09-17-2013, 10:01 AM
Don't let the initial price of the 175 make your decision. I started one year ago with a 175. By April, I dumped it for an Orbot. The 175 was not designed for carpet cleaning, although they can be utilized as such. They are not mobile (heavy, small wheels), you must carry them up and down stairs, you must constantly deal with the rotational torque, and you have to have a separate sprayer (another piece of equipment to carry). Most importantly, they are not productive, either in commercial or residential settings. In commercial work, if you can get 800SF an hour bonnet cleaning with a 175, you are doing well. Compare that to 2-3,000 SF an hour with other tools (OP or Cimex). With price competition in the marketplace, you have to be productive in your work effort, and the cost of your supplies. The 175 just does not stand up in any respect, in my experience.
If I had stuck with the 175, I would likely be out of business now. Instead, the Sprayborg and Cimex I have turned around my labor efficiency. Switching to the Releasit products have cut my chemistry costs in half, and have also contributed to my labor productivity. As such, I can now drive market pricing that still makes me money, but my local competitors now have to scramble to meet.
If I had stuck with the 175, I would likely be out of business now. Instead, the Sprayborg and Cimex I have turned around my labor efficiency. Switching to the Releasit products have cut my chemistry costs in half, and have also contributed to my labor productivity. As such, I can now drive market pricing that still makes me money, but my local competitors now have to scramble to meet.
Ed Elliott