01-01-2013, 08:40 PM
The debate goes back and forth on CFM vs Waterlift, and we'll hear guys expressing opinions all day on this topic. However the consensus I've gathered from folks in the know is that CFM is especially beneficial when you're working with blowers such as a truckmount has. With a truckmount your goal is to move a large volume of air. Greater CFM on a truckmount is beneficial to support longer hose runs. But that's not such a factor with a portable since they'll generally only run up to 50' of hose. With a portable, the motors are not called upon to move a high volume of air like a truckmount - instead the portable's vac motors work hard to suck/draw water. The function of a portable extractor can be compared to sucking water through a straw. It's a steady pull of water up the hose. For that function we need plenty of waterlift. That's why higher waterlift is generally thought to be more desirable in a portable, while CFM is a less significant parameter. But like I said, this topic could be debated all day.