D&S Super 5000?

[sprocket]

I recently purchased a car wash with 2 super 5000's. The customers love these things but I have my reservations. I'm at a rock and a hard place. I have a Oasis I'm going to replace and I don't know what to replace it with. I have 2 hydrosprays,1 washworld and the D&S wash circles around the rest of them. They are at the best location[close to walmart]. Does anyone operate a quicksilver and do your customers prefer it over any other equipment. Any help would be helpful.
Thanks

 

[washme1]

I was told I bought the third Quicksilver sold in the country. I've had it in operation for not quite four years. It does a great job. Customers love it. It is my only experience with an automatic so I have limited qualifications to compare it to others from a service standpoint. I suspect that it may be a bit more challenging to work on than some of the machines that use "L" bar type spray arms. The Quicksilver has an "energy chain" that moves with the carriage. It contains all of the water and product lines. Replacing the water lines is a pain. The energy chain creates friction points that wear through the lines. I replace the main line about once a year, cost about $300. My top wash takes about 7 minutes once the vehicle reaches the treadle.

I think the positives far outweigh the negatives. The wheel/rocker panel blaster is on the carriage and operates during the first pass. I think the gantry gives better coverage than an "L" bar system because many customers say my Quicksilver cleans areas that don't get clean with competitors machines. I think the fact that all of the jets on the Quicksilver are either oscillating or rotating provide a more effective wash. I would buy the same machine again.

 

[Waxman]

My machine (different brand) has all hoses running through a track system.

My HP hose ends are the same as a garden hose fitting, so I use my garden hose to snake the old HP hose out and the new one in.

 

[Red Baron]

Though not really a response to your question, I have 2 newish D&S i5000s and have been very happy with them. One replaced my old 5000, which also worked well. The newer i5000 is much easier to work on, very light weight, no grease zirks in the legs, seemingly infinate adjustment possibilities on recipes, gantry speed, etc.

I would buy them again.

 

[BoomerSooner]

I had a customer that used to have 6 D&S 5000's and replaced two of them with Quicksilvers, then built another wash with 2 i5000's. They have told me that they will never buy another Quicksilver but would buy the i5000. I have been to the D&S training and the "P.M" on a Quicksilver takes about 5 hours if done correctly to where the i5000 takes about 2 hours. There is a lot more crap to go wrong on the QS. I do know that the old 5000's were some work horses and cleaned very well with the right chemical but talking with some customers they probably would have gone with the i5000 if given the chance again.

 

[chewy007]

DS Quick Silver

I currently own a i5000 which replaced a QS, we installed two new QS in the summer of 2007 at a brand new site, ran the units until fall of 2008 after many arguments with DS and our distributor they agreed to take the units back. We had too many problems to list mostly HP hose failures and Electronics getting wet. Currently at the same site there is a DS i5000 which I think is a good machine and a Mark IIV friction running... I would not recommend buying the Quicksilver I think they two we owned were two of the first ten that were built so hopefully DS has improved them by now.

For some of you touchfree guys, traffic at this site with a touchfree and friction side by side (customer has the option)... 70% Friction 30% touchfree

 

[sprocket]

I have owned automatics for 15 years and untill I purchase this wash I always would just have some one make my hoses when ever I needed them but I purchased a crimper,fittings and hose just to keep these super 5000's running. These seem to go through hoses quite often. These machines have a lot of hoses everywhere. Is the I5000 a fixed rail or does it measure the length of the vehicle? I think the Quick Silver is built similar to the super 5000but I am not sure.