New equipment companies

Beware new companies that are trying to get into the construction equipment market.  A few months ago, I wrote about a company named TriTech that is getting into the airless market.  After trying for months to get information about the company, other than their own P.R., I have hit a blank.  Evidently they aren’t interested in the service centers that will eventually see their products.  They haven’t returned inquiries or phone calls.  To a service business that has been servicing the airless market as a general repair and warranty center for all brands since 1986, this usually means one of a few things:  1.That the company is fading out of the market due to poor sales or performance.  2. They are so undercapitalized that they have no parts other than what they can afford to assemble for complete machines (to sell).  3. They don’t want anyone to take the machines apart for repair and see the poor design or lack of quality,   4. They have no marketing and/or business experience or don’t have the financial backing to proceed in expanding into existing markets.

In the last 30 years, I have seen the airless market expand and contract.  A few good companies have been purchased by others in the same market.  Examples of these are Amspray, Airlessco and Speeflo.  Wagner merged Amspray into their (then) new piston pump line as SprayTech.  Airlessco is still sold as Airlessco (by Graco) as a premium line.  Speeflo is the gas/hydraulic line of Titan.  A few have died, such as Binks and HERO.  4 or 5 have just disappeared leaving their customers without any parts or service support, such as Allimite, Karldom, HERO (closed by Graco) and Simpson.

So beware of purchasing any equipment by a new company.  Make sure that it can be serviced by all factory certified service centers.   And then make sure that you are getting a better value per dollar than with a known and well established brand.  Quality and repair support will last long after an impulse buy from a persuasive sales person or advertisement.  Despite any claims to the contrary, all equipment that is used for any length of time will need service and repairs.

Freeze Warnings !!

Once again, we are at the time of year where they are posting freeze warnings.  Last night was the first of this year, although it only dropped to 35 degrees in Sacramento.  Outlying areas such as Grass Valley and in many other places, it dropped below freezing.

DO NOT LEAVE ANY MATERIAL IN YOUR PUMP OVERNIGHT.  It doesn’t matter if it is in a camper shell or a trailer or a (unheated) garage or storage building.  Your pump WILL freeze and serious damage can occur.  If you are in doubt, come into the shop, I have 2 really graphic examples of what it can do.  A split cylinder can run from $150 to $600.  Just for the part.  Then you have packings, etc.  Run Pump Gaurd through your machine, remove the airless hose and gun and then run it for about 10 seconds to run it dry.  A clean, dry pump without hose and gun cannot freeze.

If you have any pumps that you haven’t been using, go get them out and check them too.