tornado car cleaning gun or a stream cleaner

[steve's detailing]

Hey everyone . SO I have been doing a lot of police vehicles and rancher trucks , there is always a build up of dirt. Im finding that my normal process of cleaning with apc plus is not cutting it. I have to hit it 3 to 4+ times with apc plus to completely remove all the grime. So I was wondering if any one would recommend one of the 2 ...tornado or the Mytee Firebird Steam ? thanks every one!

[russelldetailing]

As for those two models, I can't speak from experience. I purchased a VX5000 unit this year and I get a ton of vehicles with trashed interiors, and I can tell you that steam is the way to go. Cuts down on time, and can help you deliver even better results that your customers will love!

Give these guys some time to pitch in opinions, but if you don't hear anything on those models, just do some research and take a shot!

Best of luck.

[Michael Stoops]

Re: tornado car cleaning gun or a stream cleaner

The following are my personal opinions and not those of Meguiar's. So, with that out of the way........

If you're doing this for a living, get both. A quality steamer is an investment for a professional detailer and steam does wonders for interior work - speed, effectiveness, etc. Enthusiasts can do very well with something like the McCullough unit that can be picked up for around $100 on ebay, and it probably does 90% of what the Firebird can do for less than 1/3 the cost. If you're really serious about steam cleaning in a professional setting, the VX5000 that Russell mentions is a serious bit of kit.

The Tornador is also a really nice and effective piece though probably not quite as versatile as a higher end steamer. Still, for spot cleaning where you need to introduce a cleaning agent of some sort, it's pretty terrific and I've never spoken to someone who has one and doesn't love it.

I don't detail for a living so I picked up the McCullough on ebay (and got super lucky - $85 shipped for a brand new unit) and it's truly fantastic for my needs on my own cars, the occasional customer car, and even around the house. I'm seriously thinking about picking up a Tornador as well, now that I have a decent air compressor at home. In your situation, I'd probably go with the steamer first and pick up the Tornador later, but I'd step up to a more robust steamer like the VX5000. The extra cost will be well worth it given your situation.

[angel_r24]

Just in luck if you haven't bought any. ...
Please YouTube:
Tornador Black Review
Mytee Firebird Test

My username should be 24anvrodri

I did a review on both...

I started off with the Tornador and loved it while I had it!! It worked perfect. I did all my research I could have done. You'll see that it cleaned things so easily and quickly. However... At the time I had a rug doctor to do auto detailing on upholstery and at times I had issues with crayons, gum, candy, all the hard sugary items and with that combo I couldn't do it. I had a job on a Commander that was the most filthiest car I had ever seen. Tornador couldn't do anything. Surely there was something that could help me. I had to hand scrape it all with APC and a brush.
Pros: Fast powerful plastic trim cleaning. Carpet stains removed with a breeze.
Cons: No heat to remove gum and candy. Loud. Took to much space in garage with the compressor.

I spent about $150 on compressor and $150 on Tornador. You do go through the APC FAST!! With that in mind I came across a blog that said a steamer and a hot water extractor is a perfect combination.

So here I am doing more research. I returned the compressor to Harbor Freight and sold the Tornador. Come in Firebird and its all over! ! This works wonders. You'll see from a couple videos that is so easy but be careful, you'll burn yourself if not properly clothed.

Cost was about $284 on a website with free shipping and no tax.

Pros: couple cups of water and you're set for an hour of steam.
Cons: accidental burns every now and then.

I can keep going on about both but ask away please. Of course if I had the space and money I would have both but with the couple cars I do a month, the Firebird is plenty. Plus I saved and made enough money to sell the rug doctor and buy a Mytee Lite II.

Steamer deodorizes, sanitizes, and cleans just about everything. Wife got mad but with the attachments included I do our laminate wood flooring and does a great job. She loves it.

Let me know what you did.