Steam Cleaners????

**hemi ram55** · 03-15-2011, 11:52 PM

Hey all, new to the site, first post, but been checking things out last couple days. very cool site and a lot of very cool facts on it. Now the question. Im looking at steam cleaners right now. started a little detailing side job out of my garage and time to upgrade some stuff. Not looking at dumping huge money into it yet, but we will see how the money goes. Looking for about a 200 dollar limit. cant decide between the wagner 905 or the McCulloch 8823. Both around the same price and seem to get good feedback on both. so i have narrowed it down now to them, so the question goes... which one is better? looking for use of carpet cleaning, engine detailing, grease removal etc... any help would be great!! thanks everyone!!

**hemi ram55** · 03-15-2011, 11:59 PM

also which one gets hotter steam. I read the two are almost the same but the mc seems to put out a bit more steam than the wagner. The wagner from what people say is after the nozzle, about 112 degree steam (even though i know the site says 185). anyone ever tested the two who might know??

**john b** · 03-16-2011, 12:55 AM

there is a few folks on here that use the vx 5000 which probably pushs around 60lbs of steam,the ones you have listed are pretty low on lbs of steam they push with a lower boiler temp also-they will work ok but i think you will find yourself lookin to upgrade ,thats just my take on it

**richy** · 03-16-2011, 01:12 AM

This is a case where you want to wait until you can afford a better one. Like any good quality tool..it doesn't pay to skimp on it. I have a Gaia by Vapor Clean. It's a steamer, extractor and vacuum all in one for about $750.

**john b** · 03-16-2011, 01:43 AM

that is what i would call solid advice

**rwisejr** · 03-16-2011, 06:00 AM

Originally Posted by richy

This is a case where you want to wait until you can afford a better one. Like any good quality tool..it doesn't pay to skimp on it. I have a Gaia by Vapor Clean. It's a steamer, extractor and vacuum all in one for about $750.

I totally agree here with Richy . Save and buy a quality unit once.

**SeaJay's** · 03-16-2011, 06:21 AM

Originally Posted by richy

This is a case where you want to wait until you can afford a better one. Like any good quality tool..it doesn't pay to skimp on it. I have a Gaia by Vapor Clean. It's a steamer, extractor and vacuum all in one for about $750.

Richy - How do you like that machine? How well does it work as an extractor? Is it comparable to say the Mytee Lite II? I'm in the market for an extractor, but I also have a cheapo steamer. So, if this machine is 3 in one and works really well I may consider upgrading to this. I'd love to hear some of your feed back on it and how it compares with other extractors.

**john b** · 03-16-2011, 03:10 PM

i would like some info or feedback also

**TMD** · 03-16-2011, 04:40 PM

Same advice, different machine. We bought the Mytee II from Autogeek a few years ago. It is a solid machine that has worked without fail so far. It cost around $1,000.00.

I have read negative threads about folks buying a couple hundred dollar machines and not being happy with the purchase. If you're going to start any kind of business advertising that you'll be steam cleaning carpets, pony up for one of the higher quality machines. Well worth the expense and you'll be far happier with the results. Your clients too!

Good luck with your venture.

**richy** · 03-16-2011, 09:30 PM

Originally Posted by SeaJay's

Richy - How do you like that machine? How well does it work as an extractor? Is it comparable to say the Mytee Lite II? I'm in the market for an extractor, but I also have a cheapo steamer. So, if this machine is 3 in one and works really well I may consider upgrading to this. I'd love to hear some of your feed back on it and how it compares with other extractors.

Originally Posted by john b

i would like some info or feedback also

I can only speak from my experience. I have owned mine just shy of 2 years. I have used it for many hours to do the grout in my house. Recently, it was used to extract puke from carpeting when my daughters got ill. It has been amazing at removing stains from carpeting. It is not a magic bullet. Of all cars, my own mother's Lexus has a cream coloured carpet got stained from burgandy shoe polish. I improved it dramatically but it did not come out 100%. I have had issues when the extraction tank gets too many suds in it. I have never owned an extractor so I'm told that this is not an uncommon issue. Al53 advised me to add a cup of vinegar to the tank...problem solved. For the price, I think it's a great machine. It delivers tons of steam, comes with lots of attachments and performs very well. I have read criticisms on competiting sites where they claim you cannot run a vacuum, extractor and steamer all on a 110 plug. Not so. If you do a youtube search of Gaia Steamer, you will see a video I shot cleaning grout in my house using steam and vacuum at the same time.
I guess the highest compliment I could pay is that I would replace it tomorrow if I had to. That's the other thing I have read is that some people have had issues with the company for service. I have called them and they were great to me. Once the buttons in the head were not working. They trouble shooted with me over the phone till we corrected the problem. (Turns out while I was pulling it around by the hose, it had come slightly disconnected with the end). For me, good quality product, good company to work with. I recommend them. Several people have purchased a Gaia based on my recommendation and nobody has ever come back to me saying they had any type of problem. Hope that helps.