MD vs Drainvac
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Full disclosure - I make my living selling and servicing central vac systems. Am a dealer for several major brands, and I happily defer to customer preference when they are interested in a particular brand. My own brand preferences come from my experiences installing and servicing built-in vacuums, which gives me a chance to see how they perform, how well they hold up, what the maintenance issues have been, etc.</span>
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Having installed, serviced, and used just about every brand out there, with the ability to sell whichever brand I prefer, my go-to unit, for new installations, existing system change-outs, as well as my own home, is the MD central vacuum. Hopefully without seeming like I just want to bash the competition, I share the following comparisons:</span>
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<span style="text-decoration: underline; font-size: 12pt;">MD</span>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Sold through local dealers (who stock parts and provide service in and out of warranty)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Made in USA (Bakersfield, CA)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12pt;">All steel, powdercoated inside and out</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Wide, two stud mounting bracket for stability - unit can be adjusted left/right on bracket</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Three intakes (left/right tubing connections, front and center metal utility inlet)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Top access removable lid, no clamps</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Microfilter disposable bag supported by tapered cloth filter bag (full surface airflow), with a final safety filter disc</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Ametek-Lamb motors</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Units with thru-flow motors (Flo-Master line) have built-in automatic air relief valve after the filter bag, as well as thermal protection</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="text-decoration: underline; font-size: 12pt;">DrainVac</span>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Internet sales only - one dealer in the entire U.S.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Made in Canada (NTTAWWT)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12pt;">All plastic construction (have seen failures after a few years in the heat and cold of a garage - becomes brittle and fatigues)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Single point plastic bracket, riveted to plastic housing</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Single top intake (tubing must make a U-turn if coming up from below, as in a garage - must add separate utility inlet)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Bottom access removable dirt container, held on with clamps</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Disposable bag hangs inside bucket, in contact with side walls (limited airflow) with cylindrical cloth filter in middle</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Domel motors (quite a good motor, but performance limited by the design of the machine)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Relief valve is an add-on item that must be installed in the tubing, before the filters</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">I'll stop there. Like I said, I don't want to come across as though I'm just selling my brand against a different one. But there IS a reason that I sell the brand I do!</span>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Owen</span>
[this post was last edited: 6/21/2020-11:26]
