Rug Doctor Mighty Pro - Water Recovery

[vacfanatic]

I've read some threads and reviews on various websites (mostly on truckmountforums.com) about people bashing the Rug Doctor. They refer to it as the "Rug Soaker".

I cleaned my family room carpet this evening and below are pictures of the water I filled it with and what was recovered. Definately not what I would call a rug soaker! I find that my carpets are dry in 2-3 hours after cleaning them.

The only thing I can think of, is that really worn out well used Rug Doctors could have the following problems which limit water recovery.

-Partially clogged vacuum inlet / internal hoses
-Split or cracked internal hoses
-Clogged metal mesh inlet filter
-Clogged fan blades inside motor from machine being run with no metal mesh inlet filter
-Worn motor carbons (which would be pretty apparent the motor was not operating as it should, reducing suction)

I love my Mighty Pro and it should last me until I die

Andrew

Here is the water amount the machine starts with (8.5 quarts as measured by bucket)

 

[vacfanatic]

And here is the recovered solution amount, right at about 7.75 quarts.

 

[goadie12]

Ya i know what you mean I hear it all the time that Rug Doctor sucks but I dont understand if someone is looking for a carpet cleaner there is not one better that Rug Doctor unless you have a truck mount, and ya I agree the only way they wouldnt suck all or most of the water out of the carpet is because where you rented the machine it wasnt cleaned well thats what I think about it thanks. Zach

 

[scvacuumguy]

I think the RD is good in theory, it just takes a special person like Andrew who will thoroughly use it. We replace a TON of pumps in the RD machines, especially the blue machines available at Wal Mart. The original pumps are very cheaply made 15psi pumps, very similar to the crap used in Bissell. The replacement parts from RD are highly expensive and not worth their price, so we generally replace these pumps with a Powr-flite 60psi pump and that gives the machine a little bit of better performance.

The Royal extractor does a better scrubbing job than the RD because of the counter rotating brushes. It is also much cheaper to repair if any problems come up (most I've ever seen is a belt) and we are a Royal warranty station in a fairly large city.

 

[vacfanatic]

Chris,

According to RD, the pump is 28psi - I took a picture of the pump in mine when I first got it, and it's the standard RD EKNP17 - they are manufactured by Gotec Switzerland *see link below*. I've got the blue model that I bought direct from Rug Doctor. According to RD, all of their machines have either 28 or 32psi pumps.

Andrew

http://www.gotec.ch/en/products/details/index.php?idIndex=44&idContent=53&cat=11&subcat=44

 

[vacfanatic]

Rug Doctor indicates 28psi on the blue Mighty Pro, and the Mighty Pro Wide Track has 32psi.

 

[kenmore81]

I agree I have the same RD, and I have been using it for 5 years and I usually get back about 80 % of the water in the recovery tank. I do notice I have to make extra dry passes on very worn carpet, but I also maitain mine. I wash the filter screens after every job and keep the hoses and nozzles clean. I use it about twice a month, more in the spring and around holidays and (knock wood) havn't had any major issues yet. I will need a new motor soon as the bearings sound dry but I can't complain after 5 years of use.

 

[scvacuumguy]

Ahh, I need to pay my $35 so I can go back and correct things. Late night brain issue...my post should have read:

cheaply made 28 psi pump.

Thanks for the info and correction. I've always assumed it was a very weak pump, just didn't realize it was less weaker than I thought.

 

[gsheen]

Having owned a truck mount cleaning company , I sold i to my dad last year.


 


I can tell you the following, 


Truck mounts clean the best , there power canot be compared to any portable, deep cleaning carpets will dry , in rainy weather in an hour , on a hot day in about 20 min


However 


there is nothing wrong with the rug docter at all , infact most upright portable machines clean just fine. (My bissell proheatx2 is great) Not as good as a truck mount but good enough for the avarage home. 


 


Calling a macine a rug soaker is just nastiness when it is actually the user that is the rug soaker. most people over wet a carpet instead of going over the carpet again. this leads to browning , smelly carpets and customers blaming a rug docter when they should have blamed themselves. 


 


Rug doctors are awesome machines for there price , always have been. I started my carpet cleaning business with two rug doctors but the old ones with the hose


 


our truck mount is awesome its suction power unmatched , I once crushed a 55g drum to a pancake that we were using as a separator drum when I locked suction but a rug docter is a grat machine two , well made and well suited to the job at hand 


 


Gareth

 

[scvacuumguy]

Interesting that you prefer Rug Doctor. I'm a member of another forum exclusive to vacuum cleaner stores/dealers and nobody on there likes Rug Doctor. My biggest issue is the cheap construction of the machine and the weak pump and below average motor. The price you spend on a Rug Doctor, there's just so many other machines that are less complicated.

That said, I think Rug Doctor works for folks who have the time and effort to put up with the machines. The average household user does not like them over here- we get them traded and/or repaired constantly. Since we don't sell our used extractors, especially Bissell and Rug Doctor, they usually head straight for the trash dump at the end of the week.

 

[gsheen]

I do not sell them here either as its not my market, however I do sell the bissell which I am extremely impressed with, I used to have a hover which worked well but I find the bissels brush rolls to be far better.


 


I have never had a problem with the rug docters here as far as parts and repairs go. the aren't cheap but there parts are. but then agioan dyson parts are very cheap here compared with other country's and compared to what they cost new.


 


What do you think of the bissell commercial unit , like the rug doctor? 

 

[scvacuumguy]

I have not had any direct experience with the unit so I can't judge. I notice a few friends are carrying it and I may join the crowd at some point. As long as it isn't anything like the household units, then it can't be that bad. I'm almost to the point of ordering one just to try it out myself, and if I like it, we will use it as a rental unit in the store.

 

[gsheen]

I used to be an engineer for a few vacuum company's and still do development tesing for local conditions for one, as so I have some pretty great equipment for testing vacuums, test benches , extreme running machines etc. every vacuum we sell gets put thru the wringer by me , if I don't like it we don't sell it.


 


I really like the bissell proheatx2 and it did well thru all the testing abuse, what do you find so problematic with them?


 


I must admit I repaired a old pro heat , probably one of the first gen and do understand why most people said they were rubbish, my new one would run circles around it

 

[baglessball]

I love my Rug Doctor!!

I had the first one stolen, it was only about 2months old. So I bought one off eBay for spares repair. I had it repaired, at high cost! Still cheaper than a new machine though.

I know a lot of people try and run the pump dry, which doesn't do it any favours!

I like the nice big tanks and how easy they are to maintain..

Have always had good extraction results too.

 

[scvacuumguy]

The heater gets clogged, the pump goes bad, and then you have a minimum $80-$120 repair to replace the solenoid, heater, and pump. The heater doesn't really accomplish anything in the first place, because by the time it hits the carpet to do its thing, its already lost the extra 15 degrees that the heater added.

Those are just a major headache to repair, own and last very briefly what a normal shampooer should last. I will do anything to make a buck, and all of the Bissell trade ins that we get weekly (usually 7-10) go straight to the dumpster. I can't even trust them after they have been repaired.

I see more Hoovers come in that are 15+ years old than ever on a Bissell, the oldest Bissell I've seen come in for replacement was 4 years old. They cater to a customer looking for something cheap and at a discount and do the expected work for their price range.

Of course, I'm a big fan of carpet dry cleaning anyway- powder does work so much better than pouring water on the carpet

 

[gsheen]

I wonder if the 220volt makes the difference on the heater, when I use my proheat the carpet is hot to walk on afterwards!, I find its suction much better than any of the others I have tried , mainly hoover, as for reliability we will have to see , they are new here.

 

[scvacuumguy]

That has to be something that makes a difference. We do maybe 250-300 repairs per month on various machines and at any given time, we have at least 15 Bissell shampooers in the store. Let me know how the Hoovers fare down that way, the new Platinum and the "pressurized" carpet machines are pure chinese garbage. Those are in weekly for warranty work.

 

[vacfanatic]

The Hoover Platinum Carpet Cleaner was the biggest piece of junk I've ever purchased. I'd exchanged 4 of them, before I gave up. After the last one I had kept tripping the brush motor, I took it to the garage and made the entire machine fit in the trash bin (no tools either) ;-)

I then went and ordered the Rug Doctor and have never looked back since. My friend has a Platinum and so far it hasnt burnt up on him, but it's just a matter of time. Look @ the disaster waiting to happen motherboard in these things!

Andrew

 

[vacfanatic]

The Hoover Platinum Carpet Cleaner was the biggest piece of junk I've ever purchased. I'd exchanged 4 of them, before I gave up. After the last one I had kept tripping the brush motor, I took it to the garage and made the entire machine fit in the trash bin (no tools either) ;-)

I then went and ordered the Rug Doctor and have never looked back since. My friend has a Platinum and so far it hasnt burnt up on him, but it's just a matter of time. Look @ the disaster waiting to happen motherboard in these things!

Andrew