Who makes the best vacuums for self service locations?

[Car_Wash_Guy]

Just wanting to see what the options are. I have Fragramatics at my SS location , and although they have been 100% reliable, they're coming on 10 years old and are looking tired and I've never really been impressed with their performance.

Was wondering if there are any better performing systems out there?

 

[Kolbyskarwash]

Post some pictures! I love fragramatics machines. We just revamped 4 machines 2 shampoo/ spot and 2 fragrance machines both included vac. With fragramatics new label design and colors I don’t see where you could go wrong by just revamping them. Just my opinion.

 

[pgrzes]

I have 20 Coleman vacs. 18 are combo units at 2 locations. I have been very happy with them, aside from the hose they use on their shampooers they have been very reliable.

 

[Rfreeman]

Pgrzes

Im in the process of rehabbing 3 of them (coleman shampoo/vac combos) any tips or pointers you can pass along regarding the hose would be appreciated.

I also have coleman vacs...14 in total at 2 sites...cant complain, very happy with them as well.

 

[Earl Weiss]

I have 20 Coleman vacs. 18 are combo units at 2 locations. I have been very happy with them, aside from the hose they use on their shampooers they have been very reliable.

What is your issue with the hose . My only issue is if the button on the brush breaks it's almost impossible to repair.

 

[Earl Weiss]

Pgrzes

Im in the process of rehabbing 3 of them (coleman shampoo/vac combos) any tips or pointers you can pass along regarding the hose would be appreciated.

My hose issues with the Shampoo was it would wear at the handle - Guard would slip down, and in the center for Fragrance also where they flex and hit the ground they would wear and break. Now I tape the shampoo guard in place and use 4 feet of this https://www.kleen-ritecorp.com/p-29766-spiral-guard-75-id-x-66.aspx in the center. Seem to last until dry rot sets in.

 

[pgrzes]

rfreeman and Earl, my only real issue is I only seem to get a little over a year out of the hose setup. And I have pretty much given up on trying to reuse the heads and just order complete hose assys. Trying to get the tubes and wires thru that bent fitting is near impossible. I would love to find a hose that last a bit longer on them. Not sure if you guys have the big oval vacs or the round ones. Mine are the ovals, I picked them all up from closed washes and rehabbed them. I might have $7-8000 into all 20 of my vacs.

 

[Earl Weiss]

rfreeman and Earl, my only real issue is I only seem to get a little over a year out of the hose setup. And I have pretty much given up on trying to reuse the heads and just order complete hose assys. Trying to get the tubes and wires thru that bent fitting is near impossible. I would love to find a hose that last a bit longer on them..

I was getting about a year with failure in the center where it flexed and rubbed. Now much longer with the spiral wrap.

 

[Rfreeman]

Pgrzes & Earl,

Thanks for the feedback as always this forum is a great asset for anyone in the game or getting into it. I don't have an issue right now as I just got them to my shop from south Texas. I will be rehabbing them so I was trying to get ahead before installing them at the wash you know? Taping the shampoo guard and spiral guard make sense and I could see that being a future problem with use and wear after install, thanks for tip! I thought I was reading another posting sometime last week and maybe MEP had mentioned something about making his own or changing them out to a different type of hose???

At one wash I have 9 ovals they are just vacs though...I wanted the combo oval ones to match but everyone wants a fortune for used equipment. Finally I found 6 round combo units 3 shampoo/vac and 3 frag./vac so I will be rehabbing these and installing them at this wash.

 

[MEP001]

For Fragramatics types I use blue wrapped pressure wash hose which is thicker so it doesn't kink, much more resistant to rotting and cracking, and it won't mark a car's finish. I order all the components from Fragramatics except the hose itself. I have to "skive" off the outer layers of the hose on each end down to the metal. The hardest part is getting the tubing and wire through the hose, which I found the best way is to run a steel fish tape through the hose, attach the tubing/wire to the fish tape, then clamp the tape to something and pull the hose over the tubing/wire. I use mineral spirits as a lubricant by wetting a paper towel and wiping it over the tubing as I pull.

I started doing this after putting on a brand new fragrance gun and hose assembly and finding it badly kinked the next day. I get the blue wrapped hose from a local bearing supply, and it lasts about ten years.

 

[Main Street Carwash]

I prefer the round vacs myself. In my experience ovals seem to have more door sealing issues.