Master Blaster or steamer, can you help me decide?

[Tundra_10]

More heat the better. If you don't do continuous fill, then tank/boiler size can be an important spec.

Definitely on the latter. Have had more than one person want me to clean grout. Go to YouTube. They have tons of videos on the variety of uses.

Ok, thank you! I will check out!

 

[Bunky]

That could be an issue. I am sure replacing a breaker is not hard but at the same time thats another cost associated with it.

Thank you for the input, that is going to be thrown into consideration!

It is the wiring to the receptacle that drives the need for a specific breaker so yes you can change the breaker but you would be exposed to running higher amps through a circuit that was not wired to support 20 A leading to potential issues.

As for your question, I have a MB and find it great but I can dry with towels. To me the real time savings is dealing with drips from crevices, stripping, etc. etc. so a smaller blower is still nice

If you do a lot of interiors, it will probably clean better/create more revenue than a Master Blaster.

 

[ScottB]

I found another use for my MasterBlaster ... last year the A/C condensation line clogged up. The MB fit perfectly and within a minute all was flowing well. So I use it every week on cars, and I have found it may have a unique use or two also.

 

[Robert8194]

I've also pondered the idea of purchasing a steamer. Can anyone go a little further in depth about the processes which they use theirs? I know they work wonders on door jambs as well.

I have used the steamer on almost everything Ina detail. I steam the engine compartment in conjunction with APC and brushes. I have steam cleaned the exterior both with and without Opticlean. It is amazing on glass. I use it on leather with brush covered in microfiber. I use it on door panels and dash with brush covered with microfiber.
I use it on gas cap doors, hinges and those little areas where SUV latches gather so much crud. On the interior it is great for cup holders and the area around gear shift. The magic begins when you have a stubborn stain in carpet or chewing gum melted into the carpet. Steam melts it away like it never happened. I don't use it every time but I have used it to make nasty wheels easier to clean. It does not replace a good Daytona brushing but makes the crud and brake dust easier to remove and can get back to the barrels with ease. I'm sure there is something I have left out but I do use it for most everything. Hope that helps.

 

[Robert8194]

Thank you for your input Robert, it seems as though you have pretty extensive knowledge of steamers (hopefully safe to assume). If I decided on getting a steamer what do I want to look for? What sorta numbers of areas are going to be of importance to me? I want to clean my engine bay, I am assuming (you could tell me more) that would probably be the hardest job I would be throwing at the machine. I do not want to have to get right up on something to clean it (or I would hope I would not have to do that), but at the same time as these things get hot, I am worried about the melting/deforming point of some of these plastics under the hood. I understand they all should be able to handle heat but prolonged exposure to that heat that some of these steamers can produce, should I be concerned?

Furthermore, is there something that I could maybe use the steamer for to possibly generate some money that would be pretty easy to do with a steamer? It does not have to be detailing cars oriented, but anything that again could help me justify the cost?
Again thank you for your input!

I don't know if it is extensive knowledge or not but glad to share my experience for what it's worth. I first bought a VX 5000. It worked great and would definitely clean an engine bay. It did most everything I wanted it to do including cleaning around the house. It produces steam at about 50-80 psi which is plenty for most jobs. The $300 machine AG sells is at about 50 psi. It looks like a good machine. What it does not have is hot water injection. That comes in very handy with the more grimy areas like engines and door hinges. the VX 5000 is not continuous fill but it does hold a good bit of water. The AG Steamer (Vapamor) specs say it heats in about 10 minutes. The VX with cold water takes more like 15-20.
I decided I wanted to be able to steam the exteriors and bought the Dupray. It is continuous fill and puts out an incredible 121 psi. The pressure is as important as the heat. It will really blast junk out of cup holders. It is an amazing machine. Is it overkill for people like us who don't do this for a living? Absolutely. Do I regret buying it? Not for a minute.
As far as what you can do with a good steamer to help offset the cost. As another poster mentioned, grout cleaning is apparently a big business and the steamer makes the job much easier. I don't know of any bedbug infestations but the high heat steamers are supposed To kill them as well. If you could get a contract with a small motel, you might be able to do their bathrooms and beds. Just a thought. Hope this helps.

 

[Setec Astronomy]

That could be an issue. I am sure replacing a breaker is not hard but at the same time thats another cost associated with it.

Thank you for the input, that is going to be thrown into consideration!

You can't just put a 20 amp breaker on 15 amp wiring. The MB draws more than 15A on startup, people have said they cheat that by starting one motor at a time.

 

[Tundra_10]

I found another use for my MasterBlaster ... last year the A/C condensation line clogged up. The MB fit perfectly and within a minute all was flowing well. So I use it every week on cars, and I have found it may have a unique use or two also.

Thats pretty cool! Thank you for the additional tip and idea on usage creativity!

I don't know if it is extensive knowledge or not but glad to share my experience for what it's worth. Just a thought. Hope this helps.

It's worth a lot to me and I appreciate you taking the time and explaining to me. You are making me realize why I want this unit. I have even been looking at another unit now which is about $1,000. Its advertised by a detailing company and claim how its so good. One of their selling points is continuous flow and I can see the benefits in that, however their pressure is only 72psi, with the Dupray being 121... I can see that being a big advantage and helping out. Real world usage and opinion to me is worth its weight in gold compared to deciding based on fact sheets of the 2 models.

You can't just put a 20 amp breaker on 15 amp wiring. The MB draws more than 15A on startup, people have said they cheat that by starting one motor at a time.

I see. hmm. Too bad my media closet is not closer to my garage. I installed an outlet in there dedicated to my home theater/whole house audio setup. Long story tolerable it is currently not being used and if I remember correctly I had a 20amp breaker installed because I knew I would be pulling lots of loads with a large theater receiver, multi-channel amplifier and all the components that made up my system and I know the wiring should definitely work. I installed the outlet myself, ran the wire to the top of the wall where it needed to drop down into the fuse panel but left the rest to a professional. He even commented saying the wiring was overkill.

 

[604_Snooze]

I would pick up a quality steamer like the dupray Hill injection or Carmen super inox. Start saving up money. If these two units are powerful enough to wash the exterior, then you don't need a master blaster.

 

[Tundra_10]

^^^ Dupray actually lets you make payments to them, not sure if they are interest free payments because initially I thought I was silly even contemplating the idea.

I do not think I would use the steamer for exterior stuff though. I would use it for engine, interior and for inside the house. Maybe MAYBE I would put an add in the paper or craigslist or something to advertise steam cleaning other peoples engines and interiors as one member suggested call up motels in the area (I have about 5 or 6 that are in very close proximity to me) MAYBE. I am not interested in starting a business unless I know I can make good money and be consistently busy, however on the other hand if I can make a few hundred here or there, that would be great to be able to offset the cost of this thing. It would be awesome if I could really pay this off just by doing side work for a few months.

A lot of people make good points about the interior being the most important part of cleaning out a vehicle for customers. It definitely peaks my interest and I am curious how my immediate area would respond to someone doing interior work and cleaning and paying accordingly for such. I doubt there are too many people around here that use steam to clean interiors either so that could be part of my marketing as being chemical-free, eco, green peace, blah blah blah and sterile. From what I understand a steamer can take care of a lot of nasty stuff and make it clean. Not sure if a steamer can take the place of an extractor though? If it can to me that makes it worth more money and more flexible, it also seems like it might be able to take place of a tornador as well for working on interiors with gunked up stuff and hard to scrub areas where the steam will just break up and loosen anything it touches.

 

[A-train]

Im tempted off the bat just to say the MB, since it's a huge part of preventing swirls. However a steamer is useful in a vehicle and in the house. If your wanting to make extra money with this then the steamer would be the way to go. I know some guys that clean vehicles but also clean restaurant kitchens with their steamers. Now they are using the high end steamers but they make good side money with it. If your not interested in that I would say MB all the way.

 

[Tundra_10]

Im tempted off the bat just to say the MB, since it's a huge part of preventing swirls. However a steamer is useful in a vehicle and in the house. If your wanting to make extra money with this then the steamer would be the way to go. I know some guys that clean vehicles but also clean restaurant kitchens with their steamers. Now they are using the high end steamers but they make good side money with it. If your not interested in that I would say MB all the way.

If I got the steamer I would have to think of some way to generate some money on the side, that is probably the only way I can realistically consider it. What happens if I do not? Nothing, but a way for me to justify a $2k toy would be if I could help offset the cost of the unit by doing some side-jobs with it.

 

[604_Snooze]

If you dont' want to spend 2k on the dupray, you can take a look at the vx5000 or the Vapor Gaia. You can also use the steamer cleaning your kitchen, bathroom, carpet and hardwood floor. The carpet will feel so soft afterwards.