Who Makes the Best Extrator

[bigleo48]

I'm in the market for an extrator, but have never even used one. Who has the best unit for the $. So I don't mean cheapest, but most reliable, easy to fix and get parts, easy to clean, and does a great job.

Thanks in advance...BigLeo!

 

[Danny]

LOL bigleo That is a question that is asked everyday and gets every answer under the sun. It really comes down to what you want. Do you want a hot or cold water machine? One or Two Cords? 60psi, 100psi or more? How much waterlift? I know you said not the cheapest but were you thinking $1000, $1500 or $2500 and up? The extractor market is very competitve so in most cases your options for quality are linked to price. Lower end machines you are going to give you less performance and most likely more imported or lower quality parts. The opposite being true of higher end machines (usually but not always). Warranties also typically vary with the different parts of the machine. How good is the reputation of the manufacturer on honoring the warranty? If there is a warranty issue is it resolved locally? Do they send parts? Do you ship them the machine?

Most popular setup for automotive?
10-13 gallons
Heated
100PSI pump
1 3stage vacuum motor
Single Cord
Under 15 amps

A bunch of questions to answer one small one.

 

[bigleo48]

Danny,

Yeah I realized the question was a little open ended LOL. Not having used one in a detailing envionment, how many gallons would be required for the largest vehicles (like minivans). I would imagine heated would be best. Mytee seems to be one of the biggest and most of their parts look like off-the-shelf stuff.

BigLeo

 

[Danny]

12-13 gallon range is good. It has enough water that you do not have to stop in the middle of an interior and refill/empty the tanks. In my personal opinion heated is better in two ways. First it helps with some stains and dirt, second you are able to market you are using a hot water machine justifying a higher price with better service/equipment. Mytee is popular, I have ordered them, they are typically one of the least expensive entry level heated machines for auto detailers. I would recommend checking to see what mytee has close to you for factory/warranty service centers. If a warranty issue does come up with a machine from them and you have to send it to the factory it is common to find the customer at fault and charge them accordingly! If there is a local warranty center this may not become an issue of concern for you.

 

[smokun]

Best Carpet Extractor? And Best Service Support?

Diamond Lustre has a new one that seems to take all the good points from many, and combined them into a single machine. The company doesn't sell you, and then forget about you, either. They stand behind what they sell, which is increasingly rare these days.

Ask for Bruce, a man who's word is good.

-Steve

 

[Waxman]

I just bought a used Thoro-Matic cold water machine for $175. It features 2 vac motors for plenty of suction.

I converted it to hot water by purchasing a small elec. hot water heater element and thermostat from the plumbing supply store and having my electrician buddy install it properly and safely. No leaks/shorts!!!

It's everything I need and more for my busy detail operation and my overall cost is less than $300.

I'm headed out to the shop in 5 minutes to give it a workout on a dirty Honda Odyssey.

 

[Waxman]

I should also add that my Galaxy 2000 was a great, hot water machine that I had for over 10 years. I used the heck out of it and until I traded it for a plow truck, all it needed was occasional cleaning of the tip. And the in-line heater died, but I found a way around that.

It was $1200 when I bought it. Worth every penny. Great performance if you must buy new.