Best steamers?

S

SpoolinNoMore

New member
I am in need of a pressure steamer for engine bays and wheels, and the old posts I've been able to dig up have raved about the VX5000 quite a bit, however I'm not sure if anything newer and greater has came out yet. Just wondering if someone has some recommendations for a good steamer for any of 3 brackets:

Sub-$250



$251-$500



$501-$1,000



Thanks in advance!
 
Too bad about the $1000 limit or I'd start raving about the Dupray Hill Injection I picked up a while back; I absolutely love that thing! Blows your budget way out of the water though.



One note for engine bays though, if you have a pressure washer and an air compressor, spend $6 at Harbor Freight and pick up their siphon engine cleaning gun -- use it with the degreaser and the PW to rinse, works awesome.
 
I have an air compressor but no pressure washer. I've done engine bay detailing so far with just some degreaser & APC with a brush. I'd be a tad uneasy with using a PW in the engine bay though, even though I know to just be careful around plugs/wires and air filter box (even though the wire harnesses usually need a lot of loving since they never really get changed and just get crud built up on them...).



What is the PSI on your Dupray Hill Injection? That seems to be the factor that changes between getting a steamer for household use and one for heavy duty industrial use (since steam is steam, the rest is just reliability/warranty and pressure output when picking a unit for the most part).
 
SpoolinNoMore said:
I have an air compressor but no pressure washer. I've done engine bay detailing so far with just some degreaser & APC with a brush. I'd be a tad uneasy with using a PW in the engine bay though, even though I know to just be careful around plugs/wires and air filter box (even though the wire harnesses usually need a lot of loving since they never really get changed and just get crud built up on them...).
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Understood; you can also rinse with a regular hose but for me the PW has proven plenty safe and much faster. Of course, the one I use is fairly low flowing at 1.6 GPM. If I were putting out a lot more water I might be a little more concerned.



What is the PSI on your Dupray Hill Injection? That seems to be the factor that changes between getting a steamer for household use and one for heavy duty industrial use (since steam is steam, the rest is just reliability/warranty and pressure output when picking a unit for the most part).
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Maximum output of the Hill Injection is 121psi. The other thing I would look at when you're comparing models is the boiler temperature; the higher the boiler temp the more "dry" the steam output will be. The Hill has a 378*F boiler temp.



Dupray's base model Tosca ($996) has a 320*F boiler temp and max pressure of 72.5psi.



I couldn't even tell you what my old consumer Steam Shark ran temp/pressure wise but it was horrible in comparison and the pressure wasn't adjustable at all. Sputtered out more hot water than steam most of the time.
 
My experience with steamers is limited to the garment steamer I got my wife, and it sounds like your Steam Shark. It works great for clothes, but I'd be insane to use it for anything more than clothing. I remember one of the posts I was looking at, Accumulator was saying that a matter of 15ish psi made a world of a difference. So far I've been comparing everything to the VX5000 since that was the more popular one that kept coming up, but that only has a 65 psi output. My biggest attraction to industrial steamers was the videos of people touchless washing their vehicles in the winter. While I don't think I'll ever catch onto the whole washing paint with the steamer, I did like the pressurized stream that they were getting, that it seemed like it would make quick work of engine bays, undercarriages, wheels, fenders, carpets, etc. and if I'm going to spend circa $1000 on a little water boiler with hoses and a tank, I want it to save me some serious time on cleaning. Plus being able to use it for cleaning things in the house would help it become a write-off for justification to the wife.
 
Polti seem to be on-par with the VX5000 in the sub-$1,000 range. I can't seem to find any information on the psi output of this: Amazon.com: McCulloch MC-1275 Heavy-Duty Steam Cleaner: Home & Kitchen



I'm just not sure it's one of those purchases I can skimp on the power. If a lesser model works "alright" then I'm fine with that, however if going from a $100 model to an $800 model will be night-and-day with the capabilities of performing a multitude of other tasks due to the increased power, I'm perfectly fine with dumping $800 into it right off the bat.



*edit* found the psi output on the McCulloch, looks like 14.1-21.8 psi & 220F boiler temperature, don't think it can really hold a candle to what Charles has been mentioning :P
 
C. Charles Hahn- Oooh, I'm envious! That steamer of yours must be swell for tough jobs...121psi :eek:



SpoolinNoMore- The performance diff between a steamer that puts out ~75psi and one that puts out "just a little more" can be amazing. The specs on my two steamers are 75 vs. 89 and you can't imagine the actual functional differences between the two.



The lesser steamers, IMO, are kinda handy to have around the house, but aren't really all that useful for detailing. I didn't even find my 75psi one all that useful in the shop.
 
SpoolinNoMore said:
..I may have to get a PW and use that for engines/undercarriages and make due without being able to steam interiors.
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Can't help regarding the Optima, but if you can afford one that's potent enough to work well on engines/undercarriages then it'll work fine on interiors, which require a lot less oomph.



I bought my good steamer when my other one proved inadequate while doing brake parts/wheelwells. And that "other one" isn't a piece of junk by any means.
 
I guess I meant I would just make due without a steamer until I could rationalize spending over $1000 on one. Why bother getting one that's only good for a few things when I know I'll just want more power later on down the road :lol:
 
Accumulator said:
C. Charles Hahn- Oooh, I'm envious! That steamer of yours must be swell for tough jobs...121psi :eek:
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Yeah, that thing never ceases to amaze me... stuff that before I'd look at and think "no way will that clean up without a lot of solvent and a scrub brush" now just melts off in seconds like it's no big deal.



SpoolinNoMore said:
Has anybody heard of Optima Steamers? (video: Steam car Wash Machine - Optima Steamer (Steam Pressure Washer) - YouTube) This unit is 116psi (max 145psi), but I can't find any prices on it (which is irrelevant since I'm almost pretty sure they've got to be >$2,000). I may have to get a PW and use that for engines/undercarriages and make due without being able to steam interiors.
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Those Optima units are huge, and yeah, very expensive. I'm sure they're nice, but I'm not so convinced they're strictly necessary if you're not planning on starting a high volume operation with it. And due to the size the usefulness inside the house will probably be limited.
 
SpoolinNoMore said:
I guess I meant I would just make due without a steamer until I could rationalize spending over $1000 on one. Why bother getting one that's only good for a few things when I know I'll just want more power later on down the road :lol:
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That's kinda the way I see it, but plenty of people are happy with steamers that wouldn't satisfy me so :nixweiss
 
I actually own an Optima Steamer and honestly like it, I think it was certainly a good investment. Steamamericas sometimes sells their demo models for $4100 or so with a one year warrenty. I bought it because I wanted to do more of my simples packages and cut down on my time. I never use it on engines though, I just dont get enough requests for engines so I just stay away from it all together. Email me anytime if you have any questions pautosalon@gmail.com
 
Doing engines outside a shop is, IMO, sketchy at best, particularly heavy duty cleaning. For interiors, I find the VX 5000 is more than enough. The steam comes out at around 300 degrees so it gets the work done with very little wetting, particularly the way I've started doing it. - Spray a light mist of interior/carpet cleaner onto the surface, agitate with a brush, hit with the steam cleaner and a cloth at the same time and done.



Granted, I don't do the shoveling out kind of detailing an extractor is made for so I can use lighter equipment. Still, that machine runs reliably and for long enough to do a typical car with water left over.



When it comes to engines, I have a pattern and practice response: First, look at the engine and decide if it can be done at all outside a shop where there's run off control. If there's more than about one tablespoon of oil and grease, I won't touch it. Second, even though I've got a very safe product for removing oil and grease - one that doesn't turn plastic white or hurt the paint, or wiring, there's still a chance of water getting into a connection and shorting out a system. So, I say to my client, "I'm not going to charge extra for cleaning this engine and because I'm doing it for free I'm accepting any liability on any level. I'll be careful, but when I'm getting an engine wet and using any cleaner, there's a chance of problems. Also, if there's a problem with the EPA or any other governing body, it's your problem. So, just to review, if the engine never runs again and the water quality district comes up and assesses a fine, it's on you, and, you still have to pay me for the detail."



Robert
 
How long does the tank last on the Vx5000? Ive looked into gettting a ladybug or mondovap myself but not sure if the continous filler is worth the price increase.
 
ed84108 said:
...not sure if the continous filler is worth the price increase.
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It sometimes seems like I'm about the only guy here who insists on the continuous fill (and I have both kinds, so I *know* when I do/don't need..or at least want..it). One thing though, the non-continuous-fill vendors often criticize the continuous-fill feature, with implications or even direct statements to the effect that it compromises performance; this has *not* been my experience.
 
ed84108 said:
How long does the tank last on the Vx5000? Ive looked into gettting a ladybug or mondovap myself but not sure if the continous filler is worth the price increase.
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I think the tank goes a couple of hours, but it never takes me anywhere near that long to do what I need done. I'm a one man operation, so I never run up against the end of the tank but if I did, then, the question would be: Can I find something else to do until the machine cools enough to refill and heat up? How much that is worth is up to you. If I had a tool that made me stop every time I used it for a refill, the money wouldn't be an issue. But for me, the machine I have is fine.



Robert
 
The more I keep my head out of the clouds with what sort of equipment I want to have, the more realistic the vx5000 is. Too many people have used it with success and love it to deny it. Either way, it's gonna be in the future for me :)
 
Accumulator said:
It sometimes seems like I'm about the only guy here who insists on the continuous fill (and I have both kinds, so I *know* when I do/don't need..or at least want..it). One thing though, the non-continuous-fill vendors often criticize the continuous-fill feature, with implications or even direct statements to the effect that it compromises performance; this has *not* been my experience.
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I agree; I've found myself using the continuous fill on my Dupray a *lot* especially on exteriors where I utilize the "heated water injection" feature to rinse away heavier grime more thoroughly. It goes through water pretty quick when I do that, so the 2 minutes it takes to go get more water and pour it in the machine sure beats the 20+ minutes it would take to cool the machine, fill, and reheat.
 
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