Looked at a steamway 4100lx today. Anything I should look for or be worried about? The battery was dead, so we're going to check it out again next week so we can start it up and check the heat/psi/suction. In an ugly 88 van, but not really concerned with that. Has keroseen heat, a kohler 20hp engine, and a few misc things like hose reels, some hose, and maybe a wand. They're asking 2995 but I'm betting they'll take around 2k. What do you guys think?
I used Steamway equipment for many years. But not that particular model. I loved the unit I had, a Powermatic. Be sure you are either mechanical enough to repair and maintain it yourself or have a good distrubtor who is familair with the machine. Steamway equipment still has parts but is no longer manufacturing truck mounts. This limits the factory support you can expect when repairs are needed. Scott Warrington
Those machines will clean like no tomorrow if there running right...... The ignitor, flow switch, and brushes can potentially be a nuisance at times, but for the most part, they are easy to replace. See if you can find out if they ran allot of diesel in lieu of Kero.
I've had mine for nearly 15 years. Still going strong. Maintenace issues are as Floodrunner said. If you are a bit of a shade tree mechanic you should be able to get a long profitable life out of it.
I don't know much about the 4100 LX, but I do run a Steamway Powermatic. We have had a few maintenance issues from time to time, but nothing too big or complicated. We run ours hard and it cleans great. The kerosene heat can crank out some insane temperatures. Matt
