Has anyone used a unit from TCS?
- Thread starter Boomer
- Start date
Judson is very similar and very bullet proof. Great machines.
Robs units are super nice but about 8-10k
more
Relia Builts are another really good one for around with 12-14k. Kacy is worth talking to before you make your decision
All of these can be easily worked on yourself, no crazy proprietary parts
Very very low operating cost. Our Judson burns 1.5gal of propane per hour @ 2.19 per gallon. Less than $5 per most jobs. I do all the maintenance myself and its so cheap I don't even factor that cost, instead just a small amount towards future new equipment
Robs units are super nice but about 8-10k
more
Relia Builts are another really good one for around with 12-14k. Kacy is worth talking to before you make your decision
All of these can be easily worked on yourself, no crazy proprietary parts
Very very low operating cost. Our Judson burns 1.5gal of propane per hour @ 2.19 per gallon. Less than $5 per most jobs. I do all the maintenance myself and its so cheap I don't even factor that cost, instead just a small amount towards future new equipment
Imo unless your well established and have a new machine under warranty, then these type of units are the way to go.
I see our competitors trucks sitting in the jon don parking lot all the time. Takes 2-3 weeks just for them to get you in to take a look and diagnose. 5-6 weeks average repair.
Thats a lot of lost income sometimes these are warranty fixes on newer machines.
In 6 years on the judson it has never once sat in a repair shop and longest down time was hours not even a day.
4 years on our relia built same thing, never once out for a day.
The repair mechanics I talk to at Jon don have never even heard of a Judson (longest running TM manufacturer) or a relia built.
Wonder why
2-3 weeks to look at, 4-6 weeks to repair? Id be tearing the fudgeing building down, thats absolutely ridiculous stupid fudges need to hire more techs if their that far behind
Ya there's 2 jon dons here and I think the interlink is closing not sure.
I had them swap gears on a CRB just because its a PITA and I was busy, should have just bought a new one it took 3 weeks just to look pull it apart and look at it, all said and done 1.5 months
And I had the gears in hand when I dropped the machine off lol
I managed an auto workshop for a long time, was going to cost me 1.3mil to buy the biz. So walked away and started carpet cleaning
First little problem I had with my Ss370 I took it past and the guys at the carpet supply/equip shop were like umm, we have no idea, I’ll call the distributor(interstate)....was under warranty, but I fixed it myself
Week later was in there for chems
Some poor guy from the outback had an 870, brand new - under 200 hours old with dramas...no one at the local had a clue, so guy from interstate distributor flew out, he had no idea what he was doing, could tell just buy the way he was walking around...
Thought - What the hell did I just buy??
I wasn’t allowed to service the machine, even though I have worked on cars for 20 years
Knew I was on my own from that moment on with no warranty - good times
Flexi joint on both pipes blew out, one first then 6months later the other blew.
Would have been 2months for a genuine part at nearly $500 landed + labour
Cost me $20 to repair - had it apart, sectioned and welded and back together in under 2hrs back at work in 3....the local would’ve had to farm out the work....when they could “squeeze it in”
I have even tried to buy parts like bypass valve through local distributors here. No stock in the country. So placed it on back order...they forgot/didn’t order....contacted Saphire, they wouldn’t sell me one direct because - I’m not authorised, wouldn’t even send me one direct and invoice my local, even after sending screenshots of emails with confirmations placing such parts on back order....weeks I went dumping 2/3 times a job sometimes 9times a day....
Got some advice from the TMF brains trust
So got a Cat bypass and a thread adapter for tank. 1/4 the price of the genuine bypass
Big name TMs with all the smoke and mirrors & ridiculous overpricing of “genuine” parts
The untrained/unqualified service technicians they specify to maintain your machine at the local “authorised distributor” who either doesn’t carry stock/parts or can’t access stock/parts quickly
NOT WORTH THE TROUBLE
NEVER AGAIN
It’s bloody joke
First little problem I had with my Ss370 I took it past and the guys at the carpet supply/equip shop were like umm, we have no idea, I’ll call the distributor(interstate)....was under warranty, but I fixed it myself
Week later was in there for chems
Some poor guy from the outback had an 870, brand new - under 200 hours old with dramas...no one at the local had a clue, so guy from interstate distributor flew out, he had no idea what he was doing, could tell just buy the way he was walking around...
Thought - What the hell did I just buy??
I wasn’t allowed to service the machine, even though I have worked on cars for 20 years
Knew I was on my own from that moment on with no warranty - good times
Flexi joint on both pipes blew out, one first then 6months later the other blew.
Would have been 2months for a genuine part at nearly $500 landed + labour
Cost me $20 to repair - had it apart, sectioned and welded and back together in under 2hrs back at work in 3....the local would’ve had to farm out the work....when they could “squeeze it in”
I have even tried to buy parts like bypass valve through local distributors here. No stock in the country. So placed it on back order...they forgot/didn’t order....contacted Saphire, they wouldn’t sell me one direct because - I’m not authorised, wouldn’t even send me one direct and invoice my local, even after sending screenshots of emails with confirmations placing such parts on back order....weeks I went dumping 2/3 times a job sometimes 9times a day....
Got some advice from the TMF brains trust
So got a Cat bypass and a thread adapter for tank. 1/4 the price of the genuine bypass
Big name TMs with all the smoke and mirrors & ridiculous overpricing of “genuine” parts
The untrained/unqualified service technicians they specify to maintain your machine at the local “authorised distributor” who either doesn’t carry stock/parts or can’t access stock/parts quickly
NOT WORTH THE TROUBLE
NEVER AGAIN
It’s bloody joke
Then the purposeful engineering of the machine to make it difficult to work on....
If they made the blower sit an inch higher (doesn’t effect footprint) wouldn’t have to remove the engine to do the blower belts
If the water pump was over towards the right an inch (plenty of room inside frame to side it over more) then the belts would adjust properly and the inlet for the pump wouldn’t foul on the frame limiting belt adjustment
If the bolts/nuts on the frame were anchored/tabbed you could remove the Heat exchanger rectangular outlet to get access to the Bimba valve in 5 minutes
But if your TM is bolted to the floor you cannot remove the Heat exchange rectangular exhaust outlet without lifting the machine into the air so you have to reach in with Japanese hands and a cut down Allen key and remove the 8? Mounting hex bolts 1/2 turn at a time
Poor access to blower drain and water pump drain drips SO slowly (get a vacuum kit and suck both blower and pump oil from the top)
Even the way the 2 Kohler exhaust pipes are flanged is stupid - no one who builds things professionally would build thatView attachment 93202
If they made the blower sit an inch higher (doesn’t effect footprint) wouldn’t have to remove the engine to do the blower belts
If the water pump was over towards the right an inch (plenty of room inside frame to side it over more) then the belts would adjust properly and the inlet for the pump wouldn’t foul on the frame limiting belt adjustment
If the bolts/nuts on the frame were anchored/tabbed you could remove the Heat exchanger rectangular outlet to get access to the Bimba valve in 5 minutes
But if your TM is bolted to the floor you cannot remove the Heat exchange rectangular exhaust outlet without lifting the machine into the air so you have to reach in with Japanese hands and a cut down Allen key and remove the 8? Mounting hex bolts 1/2 turn at a time
Poor access to blower drain and water pump drain drips SO slowly (get a vacuum kit and suck both blower and pump oil from the top)
Even the way the 2 Kohler exhaust pipes are flanged is stupid - no one who builds things professionally would build thatView attachment 93202
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The simpler the machine the better. I like doing most of the work myself because I do it on my time. I'm looking at a Butler today and as much as I'm not a fan of direct drives, I hardly see them fail and when they do it's a quick fix. Besides the actual clutch and shaft there's not much to them. Eventually would like a brand new TM, probably a simple slide in.
