Vacuum Options

[jsjanitorial]

Hi,

We just purchased a commercial floor care business that currently only does VCT/concrete.

We are looking at a cimex so that we can offer the option of doing carpet as well to businesses that offer both.

In addition, we need a good quality commercial vacuum. The one that came with the business is old and not so great looking.

I've read backpacks are good for production times, but are they powerful enough? I don't think they'd have a rotating brush?I figure for getting into this encap biz you would want really great suction power to get as much dirt out of the carpet before you start.

Can someone advise what features we should look for and backpack vs upright?

Thanks!

[encapman]

Backpacks have the reputation of actually picking up as much or even more soil than an upright - on account of their head design. The word in the industry is that the vac orifice of a backpack vac can capture soil much better than the larger opening of an upright vac. There are studies that confirm this theory. Yet a good commercial upright is a great tool too. The speed of cleaning with a backpack is also much greater with less fatigue than an upright vac.

If you decide to get a Cimex - you will open the door to very efficient encap carpet cleaning. And it is a killer machine for stripping floors too. It's an all around beast in the commercial arena.

[jsjanitorial]

Thanks Rick. We will be slowly but surely adding to the arsenal. We are out a pretty penny at the moment buying the biz as it's set up with 4 propane burnisher/autoscrubber combos. But aside from that stuff for the big stores, the smaller equipment is lacking a bit!

But we really want to offer the carpet aspect and grow the biz with smaller accounts we can personally service.

As far as the Cimex - how would we use it on like say tile bathrooms? Would you use pads or brushes? Do you just clean mop afterwards or use a shopvac?

I also saw you all offer white absorbant pads for the Cimex. What application would those be used for? Residential?

[Act One Cleaning]

Js, if you are open to suggestion, try buying a good used backpack:  Proteam, Rubbermaid and so on.  You'll find they are very good at sneaking into and around obstacles and fast.  Listen to the suck and you'll know how to position the head for best effect.  I use them for everything from carpets to dusting lampshades.  

I also use an old Kirby for flogging the daylights out of carpet.  Just try things that make sense to your situation; rent if you can before buying, snap up craigslist deals, buy new when you are ready.  Just common sense, really.  Good luck!