Looking for advice on vacuum and carpet cleaner

[NotoriousRacing]

Hey all, just finished assembling my chemical, coatings, and treatments so now I need to find a good portable vacuum to go along. I do detailing at a shop during the day, and detailing on the side for some extra income. I need the vacuum to fit nicely inside my e28 533i but it needs to be POWERFULL! Cost isn't a huge issue, but spending less money is always nice, I really just want a good performer.

I'm also trying to find a good industrial carpet cleaner for use at the shop. This doesn't have to be extremly mobile (for those of you looking for a mobile one I would suggest the bissel little green) and needs to have high water temps, hopefully some scrubbing brushes, and massive suction. Cost is NOT an issue here and im mainly focused on performance.

Thanks!

[fuzzydd]

i use a ridgid wd4550
5hp 4.5 gallon
all the hoses/attachments fit inside
for carpets i have my little green..

[NotoriousRacing]

Yeah now that i've done some more research I think the wd4550 is the way to go. Where did you get yours and what did you pay? I found them for around $100.

Are the hoses and attachments cramped inside?

Is the power cord on a reel or in a compartment?

Power/Noise?

Thanks!

[fuzzydd]

Everythings pretty snug if you take the extra minute to fold it right
I got mine at Home Depot for $90 cdn (about 100usd), but it was a display model

Power is good.. I guess its a little noisy, but I don't really mind

It's loud enough to have to yell over it to talk if you're a few feet away from the person

Just go to Home Depot or somewhere and ask them to open one for you if they don't have a display model :P

Screenshot from the manual

[Blr123]

Hey fuzzydd can I ask what type of lamp that is shown in the picture?

I don't mean to hijack the thread by the way, just a quick question

Thanks
Bryan

[NotoriousRacing]

How do you like the little green? I was also considering picking up one of those.

How does it do on upholstery vs carpet?

[dennytc]

any one have any expirence with the metro vac-n-blo??

[SpoiledMan]

I have the Ridgid 4050:

http://www.ridgid.com/Tools/4-Gallon-Vac/index.htm

With the "Pro" hose kit:

http://www.ridgid.com/Tools/Pro-Hose/index.htm

The 4550 looks good BUT you will find the hose to be the achilles heel after a few months of use. The "Pro" hose was my second hose purchase and wasn't exactly inexpensive BUT it was worth every penny. It remains flexible, adapts to fit pretty much any of the available accessories but most of all, it will **** up items that the standard hose wont. It's also longer which is also a huge plus.

[fuzzydd]

i 2nd that
the hose is versatile but annoying to wrestle with

and my spotlight is some random one i found in my basement.. NVP or MVP brand or something.. 1 million cd, its works

[ninee3cobra]

fuzzydd, what model # is the bissell little green that you have? and if possible do you have any more pictures of the products you use? what would you rate the little green between 1-10, ex- cleaning wise, compact, overall your experience with it. same question for your ridgid vaccum.

[fuzzydd]

little green

not sure about the model number on the little green, its listed as 14251 on their website, but its the 'proheat turbobrush' model

the only reason i got that particular model was b/c it was on sale on the sears website and i found an additional $15 off coupon code

the vacuum itself is not super powerful (i think its the solution that does a lot of the work), but it managed to pull out some months-old coke stains out of my mats, as well as some rust-coloured (?) stains on my driver side mat after a few passes with the turbobrush. the brush also picks up a lot of hair and stuff that doesnt come out with just a vacuum. to summarize the pros: its compact, it works, very easy to use

on the other hand..

the heater has a very limited effect, i used a nearly-boiling solution/water mix the first time and the spray came out warm (?). also a little redundant after the first time, it won't heat up the water for you, it only keeps it heated, so if you want a hot mix the second time you use it, you'd have to take the mix out and heat it yourself Lol

one little thing i noticed and dont like is how the handle/head extends straight out.. makes the turbobrush impossible to use on the part of the carpets where the person's foot rests cause it only works if its flat against the surface

theres also been a lot of negative reviews about it on amazon, people complaining about it getting clogged up. the company says it won't happen if you vacuum some clean water through it after using, and so far this problem hasn't occurred to me.

8/10
its pretty effective but didn't blow me away, i certainly dont regret the purchase
i think its perfect for a mobile business, i can't think of any other product like it

ridgid vac

1. no complaints about power, 5hp!
2. amazed with blowing power, i use to blowdry engine and blow away leaves and stuff that gets caught. i sometimes blowdry cars too, but i clean out the hose and innards first
3. never lose anything! everything fits inside
4. lifetime warranty!
5. toolbox shape with a handle, very easy to carry around and store.. it stacks too!

9/10
it loses 1 point for the annoying *** hose (i guess it was the only way they could fit a hose inside it)

**
i have pics of my other stuff, ill post them later when i have time to resize
off the top of my head, this is all the physical equipment i have:
- 2 rubbermaid buckets
- a 5 gal bucket
- a million sams club blue/white microfibers (microtex brand)
- pc 7424, 1x orange lc, 2x white lc, 1x black lc
- little green proheat turbobrush
- ridgid wd4550 + extensions purchased separately
- 1 million cd spotlight
- megs spoke brush
- megs interior brush
- megs body brush
- megs tire brush
- megs slide lock brush
- some simoniz pressure washer (sux, blows a fuse every time i use it)
- karcher 3.79 pressure washer (broke cause i stored it in my garage over the winter, trying to find parts, good tool, i have the soaper/foam attachment)
- big plastic bin to put all my chemicals in

remarkably all of this fits in the trunk of my little acura

~CORRECTION TO MY OTHER POST: 90 cdn is like 80something usd lol, my bad

[Shaun Carollo]

I bought both Ridgid models, and this one came out on top in my book. http://www.homedepot.com/prel80/HDUS...gll.0&MID=9876

I got mine with a bunch of accessories and a wall hanging unit that I keep all the attatchments on. I think it was about $90.

-Shaun

[sneek]

I have that light and i find that it is too bright to use, i don't doubt it works but i don't want to be blinded in the process, it is avalable at Can. Tire, and when it is on sale its $9.99.

fuzzydd: LOL shop at Canadian tire much?

[fuzzydd]

i hate the place but i have nowhere else to go when i need something right away T_T