Rick and Shorty,
I really appreciated the first Cimex Thread on "Stuff" since this 'how much is enough' issue occurred to me as well. Your explanation is more than sufficient.

I don't yet own a Cimex but recently did my first encap job with a Procaps machine. I noticed that the Procaps machine did not get all the way to the wall and suspect the same is true of the Cimex, under desks and such like a wand from a TM. Is it necessary to hand scrub the edges? This is probably mostly dust.

I am here to learn.

Can you buy or do you have a 175 rpm buffer (rotary)? Better
if you have a solution tank with it. You might be able to rent one also. These machines will do better than a pro-caps. For corners
and sides of the hallways you can buy this item from Rick.

http://www.excellent-supply.com/Edge-Brush-Carpet-Cleaning-Accessory_p_11.html

Charles,
I went with a Procaps machine for no other reason than I could rent it for $35 a day from a local supplier. It turned out to be free. I have not thought about renting a 175 floor machine since all I see is yellow and want the best.
Here is my current thinking. I don't want to buy a Cimex from anybody but Excellent Supply for reasons of Service, Price and a CMS package, in that order. I really don't want to consider owning a Cimex without a marketing system. That's like parking your truck in front of your house and hoping someone will call the number on the side. I also do not want a Cimex sitting in my truck knowing I owe $2500 no interest if I pay it in 6 mo. So, I have decided to purchase CMS and pitch it till I sell a job big enough to pay for the Cimex. I can rent a laptop computer for $159 a month with PowerPoint installed. I should be able to sell one job in 30 days if I get on it. So, my first goal is to locate $149 for the CMS. If the truth be known I like a challenge and I am taking this on as a challenge to breathe life into my business. For the doubters out there I rented the original turbo tool with an under powered TM (HydraMaster Crossfire) and demo'd it until I sold my first job, a hospital with 8000 sq feet of tile @.95 cents a foot.
It has been a cold winter. But I can feel the warmth of the sun.

P.S. What do I do about the edges?

Hey Steve,

"P.S. What do I do about the edges? "

The link that Charles put up shows you the triangular brush on a pole.

http://www.excellent-supply.com/Edge-Brush-Carpet-Cleaning-Accessory_p_11.html

You can apply a fine spray around the perimeter of the room (along the walls/baseboards, I use a one gallon pump-up sprayer for this, the same one that I use for encapping upholstery), and agitate with this brush standing up.

Rarely does the very edge get soiled and I have found that most times a decent vacuum really is sufficient.

Sometime you do have to resort to cleaning with this brush, also it is great for cleaning the corners.

One thing I have done with my brush, on one end it has a small plastic tab, I have cut this off to allow me to get right into the corners.

With plush pile carpets, raking the carpet also restores the pile to make everything uniform.

Hope this helps.

lets go about this thinking long term

If you are serious about getting a Cimex you get CMS package with the machine, buying the CMS separately makes no sense and would be tossing money out the window, unless you do not plan on the purchase for quite sometime.

a Buffer would be a step up from Procaps, you can purchase a used buffer for 100's not thousands to tide you over, or rent one inexpensively.


a new laptop is only $300 to $400 save your $159 a month for two months and buy one.


Do your self a favor, sit down write out a business plan, your yearly goals,then in a well thought out manner write out how you are going to achieve them, then implement the plan.

Steve, you definately have gusto. But dont forget, if you want to pitch this to clients, a demo goes a long way. Get the rotary & corect pads & bonnets.

You will learn to market what you have to offer when you have a better idea what it is you offer and what it costs you to offer it. Get some smaller jobs under your belt with the rotary, save a little cash, and if you want all in you get that Cimex w/ the CMS.

There are alot of experienced folks here that will tell you if you are this serious, then just get the Cimex (that comes with CMS and everything else you need). If you have the motivation, which it definatley sounds like you do, then do it. Dont rent, and dont penny pinch, cause you WILL make it with the attitude and help you have available here.

Just my 48 pesos.

Hey Matt,
Thanks for the encouraging words. An interesting development has come up and I am pitching 33K @ .20 with half down. That would pay for my Cimex. I agree that having a machine to demo is a good plan. But I don't see it as a game breaker.
I think some assumptions were made that since I had never encapped I must be a newbie. I am new to encapping but not carpet cleaning. I am one class away from being a Master Cleaner, I have a Prochem Everest and 13 years in the business. Money has been very tight this winter and I am looking for ways to augment my residential business without having to take a huge cash flow hit.
I have a good idea of production rates and production costs and frankly that is what gets me excited.
It is funny that my accountant and I were traveling together to a social media meeting and talking about the Cimex and CMS. He suggested "getting a hungry crowd together" It is something that he himself had done with a multi truck operation. He pitched a plumbing tool to restaurants and lined up thirty before purchasing the tool. With each "sale" he said that he was booked and would get back to them about scheduling. He introduced the tool with back pressure if you catch my drift.
Then I told him about the large job looming and he said, "If you buy a widget for $1.00, even if you sell it for $1.01, keep doing it you are making money." If the job pays for the tool and you break even or make a modest profit--do it. This is just what he said but is not intended as accounting advice.
So if I get the large job it will all be moot.

Till next time,
Steve