Ideal Flatwork Set Up

[One Tough Pressure 580]

I am looking for ideas on the best flatwork set up. I currently getting along with 8/3000 psi hot and a 24" surface cleaner. My hoses are on reels, I carry 460 gallons of water as needed, and have more than enough recovery gear to get the job done.

I am considering adding another machine to the trailer, to cut time down on each job, and either get more work done, or have more time to sleep. Did I just say sleep? Shame on me, I mean get more work done, sleeping is for sissies.

I am torn on a larger trailer, or a nice truck to hold it all. I am also torn on individual machines, or a large engine to run it all. I need to start thinking of ways to keep the noise down, as I have had a problem with a pesky neighbor of a good account that I prefer not to lose. The only option with current equipment is to do it on Saturday morning. I hate working days, making money in the night life is the way to get things done.

So lets here what you highly involved commercial flatworkers have to say. I have no concern about residential work, as I hardly do any at all.

[Doug T 19]

Alan,

I would think that if noise is a problem you would be quiter with one big engine and then run everything off that, ala Dave Olsens set up. And for me a truck is a lot easier than the trailer, unless you are into parking garages and need to be concerned about the height.

[newlook 265]

My preference would be to load everything on a trailer.

Add the 2nd machine to cut down on your "onsite" time for that particular account.

Another advantage of having multiple rigs is in case of an emergency and you need to get your hand on some money ~ you could sale one of the machines but still be in business.

[Christopher 102]

I like the idea of a trailer because if the truck were to break down then I could always rent a truck to pull a trailer. I like the idea of several machines because if one big one went down then you will be down until it is fixed unless you have a fleet and then it is no problem. I was torn between getting another pressure washer or the vacuum recovery system. With the second machine then I will have to find someone and train them and that has been hard to do here locally especially with the night work. I thought that if I have the vacuum recovery then on most jobs where I have a lot of area to rinse after I clean then using the vacuum recovery I would think I would cut out about 80 to 90 percent of the rinsing which usually takes longer than the cleaning itself then I think I would be working faster overall. There are some locations I do regularly that if I could cut out the rinsing or had a helper rinse then I could get more done in the same time or faster. Since you have the vacuum recovery, what do you think? Thanks.

[HotShot 34]

Alan, what about an enclosed trailer? I have seen some nice ones and you already have the truck to pull it.

[HotShot 34]

Here is Jeff's rig, I think it's one of the nicest I've seen....

[John T 744]

I thought a box truck was the way to go but when I had the stearing unit go bad on it and the truck was stuck up in the shop for a week I decided to go back to an enclosed trailer. This time I bought an 18' enclosed trailer which is large enough to hold most of my equipment. I have dropped this trailer off at job sites and even left it locked up there over night a couple of times. With Powerful locks on this trailer and a Hitch lock to go along with it my trailer was pretty safe.

So with all this being said I would reccommend the enclosed trailer set-up. Also I carry 3 powerwashers in this trailer and I would reccommend once again to carry at least two powerwashers if you can afford to in case one breaks down. Once I was doing a commercial job years ago and one of my hot water machines broke down and could not be fixed at the job site. Because of this I had to drive 1 hr back to my house and get my other hot water trailer and bring that to the commercial job site. A lesson learned here was to carry at least two Powerwashers to every job site so if something goes wrong I have a back up system in place.

[Jeff 232]

My enclosed does baffle the sound some and I extended the the exhuast pipe and piped it out the floor , it helpa the noise some and sure did cool it off a lot

But I can never get that rig in parking garage. I like the enclosed and hope to put another hot unit in it someday. The enclosed you can store a lot of stuff, I have everything but the kitchen sink in there

Id add a 2nd machine

[Chappy 138]

Jeff, take a pic of that exhaust. I need to do that and just need to visualize it. as it is right now, the exhaust points to the water tank, and even with a board in front of it, the water when drained is almost hot. Dont want to melt the tank.

By the way, Love my 8gpm Pressure pro skid. have only used it couple times since I bought it, but man does it kick ass!!