I own a Challenger and love it but hoe does it compare with the Vento.

Rick, we sell both machines, only ours is called the HOS, it is made by the same company and is the same machine only different colors, and I might add a little better priced.
The main difference is the HOS machine is a 17 inch machine, the Challenger is a 15 inch, so it cleans about 30 percent faster than the Challenger. Construction is different in that alot of the metal on the HOS is cast rather than bolt on, making it quieter. It runs very smooth and with the optional spray system it can elimenate a cleaning step. The optional system is also important because many encapsulation cleaners, clean better when the encap is scrubbed in as soon as it hits the carpet. With olefin carpets especially berber, it is better to adgitate as soon as the pre spray hits the carpet, because olefin sheds water immediately, so most of the pre spray slides down the fiber to the base of the carpet before it has a chance to desolve the greasy sticky stuff that holds the dirt. If you scrub as you spray it works much better, and keeps the pre-spray at the top of the fibers. One of the big selling points of the Cimex is its shower feed system to the pads. The Challneger is a great machine though it's just not as fast as the HOS or Vento. It weighs about 3 lbs more than the Challenger. It also comes with more options. It comes standard with a velcro pad driver, or you can get a brush velcro pad driver. Both machines are excellent for residential, however the HOS is better at commercial because it cleans faster. Hope this helps.

I own a Vento and I like it a great deal more then other machines I have owned in the past. It is very well built.

the ACTUAL size of the Challenger is 13.5"...that's the cleaning surface which is what really matters right?

so what is the real size of the Vento, anyone know?

thanx --- Derek.

Because of the oscilation of the pad driver the actual cleaning path is about 15 inches on the Challenger and 17 inches on the Vento or HOS.

excellent point Jim, thanx for pointing that out!

my 18" Hoover Conquest is still 17" though....anyway you can explain that? lol

regards --- Derek.

If you have been vacuuming damp carpet, the hoover will shrink when it get wet. Use your dyson only. LOL Jim

Shrink, in the beater bar? Thats strange. Wait, ya know what I just caught that. Oh ha ha
Funny.