Looking for an automatic....and info

[RykoPro]

Thanks for all the great input guys! As far as my self serve goes, I have never really had to rely heavily on my distributor for much. I do know that an automatic (not familiar with at all) would have me relying on my distributor much more.

We would be more than willing to help you over the phone for free. We are open 24/365 with LOCAL tech support. Ryko offers any type of wash you need and we have the best service in the state! All of the washes Ryko offers are proven winners that have the capibility to go the distance (1,000,000 plus washes!).I would talk to a few different companies and make sure they all know you are looking for the best deal. Let me know and I will send our saleman your way.
Thanks,
Mark

 

[MEP001]

I do like the quality of the wash the D&S 5000 delivers, but it's a bit higher maintenance, especially routine maintenance, than some other washes. It's messy to work on and requires a number of expensive proprietary parts. It also can't do duallys or long-bed crew-cab trucks. If it's cared for properly it will run a long time between major repairs, and is less likely to have a catastrophic failure such as a broken shaft.

I've seen and serviced a lot of them, some that were neglected and some that were cared for properly. It was common that the guys who thought it was the biggest piece of junk on the planet were the ones that never touched it and expected it to run and run.

 

[Ric]

If you are handy and know carwashes and you buy a simple machine, the tech support you will need is mainly stuff on the telephone.

I knew very little when I started, know slightly more than zero now and I can have a conversation with my distributor then go do what he tells me to do and have 99% of things fixed right away.

That is very true. But you must make sure your distributor and manufacturer provides prompt tech service via phone. The last thing you want to have to deal with when you have a problem is a complicated touchtone phone menu which ends with you having to give a credit card # in order to get an answer.

 

[oldguy]

Hyrospray Cobra

Bubbles, we have 3 hydrospray cobra's (touchless) and they have been working great and with no major down time. Also have the best technical help I have seen so far in this business. All touchless and are set for 3 1/2min wash time. We have had 15 cars per hour on some days. It would be in your favor to check them out.

We are in talk to convert two rain makers into the new cobra...

 

[soapy]

I have 6 Ryko OHDs ( now called Radius) in operation. Maintenance on them is to grease 4 wheels every 3 months. 1 Zerk per wheel. That is all the basic maitenance there is. Every one of them has at times gone over 2 years without having any break downs. They are very open and easy to work on. Chemicals are the key to any touchless cleaning. Does not matter the brand without a good chemical you won't get the car clean. Get a good distributor on whatever you buy and you have most of the battle won. Experiment with chemicals until you find the one that works well in your area and use it.

 

[Red Baron]

FWIW, if I found a new location tomorrow, it would have a D&S 5000 or the new i5000 model. I like the Q and the Odyssey but don't want the added headaches of doors.

Familiarity breeds confidence, I guess. There's a certain amount of value I place on knowing more about the 5000 than any other model. I should qualify what I said above though. If I found an existing wash that needed a new IBA, I'd probably install a D&S 5000. If, on the other hand, I was building a new wash tomorrow, I'd go with the Q on one side and the Odyssey on the other.

I don't get all warm and fuzzy when I think about doors. On a new location I could design in some protections from moronic drivers. Drivers such as the lady Wednesday who cramped her wheels to the right and attempted a right turn immediately after the wash was finished - she ripped off her passenger side mirror and bent my stop light. I don't know what in the world she was thinking, especially given that she said she's been through my bay dozens of times. After she spoke with her hubby on the phone, she began suggesting it might have been caused by the ice at the exit end of my bay. Of course, she hit the light long before she got to any ice, but I suspect I'll have to revisit the incident at some point.

 

[Reds]

I have 2 Jim Coleman WW2.0's and am very happy with them. Although I would investigate other brands before ordering any new equipment, I am inclined to buy another WW when the time is right. They have been very reliable. I think JC parts are overpriced, but the machine is reliable and does a good job. I am open 24 x 7 even when the temp is down to -12 (two days ago). I've got close to 60,000 washes on one and it still works great. Some maintenance/replacements should be expected, but overall it's a good machine. I have more trouble with my doors than my WW

 

[Joe Gillis]

automatic

Bubbles,

I just saw a new D n S 5000 install outside of Cleveland a couple weeks ago and I was pretty impressed with the simplicity and the quality of the clean. If I could extend one of my 22' bays I would definitely put one in.

I feel that a close, reliable distributor is important, but only as an insurance policy. My sales are dramitically down and if I had to pay for a distributor to come out to fix something I'd be well on the road to the poor house.

A machine like the 5000 with few moving parts will cost a lot less to operate in the long run.

Good Luck

Joe

 

[Another carwash owner]

If soft cloth is what you're looking for, I would highly recommend the Mark VII Combi Wash. Our customers love it! It's reliable. Easy to work on. Saves on electricity. And, esthetically nice looking machine.

Good luck,
ACO

 

[CWC DS]

In-Bay Automatic

Bubles, You have a very good D&S distributor in Michigan. Check out the D&S website and they will direct you to your distributor. dscarwash com

 

[Waxman]

I personally do not like the way the D&S 5000 travels over the vehicle.

I think the good ol inverted L sizes nicely, works nicely, has no spinners to foul up, cannot crush the cars by accident and makes the bay feel more open and inviting.

Let the criticism begin.

 

[mac]

Waxman, there's a reason so many manufacturers use that setup. Sort of like why all cars have four wheels. it works.

 

[Red Baron]

I personally do not like the way the D&S 5000 travels over the vehicle.

I think the good ol inverted L sizes nicely, works nicely, has no spinners to foul up, cannot crush the cars by accident and makes the bay feel more open and inviting.

Let the criticism begin.

After 50,000+ washes, my D&S 5000 has never crushed a car. No damage of any kind, except for 1 drunk lady who got on the wrong side of the rails, and 2 who tried to drive duallys through.

As for the inverted L's, I'll jump in on that Before I built my wash I had no loyalty to my dist or D&S. At that point I had no idea how important it would be to use a strong local dist and to be loyal to one. So, my decision to go with a D&S 5000 was based 100% on my personal experience with them washing my own vehicles, and with other manufacturers. I was never impressed with any inverted L I used because they seemed to lack the punch/impingement that the D&S 5000 has. The D&S 5000 will rock your truck back and forth with its pressure, and while that may not mean much in terms of cleaning ability to us, in the customer's eyes, it means it's doing a good job.

I've been in roofing sales for 28 years, the car wash business for just 11 years. In those 17 years of knowing nothing about car washes, I would have never considered using a friction wash. My thinking was, hey, if a touchfree doesn't get my vehicle clean, at least I get another chance to get it right. But I only get 1 chance to not get scratches. I know I know, brush technology is better now, but until the industry makes that widely known to the customer, a high percentage of them will still not want a brush touching their car.