When is it worth it to replace IBA?

[Joswhaha]

I have read multiple threads regarding this topic but am I seriously considering replacing my Water Wizard 1.0.

At what income level does it make sense for you guys? What increase did you see from a new machine? Decrease is water usage? Decrease in maintenance?

I have only owned this place 2 1/2 months but, I have been seeing about $4500 in monthly sales from the automatic and about $3500 from the Self Service. I think I can get this up a little with my current machine but it is dated and it is SLOW. With a new machine I could advertise heavily but probably not get more than $6500 in Automatic sales monthly.

I do feel like sooner or later the machine is going to have to be replaced anyway. Should I do it and push hard for more sales or use the 25 year old water wizard till I can not squeeze and more pennies out of it.

 

[Eric H]

How many cars an hour can you wash with a Water Wizard? My WashWorld Razors with onboard dryers can do 10/hr consistently with peaks of 11-12 and the occasional 13/hr. I know some guys with Razors and stand alone dryers are reporting up to 15/hr.
If you have a lot of hours when the machine is maxed out on capacity and there are constantly lines you may want to consider replacement.
Since you just bought the place, do you have enough equity or cash on hand to invest $100K or more? I trust you wouldn't be asking if it wasn't a possibility.

My Excel loan calculator say a $100K loan at 4% for 10 years is $1012.45/ month. Can you increase sales by $1000 or afford to decrease your current Net by $1000 to cover the loan amount? Will your market bear a modest price increase when you install a new machine? Will a new machine reduce utility costs?
Answering these questions is somewhat of a guessing game but you need to sit down and run a few scenarios with the numbers to decide if it is the right choice for you.
For the record, I'd be leaning strongly towards replacement of a 25 year old machine. A major breakdown that puts you out of service for an extended period can have a huge negative impact. I certainly can't see getting another 5 years out of a 25 year old machine.

 

[washnshine]

I have read multiple threads regarding this topic but am I seriously considering replacing my Water Wizard 1.0.

At what income level does it make sense for you guys? What increase did you see from a new machine? Decrease is water usage? Decrease in maintenance?

I have only owned this place 2 1/2 months but, I have been seeing about $4500 in monthly sales from the automatic and about $3500 from the Self Service. I think I can get this up a little with my current machine but it is dated and it is SLOW. With a new machine I could advertise heavily but probably not get more than $6500 in Automatic sales monthly.

I do feel like sooner or later the machine is going to have to be replaced anyway. Should I do it and push hard for more sales or use the 25 year old water wizard till I can not squeeze and more pennies out of it.

Ask yourself what your package pricing would be if you had a premium, modern machine. What could you get for each package on your area if you offered state-of-art equipment!? This will be your opportunity for the biggest single price increase you will ever have - until your replace the machine again in 20 years.

 

[Waxman]

I just replaced a 15 year old touchless with a Razor. I'm going to put it simply; yes. Install a new Razor. The throughput, price increase and lower maintenance should more than cover the payment. People love new so be sure to raise your price enough. I went from 10,12,13,15 to16,18,20,22. Working out well...

 

[Tom Thumb]

I have read multiple threads regarding this topic but am I seriously considering replacing my Water Wizard 1.0.

At what income level does it make sense for you guys? What increase did you see from a new machine? Decrease is water usage? Decrease in maintenance?

I have only owned this place 2 1/2 months but, I have been seeing about $4500 in monthly sales from the automatic and about $3500 from the Self Service. I think I can get this up a little with my current machine but it is dated and it is SLOW. With a new machine I could advertise heavily but probably not get more than $6500 in Automatic sales monthly.

I do feel like sooner or later the machine is going to have to be replaced anyway. Should I do it and push hard for more sales or use the 25 year old water wizard till I can not squeeze and more pennies out of it.

You might want to talk with some owners of Water Wizard 1.0 before you go and spend money, they are very good machines (all Stainless) and can be upgraded by the owners to look like new machines. good nozzles and chemicals can make a difference.
Good luck, don't give up, you know what you can and cannot do.

 

[Joswhaha]

Thanks guys, I am going to continue to research potential price increases and probably will get a new machine ordered.

The water wizard actually works fine it is just slow probably can wash 7 cars per hour, it also cannot Wash Duallys or longer trucks.

I got a quote for a new Razor Edge but don’t know what options I am going to need. Also, the distributor says it takes about 3 weeks to install the machine, does that sound normal to y’all. I really wouldn’t want to be shut down that long.

 

[slash007]

Thanks guys, I am going to continue to research potential price increases and probably will get a new machine ordered.

The water wizard actually works fine it is just slow probably can wash 7 cars per hour, it also cannot Wash Duallys or longer trucks.

I got a quote for a new Razor Edge but don’t know what options I am going to need. Also, the distributor says it takes about 3 weeks to install the machine, does that sound normal to y’all. I really wouldn’t want to be shut down that long.

My Razor took just one week to install, maybe 8 days with testing.

 

[Waxman]

I think it's going to take as long as it takes to do properly and that rushing people is unwise if you want a quality installation.

I shut my automatic down in February 2021. I started testing cars in my new razor on December 21.

I remodeled the bay completely and the result is outstanding. If you take a long-term view, being closed for a period of time can pay off big later on.

 

[soonermajic]

What part of Okla you in, & who is your Distributor? About 3 weeks is normal. When u lemme know where you are, i can let you know if you will be able to swing by & see my 2 new Razors.

Slash getting his done in 8 days is unreal. Can't imagine it being done that fast + you have to uninstall.

Waxman has a phenomenal site & market. Not very many places in US you can raise prices 60%, certainly not in the South or SE part of US. So you gotta think more like 20--30% increase.

I think when you start asking "Do i need to replace my IBA, it is then time to replace your IBA".

 

[Rfreeman]

I tore out a water wizard (myself) and Ryko installed a softgloss all done in 2 weeks.

As far as time to replace, a good point was made about lines forming and needing more throughput to increase sales. Another factor is cost to operate in terms of parts and down time due to break downs. If your machine is cleaning cars well, running well, and you are not having long lines all day long I would run that machine until it can't wash any more.

If your constantly down or always working on it just to keep it running I would definitely look at replacing it.

 

[Joswhaha]

What part of Okla you in, & who is your Distributor? About 3 weeks is normal. When u lemme know where you are, i can let you know if you will be able to swing by & see my 2 new Razors.

Slash getting his done in 8 days is unreal. Can't imagine it being done that fast + you have to uninstall.

Waxman has a phenomenal site & market. Not very many places in US you can raise prices 60%, certainly not in the South or SE part of US. So you gotta think more like 20--30% increase.

I think when you start asking "Do i need to replace my IBA, it is then time to replace your IBA".

I am from Lawton but I need to find some Razors to check out and will drive wherever I need to. I have been talking to a couple of distributors to see what my options are.

 

[slash007]

My old one was already out, so not part of the 8 day install. Removal only took 1 day though. I put an ad online and had someone come and get it.

 

[soonermajic]

I am from Lawton but I need to find some Razors to check out and will drive wherever I need to. I have been talking to a couple of distributors to see what my options are.

Welcome to come over to Idabel. I have 1 there (RX7)& then in Texarkana (Edge).

 

[Greg Pack]

If it was 2.0 I'd tell you to wrap it, put some LEDs on it and keep going. The first generation wizards still clean good and have a good trifoam application, but some parts are hard to come by such as the Red Lion HMI if it goes bad. The 2.0 is a little faster but not a ton, maybe 60-90 seconds faster. You could put a used 2.0 in for less than 20K and be able to utilize the same tracks and rails if they're still in good shape. A two man crew that knows what they're doing could do that in two days tops.