Shane 14 Report post Posted December 23, 2005 Any suggestions on a good wet/dry vac(cfm, dual motor, etc.)? We are thinking of attaching one to our surface cleaner(if possible). Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
One Tough Pressure 580 Report post Posted December 23, 2005 What kind of surface cleaner is it? If you plan to make a recovery one out of a non recovery one, then you will need a very large vacuum, and I mean LARGE. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Shane 14 Report post Posted December 23, 2005 What kind of surface cleaner is it? If you plan to make a recovery one out of a non recovery one, then you will need a very large vacuum, and I mean LARGE. Alan, we would be using a 20" Rotoblaster, S/S, three nozzles, non recovery surface cleaner, with hot water unit 4000@5gpm. We are thinking something like this. http://www.nikro.com/products/moreinfo.asp?i=299 Not sure if this well work, any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
One Tough Pressure 580 Report post Posted December 24, 2005 I have set up several vacuum systems for other folks and this is the vacuum that i reccomend, as it has the most bang for the buck. You will need to install a sump pump in the drum or you will be busy draining the drum all the time. As far as the surface cleaner goes, you will need a sturdy inner shell to create the vacuum and a brush skirt that will seal to the ground, with the vertical of the bristles being the only points where air comes in. Depending on the underside design of the rotoblaster, you may need to shorten the arms to allow the extra shell. The addition of 2 vacuum ports on the outer shell, should not interfere with the inner shell, and should th project go south, you will have an abused surface cleaner that may not work anymore. My suggestion is if you really need one, just buy a production version that has been engineered and tested to perform as you need. I li9ke the Steel Eagles. http://www.steeleagle.com/C&C%20floor%20tools.htm Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Craig 111 Report post Posted December 24, 2005 Shane- Alan built my first recovery system just like he posted. I've used it for over a year now and for the money, overall performance is excellent. I'd say it's been one of the best investments I've made. Definately buy the Steel Eagle (without Deublin- mine was a headache) and 2" vacuum hose. Sometimes it pulls a little weak in the long runs but for the money, I can afford to spend an extra 15 minutes on the job. You'll also need a generator to run it. I bought a 5000 watt from HD for $700 and have used it a lot. Everything has been completely maintenance free and Alan's filter is the perfect solution for no-hassle filtration. I still think he should patent this thing. PS. I'm going to buy 2 more in the next 30 days for my 2 new units! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Shane 14 Report post Posted December 24, 2005 Thanks Alan and Craig, One more question, with your experience in recovery surface cleaners what percentage of recovering can we expect at 4000@5gpm with the Nikro(230cfm)? We have never used/seen one in action. Thanks again, Shane Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bforbis 14 Report post Posted December 24, 2005 Hey guys, I had visited SE vac before and did really look close at it. I went to the site noted above.... Is that system the pressure washing unit and vac unit combined? I thought it was just the vac unit, but the description seemed to indicate otherwise.....maybe not enough coffee yet??? I guess you guys are vac everything up through the surface cleaner vac? Are you having to put down collection at downstream areas from the the work? Just wondering how well the collection is on the vac. My typical cleaning consists of 1) pre-spot 2)chemical application entire area or section 3) surface clean 4) rinse, edge, corners touch up as needed, 5) clean up, pick up, scoop up. I am putting the finishing touches on a vac/filtration system using vacuboom, and Water Treatment Tech MD48 filtration. Trying to compare and benchmark with other methods. Thank you for your help with questions Brent Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Craig 111 Report post Posted December 24, 2005 With the Nikro Vacuum hooked up to the recovery surface cleaner it picks up about 90% or more of the water. I don't have to rinse afterwords because there's no dirt or water left. We do around 1200' an hour with the recovery tool, going slowly. If you go on to Steel Eagle's website you can see a video of Jim using the recovery tool www.steeleagle.com Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wesley 15 Report post Posted December 24, 2005 Craig, I have never used a vacuum surface cleaner and I noticed it is a little tougher to push. Is that from the vacuum or pulling the extra hoses? I would think from the vacuum but just wanted to ask someone that uses them. We will be adding this (recovery) to our services. Also are the extra hoses a PITA? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
One Tough Pressure 580 Report post Posted December 24, 2005 Steel Eagle makes both a vacuum and a vacuum/washer combo. The combo needs a hot box if you want hot water though. The vacuum is what creates the drag on the surface cleaners, and the extra hose is not that big of a deal if you zig zag and keep the hose behind you. Carpet cleaner tie theirs together to make life a little easier. Craig, Are you gonna clone yours or should I make some space? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Doug T 19 Report post Posted December 24, 2005 Am I missing something, or are the NIKRO vac's air powered? Another source, if one wants an electric powerred vac, is www.goodway.com Alan, what type of filter are you using that Craig referred to? Doug Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
One Tough Pressure 580 Report post Posted December 25, 2005 Am I missing something, or are the NIKRO vac's air powered?Another source, if one wants an electric powerred vac, is www.goodway.com Alan, what type of filter are you using that Craig referred to? Doug Nikro does not have an air powered wet vac. The vac needs a steel drum, not a poly , as it will buckle from the heat of the vacuum surfacers. The Nikro has much more power than the largest Goodway listed on their site. The filter is similar to a sock, with a large holding capacity. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Doug T 19 Report post Posted December 28, 2005 Just to let you know where I was coming from... I followed the above link to Nikro, then clicked on "here" for more info. A screen popped up that said... no electrical or moving parts... and a chart that showed units being air powered. Today I called Nikro and they stepped through the web site with me and said...oh oops. They did confirm that there 2 motor head vac adapter for a 55 gallon drum is powered by 115Vac, 13 amps per motor and quoted $540.00. It is spec'd at 230cfm and 110 S.P. Goodways' is spec'd at 270cfm and 83 S.P., with three motor head at 230Vac and 13.5 amps Doug Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
One Tough Pressure 580 Report post Posted December 28, 2005 I would sacrifice that extra CFM and go for the lift on the Nikro. 83" is not enough. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Shane 14 Report post Posted December 29, 2005 "As far as the surface cleaner goes, you will need a sturdy inner shell to create the vacuum and a brush skirt that will seal to the ground, with the vertical of the bristles being the only points where air comes in. Depending on the underside design of the rotoblaster, you may need to shorten the arms to allow the extra shell. The addition of 2 vacuum ports on the outer shell, should not interfere with the inner shell, and should th project go south, you will have an abused surface cleaner that may not work anymore." Alan, what material is your inner/outer shell? We have 1"-2" of arm clearance. Thanks, Shane Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
One Tough Pressure 580 Report post Posted December 30, 2005 Alan, what material is your inner/outer shell? We have 1"-2" of arm clearance. Thanks, Shane The shells are Stainless Steel, with 1/4" gap on the top and around the sides. The brush skirts are custom by Fuller Brush. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
