I’m looking to add a new surface cleaner, What are some popular one’s out there? I’m running a 5gpm 3500 unit.
I asked this in a different post but has anyone had any experience or have any knowledge about A+ Surface Cleaners?
I’d like one a bit bigger, also one with wheels
I love pressuretek, but that’s nothing more than a GP hammerhead or northstar with a 90 degree fitting in the swivel. If you lined up 10 surface Cleaners with plastic decks you could tell pretty quickly they all came from the same factory. I’d be willing to bet that all the handles say GP.
There was a company I think called vortex at the huge convention with fancy surface cleaners with a “gum sprayer” bolted to it. (And plastic surface cleaners with casters if I rolled my eyes any harder I’d see my brain) On the other side of the wall was an identical surface cleaner with northstar on it in the northern tool booth minus casters and gum sprayer.
If you intend to run hot water ever I’d avoid anything with a plastic deck like the plague and I’d avoid any metal decks with tires.
I do run hot water. Are the surface cleaner with no casters easy to navigate over large surface jobs? Or do they hover over easily?
I use a Whisper Wash Groundforce 24" composite (plastic)…used it for 6 consecutive hours with hot water…NO problem at all…BUT…it ain’t cheap.
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My personal opinion is that every post I’ve read from someone who has problems with their surface cleaner they’re stretching the 5 inch per gpm rule when if they kept it at 3-4 inches per gpm they’d clean faster and better.
You’ll never have float issues with a smaller surface cleaner and it’ll clean faster and better. If it floats too much, and this is straight out of my @Innocentbystander playbook, put a 90 degree fitting on the swivel or do what others do and put a weight on it.
If you want to go larger and use casters may have to walk slower and detail more with the gun because of the stand off with the casters.
I’m considering going to only 16 inch with no casters for speed and less detailing.
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You said yours was rated for hot water though. The GP’s say 185 degrees but that’s stretching it because they warp visibly at 200 degrees.
It’s all about the rating.
That is true!
The Groundforce is rated for 212 degrees.
When I added casters to both of my GP surface cleaners, I raised the housing by adjusting the casters up a 1/4 " for clearance and I lowered my swivel a 1/4 " to compensate.
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Bingo. There’s the ticket. It requires more work than just slapping some casters on like the vortex folks did.
Did you build brackets for them? What casters did you choose?
I like casters to swing side to side, wheels u can’t do that its back and forth…
my 1st had wheels
I purchased them from J.N. Equipment for around $50. They came with brackets, adjustable casters and hardware. Very simple to install and the housing is premarked.
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That’s the SC the IBS recommends. It works great. He’s going to kick you out of the cool kids club lol
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IBS and I disagree on a fair amount, BUTTTTT It’s 16” with no casters and IBS doesn’t use hot water. Which is more maneuverable and lighter to get up and down stairs for apartments. Specialized tool for a niche business. 
And I think he recommends the Eagles actually…
For the generalist, which seems to be most folks here, myself included, need a more general surface cleaner.
@Innocentbystander help clear this up so I don’t get kicked out of another cool kids club. Lol
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I’m to tired to read all the above but you’re always in my cool club. I use eagle wash, ultra clean. 16 and 19 inch.
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Here is my new one… shows my first 15" from 6 years ago on my troy built 8hp… Moved up Just did a private school now doing another with 3 campus… I wanted a 3’ 4tip… Just did 2 big banks… My Truck with 352,000 miles on it…
I’m gonna stop at 3’ cleaner!
This Rookie is hard at it…
20180413_142809%5B952%5D|500x500
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Now that is a surface cleaner!
I have not put that on a deck YET…
