Rainbow Aquamate I & II vs. III

[dwhdarren97]

Just wondering what your thoughts are on the older style non motorized Aquamate. Also, how well does it work with the new Rainbow ultra concentrated 16 oz. shampoo? My reasoning is I would much rather use my grandma's D2A than have to buy the E2 off eBay. It would save a lot of money, and if the non motorized one is just as effective with more elbow grease I will spring for it.
All thoughts & opinions will be greatly appreciated except for rainbow haters haha. I only want experienced opinions and or knowledgeable responses to keep this thread clean Thank you.

 

[williamr1248]

Rainbow Aquamate 1,2 vs lll

Darren,
I have the Aquamate that goes with my Rainbow SE machine. It hooks up to the sink. I do not like it. I have used the nozzle to pick up water and help dry the carpet using the Rainbow AFTER using a regular steam vac cleaner.
I got the motorized Aquamate System with my new Rainbow and it is much,much better. As a matter of fact I got rid of the old Steam cleaner with the spinning brushes. The new system has it's own pump and much more effective and easy to use.
Just a personal opinion,but I would not bother to invest in the old style unless you could obtain it very cheap. I thought it was difficult to both use and store afterwards.

 

[trebor]

If you use...

the non-motorized Aqua-mate you MUST flush the soap tube with clear water or it will stick together!


 


Also, using the older style A/M as a rinse after using a Kirby shampooer, or other rug scrubber yields wonderful results.

 

[dwhdarren97]

It may be worth the extra time, work, and inconvenience...

To know that I am doing all the household cleaning with one machine - the Rainbow. (Yes I have a rather Obsessive-Compulsive Brain haha). My first big purchase was my Kirby GSix last year for $75, and my mom wouldn't appreciate me buying another machine in the near future. So, I think for the time being I will have too use my grandma's D2A. That would involve getting an Aquamate I as after some research I have found that the II is really built for the E-Series one speed. I don't believe you could use it on an older model such as mine. Please correct me if I am wrong.

 

[trebor]

You could use...

an Aqua-mate on a D2, HOWEVER, despite the fact that Rexair touted the machine's wet pick-up capabilities, the D3 was the first machine UL listed FOR wet pick-up. You would have to pay close attention to the level of water in the basin.

 

[floor-a-matic]

The 1st generation AquaMate is OK for me, since I have CONTINUOUS water supply & no re-filling large, bulky water tanks. And I can just flip the switch from wash/rinse WITHOUT emptying the clean water tank & wasting detergent. I replaced the fixed-brush head with a SprayMate, & it does MUCH better on dirty carpets.

As for the 2nd & 3rd generation AquaMates, I've never used them, so I can't say anything about them.

When I use the AquaMate on bare floors, the SprayMate head doesn't do as good of a job picking up water from bare floors like it does on carpets. So I use a squeegee to dry the floor & elbow grease to scrub.

Has anyone else tried this modification? You MUST use the NON-ELECTRIC Rainbow hose, NOT the ELECTRIC hose; and have a TWO-PRONG receptacle on the Rainbow (or use the 3-prong/2-prong conversion cord) so the power brush can work. The cord can be strapped outside the hose, & the brush has GFCI (Ground Fault Circuit Interruption) protection.

 

[dwhdarren97]

@floor-a-matic

That is quite the interesting setup you have. It seems like it would work quite well. Trebor, the Rainbow I have is a D2 "A" which is a D2 with the D3 motor and a darker color scheme. While it may not be officially listed, it should work fine as it does have the bypass motor.

 

[dwhdarren97]

I just got

The AquaMate off eBay as my birthday present from my grandparents. It was the one made for the D3, and in the manual it says compatible with D2A, as well as the D3 series. I have a D2A. It works wonderfully, much better than the Hoover Steam Vac dual v all terrain. Even though the am only has a stationary brush. It came with the original box, manual, and all the original parts. And a full bottle of shampoo that came with the kit in the seventies!

 

[floor-a-matic]

I agree about the AquaMate doing much better extracting water from deep pile carpet than a Hoover Steam Vac, since the Rainbow's suction just pulls moisture & the Hoover not only remove water, but it also has to power the turbine that spins the brush as well as the turbine that powers the pump for spray thru the tools.

Its a shame that Bissell discontinued the original canister deep cleaners (Power Lifter, Big Green Power Brush) they did so good with drying the carpets & floors. However, I'm having trouble getting parts for a Bissell Big Green Power Brush model 1680; the plastic wand cracked at the end where it connects to the power brush.

I guess that's why Rainbow & AquaMate dry the carpets better.

 

[floor-a-matic]

Now that I own the AquaMate III, I have only great things to say about the AquaMate PowerBrush:
NO water supply hose to connect to faucet
100% self-contained
Motorized power brush
Has one 3-position wash/rinse pedal instead of two 2-position pedals
Two large wheels on rear for easier movement
Uses less water/detergent than ordinary Steam Vacs
Lightweight & compact yet powerful
Quick dry time

I did the ENTIRE house with only 2 refills of water tank/shampoo compartment; & my house is quite large. The 1970s shag carpet is "renewed" & high-traffic areas re-fluffed which my Steam Vac left those matted & spotted

On the white tile, it really cleaned & restored its brightness; unlike the FloorMate that barely got the floors cleaned. The problem is the squeegee comes off when moving the AquaMate

How can the squeegee stay on the AquaMate nozzle cover? Or do I need to buy a new nozzle cover?

Squeegee part # R13340
Lens part # R13282[this post was last edited: 10/23/2013-15:12]