Steamin' Demon - Who Here Uses One?

[TheCleaningDude]

I hear mixed reviews on it, but to me it seems like a nice compliment to a VLM operation.

Anyone here have one in use right now?

How is it in resi?

How about commercial?

What are the realistic dry times and is set up a hassle?

Is hot water a necessity?

[encapman]

I think they're awesome for their intended purpose - to rinse the carpet. The SD will pump more water through the carpet and successfully recover it - than any other extraction system (including truckmounts). So when it comes to rinsing, the SD is the king.

Where it falls short is in the area of heat - you're cleaning with cold water. It also lacks pressure, since you're only getting about 30 psi from the city water supply. But these two shortcomings can be addressed by pre-scrubbing. If you'lll intensify the "A" in the cleaning pie (Agitation), and then give the carpet a good rinse with the SD - you can get great results.



When you add to the fact that the SD also has auto-fill and auto-dump built right in, the SD's becomes a pretty slick machine. The only limitation on the auto-fill and auto-dump is that the hoses are limited to about 200 feet. However there is an optional additional pump that can be added so that you can run longer hose runs. One further downside is that the hoses can be kind of a pain to work with, but they're manageable.

I think the Steamin Demon fills a very important niche in the commercial arsenal. That's why we sell them... http://www.excellent-supply.com/Steamin-...p_266.html

All in all I think it makes a lot of sense for commercial work. A god encap program negates the need of relying heavily on HWE. However when the need arises, the SD can cover a lot of ground with its unsurpassed level of flushing water through the carpet.

Another convenient alternative is our new TruckPort portable. Plenty of power in a convenient package. It's a perfect balance for efficient hot water extraction. It doesn't have the unsurpassed water flow that the SD has, however it has high pressure water 0-500 psi, it has 2000 watt heat, and it has tremendous waterlift at 225". Plus there's an auto-fill and auto-dump option if you want to add it. http://www.excellent-supply.com/Steamin-...p_266.html

Either of these two machine options makes a lot of sense for a commercial cleaner to handle the periodic need for extraction cleaning. Hope this gives you some food for thought.

[Cairnswun]

Another convenient alternative is our new TruckPort portable. Plenty of power in a convenient package. It's a perfect balance for efficient hot water extraction. It doesn't have the unsurpassed water flow that the SD has, however it has high pressure water 0-500 psi, it has 2000 watt heat, and it has tremendous waterlift at 225". Plus there's an auto-fill and auto-dump option if you want to add it.http://www.excellent-supply.com/TruckPort-Extractor_p_345.html

http://www.excellent-supply.com/TruckPor...p_345.html

[encapman]

Thanks for watching my back Shorty.

[britelifecc]

I had a heck of a time getting reliable sources of water. Leaks would happen between the internal parts of the faucet about 30% of the time. I once filled a bathroom vanity with about 10 gallons of water. Most embarrassing!

They do recover a fair amount of the water, but nothing beats a quality encap, commercial or residential.

A good portable extractor and water claw for urine, Hydrox for residential, and DS2 for commercial: These are a powerful combination IMHO.

I hear mixed reviews on it, but to me it seems like a nice compliment to a VLM operation.

Anyone here have one in use right now?

How is it in resi?

How about commercial?

What are the realistic dry times and is set up a hassle?

Is hot water a necessity?

[David-Hebert]

been using them in our business since they had a sheet metal cover, still have on like that, so we have three Demons we use and a Cross American Recoil .

Using the Demon is easier then pulling hoses for a traditional portable, says two of my helpers that do Apt turn overs and common areas. Scrub with Hydrox, or Punch then extract Wham o. Just established a new relationship with a large properly management co using it Friday. Quicker dry times then a traditional portable.

Resi takes a little getting used to but in may area noone else uses one so now we separate our selves from everyone else (no open doors) Use Orbot to scrub first.
I have not had any issues with hot water in that setting.

Commercial Auto feed auto dump can got 200 feet Max 150 is better but you can go two. Hot water can get to be a problem in some places, but with the scrub and extract combo hot water is less of an issue. hassle setting up compared to what ? another extractor you have to keep filling and dumping or a TM that you need to pull hoses for? or an extractor you have to fill dump and move?

[TheCleaningDude]

Thanks for the feedback everybody.

At the moment I have no HWE equipment aside from a Mytee Lite II spotter. I never use it except for upholstery.

I like the Truck Port and a couple of other portables out there. However, like the previous poster mentioned, it's a hassle to set up. Even with the convenience of auto fill and dump.

The SD looks simple....

If I were to use the SD ideally I'd want to just hook it up to an outside spigot and not have to worry about aerators and the such.

A fellow cleaner/friend just got one used. Anxious to see how he likes it.

[britelifecc]

I like the portable extractor because at least you have a tank that will hold water when you want it. Not so with the SD.

Also with auto-dump/ auto-fill, you will have hoses going everywhere. It can be a nightmare in a residential home.

Also if you use an SD or auto-fill portable, try instead to hook directly to the hot water heater. They all have a garden hose connection. BUT buy a good sediment filter because most people never drain their heaters. The sediment filter will keep the sand.

And if you're undecided, try to find a cheap used extractor. Once you use it a few times you might develop very strong opinions on what you want. I bought a used extractor, and really like it, but I will be buying that Truck Port once my funds allow. It has a lot of bang for the buck.

Good luck!

Thanks for the feedback everybody.

At the moment I have no HWE equipment aside from a Mytee Lite II spotter. I never use it except for upholstery.

I like the Truck Port and a couple of other portables out there. However, like the previous poster mentioned, it's a hassle to set up. Even with the convenience of auto fill and dump.

The SD looks simple....

If I were to use the SD ideally I'd want to just hook it up to an outside spigot and not have to worry about aerators and the such.

A fellow cleaner/friend just got one used. Anxious to see how he likes it.

[Jeffrey]

I use a cfx/360 combo sometimes and it has the same basic idea behind it - direct hook up to the faucet with auto pump out. I love having it available, sometimes it's just what the Doctor ordered. However, I already owned a traditional porty first. If you're buying your very first extractor, I'd go with the Truck Port. Sometimes, although it's rare, you will find yourself extracting a commercial hallway where there is simply no available water hook ups. A traditional porty of some kind is a "must have" piece of equipment for the long haul, imo.