Has anyone used the Challenger, Conqueror or Orbitec Op machines for any length of time? I would be interested in hearing the pro's and Con's. Prefer input from someone that has used more then one of these models for a hands on comparison. Thanks

I used the Oreck LowBoy prior to becoming a Challenger
owner. The Challenger is a far easier handling machine than the Oreck. The motor is far better, not
being subject to the overheating & shutdown problems
which I frequently experienced with the LowBoy. I have followed the various c.c. forums & bulletin boards for several years. Posts submitted by those
who have used both the Challenger as well as other OP
machines invariably comment on the Challenger's being
the smoothest running of them all. It's size makes it
a highly flexible machine for all residential, as well
as for small to mid-sized commercial jobs. For the
larger commercial jobs, it makes more sense to acquire a Cimex or perhaps the 20" Whittaker GLS
counter-rotating cylindrical brush machine. At this
size of a job, it makes more sense to encap than to
cotton pad clean.

Thanks Mark for your reply. I have had a Conqueror for almost two years. While it does a great job cleaning it is hard on my arms(gives me tendonitis) using it. No matter what glide I use it takes a lot of effort to control it. Therefore, I only use it on the worst jobs and Bonnet the less dirty ones.

I wonder how the challenger compares on cleaning. Does the smoothness mean it cleans less, so you make more passes? The Conqueror claims to have 40% more oscilation then others. Is this 40% causing the vibration that runs up the handle?

I think the Challenger now comes with 3/4 hp motor, which they didn't have a couple of years ago. If so is this still a smooth running machine?

Thanks for the input.

I received my Challenger 3/4 HP about two weeks ago. I can attest to the smoothness of this machine. No arm or shoulder fatigue at all. I have been using it daily on various weaves of carpet and it performs like a Cadillac. If you are trying to decide on which OP to
buy, the Challenger will not disappoint you. Cleaning ability and ease of operation are foremost. Buy one.

I use my 1/2hp and 3/4 hp Challengers interchangably.
I'm not really sure which one I'm using at any moment
unless I look for a couple of tiny visible differences
between them. I only notice a small difference - in
weight - when I'm rolling them backwards up a flight of stairs. The 3/4 hp Challenger weighs 6 or 7 lbs.
more than the 1/2 hp.

Mark,

Since you have both 1/2 & 3/4 which do you use more often? Why? Which would you recommend as a stand alone machine. Thanks

If I'm going into a house with stairs, I'll bring
the lighter 1/2 hp. As a stand-alone, I think
either one would do. I would think if run for hours
on end, the 3/4 hp would probably run a little
cooler. But I've run the 1/2 all day, and never had
it shut down for cooling off. Possibly for encapping, the 7 lbs of extra weight might give you
slightly better scrubbing ability.

I have used the Challenger, Lowboy, Orbitec, Conqueror and the Hruby. They all handle differently.
Challenger is smooth but slow, Lowboy is a pain, Orbitec is fine but still slow, Conqueror is a bit harder to handle but cleans much faster, Hruby is just a knockoff of the other machine the Conqueror people built it clean about the same as the old blue machine did.

They all clean well though!

to keep it short, in my research for the right OP i have heard that the Conquerer shakes and/or is hard to handle. granted this is just by some of the posts i have read on a few forums, i could be wrong but since you can't really try before you buy over the internet, i gotta use some faith.

so going JUST by what i have read, i am looking at either a Challenger or the Orbitec.

one fella i trust is Mark Stanley. he says the new Challenger works outstandingly and he bought one...and he has tried the Orbitec as well.

when i buy an OP machine, whomever the manufacturer is, i will go with the 3/4 HP machine. better to have too much power than not enuff, and since i Encap clean alot, the added weight of the 3/4 is beneficial. nothing worse than spending many hundreds of dollars and then regretting i didn't buy a more powerful tool. if i can, i'd even consider a full one HP OP machine.

hope this helps ya KBS

take care and lemme know which way you decide to go --- Derek.

Hi Jason,

Question: Have you used the 3/4 challenger? If so can you give me an idea how much slower it is then the Conqueror?

Also have you used the new Orbitec's? Are they also slower?

Thanks to everyone for their input.

Directed to Derek:
Who says you can't try before you buy? You can
purchase a Challenger and have 30 days to decide if it
is 4U. (Go take a look at
www.challenger-pad-machine.com/riskfree.htm.)
By that time you will be so in love with your
Challenger you'll be sleeping with it!

great deal Mark! hope you post a thread letting everyone know that

whether you use the 3/4 hp or the 1/23 doesn't make any difference, the ocsillation is the same on both.

whether you use the 3/4 hp or the 1/2 doesn't make any difference, the ocsillation is the same on both.

Jason, you are correct. One advantage of the 3/4
over the 1/2 might be that it would run cooler, and
therefore would be likely to last for a longer period
of years. My 1/2 has been running for, I think, 5 to
6 years now with no mechanical problems. I've owned
my 3/4 for a shorter time. When using encap pads that
have considerable contact with the carpet surface, such as fibreplus pads, the 3/4 machine will be better
able to overcome this drag and run more smoothly.
The extra weight of the 3/4 motor may help that machine to scrub carpet a little more thoroughly.
In multi-level residential situations, the 3/4 will
feel a little heavier when being rolled up a flight
of stairs.

Mark said, "When using encap pads that
have considerable contact with the carpet surface, such as fibreplus pads, the 3/4 machine will be better
able to overcome this drag and run more smoothly".

exactly why i would want the 3/4 HP over the 1/2 HP.

thanx --- Derek.

BTW Mark, can the Challenger be made with a 1 HP motor? if so, how much to buy 1 from you?

email me your phone number if you would, i'd like to chat sometime.

thanx --- Derek

Derek
I have tried applying increasingly larger pad drivers
to my 1/2 & 3/4 Challengers, to see how they might
perform while encapping. The somewhat "slicker"
green striped pad allows both machines to perform
more smoothly than when the coarser (and somewhat more
aggressive) fibreplus pad is used. And handling performance degrades a little more slowly with the 3/4
than with the 1/2, since the 3/4 has more power to
overcome the increased resistance generated by the
coarser pad. That's been my experience anyway. My
smoothest encap experience has been with the just-
released encap brush, which has 3 rows of white
bristles around the perimeter, and a smooth plastic
plate - or glider - in the inner area. I'm urging
Lee W. to try now a 15" or 16" version of this, to
see if the smooth handling can be maintained, or if
it will drop off, as occurs with fibreplus pads.

It was stated that a challenger was slower then a conqueror. Can anyone give me an idea of the time difference on these two machines. Thanks Barry

maybe post this question on the VLM forum also.?.

The conqueror is I would guess 50% faster than the challenger simply becuase of its larger orbit.

The bluee ccs machine is the same as the challenger and it comes with a 1/2 hp on it, my first one had a 1/3 hp on it and was a tad difficult to start. You had to put your toe to it to start it. With the new 1/2 hp it does a great job, but can not hold a candle to the speed of the conqueror.

My understanding is that ccs is coming out with an even faster and larger orbit machine that is made specifically for commercial work.

Let all them guys compete, we win everytime they build something newer and faster.

Thanks Jason,

Thats what I needed to know.

Jason, you said : "Let all them guys compete, we win everytime they build something newer and faster."

who are you referring to by "them guys" and who is the "we"?

i dunno what companies your talking about.

thanx --- Derek.

The manufacturers compete, we the cleaners win.

I wish every manufacturer brought out new machines every year to compete, then we have a much large pool to chose from, I love tools.

ahh i hear ya, thanx for the clarification!

ahh, thanx for the clarification Jason

does your Conqueror vibrate alot Jason? like irritatingly so? that's my only concern with it, just something i had read.

thanx --- Derek.

Jason
Where are you located? It would be interesting to
take a look at your business' website.