BlueBliss

I'm not sure I would trust a history given by an owner that didn't pay his bill or a salesman trying to unload the machine. I'd negotiate a GREAT price for it. It helps to have a local shop you can bring it to when things stop going right, especially if you purchased it from them. This may be a great way to get started with little investment, but be prepared to make this your backup machine as soon as you have a little cash flow! I've got a pressure pro skid that's about 10 years old. We've replaced the pump and engine, but the burner(minus blower motor and fuel solenoid) and generator are original and still run strong. It may be worth replacing fuel lines and filters and wiring. That said, it may be helpful if you have some mechanical skills! If you have to ask your sister how to clean out the carb...you may need to buy new!

Any one know how to fix the mobile interface to allow autocorrect and other related features? At the momebt, the text boxes on the mobile interface disable the auto correct on my iphone! Needless to say, my fingers are too fat for the required percision...and too dumb to spell everything out... I dont see a link to bypass the mobile site either!

Guess I'm alone on this...

I'm sure the cash set off its own red flag, but any transaction at a bank of $10k or more sets off a red flag and requires extra reporting by the bank. For us, it's typically a wc audit that gets upset about any cash transactions. I make large purchase from a personal account often too. Make sure you handle that in your books/capital accounts!

As an accountant I can say "don't lease in this industry!" There are very few industries where leasing is beneficial. Those few instances seem to be where all lease companies get their "benefits of leasing" sales pitches. It is EXTREMELY unlikely that you will benefit from a lease (unless you're the leasor!).

I wouldn't worry about what's been seen. Just think about the practical uses! What problem are you trying to solve? I think someone posted a craigslist add for a motorcycle that had been converted to a pressure washer... It was a neat toy that I'm sure someone had fun putting together, but not all that practical. Sure, it operated, but it didn't solve a problem that existed prior. I'd consider the job to be done before you design the machine!

It's hard to set prices for someone else. If you are that much more than your competitors, you must distinguish yourself! If not, drop your price or get out of the industry...

If you're dedicated to being a good cleaner, you can be successful w/ hoodz...or you can save $60k and be successful w/o them. It's my experience (apparently shared by many others) that most of the franchises really suck at this! But, there are a few guys on here that are in the franchises that do extremely well! I would add, if you're going to be a hack, go with a franchise, because corporate will help sell your services to customers who hardly care! If you're going to be fantastic at this, go independent and let word of mouth carry you! Also, research other "franchises" as well!

I really prefer heat! I'm not in the line of work you're entering, but heat really seems to make a big difference!

Hands on experience is priceless! But, an experienced cleaner may not be able to tell you why they do some things and even how...one of those second nature things...like driving home at the end of the day and then wondering how you got there! The class would help you know some of those principles so you can then form your own methods. Forming your own methods with that knowledge will help you adapt to your local needs! I wouldn't give up the hands on for the class, but I'd try to do the hands on, end around the same time and place as nola, then go home after the class! But, we all understand limited time and resources!

That is a nice outdoor space!

That price is attractive, but there are plenty of used rigs with lots of extras for relatively cheap. Check C/L and Ebay. Also, some cities you can rent that type of equipment. Try renting it for a week/month and see if it performs like you want it to.

What's all that white stuff on your house?

I've gotten 4 crew members to quit. I buy about 5-10 cans of those tangerine altoid sours. They had to finish a pack a day before they could light a cig. They could smoke all they wanted that day after they finish the sours. By day 4 they have trouble finishing their sours. I had one guy finish 8 cans! Day 8 he finished his can at a job just after midnight. He went to light up and his foreman makes him check his phone. When he realized it was actually day 9, the guys handed him another can! He stopped smoking from then until he stopped working with us (I don't know if he picked it back up), but he was addicted to the sours! I know it sounds gimmicky, but it might help!

I would imagine they let the pool go for a while. I would think the chlorine evaporating from the pool alone would keep those pavers in much better shape than pictured. Nice job though! Hopefully they can enjoy their patio again!

It might be worth trying your hand at many different services and finding which suits you best.

Did he email you his rules? It seems shady. His language in his ad is very shady. I think I would pass this one up unless you can make sense of his rules!

Yes...too much. I would say the number of hours on engine and pump is important, but that machine is possibly older than some of the guys on this forum... Hydrotec is another great company, but 20 yrs is a an eternity for a pressure washer. I'm sure there are guys on here with ancient machines, but...

Sorry, another thing to add. If you had a demonstration, that suggest you are near a dealer. Having a dealer near by that can service your equipment might make any frustrations I mentioned well worth it! But, try for a larger machine if you can!

I started in car lots and quickly moved to fleets. A few of our first customers were lumber trucks. I think you're looking in a good place. My experience is that Hotsy makes a good machine. But, you're going to find that 4gpm is little low for fleets, especially lumber. Try for at least 5.5gpm, but I would recommend 8gpm if you want to be happy with it for a while. That said, your tank may be a little low for lumber fleets, but that depends on your situation. Hot water is not a must, but I laugh at my competition that doesn't have it! You will need it to clean up the de-barking equipment. Hotsy never was cheap, and I don't mean to discourage you from getting quality, but you'll find some lightly used (or new!), higher gpm machines for sale. If you've been in lawn and trees you likely have a little muscle and ingenuity. Use that to get a bigger machine (and tank perhaps), mount it yourself, buy a kiddie pool, fill it with all the money you saved, lounge in it on your front lawn! Drain kiddie pool when you see a neat toy, I mean tool, that might make your life a little easier! All kidding aside, there are some great deals out there on used equipment and you can greatly benefit from a trailer customized to your needs! On the positive side, if you ignore me and go with the little hotsy, you'll have a great machine that will likely last you a long time! On the down side, you'll keep telling yourself, "when this machine dies, I'll get a bigger one" and it will never happen... Hope that helps!

Hello everyone! I'm new to the Grime Scene, but I may have met many of you in other forums. We operate out of Tallahassee, FL serving the North Florida area. Our main focus is Hood Cleaning, but we are trying to return to our origins of Fleet Washing! I'm excited to share experiences with all of you!