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PDQ Tandem? PDQ G5 vs. Belanger Vector wash quality.

Broadwayautoclinic

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Does anyone here own a PDQ Tandem, or has anyone actually used one? What has been your experiance?

Also, has anyone compared the wash quality of the Vector, compared to the G5?

I'm still trying to make up my mind:eek:

Thanks,
Rick
 

Wash-A-Roo

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I have a vector and laser4000. Been in both a g5 and tandem. The tandem takes way to long to wash but does a good job. The g5 and vector can't be compared cause you can't keep the g5 running long enough to compare. Love my vector and washes the same as my 4000 but with LESS mantainance. If your looking at a soft touch to compare with the tandem check out the freestyler.... Also washes daullies. Top wash is about 3 half minutes. Tandem I went in took over 7 minutes. Just my 2 cents.
 

Broadwayautoclinic

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So you're pleased with Belanger . That's good to hear.

I am getting a Freestyler, and a Vector , and they are including every option available. I've also opted for Aerodry dryers, but some have said they aren't as good as 5 cannons. I really don't know which dryer would work best.


I have been offered a sweet deal from Belanger and they've made it hard to resist.
 
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got 8 g5's running flawless. spend 80 percent of my time babysitting the 4000's but there 8 years old. you really have that much trouble with the g5's?

nevermind checked your website after the fact thought you owned g5's as well you only have the one vector.

I guess it all comes down to install etc. I put these in right. and I maintain them. sorry to here the g'5s out by you are'nt reliable. Ive personally installed over 30 of them. and we have resold to many of our initial customers so they cant be that bad.
 
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bigleo48

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Don't understand why someone would buy the G5 when you can now get the M5 (4000 with G5 brains). My M5 has also been very reliable.
 

Jerry33

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i have a tandem and am very pleased with it. here are some times from last saturday for the different packages. the top package, and i believe it is the most extensive one offered (you can't pick and choose options), took a minimum of 5min, 33 sec for a 3237 mm length vehicle to a maximum of 6 min, 36 seconds for a 4,440 mm long vehicle. the quickest package took 2 min, 48 seconds for a 3,727 mm bug to a maximum of 4min , 14 sec for a 4,296 mm long vehicle. the mid range package had a minimum of 3 min, 58 sec to a maximum of 4 min, 14 seconds.

i've had zero damage claims although we took off a couple of mirrors and some antennas during the initial phase. customers like the high pressure rinse pass and the flash dry.
 

escapement

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There are plenty of G5 units in the field that run flawlessly for great periods of time. I recently did an inspection at a G5 where the owner told me that he hadn't had service in over a year and the wash was running fine. I upgraded the conductor software, replaced the in bay speaker, and tightened the floor mount bolts. The arch gearbox has way too much play but the owner declined service at this time. Site is in service right now, washing away.

On the other hand, I've heard people, including the car washing public, trash Vectors and say "they're always broken". As newhampshiretech says, it all comes down to install and maintenance.

I've seen the Tandem in operation and was impressed. I've heard nothing but good things about it from owners and techs.

The M5 is probably the best frictionless car wash PDQ has come out with so far. Easy to work on, easy to operate, easy to maintain, easy on the eye... hard to beat an M5. If I was going to open a car wash right now I'd get an M5, a Tandem, and a couple self serve bays.
 

tobaccofarmer

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The reason some G5's are always down

The only reason in this area, g5's are down, is because the distributor is incompetent and ignorant! The G5 is an amazing machine however it requires more knowledge to work and understand one than this distributor will ever offer! I have a G5, and if I was to rely on them to keep running it would definitely be broken down right now too. Unfortunately for PDQ g5's got a bad name in this area strictly because the distributor could not keep them running! not because the machine was junk. If you spend 2-4 hours a week dedicated to machine service maintenance and cleaning, you could really keep one running forever. I recently tore down a G5 (for parts) that this distributor (maintained) and trust me the things I have encountered prove to a t what I am saying about the ignorance of the dist! Anyway enough of that, it will never change around here. Fortunately for the g5 owners that don't do their own work but have distributors that actually know the difference between right and left, probably have machines running along perfect just as G5's were intended to do.
 

escapement

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There's a pretty good video of the Tandem on PDQ's website. Go to http://www.pdqinc.com/products/tandem/index.asp and scroll down a little bit to the "Watch Video" link (just above the pie charts) (I found the audio to be choppy but unneccessary and turned it off).

The video shows examples of the innovations that PDQ has introduced with this machine.
 
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