Business growing too fast - need help with VLM equipment

[AussieCarpetBloke]

20 inch too big for resieldential? How about the Bissel BGEM 9000? Its 12 inch. I would get 14 inch pads and bonnets.

20in too big for residential
17in is max for residential
13in is ideal for residential
Oreck/Bissel bgem is awesome for small jobs/appartments in some instances
BUT that shampoo/feed tank on the BGEMBissel is useless/too small for commercial residential....more designed for a housewife in residential settings
The oreck is essentially a homeowner machine that can be quite useful in a commercial setting. I use my oreck with a blue brush for scrubbing in/shampooing my prespray nearly everyday
I rarely use it anymore for VLM in high rise appartments...found it wasn’t fast enough or heavy enough to cut it. It did ok... but now I have a 13in 175 with a shampoo/gravity feed tank it kills the oreck


END OF THE DAY
If VLM was my only option and I could choose either :

the bissel BGEM
or
a 13in 175


The 13in 175 -with blue/red pads, a soft and hard brush, white cotton/blue micro/blue stripe microfibre pads is the much better option
Hands down!!!! You can actually operate a business with just that....

Couldn’t run a business just with the bissel/oreck

 

[keep it clean]

20in too big for residential
17in is max for residential
13in is ideal for residential
Oreck/Bissel bgem is awesome for small jobs/appartments in some instances
BUT that shampoo/feed tank on the BGEMBissel is useless/too small for commercial residential....more designed for a housewife in residential settings
The oreck is essentially a homeowner machine that can be quite useful in a commercial setting. I use my oreck with a blue brush for scrubbing in/shampooing my prespray nearly everyday
I rarely use it anymore for VLM in high rise appartments...found it wasn’t fast enough or heavy enough to cut it. It did ok... but now I have a 13in 175 with a shampoo/gravity feed tank it kills the oreck


END OF THE DAY
If VLM was my only option and I could choose either :

the bissel BGEM
or
a 13in 175


The 13in 175 -with blue/red pads, a soft and hard brush, white cotton/blue micro/blue stripe microfibre pads is the much better option
Hands down!!!! You can actually operate a business with just that....

Couldn’t run a business just with the bissel/oreck

Agree. Definitely need 2 machines. Small one for tight spots. The larger one for open areas with room to swing.

 

[SomeC]

20in too big for residential
17in is max for residential
13in is ideal for residential
Oreck/Bissel bgem is awesome for small jobs/appartments in some instances
BUT that shampoo/feed tank on the BGEMBissel is useless/too small for commercial residential....more designed for a housewife in residential settings
The oreck is essentially a homeowner machine that can be quite useful in a commercial setting. I use my oreck with a blue brush for scrubbing in/shampooing my prespray nearly everyday
I rarely use it anymore for VLM in high rise appartments...found it wasn’t fast enough or heavy enough to cut it. It did ok... but now I have a 13in 175 with a shampoo/gravity feed tank it kills the oreck


END OF THE DAY
If VLM was my only option and I could choose either :

the bissel BGEM
or
a 13in 175


The 13in 175 -with blue/red pads, a soft and hard brush, white cotton/blue micro/blue stripe microfibre pads is the much better option
Hands down!!!! You can actually operate a business with just that....

Couldn’t run a business just with the bissel/oreck

Great advice, thank you. The units are identical and I believe a 13 inch 175 would get the job done efficiently enough. A nice step up from the 12 inch entry level floor machines it seems like. Need to find one with tank or get an electric sprayer.

 

[AussieCarpetBloke]

Great advice, thank you. The units are identical and I believe a 13 inch 175 would get the job done efficiently enough. A nice step up from the 12 inch entry level floor machines it seems like. Need to find one with tank or get an electric sprayer.

Any old shampoo tank will almost bolt on any machine
Ask your local supplier
For example below

Rotary Floor Scrubber Solution Tank - White

This 4 gallon solution tank can be used with any size or brand floor buffer. It will hold 4 gallons of solution for dispensing while scrubbing. A great additional for anyone scrubbing large areas, especially on carpeting! Buy in bulk & save.

www.floorbuffers.com

For normal residential VLM start with a pump up weed sprayer they’re cheap and do just fine for your production rates. Always keep a backup have 2 sprayers - 1 as a spare and the solution/shampoo tank will keep you’re bases covered
Get yourself a sanitiare/Kirby/Royal - a real vacuum too

 

[SomeC]

Any old shampoo tank will almost bolt on any machine
Ask your local supplier
For example below

Rotary Floor Scrubber Solution Tank - White

This 4 gallon solution tank can be used with any size or brand floor buffer. It will hold 4 gallons of solution for dispensing while scrubbing. A great additional for anyone scrubbing large areas, especially on carpeting! Buy in bulk & save.

www.floorbuffers.com

For normal residential VLM start with a pump up weed sprayer they’re cheap and do just fine for your production rates. Always keep a backup have 2 sprayers - 1 as a spare and the solution/shampoo tank will keep you’re bases covered
Get yourself a sanitiare/Kirby/Royal - a real vacuum too

Yes a real bag vacuum for pre and post. Not the bagless.

 

[george8585]

See BonnetPro for bonnets. His work great with 175’s. They pick up a lot of moisture and soil. Use the next size up bonnet. So it has a little over hang outside of the driver. This gets you closer to baseboards. George mentioned challenger. I liked using their stair tool pads with the oreck orbiter for small areas and steps. Youll need a lot of those. You can use a pump sprayer doing vlm but it sucks. Find an electric sprayer instead. And only load up a pump sprayer for spots. As youll see on the label the mix ratios. Spotting its the same stuff just less dillution.

Challenger makes a velcro driver for Oreck Orbiter that's much better than the driver Oreck makes.

10'' pad driver - $48.50

Orbiter is a nice little machine for closets and tight areas. I don't like it on stairs.

 

[keep it clean]

Challenger makes a velcro driver for Oreck Orbiter that's much better than the driver Oreck makes.

10'' pad driver - $48.50

Orbiter is a nice little machine for closets and tight areas. I don't like it on stairs.

I used it on stairs worked ok. The 7” polisher was more maneuverable to hit the risers though.

 

[george8585]

I used it on stairs worked ok. The 7” polisher was more maneuverable to hit the risers though.

I don't like a polisher on stairs either. It's too light and flings water/prespray on walls/floors. It's only good for the riser.

I use a stepson for stairs but first I scrub steps with a 10'' CRB and the short handle

Vacuum
Prespray
CRB
Extract with Stepson
Groom

 

[SomeC]

Fortunately there are no stairs and any of the units that I have agreed to clean and the 280 unit apartment complex. If there were stairs I would still use the upholstry tool with upgraded agitator attachment extending from the Bissell big green. Gotta do with what I have you know.

 

[OxiFreshGuy]

Fortunately there are no stairs and any of the units that I have agreed to clean and the 280 unit apartment complex. If there were stairs I would still use the upholstry tool with upgraded agitator attachment extending from the Bissell big green. Gotta do with what I have you know.

I still don't understand what you're doing. You complain of having no money but have a contract for 280 units.

You should be able to upgrade equipment to something more efficient.