Mosquito vs ProTeam

[panasonicvac]

I randomly came across this video since I like seeing comparisons. I'm not a fan of backpacks and I never will be, although I think they do have a place in the market. Anyways, I'm not familiar with Mosquito and I've always liked ProTeam. But after watching this video, I think Mosquito just became my new favorite backpack company.

 

[powerstarenergy]

Mosquito

I always thought Mosquito was a central vacuum brand, but apparently they don't make them (yes, I checked all of the product pages, and I could not find a central vacuum).

 

[blackheart]

Mosquito vs Proteam

As someone who often uses a backpack commercially I thought I'd throw in my 2c. I have had 2 mosquitos one super one carbon lite which have both been sold off, and own a proteam FS6 and have been using proteam at work for years.

I think both the Mosquito super and Supercoach pro are good machines and in my experience they use the same motor as one another or at least my super and FS6 did. Now that said I prefer the proteam why?

The switch on the mosquito is hard to get at while wearing it where the proteam is located on the belt and easier to grab. When you use backpack. When you're going from room to room or place to place you'll be switching the unit off and on quite a bit. It's also a pain to access on the mosquito in case you need to change it very little room to work since it's in such a narrow passage.

I also prefer the side exhaust as you won't blow things around when using it on hard floors, I did have that issue with the old (non pro) supercoach.
The last thing is the hose the fixed hose on the mosquito I found to be a little annoying I will find myself switching hands I know they do make a more standard lid which allows for the use of a swivel cuff.

That said they're both good machines I'd just stay away from the carbon lite as it's airflow isn't as strong it's about 40 cfm lower than the super or proteam and when you are using straight suction tools airflow is king.

 

[panasonicvac]

You're right that the switch is easier to get to and you've made a point about the exhaust. However I would like to share one experience that I had with this Super Coach when I was living out of state. I did remember one of the exhaust filter doors didn't like to stay snapped on. Whenever I'd use the Super Coach, the door and the filter would blow right off. It was just annoying. It could be that the backpack had fallen over at one point and broke it, just like in that video. I think having the exhaust on the bottom adds to the reliability just like the switch. I haven't used a Mosquito before but I have used a Raven that's kinda similar to it, I didn't seem to have a problem getting access to the switch but that was quite a while ago. And I personally would prefer to have the hose fixed because I also remember that the MegaVac next to the Super Coach had a problem with the hose popping out. It was also annoying. I also didn't seem to have a problem with the Raven because the hose was fixed. But I guess everybody has their preferences. I think the Super Vac is more suited for those who need to pick up lighter stuff like dust and the Carbon-Lite is more suited for those who need to pick up heavier stuff like pebbles.

 

[blackheart]

Yeah

I would agree that the mosquito has a durability advantage over the supercoach pro fewer pieces to it as well as that pigtail staying in place when using the cord channel which should mean one less piece to wear out. I just feel that the proteam is more user friendly.

I cannot help but wonder if that megavac had some wear to it. The old supercoach which is similar in design to the megavac I used at work before the pro had a pretty snug connection.

I do have to wonder if Mosquito and Sandia are related they seem very similar to one another.

I dunno what the carbon lite is intended for the 122341 motor used in the super or the supercoach provides plenty of suction as is. Maybe they'd work better for powering a turbine tool.

 

[panasonicvac]

Yeah I know the MegaVac wasn't a new machine when I've used it. But some reviews I've read and seen online appear to have the same issue when they're new as well. Kinda reminds me of some wet/dry vacs that don't have a interlock. But I also like on the Mosquito as well as the Raven is that the fixed hoses can suck up longer objects like straws in the video that would prevent from clogging up. I'd be interested in seeing a comparison video between a Mosquito and a Raven.

 

[lesinutah]

What

Good is a lifetime warranty if there out of business in ten years.

 

[panasonicvac]

Well if the company did go out of business in the next 10 years, it's certainly still better than a 3 year warranty ProTeam would have so I'd get 7 more years out of it.

 

[lesinutah]

The

Proteam has either a 1000 or 2000 hour motor in it. There parts are readily available. The proteams are the gold standard.
If Kia has a 100,000 mile 5 year warranty and a Toyota has a 3 year 60k mile warranty. The Toyota isn't going to breakdown before 200k miles. The Kia is going to break down not long after the warranty.

 

[panasonicvac]

Both have motors that are made by Ametek Lamb, but the ProTeam from the video clearly has a couple design flaws where not only there's no HEPA filter before the motor but also the suppressor foam is restricting the airflow more than on the Mosquito so technically the Mosquito would last longer. It doesn't help that ProTeam is still using paper bags where it's also going to restrict more airflow and have a greater chance of getting dust inside the motor. And I think it's genius that Mosquito has a motor saver. Just like the ProTeams, Mosquitos are also rated gold from the CRI. And I'm certain Mosquito also has parts available as well just like ProTeam. I really like comparison videos such as this one because it helps consumers of which is a better product to buy. So if I had to buy between the ProTeam or the Mosquito, the Mosquito is clearly a better choice for me in the long run. I do agree with Devin as they're both good machines. I'll admit even though the Super Coach's exhaust door had a problem, I did liked it. But the best backpack that I've used by far is the Sandia Raven 10 Quart.

 

[kirby519]

Mosquito is replacing some of the Nobles commercial products. They also have a wet/dry vacuum as well.

 

[luxlife]

Ditto on the Sandia Raven.

I owned one for a little while. I bought the unit by itself on eBay for $40. I really like the latches on the lid. It really adds to the build quality. The nice thing about the hose inlet on the top of the machine is that it will also accept the electric hose from the Electrolux Discovery. It’s a straight friction fit. I fitted my Sandia with one of those 2 stage Ametek motors from a single speed 1990’s Kenmore Whispertone. Then I added a pigtail cord for the hose connection, an Omniflow power nozzle, Lux tools, Sidekick and a pre-motor HEPA filter. This thing was a blast to use. The only problem I had was trying to use it in my house without bumping into things. I ended up selling it with everything and turning a profit.

 

[n0oxy]

mosquito

I have several backpacks in my collection, admitedly I haven't used them in a while since it takes time to pull out an extension cord and strap it on to your back. I do have the Proteam super coach, a Sandia Raven and the Mosquito construction backpack. From what I've heard, Mosquito was started by a former employee of Sandia which could explain the similarities. One thing I did not like about the Raven was that it came with a lid that had the hose permanently attached to it, I'm not sure what the reason was for designing it that way, most backpacks have an opening on the top to connect the hose and they all seem to take the same hoses. I was able to get a regular lid for it though. With the Mosquito you could choose to have a lid with or without a hose, I chose to not have the hose permanently attached as well. The Mosquito construction model has a two stage motor, supposedly the motor is better quality than the motor used in most backpacks. All of my backpacks are 10 quart models and the bags are mostly interchangeable, other than my Powrflite model. You can buy round cloth bags that will fit most 10 quart models, I would think there are cloth bags available for the 6 quart models as well. Interestingly, I've heard that the proteam super coach pro is not as good as the regular super coach, not sure why though.
Mike

 

[panasonicvac]

Like I mention earlier, everybody has their preferences. Personally I prefer fixed hoses because I had problems with other hoses popping out before and I can easily suck up longer objects like straws that'd prevent from clogging up the machine. Sandia does have 6 quart machines where the hoses can be removed if you prefer.

 

[centralvacs1928]

It's always interesting for me to look at commercial products and different manufacturers' attempts to make things "worker proof" and easily repaired. Simpler designs seem to be better all around.

As frustrating as it is to have to repair the same failure-prone components over and over, it's really cool to have the ability to redesign, simplify, overbuild, and make a product or component as neatly bulletproof as it can be. Something that just "works"!

What struck me about this video is how many similarities the Mosquito has to the older Pro-Team design of 20+ years ago (which may still be used on certain models)...roto-molded body, twist cap with no latches, straight in hose entry, all-aluminum wand with no plastic coupler, wide slot floor tool...makes me think that Mosquito realized many of Pro-Team's design revisions are not really improvements at all, and a market exists for the older, simple, tried-and-true design with a few thoughtful tweaks.

Pro-Team was always the first name in backpack vacuum cleaners, and really created the market for them. But it seems like at this point they might be overdesigned and trading on the name.

 

[vaclab]

There's A New Player In The Backpack Arena:

Prolux!

I've had the X8 Elite for a few months now and its performance is quite good.

Prolux X8 Elite Backpack Vacuum With EBK250 PN Unboxing And Basic Tests


Prolux X8 Elite Backpack Vacuum Cleans Sanctuary | Top Tier Results


The price is also very reasonable,
Bill

 

[lesinutah]

You

Have to build quality and longevity to gain proteams Market share.
Kis/chevy/ford/dodge all make powerful nice vehicles.
Toyota and Honda own the Markey because quality and longevity.
I'm not buying a nice Kia or any other model because of good reviews.
They might be good but they need to be good for a while before they earn there share.