Views on Surface cleaners

[First Impressions 14]

The time has come to get a surface cleaner. I have a 3000 / 4.5 hot machine and have been looking to get a 24 inch surface cleaner. The questions I have relate to which one.

I have heard that Steel Eagle is the way to go, and I have heard that these are bad that the arms bend. What are your opinions on these subjects?

Also could anyone give me your thoughts on floaters V casters?

If you could when you answer this post could you tell me what make you have and your feelings about that brand or size.

There are many different types, makes and distributors; I don’t mean any disrespect to of those folks I am just looking to make an informed decision. It’s hard to decide without being able put your hands on them.

Thanks so much in advance.

Dan.

[Celeste 341]

Alright, now remember, opinions are like bellybuttons but here's our input. We have a 30" Steel Eagle, 3 bar system with adjustable deck - love that one but is a b*tch to get up and out of the bed of the truck when it rides there! It has casters so when moving from point A to point B makes it easier. Haven't really had any bent are problems. We also have one of the floaty kind - much easier to move around because of weight however, if it's not running, you have to carry it from point A to point B - not fun if you're going across grass cause they're kinda gangly to carry. And finally, we have a large yellow castered one - can't remember the brand. Much lighter weight and easy to move around - but it's broken!!!! Don't know if it just wore out (bought it used) or if it was just a lower grade.

Obviously, the wider the deck, the larger the cleaning area in one pass - great for driveways, not always as good for sidewalks because you can overlap yourself too much and get stripes.

Just my .02

Celeste

[Don Phelps 85]

I have a 20" Whirl-A-Way, 24" Whisper Wash Aqua Pro and a 30" Whisper Wash Big Guy. The first two are floaters and we probably use the 24" more than the other two. It's very manageable, yet provides a slighter larger cleaning radius than the 20.

Other than the occasional o-ring or tip replacement, none of them have caused any problems.

[CCPC 26]

I really like my 20" Rotoblaster. Allthough I haven't much experience with other models. I do have a 20" GP that is ok, but not near as good as the Rotoblaster. I use the GP surfacer only as a back up.

[One Tough Pressure 580]

I have 4 Steel Eagles, they are all built solid and perform very well. Two are 12" floaters, one is 24" castered and one is 24" pneumatics in the back and a caster in front.

The Wheeled unit gets the most use and is very versatile. You can walk it straight in normal use, pop the front for clearing debris and going over rough areas, and hose/curb jumping. You can also lift the unit and ride on just the caster for the back and forth movement.

I never get stripes from overlapping because I prepspray my work first. You can move faster, clean better and overlap is irrelevant.

[First Impressions 14]

Thanks for the information.

What I’m getting from it is there is good and bad points to all of them. Everyone seems to have more than one, so it’s just a matter of where to start. I guess I’ll just pick one and start with that, having a back up seems like a good idea as well. Hope to hear a little more before I buy. Kind of leaning to a Whisper wash classic new and possibly looking for a bigger one used. Thanks for the quick responses.

Dan.

[Aplus 525]

I have two....both Steel Eagles. 1 30" two bar, and a 16" floater. I like them both and each has it's own uses.

[First Impressions 14]

Thanks to all.

Went with the 19” Whisper Wash Classic. It cleans well and I can move pretty fast behind it. Although the bristle skirt gives more resistance than I thought it might, it depends on how you handle it. I think the more I use it the better I will get with it.

I will probably be looking for a bigger unit for wide open spaces, and to have as a back up but for now I’ll stick with this on.

Surface cleaners are great!! !

Dan.

[Ron Musgraves 240]

I love my water jets!!!!!!!!!!

[acidburn 14]

Thanks to all.

Went with the 19” Whisper Wash Classic. It cleans well and I can move pretty fast behind it. Although the bristle skirt gives more resistance than I thought it might, it depends on how you handle it. I think the more I use it the better I will get with it.

I will probably be looking for a bigger unit for wide open spaces, and to have as a back up but for now I’ll stick with this on.

Surface cleaners are great!! !

Dan.

A note on my experience. The more you use it, the faster the brush wears out, the more you have to replace it......LOL.....so remember to budget that into your maintenance costs.