..need advice.

A

AutoNova

New member
Well I have been reading up on all the extractor threads on the forum here and I still have some questions about what would best suit my needs?



*I work out of my home 1-2 cars each day.

*Just have regular 120V outlets to use for plugging into.

*Would like to have a model without an in-line heater and second cord but a model that does heat water.

*I assume that it is neccessary to have a unit that is around 6 gallons with 100 psi, what about lift?

*Something that could possibly be used for portable details(I have a 2500 Honda generator)



Thoughts?
 
Look very closely at the Century 400 Sensei.



It may not meet all of your goals, but make it your 'benchmark' for comparisons to others.



Clearly, the Sensei is my recommendation.



Good Luck!



Jim
 
http://www.carpet-cleaning-equipment.net/sensei_portable_extractors.shtml



Here is the portable Jimmy recommended



I would also look at www.crossamerican.com..These are some of the best. Although they do not come standard with heat, what you do to counter that is to simply put a "bucket" heater in the solution tank and it will crank the water boiling hot. The "Kwik Steam" is nice. Ed Valentine is the owner and is the one who answers the phone. Very good customer service if you have problems or questions. I've owned his extractors before.
 
One more suggestion. Go to www.icsmag.com click on bulletin board, log in/register just like you did here and post this question on the bulletin board. This is a carpet cleaning forum, you will get lots of tips here and will help narrow your search.
 
Auto nova, I took the liberty of posting your question at www.icsmag.com. (carpet cleaning forum).That way you can get lots of good advice from pros and not just me. If you can't access it I will post results here 2morrow.
 
Thank you all for taking to time to respond to this thread. Century 400 looks good but I want to avoid a 2 plug exctractor if I can help it.
 
There are a number of different posts (you may find additional information by using the search function)



This is the unit I use ( I'm not a full-time detailer and average is four vehicles a week, so the extractor is used probaly 2-3 times a month)



Specification:

Vapor Clean T5 Extractor / Spotterâ„¢

Heating Element: 1.6Kw

Solution Temperature: 200oF Solution Tank Capacity: 1.5 gallon Recovery Tank Capacity: 2 gallon Vacuum Lift: Suction Power: 102 inches water gauge

Piston Pump Output: 60 PSI

Temperature Detection-Indicator light Temperature Regulation-Automatic Thermostat

Power Requirements- 15 Amps, 110-120 volts,

Single-phase, 50-60 Hz VAC

Weight- 18 lbs. (w/o solution
 
You are going to be hardpressed to find an extractor with heat and only 1 cord. Most if not all extractors 1 cord powers the vacuum and one cord powers the heater.



Sooner or later your extractor will have problems so you need good customer support. Thats why I recommended Cross American



* I posted a thread that a car detailer posted on a carpet cleaiing forum. I posted it here. Thought it might help
 
need a good portable extracter

Posted By Patrick Hoffarth on 10/20/2003 at 7:42 PM

Hi everyone, I'm looking for a new portable extactor for auto detailing. What would you recommend for under $2000 with heat! Any venders lurking here can give me a price quote on my e-mail [email protected]



Thanks

Patrick

Modified By Patrick Hoffarth on 10/20/2003 at 7:46 PM









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Re: need a good portable extracter

Posted By Frank DiGi on 10/20/2003 at 9:48 PM

Ninja











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Re: need a good portable extracter

Posted By Jon Erickson on 10/20/2003 at 10:28 PM

ninja











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Re: need a good portable extracter

Posted By Ralph Pastorelli on 10/20/2003 at 10:59 PM



Ninja with ajustable pressure and temp..















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Re: need a good portable extracter

Posted By joseph subia on 10/20/2003 at 11:14 PM

Ninja @ cobb carpet supply :-)











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Re: need a good portable, CROSS-AMERICAN

Posted By Greenie on 10/21/2003 at 1:17 AM

This is what I use for small jobs.



MITEY-ONE WEB SPECIAL only

$655 w/detailer



(But I got the UPGRADE 100psi and 3 stage)



NORMALLY

Detailer: $814

Wand: $885 MITEY-ONE FEATURES:

1. Pressure: 60 PSI On-demand

2. Vacuum Motor: 2 Stage Epoxy Painted 97 CFMs

3. Tanks: 3 1/2 Gallon - both tanks. "View-Thru"

4. Power Spray System: apply deo./traffic lanes.

5. Hoses: 10' quality vac/PSI hoses w/swivel cuff.

6. Wand: Select either unit w/ Detailer Tool, or 10" Wand.

7. Specs: 20"h x 20"l x 13"w / 28lbs. (1-25' cord) 9.5 amps

New! The MITEY-ONE with power performance upgrade. A powerful 3-stage vacuum with a 100 PSI adjustable pump. Add $100 for this option. Available direct only. Call for info.



Add heat with the RED HOT ROCKET below



or try the



KWIK-STEAM

A high performance machine in the smallest modular design made. This 8 gallon unit has a lot of the same features the big machines have, including great vacuum and pressure! And, at only 47 pounds, anyone can lift it! You can also roll the KWIK-STEAM on its dolly-like rear wheels. What a machine!



KWIK-STEAM: $1,295





KWIK-STEAM FEATURES:

1. Pressure: 0-100 PSI adj. (on-demand)

2. PSI Regulator: Exclusive electronically controlled

3. Vacuum Motor: 3 Stage Epoxy Painted

4. Tanks: 8 Gallon (Solution/Recovery) View-Thru



5. Power-Spray Feature: Apply deo./Spotters on demand

6. Hoses: 15' Hoses w/ Vac swivel cuff

7. Wand: 10" ss x 1 jet

8. Wheels: 8" Rear Rigid x 3" Swivel

9. Specs: 31"h x 20"l x 14"w / 47 lb. / 11 amps/ (1-25' cord)



AND get the RED HOT ROCKET FOR HEAT!



A1002-RH RED-HOT ROCKET (Pre-Heat Exchanger)

This unique electric Heat Exchanger provides 1800 watts (120v. - 12.5 amps) of performance to increase solution water temperatures in any Cross-American machine models. It can easily be quick-disconnected (with specific adaptors) from one model to another in seconds! Just another first in innovation! Also available in 240v-2000 watts on special order.

CLICK HERE TO ORDER ONLINE! RED-HOT Rocket: $250







Greenie

Modified By Greenie on 10/21/2003 at 1:19 AM









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Re: need a good portable extracter

Posted By Wayne Recla on 10/21/2003 at 4:37 AM

I use the Mytee 8003.

100 psi

137" lift

3 gallon tank

outboard heater that I connected to the machine so I don't have to drag it around..., works great and when it eventually "goes out", I just can swap out heaters without my cleaner being out of service.

Also, upholstery, crevise and car detail tools are a MUST.

This set-up has the same power as many of the larger machines, but with a 3 gallon tan which takes up less room, and is VERY portable.

About 3 gallons is what I use to detail a car, so after every car I dump the water and am always able to start fresh..., hassle free:)

Just my .o2











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Re: need a good portable extracter

Posted By Paul Lucas on 10/21/2003 at 12:06 PM

www.floorcaresystems.com











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Re: need a good portable extracter

Posted By Fast Eddie on 10/21/2003 at 3:45 PM

cross American Recoil-3 HP is one of the best portables on the market











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Re: need a good portable extracter

Posted By Patrick Hoffarth on 10/21/2003 at 7:47 PM

nither ninja nor cross american seem to have in line heaters??











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Re: need a good portable extracter

Posted By bruce swartz on 10/21/2003 at 9:36 PM

Kleenrite 214 hx dual heat/ 3 gallon tanks/ wet or solvent capabilities, made of aluminum & stainless, hardly ever breaks, stainless braided hoses inside. these machines have been around along time, well engineered equipment.











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Re: need a good portable extracter

Posted By bruce swartz on 10/21/2003 at 9:36 PM

Kleenrite 214 hx dual heat/ 3 gallon tanks/ wet or solvent capabilities, made of aluminum & stainless, hardly ever breaks, stainless braided hoses inside. these machines have been around along time, well engineered equipment.











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Re: need a good portable extracter

Posted By bruce swartz on 10/21/2003 at 9:37 PM

Kleenrite 214 hx dual heat/ 3 gallon tanks/ wet or solvent capabilities, made of aluminum & stainless, hardly ever breaks, stainless braided hoses inside. these machines have been around along time, well engineered equipment.











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Re: need a good portable extracter

Posted By bruce swartz on 10/21/2003 at 9:37 PM

Kleenrite 214 hx dual heat/ 3 gallon tanks/ wet or solvent capabilities, made of aluminum & stainless, hardly ever breaks, stainless braided hoses inside. these machines have been around along time, well engineered equipment.











--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Re: need a good portable extracter

Posted By bruce swartz on 10/21/2003 at 9:37 PM

Kleenrite 214 hx dual heat/ 3 gallon tanks/ wet or solvent capabilities, made of aluminum & stainless, hardly ever breaks, stainless braided hoses inside. these machines have been around along time, well engineered equipment.











--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Re: need a good portable extracter

Posted By bruce swartz on 10/21/2003 at 9:37 PM

Kleenrite 214 hx dual heat/ 3 gallon tanks/ wet or solvent capabilities, made of aluminum & stainless, hardly ever breaks, stainless braided hoses inside. these machines have been around along time, well engineered equipment.











--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Re: need a good portable extracter

Posted By bruce swartz on 10/21/2003 at 9:37 PM

Kleenrite 214 hx dual heat/ 3 gallon tanks/ wet or solvent capabilities, made of aluminum & stainless, hardly ever breaks, stainless braided hoses inside. these machines have been around along time, well engineered equipment.











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Re: need a good portable extracter

Posted By Robert Rushton on 10/21/2003 at 9:47 PM

Show-off!

Modified By Robert Rushton on 10/21/2003 at 9:48 PM









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Re: need a good portable extracter

Posted By J R on 10/21/2003 at 9:49 PM

Hey bruce, could you repeat yourself I missed the last six!











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Re: Need a good portable extractor

Posted By Larry Cobb on 10/21/2003 at 9:50 PM

Greenhorn;



The Red-Hot specs do not add up:



120V x 12.5A = 1500 watts.



The Ninja is available with internal or external inline heater.



We would rather use the electrical power to go with bigger pumps and vacuum systems.



Larry Cobb

Cobb Carpet Supply











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Post a reply to this thread
 
That's alot of good information thanks for looking into all this, keep it coming.



What do you use Ed? Have you mentioned?
 
Ive owned the Cross American Mitey One with 100psi. Great lil extractor. Wish I still had it. As you can see from above Ninja is also a very good extractor. Its just like car detailing, everybody has there opinions.



*Another helpful thread
 
What equip. works best for interior autos?

Posted By Robert Miller on 10/15/2001 at 9:27 AM

I have a church friend who asked if I can recommend equipment that would work best at cleaning auto interiors. I recommended The Ultimate Machine. We all know how well it works but it does have quite a price tag. They sell auto's for a living and are looking for a good reliable cleaning machine. Doea anyone have any other suggestions? Bob Miller Carthage Mo. Thank You











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Re: What equip. works best for interior autos?

Posted By Phillip Newell on 10/15/2001 at 9:43 AM

The Ultimate is a great machine, but you really don't have to spend that much to get great results on auto interiors. I think if I was doing a lot of detailing, I would consider the mitey-one spotter from Ed V. at Cross-American. It's small and powerful.



www.cross-american.com











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Re: What equip. works best for interior autos?

Posted By Steve Lawrence on 10/15/2001 at 9:54 AM

Hey Robert,



Suggest to them that they hire a pro to come in and clean several auto weekly. Auto cleaning is HARD work and usually they are filthy. It would be nice to have the heat and power of a TM for that work. But if they really want to give it a shot maybe they should try a rental machine because I've got a feeling that they are going to hate car cleaning. I know I do and I have every tool/toy in the book for it.

steve











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Re: What equip. works best for interior autos?

Posted By Jaime Coelho on 10/15/2001 at 10:03 AM

Ed units are great but you could also try the Mytee machines with internal heart, they will be more than enough. Look at www.Steambrite.com or www.discountccw.com they both have free shipping.Hope this helps, Jaime











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Re: What equip. works best for interior autos?

Posted By Jaime Coelho on 10/15/2001 at 10:08 AM

Steve is right nothing beats the power of a truck mount, hiring a professional would be the best option if they are looking for quality and know-how, but if price is number one them go with a portable or who knows even a used or smaller truck mount, like the Prochem Blazer or the Hydramaster Spitfire 3.2

Jaime Coelho











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Re: What equip. works best for interior autos?

Posted By David Hebert on 10/15/2001 at 10:11 AM

There must be a Detail shop around them



most car dealers around us either Bring cars to a detail shop or have one in house. A few have several bays that do nothing but detailing interior and exteriors



David











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Re: What equip. works best for interior autos?

Posted By Dwight Myers on 10/15/2001 at 10:43 AM

I don't know what their price range is, but I'd recommend the Kwik-Steam and the heat lid by Cross-American.















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Re: What equip. works best for interior autos?

Posted By John Nava on 10/15/2001 at 11:03 AM

Any good portable will be more than enough.

15' of hose is all you need.

A good prespray will compensate for a less powerful unit.

A good prespray is the most important priority.

I've detailed thousands of cars.

Heat isn't really needed if you have a hot water source.

An imersion heater would be fine.

All we ever used on autos was 4-5 gallons through the machine so a smaller portable would be fine.



John











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Re: What equip. works best for interior autos?

Posted By Phillip Newell on 10/15/2001 at 11:57 AM

yeah, I tend to think a TM would be overkill for autos. Just my opinion.











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Re: What equip. works best for interior autos?

Posted By Brandon J. Miller on 10/15/2001 at 1:02 PM

I love using my Mytee with heat on car interiors. There are a few on ebay that are going pretty reasonably.



BJ



In internal jet upholstery tool for the seats, and a good external tool for the floors works very well. PMF even makes a tool that is bent that fits under the car seats.



BJ











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Re: What equip. works best for interior autos?

Posted By Bob Martin on 10/15/2001 at 4:13 PM

try powrflite.com



jojo bamboo













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Re: What equip. works best for interior autos?

Posted By PAT McCreesh on 10/15/2001 at 6:42 PM

Robert: Take a look at www.carwash.com











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Re: What equip. works best for interior autos?

Posted By R Litwin on 10/16/2001 at 1:22 AM

I spent a few years as a auto tech for Mercedes, Land Rover & BMW. All three of the dealerships did their own detailing. They seemed to keep their customers happy with some degreaser, a pump up sprayer and large shop vac. One dealer is in NJ and the other two are in AZ. Seems funny that they all used the same equipment and were able to get alot of $ for doing the work.











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Post a reply to this thread
 
Still looking as of this week but I am going to call the guy at Croos America tomorrow and talk with him. I imagine shipping will be high on this item. I am still torn between getting an extractor or a vapor machine.
 
Let us know what you end up with and how it works out. I got the Century 400 (mine is labeled "Ninja") and I like it more every time I use it. But yeah, you do need a second circuit (not just a second outlet) for the heater cord. I forget what the draw is, but it's a bit ;)
 
Another question:



If you get an extractor with 100 psi wouldn't that be too much water for cleaning fabric seats?



Also I talked with a guy who insisted that hot water is not the way to go. He said it can set stains and shrink up the type of carpets in cars today. He said cold water is great if you use the right pre-treatment? Why is heat such a neccesity?
 
Well I finally took the step on Friday after contemplating it for too damn long to buy an extractor...I got the Century 400 Sensei from TOL for $1420 w/ shipping. I just figured it would be about the best price I could find with the tools included and a reputable company.



I called about 4 different companies on Friday (b/c I was pumped up and ready to spend) that I was looking at and either the person I needed to speak to was not in or their person was rude (powr-flite) or they had their head up their a**. Hard to believe when you are in the business of sales. Ed , just so you know Cross American wasn't one of them.



So now I need you fellas to give me some tip son the type of cleaners I should use for the machine. What should my application method be for applying treatment to the carpet? Can I use APC directly applied to the carpet or TOl Protein solution?
 
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