The DEAL with Arimitsu pumps. :)

It is all a sales pitch…. just a sales pitch.  There pump is no better just more expensive upfront and more expensive for parts.  (Assuming the Arimitsu can last as long as a Cat pump?  Not sure anyone knows yet?  LOL 🙂  How ironic.  Maybe they will last longer…. I would hope so.)

Look on the chart below where Arimitsu correctly quotes stats of their pumps.    http://arimitsupumps.com/html/interchange1.php  (I assume the Arumutsu 313 is correct?  Also the Cat stats?)

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Next chart they use their same Arimitsu 516 pump…. but claim an alternate gpm.  This 5 gpm is also quoted sometimes as normal specs when it is convenient (marketing or error who know).  But the problem with this is….

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Both the Cat pumps compared in the top chart can actually do the same exact configuration.  In fact…. both pumps can do it cheaper upfront and are cheaper on the seal and valve kits.  Except for the 5CP2120W valve kit which is more expensive but that pump is the cheapest.

5cp 310

So if you hate charts the Cat 5CP2120W is the best pump and the best value.  The reason these pumps are compared is because everyone thinks they need 5 gpm…. which I believe is not needed at a self serve.  But this is just what everyone always “has to have” or argues is better about the Arimitsu pump.  The majority of operators use Cat 310 pumps I would guess?

Arimitsu 516: 705 Valve kit: 116 Seal kit: 95
Cat 310: 586 Valve kit: 63 Seal kit: 78
Cat 5CP2120W: 565 Valve kit: 179 Seal kit: 82

So ask anyone why they would purchase an Arimitsu  516 pump and besides being fooled by the marketing their answers will be:

  1.  Quiter  (I do not actually accept this as an answer…. absolutely the silliest answer ever.  Who cares?  Really…. Who?)
  2. Easier to work on?  (Whaaaa?  Unless they fit themselves?  I am not sure what this even entails?)

Seriously…. anyone who advises you to purchase an Arimitsu pump got them when they were $150-200 cheaper than Cat pumps.  This is the only way they made a good educated decision.  I am sorry the truth hurts sometimes.  Or just let me know…. I asked the question on a forum and not even Greg let me know what the selling points were.  I had to guess on the 2 selling points above.

You know I would purchase an Arimitsu or any other pump in a second if they cost $200-300 less than a Cat pump…. I actually looked at these pumps 5-8 years ago when they were cheaper.  That is why I remember their selling points.  Cheaper pumps and cheaper seats and valves…. yeah it is supply and demand.  Just like the College system in this country.

 

 

CustomKraft customkraft.com Innovation Made Simple

I do not think CustomKraft would mind this plug and me reposting some of their pictures. I think more companies should act like they are run by real humans. I really like it. It also seems like they have a small factory…. but lots of employees. Also no welding in any pictures?

A side note…. when I started with website development/programming. All my sites were super fly and had frames…. well…. just like poor old CustomKraft’s website. 🙂 Give me a call CustomKraft I will redo it for you. 🙂 Plus…. please get rid of the noise when you click things! 🙂

CustomKraft MultiPressure System really could get a patent?

http://www.customkraft.com/equipment/pdfs/multi-pressureinsert.pdf

So I was emailing someone about CustomKraft equipment and did not remember the company’s name…. why would I? I have never actually seen their equipment in real life. Do you know why? The person I was emailing said it cost $77k for a 6 bay unit. LOL 🙂 To put that in perspective a Jim Coleman pump stand would cost $50k for the stand and an extra $12k with the spot free. Then the cheapest cheap stuff (Which looks like resturant shelves…. might not be but the design is repurposed from somewhere…. or worse design ever…. I believe.) Etowah Valley Equipment cost $22,699.85 supposedly they come off the price also (this is list).

Anyway I like the idea of CustomKraft equipment but since every car wash basically has the same system as described in their patent I am not sure how they got a patent…. sure they are describing bypassing and low and high pressure but no one ever did this? Well it does not really matter anymore…. their patent expired on or before August 31,2010.
http://www.google.com/patents/US4327866

The present invention generally provides a car wash pumping system which can dispense any number of additional chemicals at a low-pressure utilizing a high-pressure pump without the necessity of an additional pump, pumping controls, and fluid lines to the boom and wand assemblies. The present invention may be easily installed within existing car wash systems and is of a low cost and low maintenance design. Further, the present invention does not require additional lines to be run to the boom and wand assemblies thereby not requiring additional means to prevent the freezing of these lines, such as the application of heat tape or a closed loop system, both of which are time consuming to install and expensive to operate. Further, the present invention allows for the application of cleaning chemical solutions at a low-pressure to prevent the unnecessary waste of these chemicals as well as reducing the hazard of splashing these chemicals upon the operator.

One thing that is funny…. the only thing I have heard around this system is it is “wasteful”. Personally I understand the argument and yes purging the lines it technically wasteful but their system is still very high tech for old crusty 1982 tech! LOL 🙂

Also if you ever wondered how their system worked…. well I guess check out the patent?
US4327866US4327866-1US4327866-2

Weldless Bulkhead – Stainless Steel

One of the problems I have with the Jim Coleman Super Savers are that none of the tanks have a drain at the bottom of the tank. This part would be a nice add on drain…. a weldless bulkhead. My problem is it would stick up to much…. a weld on version would be nicer. But a weldless bulkhead will be cheaper than a welder fixing Coleman’s equipment because an operator did not design it. 🙂

Dixmor LED 6S timer multifunction for a vacuum and a bay

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New in bag…. Wrapping paper.  I had to test it before I am going to sell it though.

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Is there such a thing as a to bright Coleman timer?  No way!  Is there such a thing as a to bright Dixmor LED 6S?  You may think so…. But in RL it is really nice.

UPDATE 4/18/2016: SOLD…. if you do not have one of these timers you should purchase one. They are very nice.

Why I LOVE Amazon.com! :)

Screenshot_2016-03-27-15-14-16Screenshot_2016-03-27-15-36-31

These are actually really great cheap vinyl gloves…. Usually vinyl gloves are pure crap.  (BTW I was trying to purchase XL gloves.  I also purchase some black latex gloves…. But they have gotten worse I believe?)  LINK
There are 2 things I dislike about Amazon.com…. How the prices fluctuates and how you can not just shop with Amazon easily.  (You actually can but it is a pain.)

Ginsan Meter Door Opening Sizes…. Gin-San Dixmor Drop in Replacements?

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The question is…. Does a Dixmor LED 7 timer fit in the same location as a Gin-San GS-400 timer or the GinSan GS-407 timer?  I did not know the answer so I contacted the experts at Dixmor.

Dixmor said the Gin-San GS407 timer has a 2″ x 9″ display so basically there is no way it would fit.

ANSWER:  The Dixmor LED 7 timer will NOT fit where a GinSan GS-407 timer is.

The GinSan GS400 has the same height as the Dixmor LED 7 timer but the GS400 is 1″ wider.  Which I assume would allow for a drop in replacement?  But Dixmor’s official statement is they do not think the LED7 would replace either timer.

I hate to contradict the experts at Dixmor…. but today I measured the left and right meter door openings.  Each door opening was the same at 2 3/4″ x 1 1/2″ (I did not have my caliper so it is just close.  🙂 )  So the only variable is the mounting studs…. which are probably close or close enough?  (You could widen the holes if you had to.)  But…. Because both meter doors (above) are from GinSan.  I could also go so far as to assume that the one on the right definitely has the same mounting screws…. but I can not measure the door on the left to verify.  Why would Ginsan create a meter door which their own timer (GS400) would not fit?  But you can look at my pictures and use the 1″ measurement Dixmor said the timers were different in size…. but someone could assume they would be a drop in replacement?  Probably?  Maybe?  More than likely?  LOL  🙂  (Of course you would need a wire harness for the Dixmor timer…. but for some reason GinSan does not use wire harnesses?)

So if anyone knows for a fact if a Dixmor LED 7 is a drop in replacement for the GS400 timer let me know.  Also let the fine guys at Dixmor know.  It might help them out.  🙂

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Just an aside…. the opening for the above meter door is 3 1/4″ x 1″ (again I would not start production on your timer add on…. this was done on a piece of paper and measure with a ruler later.  No caliper…. just an idea of the opening size. 🙂 )  This door is also the meter door for a Gin-San GS-31 timer…. which is the timer pictured next to it.

UPDATE 20160318: When emailing this guy back…. I believe I figured out why Dixmor says their timers may not be a direct replacement? Dixmor has no idea how you have your bay setup. You may have to rewire and probably bypass another timer to get a Dixnor LED 3 or LED 7 timer to work. Also you would have to purchase a harness for the Dixmor timer.

But harnesses are good…. and wire nuts do not count as a harness. LOL 🙂