I am looking for a quality vacuum cleaner. We use ours very hard and they just don't hold up well. I have used Advance & Windsor. I seem to end up spending a lot of money just to keep these already expensive machines running. I know the Pro Team has a good warrenty but it seems like it may not hold up well? Any suggestions?
Rubbermaid has some great commercial vacuums. Check out these - www.rubbermaidvacuums.com
If you are looking for a quality vacuum I suggest getting yourself a proteam vacuum. They make upright, backpack and canister type vacuums. My company uses all backpack vacuums. They also make the backpack in several different sizes. We use the 10qt super coach. It is a bit on the big side but as far as being able to do tough jobs as well as the easy jobs you can't go wrong. The biggest thing to look for is the CFM of each vacuum. The higher the CFM the stronger the suction. The supercoach vacuum has a 150 CFM which is really good.. The vaccum can run you around $475 - $525. It can depend on the dealer. I love these vacuums. As for reliability you can't go wrong. We go generally about 3 years or more without having to send the vacuum in for repair. Keep in mind our vacuums are running close to over 10 hours or more a day. That says alot. It certainly pays for itself. When it does have to be repaired they are relatively easy to fix. Since the constructions of the unit makes it easy to be repaired. The other nice feature is that many of the tools are right on the belt that you attach around your waist which is so handy. If you do buy a supercoach I recommend when buying the paper bags to put inside to capture the debri you shop around. If you buy genuine proteam vacuum bags. They can run around $20.00 for 10 bags. If you shop at powr-flite.com and buy the generic vacuum bags that fit the super coach they can run around $11.00. Keep a eye open for sales that powr-flite has on a regular basis. We have been able to get the generic bags for about $7.00 for 10 vacuum bags that fit. It is a great deal. Take advantage of it. They also have several different attachments for what every surface you have to work on. I know we don't shop for any other type of vacuum. I know because I own the company. If that tyoe of vacuum is a bit expensive for you then you might want to try powr-flite's backpack vacuum. That has a CFM of 120 which is still pretty good. It is around $315.00. The one difference I have noticed between those vacuums is that the suction on the proteam vacuum doesn't lessen as much as the powr-flite vacuum when the bags get more full. Granted you don't want to wait to empty th vacuum bags out until they are completely full because you could burn up your vacuum. Usually when the vacuum is about 3/4 the way full I generally empty them out. All in all both vauums are pretty good but I would recommend the proteam super coach backpack vacuum. Hope this was helpful
Hello,Seeing all these responses about no-touch and no-touch-type cleaning systems was actually quite gratifying. The system, which was developed by Kaivac more than a decade ago, has had a major impact on restroom cleaning. This is because, depending on the machine selected, it can be so much faster than conventional (old school) cleaning, is more thorough, and leaves restrooms more hygienically clean, compared to traditional restroom cleaning methods (mops, buckets, sprayers, etc.).However, I would like to clarify some issues discussed because I think they are important. I am also very familiar with the Kaivac system and how it compares with the Hillyard machine as well as other no-touch-type cleaning systems. For instance:Hoses. A couple of people said they have problems using the long (fifty-foot) hoses found on Kaivac systems. First, the machine has long hoses to give the operator the ability to store the machine outside while in use, giving him or her greater flexibility and freedom of movement and allowing for greater efficiency using the equipment. This is particularly useful in a large restroom. As to wrapping and unwrapping the hoses, this is typically corrected with a little training and practice. Wet/vac system. The Kaivac no-touch cleaning system comes complete with a wet/vac system. This is an option on the Hillyard and some other systems. Without the wet/vac system, the user must squeegee soiled water across the floor -- assuming there even is a drain. This can defeat the whole purpose of no-touch cleaning, which is to totally remove soils and contaminants from the restroom. Additionally, it can be time consuming. (It should also be noted that this same system, which is powered by a 3-stage vacuum motor on the Kaivac, enables the machine to be converted to a CRI-approved carpet extractor).Pressure. Some people did mention that the Hillyard unit is a “low pressure” system. I actually think this is what separates the men from the boys, the Kaivac system from the Hillyard system. The low pressure is fine for a surface-level washing of tiles, floors, and other areas in a restroom, especially in light soil conditions. However, some Kaivac systems have pressure ranging up to 500 psi with flow rates of as much as one gallon per minute. This added pressure allows the machine to reach deep into tile pores, grout, and restroom surfaces loosening and removing deeply embedded soils and contaminants. This results in much more through, hygienic cleaning, and there is a big difference between surface-level washing and hygienically cleaning restrooms. In fact, their 500 psi systems have been confirmed as sanitizing devices.Angelo Poneris
We have found Numatic vacuums to be relatively inexpensive and extremely sturdy. We have some machines that we have used dialy for over 10 years without problems. At www.vacman.co.uk we use them in all types of situations including construction clean-ups wehre they lift nails and all sorts of oher debris.
I've had to instuct my crews not to tie the extension cords to the vacuum in a knot. That causes damage at the outlets and vacuum cords as well. Train them to keep plenty of slack in their cords/extension cords. Also replace bad extension cords immediatly because they can reduce motor life. Don't give them an extension cord unless absolutely necessary. They should just change outlets more often and they'll cause less damage to cords and outlets. Also make sure they are keeping the filters/bags cleaned daily.
I've used them all. Call me old school but in the case of dollars spent on purchase and repair, Sanitaire vacuums have worked well as an upright. You can easily maintain them yourself.
Put a Magnet bar on your vacuums so they don't pick up as many paper clips and staples. I also use the Windsor vacuum sweeper in a 110000 s.f. building. It's a definate labor savor. Needs a new battery about once a year or so. I love my Windsor Back packs. They're the toughest, longest lasting I've used.
As said before the Pro Team vacuum line is an excelent choice. As long as the employees using the machines do not try to pick up water, and don't tie the cords together the machine will last quite a long while. As for repairs, these machines are one of the easiest to fix. We sell and repair this line, as well as many others, and have found that Pro Team is a very reliable and cost effective choice.
I agree with a few other posters as well. I use Pro Team & Power Flite uprights with pull out wands and on board tools. If you are experiencing a volume of repairs...your crew is asking for training. Cords, plugs, bumpers, brushes, switches and belts failing are almost always found to be rooted in operator error. I ussually place employees on corrective action for that and it STOPS. My PM schedule on the uprights is every 2 months with R&R every 6 months. Out of 8 units running almost every day of the year at least 6 units and usually 7 units make it to the R&R date with no problems. My oldest XP1500 is 5 years old and it's as good as my newest one which is almost a year old now. The Power Flites (PF14)are built like a tank and they're heavy but some of my employees like them over the Pro Team because they're built like a tank. I only use back packs for stairwells so they don't get the work out the uprights get.
Hi ALL.
I too have had the same problem. I found Carpet Pro Commercal are great. They are quite and hold up to the riggers of our profestion.
Speaking about upright vacuums, the best one for us is Sanitaire SC 886 E. It does a really good job, it has 50 foot grounded cord, so you don't have to run around and look for an outlet every few minutes. Also you can shake it out so you can save on buying bags. The price is pretty good. We buy it at www.thinkvacuums.com for 196 $ (that's including shipping). The only bad thing about it - it is not green, and it looks like everyone expects that you will bring a green vacuum to the account. But I do love this vac, I think it's really great.
Speaking about green uprights, I tried Sanitaire SC 5713-A. It costs about the same as SC 886, it's a little quieter, but I don't really like it. The most frustrating thing about green uprights is the plastic bottom, which has a tendency to break. If someone knows of green upright with metal bottom, please let me know.
Going to backpacks, right now we have Hoover. I don't recommend it, don't really like it. I heard a lot of positive reviews about ProTeam, it's a little expensive, but I hope it's worth it. I'm planning to buy one of those in the future.
http://www.alphacleaningcompany.com
Definitely go with a ProTeam vacuum. My company is the regional sales rep for ProTeam for the 6 New England states. ProTeam is widely known as one of the best vacuum lines in the industry. I may be biased, but I think the fact that the SuperCoach is somewhat of a standard for contract cleaners speaks volumes.
One thing a lot of people don't realize is that training is the biggest thing with our vacuums. Most people's tendency when first using a backpack is to tighten the shoulder straps as much as they can right away. That is the wrong way to wear it and will cause too much strain on the neck and shoulders, and your workers will complain that it is uncomfortable. As long as the vacuum is worn correctly, it is a great machine. We have training videos for all of our vacuums on the ProTeam site. Here is a direct link to the tranining videos page.
We are currently running a promotion with coupons that let you get an additional $15 off per unit straight from the factory. (Max of 10 units/ $150). Here is a link to a PDF of the coupon on my site.
We are just about ready to launch our new hip-style vacuum called the Super HalfVac HEPA. Click that link for more details. To help get these units launched, we have a coupon that will be good for 3-1-10 thru 5-31-10. These coupons will let you get $40 off your first Super HalfVac as well as an additional $15 off on any additional vaccums (maximum of $250 back). Here is a link to the new coupon starting next month.
If you would like any additional info, please check out the ProTeam site , or if you are in the New England area please check out my website and feel free to contact us! Have a great day!