Rick,

A few days ago, I inquired about the Avenger and unfortunately you indicated that this equipment was not available any longer. I have been cleaning carpet, tile/grout and VCT for many years and I am accustomed to using propane strippers, buffers and burnishers. Therefore, I understand your original excitment about the potential ability of the Avenger.

Now to my questions. I have a smaller 17" 5 hp propane burnisher that weights in at 80 lbs. Currently, the rpm range from slow to fast is 450 rpms to 100 rpms. I assume at that even the low speed range is still to high for encaping but do not know!

Secondly, if this 450 rpm is to fast, do you think that I could replace the pulleys and belt to gear down the speed? I noticed on the Avenger that you used a shurflow pump and shot cleaner out the front like a spray borg. Is this the only method if I attempt to down gear my burnisher or could I put a small solution tank on the burnisher and gravity feed the solution to the shower feed pad driver??

Thanks in advancefor your input!!

Randy

Hey Randy,

You have one of the old 17" Pioneer buffers? I thought I had one of the only ones in existence. Those things are now museum material. I bought one in the mid 80's. Used it on lots of small convenient stores we were servicing at the time.

So you want to use a modified propane buffer for carpet cleaning. My advice; don't go there. First, a combustion engine doesn't perform well running at idle so yes you would need to change the gearing to let it run slower. Then you would have to deal with carbon monoxide (and that's the big one). The machine will need some serious adaptations to get ti be even moderately safe for carpet cleaning. Offices have lower ceilings than retail stores where propane buffers normally run. And with carpet cleaning, you're not running like you are when you're burnishing; instead you are making a couple of average speed passes and doing more detail work. THe risk of propane headaches, nausea, OR WORSE, is inevitable. Then you'd need to find a way to dispense detergent. And lastly, you'd need to mount an idler wheel on the front to help the machine to glide over carpet. We worked through those things as we worked with the manufacturer of the Carpet Avenger, and yet it still wasn't a runaway hit with the carpet cleaners. The Carpet Avenger was good for LARGE open areas. Aside from that, I can't see using a modified propane buffer for carpet scrubbing.





Rick Gelinas

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Thanks for the insight, I did not think of everything involved in the transformation!

Randy

Funny, I have a Pioneer Propane burnisher 21" with the 11 horse Kholer instead of the Honda engine. I love my burnisher. Got it in the 80's.
One definitely get the 'Wet-Look' when used with a thermal plastic film.
This one is not good for encap, it runs at 2000rpm!

Glenn
Jarib Contractors Ltd.
Fort Nelson, BC
Mile 300 on the famous Alaska Highway!