I ordered my HOS package from Jim last week... (

very excited... one of the last 2 '06 models... free upgrade to a 1hp motor (or supposed to... can't tell by looking)... total was $2350

the machines finaly came in the mail today (freaking shiped from Irvine cali... 1 full week shipping time)... and of corse the 1st thing i do is rip it open...

unfortanly the kids where tanking a nap so i couldn't realy test it... so i did the next best thing and "moped" our kitchen tile... after the woke up i went to and got rolling on the 2 bedrooms... neither where very dirty, could have done each with 1 pad (both bedrooms are at the very back of the house) so they don't see to much soil... the only problem spot was from where my son had mashed in a bunch of diper ointment into the carpet... but thats another post :).

i was pleased to see the velcro/brush combo drive plate... supposidly they are better for deep pile residential type carpet which i'll primarly doing for starts...

the grips are nice fatty motorcycle type grips... the bar-ends from a MTB made me feel right at home (i was seriously into MTBing about 10 years back)...

the on/off switch with the button to start it up is nice (no holding the leaver) i just wish the red button also worked as a kill switch... instead you have to hit the on/off switch.

the handel release/lock is a kick button is a little akward to use... it also doesn't snap back when you lift the handel like i think it should... going to experment with some lube to see if i can't take care of that.

the body and handel casting are VERY nice... the powerdercoat is nice and smooth, the welds on the handel are pretty nice (i'm a car guy and do a bit of welding)... these are only good... but they are more then enough) the chrome plate on the handle is pretty good... the gren cord is a very nice touch... very bright so it won't blend into the background.

i look forward to using it tommarow at the mo-in-laws house on about 900 sq/ft of carpet vs the 160ish i did in my house today haha... then i'm off to go start droping flyers and get some cash inflow...

also used the challenger stair tool... used it a bit on the floor... and then went at it on some of our furniture... i found you can't put to much weight on the machine or it bogs down... also found that when doing flat cushion, setting it on a table and only using one hand to hold the machine and one hand holding the cushion :)...

can't wait to REALY get started
mark

oh ya one more negative... the wheels... the wells on them set back a little far so when you pull the machine up stairs you can't lay the machine back to far or you just drag it on the wheel well section

I have a Vento also (HOS).
It does have some drawbacks in the build of it but it is a smooth machine. It is more for doing comm work then resi, a bit more in weight.

I will be purchasing a Challenger when I can, income tax time is comming and having 3 kids I do get a nice chunk back.

With the Vento (HOS) for comm and my Challenger for resi I will be good to go.

hey mark, congrats on the new machine. i checked it out via the link you sent me and looks really nice.
i wish you the very best!

joe, what is this vento you speak of? i gather hruby manufactures it but who is the distributer? never heard of the vento.

supposedly, challenger is coming out with a larger machine which is what i'm waiting to see.

Rick G's web site sells the Vento. I guess it is a Hurby.

Same machine diff names

Go here:

http://www.excellent-supply.com/store/pc/viewPrd.asp?idcategory=3&idproduct=76

aah, i c said da blind man

http://www.hrubyclean.com/index.html

i'm sure it is the same machine... just looks like it less the bright powdercoat finish and the stickers haha

I want a sticker for mine.

hey joeM if you would hit me an email... got a few questions for ya about your machine...

mr2donalson@gmail.com
thanks man
mark

ok reading on excelent supply forum... apparently rick's Vento is made for him by kruby... don't know if they actualy changed anything... but just thought some might be intrested :)

mark

No, they are the same machine, except he buys only black, and he puts the vento name on.

thats kind of what i expected... figured they might have something different other then color but suppose not... i like my white with green cord so :)

side note jim... any way to tell the difference between the 1hp and 3/4 hp motors?

vey nice of Mark D. to have this forum up for Challenger users don't ya think?

maybe keep the other OP talk on the D/L???

or maybe i'm all wet.

thanx for the great forum Mark!!! and kudos to you for showing grace in allowing these threads.

take care --- Derek.

I appreciate your sensitivity here, Derek. When someone posts a thread like this one, I feel I'm kind of "****ed if I do, and ****ed if I don't" when it comes to letting it stay, or taking it out. Obviously, it promotes a competitor's product, and could cost me business. On the other hand, letting it remain allows me to run a more informative forum, which, in the long run, might be helpful for my business. I kind of leave it up to the posters to decide what subject is OK, and which is kind of going over the top, and sometimes, you could say, they just don't get it. Only 2 times have I stepped in when I felt someone had really taken advantage: the first, you probably remember, when John G. was here , in the disguise of one Jason Travis, promoting his product line. I took his posts out altogether. The other was when frequent Challenger Forum contributor, and competing Challenger distributor Jim England would be promoting his own business with frequent mentions of his website. While I didn't remove these, I did contact him telling him that while he remains free to participate here, I felt that it was inappropriate for him to use it as a means to generate business for himself.

Didn't realize that Bravenet would program this forum format to censor my language. I was not using an obscenity in the above post; simply a word that sounds like a wall that holds water back. You know, a dam. Sheesh!!

well heck that is a neat feature!

i agree with your above comments. while i will talk sometimes about other manufacturer's or distrib's equipment on other forums (sometimes even competitors equipment), i TRY and think before i speak.

oh, AND i don't sell anything, ie: i ain't your (or any seller's of equipment) competition. i would NEVER do that, it's poor taste.

thanx --- Derek.

sorry if i stepped on some toes... i got big feet doh haha...

this is the forum i spend most of my time on, number of people sitting where i'd like to be, not huge but doing well enough to support my family.

it wasn't ment as a plug for somone else's biz, I'm just not used to the msg board setup like we seem to have in the CCing community where it's taboo if it's not all about that specific sponsor...

sorry if i over steped the bounds... i was just excited about truely getting started.

if you feel this msg needs nixed you have my permission to do so, I understand it is YOUR board and as an admin at a few other boards i know you sometimes have to do it.

mark.