[shaun_pearson]

hi guys
im looking for  new a new portable and am unsure which to buy.  Ive been looking at two in particular
Ashbys ninja and prochem steempro. The machine is to be my main machine and 95% of my work is domestic.  Has anybody used both machines? how are they for performance and reliability?
also can anybody reccomend a good additive for my extraction tank to make carpets smell nice.  i mostly use prochem extraction pro.
any replies greatly appreciated

cheers guys

[ALEXDH]

I have seen a steempro in action once and own a ninja , it seems the water lift is a key point to consider.

There are two different steempros one called a powerflo I think that has the 2 * 3 stage motors and 220" inches water lift. the other is quite low on the inches of lift. 130" or 140 "

My ninja has two 2 *3 stage motors and really extracts well and leaves the carpet much drier. one  thing I know is that ninja is very easy to upgrade , I  cant speak for the prochem but I understand all the machines are good.

If you are buying new then i would look at the ninja and spend the cash on the heavy duty vac motors which i think give 240"  :oof lift.

I have run mine with 150 ft of hose twice now and even on wool carpets it really pulls a lot of the moisture out .

I like the slighlty higher clearance underneath the ninja which means if you do have to go inside you don't bottom out on patio door bottoms for example.

they say the steempro is whispher quiet but i found sticking a old bit of vac hose on the exhaust of my ninja really quiets her down, stick the exhaust pipe out the patio door for example.

I think you may also find the prochem heating option is quite pricey compared to the ninja .

I think :-/you can upgrade to as much as 400 psi on the ninja.

As you can tell i am a bit of fan of the ninja , but i know it does the job.

I personally thinks the ninja looks more industrial and  heavy duty, adds to the customer thinking they have hired a real piece of kit to do the job especially with all the truckmount fellas adverts slating portables i would like to see them do some of the ridicously tight new housing estates round here.

All the best

Alex

[Dave Parry]

I agree with alex about the Ninja except I would not reccomend the 240" upgrade. I had this done 18 months ago, the motors pull a lot more current and mine melted the 13A plug. also kept blowing the vac 1 motor, till in th eend I replaced it with a standard one. since then no problem, but motor exhaust still gets very hot. (Bought a silencer for it from Ashbys and it melted the exhaust grill).

[ALEXDH]

One testament to the ninja s awesome power ,

I am a liitle cuddly at the minute  ::)whilst switching to a handtool from the power brush my vac pipe lodged itself to my man boob and has given me a rather impressive love bite ,

I still dont think the missus believes me.

When surveying the machines try the mans breast test to ascertain inches of lift. If suitable calibrated measuring equipment is not available.

[Ivar_Haglund]

CROSS AMERICAN RECOIL 3

you can run it from the truck or take to the door

most CFMs of any portable

Awsom power

it comes from acros the pond they will make  compatable with UK power needs.


IVAR

[squeaky]

This is the second time in 2 days I have heard  about the Cross American recoil 3 machine ,apparently they are really good value and very powerful,the guy I spoke to yesterday is trying to get the franchise to sell them in the uk.

[ALEXDH]

Can anyone give us a calculation for cfm to inches mercury.

I am not sure :-/ but don't think quoting a cfm of say 300 means the machine definatley has a superior vacuum/more power , its all to do with diameters isn't it. and RPM

Think of air movers they shift 3500 cfm but i think if you restricted the intake to a turbo blower you would find this greatly reduced.

Definatley dubious about that bolt on extra 100 cfm also.

Can some one put me straight who knows a bit more about it

All the best Alex

[Ken Wainwright]

Last week at the NCCA Branch meeting, we had the opportunity to look over the CFR range of machines. I, and most others were VERY impressed. Forget your usual comprehension of what you need to clean a carpet, what you need to dry a carpet, and how many buckets of water you need to clean it. The CFR's have a unique wand. Most other portables wont have a pump powerful enough to use it. 400psi is the specified minimum. But it only has a single 3 stage vac. The cleaning and drying performance is comparable with truckmounts. You fill the machine and it recycles the water upto 7 times. You'll put up as many arguments as you can think of for this radically different and patented range of kit, but there's answers and solutions to everything. I spoke to some well respected colleagues who have CFR's and they'd never go back to a conventional portable. Purchase price is a little higher, but not excessively so. I'll certainly consider this option very seriously when it comes to replacement time.  www.amtechuk.biz

Safe and happy cleaning:)
Ken

[shaun_pearson]

thank you for your replies guys i really appreciate it.

i posted a simular question on an other forum last year and again the information i got was excellent,  however i chose to ignore the good advice and bought a secondhand machine on ebay,    what a poopbox.  

still you learn by your mistakes


once again thanks

[Dynafoam]

Alex,

You are compareing apples with pears.

Cubic Feet (per) Minute is a measurement of airflow.

Inches of mercury is not a commonly used measurement but centimeters of mercury and inches of water are commonly used as measurement of vacuum potential.

The importance of each element is a subject of much arguement and complexity. For example, the CFR machines cannot match your Ninja in either airflow or vacuum potential but they undeniably do an excelent, perhaps better, job

In simple terms, the vacuum potential creates and sustains the airflow, which is what moves the water from the carpet fibres to the waste tank.

Some designers will configure two vac motors on series for maximum vacuum lift whist some will use them in parallel for maximum airflow. Others, myself included have used multiple vacs in serial/parallel configurations.

A very small piston pump, with restricted inlet, can develop many times the vacuum lift of your machine but with an un-restricted inlet will develop only very low airflow.

on the other hand, a high speed, single element turbine such as a turbo dryer will generate massive airflow with an open inlet but no vacuum lift(or airflow) when the inlet is restricted.

The science lies in getting the right balance.

John.

[ALEXDH]

Thanks John , that makes sense now.

It is a bit of a puzzler for many I should think when purchasing new equipment.

The Carpet cleaning industry should push the suppliers of all machines to include like for like specifcations. I think.

All the best

Alex

[Fintan_Coll]

Shaun, have a look at Extracta and Alltec machines, they look better than the Ninja. The Recoil 3 is a superb  machine by all accounts too.

[ALEXDH]

They do not look better than the ninja  

Looks aint everything anyway, its how willingly they suck like many things in life  




Lovely.

Weight 25 kgs varies with spec  
Solution and waste tanks 10.5 gallons each.



Looks a bit of a tease to me.
 Features a large view-thru section where waste water recovery can be seen with amazement.
Weight 103lbs (47kg) .  Height 32".  Width 20".  Length 29" overall.

Supply tank 13 gallons (60 litres. Recovery tank 9 gallons (41 litres).

[paul@ctcs]

Is it me or does the grey ninja have a kind of wheelie bin look going on  

Only kidding i dont mean to offend ninja owners they are good machines,i use a comanche which serves me very well so would have to recomend it to anyone looking to buy a portable.

[ALEXDH]

Wheelie bin indeed  

Although now you have said it you do have a point.

;DAlex

[Robert_O]

Hi Paul Alex

I have a commanche as my spare backup machine, and it seems to be a great machine apart from one niggle. I cannot get my hands inside the waste tank to clean it out thoroughly. Who thought up the daft small porthole that a mouse would struggle getting through, or am I missing something? I will have to employ the skills of a 6 year old contortionist to scrub out the tank on a weekly basis!!!

I don't have that problem with the Ninja, no siree!!! I can have a bath in that baby!!!

Regards

Robert Olifent

[Ian Gourlay]

Isnt it about time the Ninja had a body overhaul.

It appears that machines like cars are bought on looks.

And as for Extrata they look completely dated.

Is there anyone else I can slag off so that my critisim is even handed and I dont get censored.

[Derek]

Hey Robert

There's an idea...get your little son to clean out the Comanche waste tank.... what a way to introduce the little guy to carpet cleaning!

Derek