I've used both the 17" and the 21" pad drivers for the Orbot, but have issues with both.

The 17" is fine, until you want to get close to the baseboard, and it just won't get there. Plus, you lose a good amount of pad surface.

Then the 21" pad driver covers more ground, but it also extends beyond the base of the machine, thus it hits baseboards, which sounds like you are drilling something. Also, it's tough to get the 21" pad perfectly on the 21" driver.

Okay, so why not a 19" pad driver? Here are the benefits:

1)will fit perfectly within the base of the orbot, so you can clean right up to the wall, yet not worry about hitting it.

2)easier to fit pads on it, yet still pretty good coverage.

3)now the cimex and the orbot can be the same size(okay, just joking on this one).

I thought of cutting my 21" pad driver down to 19", but am not sure how to do this precisely.

Any chance of a 19" pad driver becoming available? Maybe if enough Orbot owners request it, it might happen.

I use a deck brush medium bristle around the epremiter of a room it allows me to cut in at the baseboards and corners. I use this procedure with both Cimex and Orbot. Regarding the Orbot I use the smaller 17" pad driver with 21" pads they extend beyond the driver to clean along the edges as well without the fear of hitting baseboards.

We used the 17 and the 21, the 21 is good for open areas but with pads barely fitting beneath the driver with switched back to the 17.

Less wall bumping and pads fit as they should.

A die cutting shop or a machine shop could make the precise cuts you are looking for.

I have not used the 21 inch driver yet because I did not like the way pads fit it you should always use a pad 1 inch bigger then the pad drive. Rotary machines are set up this way my guess is there must be a reason for it.

Love the machine has saved my bad arm a lot of pain I believe as with all new machines the bugs will be worked out.
We are dealing with some great people

David

If you go to HRuby's web site they now list a 19" pad driver. I haven't contacted them yet and they don't have a price listed. But I'd be willing to trade them the 2 21" pad driver they sent with the Orbot I ordered for 2 19" pad drivers. I can see myself using the 21" pad drivers until someone comes out with 23 or 24" cotton pads.

Brad Whiteman
EcoDry Carpet Cleaning

19" pad driver on their website? Could you put the link up?

Also, Rick, will you carry that soon?

Sorry Thomas, I saw that wrong on there site. They list the 17" as a 17"/19" pad driver, so they don't make a 19"

Brad Whiteman
EcoDry Carpet Cleaning

In my experience with the Vento (cause i don't have Orbot) I'm always able to clean the edges cause the tu-way or the cotton bonnet is two inches bigger in diameter and flaps along the edges (agitation) which is good enough cause theres no foot traffic at the edges.

So in residential how about this combo: 17" pad driver/ 19" pad. Good coverage & edging.

In commercial how about this combo: 17" driver / 19" pad for edging first. Then swap to 21" driver/21" pad for open area after edge cleaning.



Personal Question ?
Overall, would you say you are happy you bought the Orbot with no regrets?





Thanks
Your Servant Alex

Cultivate the "OCCD" you had at first for the industry!

Thanks for the replies.

I think I just had a really horrible residential carpet I just did that was completely dirty to the baseboard. That was not typical.

I think I'll get a deck brush as well.

And lastly, I'm going to see if I can get the 21" down to 19".