Hi there,

I currently own a Cimex 19", but it is too difficult to use for residential buildings because it is too heavy to carry up stairs. I'm considering purchasing a 15" Cimex machine but am looking for your opinion on which machine is best suited for residential upstairs cleaning.

Many thanks and I look forward to hearing from you soon.

-CJ

long time lurker, first time poster. If you don't want a truckmount then buy a OP machine. I stick to the tm. for residential but have used bonnet and Op also. Just did my traffic areas with a "Blue" op, turned out great. You just need to learn the system and master it. I have heard good of the challenger and would'nt hesitate to use it in a residential setting. The cimex is great in commercial but Op is better for residential carpet. I would by 1 before a portable.

Mister Sir

A couple of EXCELLENT choices would be a Challenger or a Sprint.

It always blows me away to hear people rave about how SMOOOOOOTH the Challenger machine is at these trade-shows. Absolutely everybody says it's the smoothest OP machine they've ever run. In fact at Connections we were running the Challenger on the carpet DRY with an unlubricated FiberPlus pad (insane you say?) --- and it was gliding super smooth. It was freaking people out seeing an OP machine behave like that. The balanced engineering in the Challenger is AWESOME.

The Sprint is another popular machine for lighter cleaning. We have quite a few folks using them now who LOVE their Sprint for doing smaller jobs. It would be a good match for what you're considering too.





Rick Gelinas
encapman

With regard to the Challenger, would you use it in a residential room, say 9' x 9' ??

Usings those flappy cotton thingy's, how close to the wall will they clean, and also into the corners ??

Reason I ask is because I have been told that they will clean right into a corner, and also the skirting boards, whereas with a pad on, you are left an inch or two out, and a semi circle in corners.


ALSO::: I'M NOT HAPPY (

Everyone over there enjoying themselves, and I'm stuck down here.

C'est la vie.........

Cheers,

Shorty.
www.get.shorty.com.au

A 9' x 9' room? Sure. What's so special about a 9x9 room? Use your Challenger there, in a 4' x 5' bathroom, or a 24' x 16' family or other recreation room. If you're using one of the typical 19" terry pads,you'll also be cleaning your customer's baseboards as well. I've NEVER had one complain about that in 8 years of OP experience. And re. the corners: the machine get nearly all of it. There is rarely any kind of soiling in the corners anyway. The only place anything happens in the corners is in a boxing ring, and they're not carpeted. In the rare event there is something in a corner requiring cleaning, just reach down and put an index finger into a cotton pad and agitate for 3 seconds.

Hi Mark,
thanks for that.

Nothing special about that size room, just that we rarely get a bedroom smaller than that.

I can use the 'Mex; in there okay, but thought that the Challenger may just be slightly better/easier.

I see guys still have trouble getting a 'Mex; up & down stairs, and no doubt, also in smaller rooms, so the Challenger may be easier for them..........

I still have yet to find a set of steps, or a normal room, where I can't move Big Yella easily.

HINT:: For you guys that have trouble with the stairs, do a search here, and you'll find Big Yella is easy to take up and down.

Cheers,

Shorty.
www.get.shorty.com.au

a pile master, vacuum and a corner brush would be my choice as most "SOIL" is gonna be closer to the entry of the home and and less upstairs.

What Danny said. I have several GLS (Pilemaster) machines and I would not consider carring anything upstairs that was any heavier.

I agree with rambo, however a Challenger at 66lbs isn't that much heavier. Either one would do a great job. I still think a cimax is to cumbersome and heavy for 1 person to take up and down stairs, at 115 lbs. plus the wieght of the water in the tank. One slip on those stairs and thats a lot of weight comming down,lots of damage potential.

Jim E

Some options for residential
1. Make up a set of larger wheels for the Cimex. YOu need some pneumatic and some threaded rod. You take these on and off before you go up or down. But, I found the Cimex was still too heavy for me even with the larger wheels.

2. Buy a Challenger. It is much lighter, but still some weight. You can also put larger wheels (8") on the Challenger which makes it very easy up and down stairs. They take less than a minute to put on or off. But now I just leave them on and run the Challenger on its wheels. It is much quicker and even smoother.

3. Buy a Challenger and a little Oreck Orbiter. If you only have one or two rooms upstairs and they are only lightly or moderately soiled, you will be surprised how good a job the little Oreck can do with Releasit and the right pad. With a little ingenuity you can also use it with cotton pads.

Neil

I have a Powr-Flite portable, it works great but is hard to manuever in smaller homes and no way am I attempting to take it upstairs. I usually leave it outside and run my hoses in. I recently purchased a Challenger and have been using the portable much less. The Challenger is easy to use in tight places like bedrooms, etc. and their is very little setup time. With the 3/4 hp motor it weighs over 70lbs. but can still be carried upstairs. I get great results with it on both residential & commercial.