I use basically the same setup but I use the Rotovac DHX instead of a wand. I never take the CFX off my van because the cfm is so good. So, I use it like a truck mount. Good video with needed insights.
I unknowingly made a 3100psi Water Otter at home for detailing. Made an adapter from my pressure washer to my upholstery tool. She blasted out some set-in soda stains, but man did it take some man-power to keep it under control.
thanks i have a water otter, i did not know you could pull water from a bucket with it. nice ! I do vct strip and wax but getting into carpet and tile. the cfx and water otter fit easily in back of small pickup.Very informative video
Thankyou for the feedback! Theres always things i see i can add in or edit - but i feel pretty good about getting on it and cranking this video out- its been a good source to see what this machines actually all about😊
I like two airhogs chained together and run from van. Generator gets one air hog and the water otter then run two extension cord for the other airhog it get 400 cfm and up to 1,200 pressure. If you want heat you can run to the hot water in the house. Or buy a propane heater. Or mytee heater but that is one more thing to plug into the house, and they dont heat very well. I like hooking to the washer hot water hookups. It will stay hot throughout the job. Or sink. Everthing stays in the van. Nobody even knows its just cheaper portables. Some jobs if you just need 100 ft hose run you can use one airhog and don't have to plug in the other in the house. But anything over 100 ft. You need two going. But its two 15 amp cords to run in house. Or one in the garage and one in living room. I never carry heavy things in the house it will break your body down in time. Roll out the extension cords and hoses. If you get a 13,000 watt Generator you can plug a mytee heater and the air hog. Then you just plug the water otter and airhog 3 separate breakers. But honestly you usually have hot water at every job 99 percent of the time.
I like your setup, if it's easier to manage than a large unit then go for it. I like that everything is powered by Honda as well. I am a fan of Honda stuff and I liked the idea of the CFX. It's manageable and just a bit larger than a Rainbow cleaning system and requires little down time as it is continuously working. It has the comedic bit like you are unloading four pieces of luggage, hoses and extension cords before you go into a house. I didn't know the Water Otter existed but now I do, it makes the CFX just as capable as a conventional portable.
I have a similar setup using the Mytee air hog LX 7303 that I use mainly for tile & grout. 99% of my carpet jobs are now done by vlm pad capping. It is just so much easier than setting up all that equipment.
I am a huge fan of vlm. I have a wide array of vlm equipment, and it is much faster. However, its important to recognize the limits of vlm’s efficacy as well, and to not dismiss when hwe is the correct answer. This why when I sell our services, (our brand) I sell our expertise in the field, and our care for our clients, rather than focusing on our processes.
@@runzization in functionality , this is like an airhog. But airhog is a mytee product. This is a rotovac cfx-zx. I have to be clear in that. Motors switches-flooding the machine or otherwise overamping your machine in some way will greatly reduce the life of any switches and wiring connections. I’ve replaced one switch. And one motor. (I replaced both motors while I was in there, but one motor was necessary.) I keep a few switches and 2 motors in stock on backup. I bought this Machine about 3-4 years ago. If I ran it all day every day, I’d Probably budget 2 motors and 3 switches annually, (about $350.00 in parts) I dint know if I’d actually burn through that or not, but I’d be ready for it. Im just speculating. If I recall, the motors are rated for about 1500 hrs
i had a cfx original and its alot to set up just to do a 1 or 2 room job , it works great and clean good just will kick your ass if u set it up 2 or 3 times or more , the one i had u had to set it up 2 or 3 times on 1 job so times a few jobs u are beat , its a good back up but if i got back into it id go for a truck mount just for easy setups on jobs
Personally have done both TMs n partys....gotta say i stress less now that i downgraded which is really an upgrade 😅 to a porty and sticking to it. Both have its place but gotta really keep it 100 ....for myself and how i run my business porty life from now on...💪🏾 takes abit longer but at the end of the day what is best quality over quantity?? Quality for me🙏🏽💯
@@Beluel rotovacs zx motors are designed and manufactured exclusively for rotovac. They have different amperage and performance ratings than the ox motors. Ive tested them side by side. Im not saying which is bettor or worse- but i am confirming they are not the same motor.
@@Beluel boy I dont really know. The zx have a little higher wc” and a higher amp pull. But i didnt test the cfm between the zx and the lx motors. Honestly tho, its really splitting hairs between the two options. Larry Cobb is a pretty big fan of the Lx motors. Ive run the cfx-zx and the air hog side by side and just didnt have much to say. Their both amazing motors.
@Roy K That water otter pump seems like a nifty idea to get higher water pressure while using a portable extractor, but I have a question. Is there anyway that you could add a chemical injector to it that you can adjust the GPH on just like a truckmount so that you can still use rinse/emulsifier?
Hey there! There is no practical way to do so- Besides using an inline venturi tank, like a hydromaster presprayer- Unfortunately tho, that really drops the gpm and effective pressure at the wand. Another approach i use very often, is to fill a container, or the bathtub, measure the rinse into it, and just drop the water otter’s draw hose into the tub or container. (A washing machine hose works best for a draw hose, due to its rigidity) Hope that helps:)
@@RAKSAX ok. I guess the last thing you said is basically just like using the pump on a regular portable extractor and mixing the rinse into its clean water tank. Thanks.
@@RAKSAX I didn’t know that you could put the draw hose from the water otter into a container with water in it. I thought that it would need some water pressure going into it for it to work. Kinda like a pressure washer because it needs enough pressure coming from the garden hose to work properly.
I just bought a cfx with 2- 3 stage vac motors and was astonished by the vacuum performance. It has the impeller style pump out. Is there a way to swap that out with the newer style pump out the cfx zx uses? Thanks
You mention that sometimes you have to "rebuild" the pump. I have one that works great but I am putting a lot of mileage on it. How do you know when it needs to be rebuilt and how do you do it?
Typically- It will begin to not build pressure the way it did traditionally, or, it will start leaking (dripping out the housing- ) and you’ll begin to see drops or little puddles below the pump after use.
I have the same setup but I never take the pump or the CFX ZX off the van. That's a great idea adding the small drain under the vacuum intake. What parts did you use to make that?
Joywayus Brass Male Garden Hose Bulkhead Fitting with Plugs,1/2" Female 3/4" GHT Male Water Tank Connector Threaded and 3/4" GHT Female Outer Hex Head End Pipe Caps Drain/Flush Port Kit a.co/d/2oDS2VY
The water otter pumps are usually pumptec 356u, or 360u This video is straight from the pumptec manufacturer. Cheers! th-cam.com/video/0uDt9xVIXCY/w-d-xo.html
@@RAKSAX i agree 100%. hard to beat heat from propane or diesel. how long can you run those generators on a tank of gas? i know those things are like $1100.
@@1969MARKETING it depends on what im powering with them. I think it lands somewheres around a liter or so an hour for running the two generators to power that 4500 watt heater. I hardly ever use them tho.
Yes- it has a water diffuser tube inside, to see the water in the right direction, instead of finding its way up in the motors. Defoamer is still very much recommended , and needed however- more for the reasons of chemistry that you use, or for chemistry you sucked up that the home owner used. Peroxide, is an example. Another example- hitting an over the counter pet treatment spot the homeowner did-creates a foam bomb…. Going by the laundry center in the house and catching the laundry soap spill they overlooked mentioning. And other solution rinses you may choose to rip through your set up. These are amazing machines- but do not have the waste tank capacity to tolerate foam build up. I learned the hard way - and early on- to commit to a (about 1/4 teaspoon) of liquid defoamer each job. You can get a whole gallon of liquid defoamer for like- $25.00. And that gallon will last so long you wont be aboe to remember back when you bough it.
800-1200 is what alot of people clean grout with. This set up functions nicely for tile and grout. I use it often with an sx15” spinner. The auto pump out is especially nice for tile and grout cleaning.
Roy. In the process of buying a similar setup as opposed to going with the Rotovac monsoon. Wanted to ask you a few questions offline. Whats the best to reach you?
Thats a possibility, However, i dont run these generators really, except to power the heater when i wish to use it. I prefer house power when easily available, as it saves me $$$ that way!😊🙌
Did you watch the video? I dont remember if i showed the heater hooked up or not. But i did show the heater. It simply plugs in inline after the solution pump
You had asked cord gage- But I cant find the comment. The answer is 14/3 I use Proteam’s backpack cords at $40.00 a cord, because their the best quality moat pliable cords i can find that last for my use. Ive been using them for years with the cfx-zx. And have been really pleased with them:)
It doesnt have a buffer tank….If it allowed to run and run without moving any solution, it will eventually overheat the pump. If I need to stop for more than say 10 seconds or so, I be sure to turn off the pump. Ignoring that caution is a quick way to overheat any pump that doesnt have a buffer tank, including most pressure washers😊
Thats alot of stuff. Too bad rotovac doesn't offer the zx with a 15 gallon tank. I have an older 15 gallon cfx single 3 stage single cord and its a work horse.
@@Matt-Olive-Digital great question! Ive owned a few over the years:) The answer is kind of long and very subject to debate- But in short- Ive come to prefer the pros of a portable system, over the pros of a truckmount- and being able to quickly and easily repurpose my van and trailer for other services we offer as a primarily janitorial company. A portable system under my design is very easy for me to do maintenance and repairs on myself also. Lastly- the gas mileage of my vehicle with a porty system, and the fuel i use per job is fractional to a tm. In the end- for my business model, I maintain higher profit margins with a porty system, despite the few extra minutes per job. Its not for every body tho- I really see that.
I use basically the same setup but I use the Rotovac DHX instead of a wand. I never take the CFX off my van because the cfm is so good. So, I use it like a truck mount. Good video with needed insights.
Excellent video full of knowledge, skill, and expertise. Thank you for sharing.
The toolbox heater is something else. Great job.
I unknowingly made a 3100psi Water Otter at home for detailing. Made an adapter from my pressure washer to my upholstery tool. She blasted out some set-in soda stains, but man did it take some man-power to keep it under control.
thanks i have a water otter, i did not know you could pull water from a bucket with it. nice ! I do vct strip and wax but getting into carpet and tile. the cfx and water otter fit easily in back of small pickup.Very informative video
Thankyou for the feedback!
Theres always things i see i can add in or edit - but i feel pretty good about getting on it and cranking this video out- its been a good source to see what this machines actually all about😊
I like two airhogs chained together and run from van. Generator gets one air hog and the water otter then run two extension cord for the other airhog it get 400 cfm and up to 1,200 pressure. If you want heat you can run to the hot water in the house. Or buy a propane heater. Or mytee heater but that is one more thing to plug into the house, and they dont heat very well. I like hooking to the washer hot water hookups. It will stay hot throughout the job. Or sink. Everthing stays in the van. Nobody even knows its just cheaper portables. Some jobs if you just need 100 ft hose run you can use one airhog and don't have to plug in the other in the house. But anything over 100 ft. You need two going. But its two 15 amp cords to run in house. Or one in the garage and one in living room. I never carry heavy things in the house it will break your body down in time. Roll out the extension cords and hoses. If you get a 13,000 watt Generator you can plug a mytee heater and the air hog. Then you just plug the water otter and airhog 3 separate breakers. But honestly you usually have hot water at every job 99 percent of the time.
I like your setup, if it's easier to manage than a large unit then go for it. I like that everything is powered by Honda as well. I am a fan of Honda stuff and I liked the idea of the CFX. It's manageable and just a bit larger than a Rainbow cleaning system and requires little down time as it is continuously working. It has the comedic bit like you are unloading four pieces of luggage, hoses and extension cords before you go into a house. I didn't know the Water Otter existed but now I do, it makes the CFX just as capable as a conventional portable.
I have a similar setup using the Mytee air hog LX 7303 that I use mainly for tile & grout. 99% of my carpet jobs are now done by vlm pad capping. It is just so much easier than setting up all that equipment.
I am a huge fan of vlm.
I have a wide array of vlm equipment, and it is much faster.
However, its important to recognize the limits of vlm’s efficacy as well, and to not dismiss when hwe is the correct answer.
This why when I sell our services, (our brand) I sell our expertise in the field, and our care for our clients, rather than focusing on our processes.
@@RAKSAX Yes you are correct. good luck !
Your AirHog, how are switches/electrical holding up?
@@runzization just sold the mytee, I never had a problem
@@runzization in functionality , this is like an airhog.
But airhog is a mytee product.
This is a rotovac cfx-zx.
I have to be clear in that.
Motors switches-flooding the machine or otherwise overamping your machine in some way will greatly reduce the life of any switches and wiring connections.
I’ve replaced one switch.
And one motor. (I replaced both motors while I was in there, but one motor was necessary.)
I keep a few switches and 2 motors in stock on backup.
I bought this Machine about 3-4 years ago.
If I ran it all day every day, I’d
Probably budget 2 motors and 3 switches annually, (about $350.00 in parts)
I dint know if I’d actually burn through that or not, but I’d be ready for it.
Im just speculating.
If I recall, the motors are rated for about 1500 hrs
i had a cfx original and its alot to set up just to do a 1 or 2 room job , it works great and clean good just will kick your ass if u set it up 2 or 3 times or more , the one i had u had to set it up 2 or 3 times on 1 job so times a few jobs u are beat , its a good back up but if i got back into it id go for a truck mount just for easy setups on jobs
Genius, This combo out performs most Portys.
Awesome! Could you explain how to setup that rigid box heater?
Thank you for the video informative and to the point
Personally have done both TMs n partys....gotta say i stress less now that i downgraded which is really an upgrade 😅 to a porty and sticking to it. Both have its place but gotta really keep it 100 ....for myself and how i run my business porty life from now on...💪🏾 takes abit longer but at the end of the day what is best quality over quantity?? Quality for me🙏🏽💯
Lx vacs are rated with 225-250 CFM and 180 lift. I would say it's well balanced both the CFM and the lift.
These are not lx vac motors.
@@RAKSAX They are made by the same company Mytee also use them
@@Beluel rotovacs zx motors are designed and manufactured exclusively for rotovac.
They have different amperage and performance ratings than the ox motors.
Ive tested them side by side.
Im not saying which is bettor or worse- but i am confirming they are not the same motor.
@@RAKSAX I agree ☝️ on that however in your opinion which ones are better or more efficient the LX or Rotovac ones ?
@@Beluel boy I dont really know.
The zx have a little higher wc” and a higher amp pull.
But i didnt test the cfm between the zx and the lx motors.
Honestly tho, its really splitting hairs between the two options. Larry Cobb is a pretty big fan of the Lx motors.
Ive run the cfx-zx and the air hog side by side and just didnt have much to say. Their both amazing motors.
Great information I’m gonna share in my Facebook group
Please do!
Great setup and excellent explanation thank you.
Hi Roy,
Informative video, thank you.
@Roy K That water otter pump seems like a nifty idea to get higher water pressure while using a portable extractor, but I have a question. Is there anyway that you could add a chemical injector to it that you can adjust the GPH on just like a truckmount so that you can still use rinse/emulsifier?
Hey there!
There is no practical way to do so-
Besides using an inline venturi tank, like a hydromaster presprayer-
Unfortunately tho, that really drops the gpm and effective pressure at the wand.
Another approach i use very often, is to fill a container, or the bathtub, measure the rinse into it, and just drop the water otter’s draw hose into the tub or container. (A washing machine hose works best for a draw hose, due to its rigidity)
Hope that helps:)
@@RAKSAX ok. I guess the last thing you said is basically just like using the pump on a regular portable extractor and mixing the rinse into its clean water tank. Thanks.
@@RAKSAX I didn’t know that you could put the draw hose from the water otter into a container with water in it. I thought that it would need some water pressure going into it for it to work. Kinda like a pressure washer because it needs enough pressure coming from the garden hose to work properly.
I just bought a cfx with 2- 3 stage vac motors and was astonished by the vacuum performance. It has the impeller style pump out. Is there a way to swap that out with the newer style pump out the cfx zx uses? Thanks
Where theres a will theres a way!😊
@@RAKSAXThanks decided to go ahead and get a cfx zx and it has much better performance and isn't as loud as the 3 stage cfx. I'm pretty stoked now.
You mention that sometimes you have to "rebuild" the pump. I have one that works great but I am putting a lot of mileage on it. How do you know when it needs to be rebuilt and how do you do it?
Typically- It will begin to not build pressure the way it did traditionally, or, it will start leaking (dripping out the housing- ) and you’ll begin to see drops or little puddles below the pump after use.
I have the same setup but I never take the pump or the CFX ZX off the van. That's a great idea adding the small drain under the vacuum intake. What parts did you use to make that?
Joywayus Brass Male Garden Hose Bulkhead Fitting with Plugs,1/2" Female 3/4" GHT Male Water Tank Connector Threaded and 3/4" GHT Female Outer Hex Head End Pipe Caps Drain/Flush Port Kit a.co/d/2oDS2VY
@@RAKSAX awesome, thanks!
Hey @Roy K, Could you post a video on how you rebuild your Water otter?
The water otter pumps are usually pumptec 356u, or 360u This video is straight from the pumptec manufacturer.
Cheers!
th-cam.com/video/0uDt9xVIXCY/w-d-xo.html
I guess this could work if you put it on a small/lightweight cart so you can just wheel the cart up to the house. I would add a little giant heater.
All true-
I have those components at the shop as well-
fossil fuel really beats electric heat.
@@RAKSAX i agree 100%. hard to beat heat from propane or diesel. how long can you run those generators on a tank of gas? i know those things are like $1100.
@@1969MARKETING it depends on what im powering with them.
I think it lands somewheres around a liter or so an hour for running the two generators to power that 4500 watt heater.
I hardly ever use them tho.
You actually don't have to use defoamer.... it has a Air/Water separation tank. Curious, I was wondering does this have a auto fill option?
Yes- it has a water diffuser tube inside, to see the water in the right direction, instead of finding its way up in the motors.
Defoamer is still very much recommended , and needed however- more for the reasons of chemistry that you use, or for chemistry you sucked up that the home owner used.
Peroxide, is an example.
Another example- hitting an over the counter pet treatment spot the homeowner did-creates a foam bomb….
Going by the laundry center in the house and catching the laundry soap spill they overlooked mentioning.
And other solution rinses you may choose to rip through your set up.
These are amazing machines- but do not have the waste tank capacity to tolerate foam build up.
I learned the hard way - and early on- to commit to a (about 1/4 teaspoon) of liquid defoamer each job.
You can get a whole gallon of liquid defoamer for like- $25.00. And that gallon will last so long you wont be aboe to remember back when you bough it.
Im interested in the CFX, but id like to do longer hose runs. Do you think adding a decent portable would allow better CFM/longer hose runs?
Longer than 200 ft? On their website it says its rated for that. Probably 1 1/2” though
This is what I need
What’s the minimum PSI to clean tile and grout?
Sorry for to many questions Thank you Sir
800-1200 is what alot of people clean grout with.
This set up functions nicely for tile and grout.
I use it often with an sx15” spinner.
The auto pump out is especially nice for tile and grout cleaning.
How do you filter the debris for the auto dump to work correctly? I didn't see any inline filter.
There is a long filter inside the machine. Also, the pump out line has a filter screen.
Can I retrofits an old c.f.x. with the new vacuum motors the cfx as ones ?
Unfortunately no. There is no way to convert.
Roy. In the process of buying a similar setup as opposed to going with the Rotovac monsoon. Wanted to ask you a few questions offline. Whats the best to reach you?
360-441-6618 text me.
Hook the generators up in parallel and they will run the cfx and water otter at the same time. No need to plug into the house
Thats a possibility,
However, i dont run these generators really, except to power the heater when i wish to use it.
I prefer house power when easily available, as it saves me $$$ that way!😊🙌
I like the drain plug Roy.
Do you think Home Depot or an Ace hardware would carry the parts?
Here you go sir!
Amazon:
“Joywayus Brass Male Garden Hose Bulkhead Fitting Drain/Flush Port Kit”
$10.49
Thank you, just ordered it.
how you can add a heater to that machine?
Did you watch the video? I dont remember if i showed the heater hooked up or not.
But i did show the heater. It simply plugs in inline after the solution pump
I usually loop my water feed hose into the sink incase it drips this way it will drip into the sink
Thats a great method.
I feel like i typically do that… I sure didn’t do it here tho😮- pretty shallow sink😊
You had asked cord gage- But I cant find the comment.
The answer is 14/3
I use Proteam’s backpack cords at $40.00 a cord, because their the best quality moat pliable cords i can find that last for my use.
Ive been using them for years with the cfx-zx. And have been really pleased with them:)
Does the water otter ever overheat some times or give you any type of problems?
It doesnt have a buffer tank….If it allowed to run and run without moving any solution, it will eventually overheat the pump.
If I need to stop for more than say 10 seconds or so, I be sure to turn off the pump.
Ignoring that caution is a quick way to overheat any pump that doesnt have a buffer tank, including most pressure washers😊
@@RAKSAX thanks for the reply I know someone that’s selling and just needed a little info on it
Have you had any trouble with the auto pump out? Bought an air hog and have had nothing but trouble with the pump out.
Where you get that otter from
You can get them to Rotovac but multiple other carpet cleaning companies can access and sell them also
Thats alot of stuff. Too bad rotovac doesn't offer the zx with a 15 gallon tank. I have an older 15 gallon cfx single 3 stage single cord and its a work horse.
PS, Love the drain upgrade, just replaced my dump gate valve that was leaking for months
They do now have a 15 gallon waste tank option also!
@@RAKSAX only for the older model, not for zx
@@XER239 This statement comes from years of experience with the “ZX”
Let me guess, three rooms for $99?
NAH, that was your last job but don’t worry I went behind you and fixed it for them.😂
@@RAKSAX HaHa touche sir. Although I must ask. Why no TM? My new Chem-Tex was only $8500. You're getting close to that cost with all that stuff.
@@Matt-Olive-Digital great question!
Ive owned a few over the years:)
The answer is kind of long and very subject to debate-
But in short- Ive come to prefer the pros of a portable system, over the pros of a truckmount- and being able to quickly and easily repurpose my van and trailer for other services we offer as a primarily janitorial company.
A portable system under my design is very easy for me to do maintenance and repairs on myself also.
Lastly- the gas mileage of my vehicle with a porty system, and the fuel i use per job is fractional to a tm. In the end- for my business model, I maintain higher profit margins with a porty system, despite the few extra minutes per job.
Its not for every body tho- I really see that.
@@RAKSAX Those harbor freight generators lock butt. Best warranty ever, too.
Sir , do you clean just using the water without chemicals . Thank you