What's new

Rug Beater by Dralco

Rainway

Member
Joined
May 24, 2018
Messages
128
Reaction score
16
Points
18
Location
Alaska
I'm thinking of getting a Rug Beater by Dralco. It's dry clean -- so no plumbing that Rhino-Mat requires.

Has anyone hooked up a CyrptoPay to one of these? Dralco had no information on customers doing that.

Anyone have a Rug Beater have any other feedback?

Thank you


 

MEP001

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 30, 2007
Messages
16,667
Reaction score
3,933
Points
113
Location
Texas
A Cryptopay reader will connect to any system that runs on low voltage coin pulses. It has a pair of wires that you can connect inline with a coin acceptor, then you would set up the reader to send enough pulses to start the unit.
 

mac

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 3, 2007
Messages
3,558
Reaction score
790
Points
113
I had a rug beater once and hardly anyone used it, much less paid for it. Could just have been my location. Good news it worked great.
 

Eric H

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 30, 2007
Messages
1,243
Reaction score
645
Points
113
Location
Leominster, MA
I had a rug beater once and hardly anyone used it, much less paid for it. Could just have been my location. Good news it worked great.
I sold mine when I remodeled. If I got $25/month out of it it was a record month. It wasn’t worth the cost of pouring a new pad and running electricity to it for the remodel.
The guy that bought it has a detail shop that utilizes it.
IMO, spend your money on something that will make more money or have a reasonable ROI. Have you considered an Tire Air Machine?
 

MC3033

Active member
Joined
Dec 3, 2017
Messages
207
Reaction score
85
Points
28
Location
Midwest
Very solid machine. Few issues and all issues are easy to resolve.

There is a bit of an education piece to the rug beater with customers. Not many people realize what it is/does. Many choose to just vacuum mats

If you have a lot of traffic it may be worth it, otherwise I would recommend against a mat station
 

I.B. Washincars

Car Washer Emeritus
Joined
Aug 30, 2007
Messages
4,219
Reaction score
1,041
Points
113
Location
SW Indiana melon fields.
First off, the name! What would a "Rug" beater be used for at a car wash? Cars don't have rugs. Who brings rugs from their house? Cleaning toupees, maybe? That screwed up name is about like advertising "Ground dead cow sandwiches" and wondering why your burgers aren't selling.
 

Waxman

Super Moderator
Joined
Aug 31, 2007
Messages
5,848
Reaction score
1,341
Points
113
Location
Orange, MA
I bought a used rug beater and I like it very much. It doesn't get tons of use, but I like it because it does a great job and I use it at my detail shop. I find that if I take some general purpose cleaner and spray it on the brush mechanism after it's turned on, I can do quite a bit of cleaning and prepping of carpeted floor mats.

I feel like it's one of those pieces of equipment that makes my wash unique and a little bit different from the competitors. I can't see buying a new one, unless you were going to use it at a car dealership etc. The return on this investment would not be reasonable. But used, they could be a great addition to your wash. I I just put new decals on mine and cleaned it up and it looks great. Mine is out front and can be seen from the road.

If you made a 15 second video and put it on your Facebook page or Google business page you may find a lot more people using it once they know what it is and how it works.
 

MudMoney

Active member
Joined
Sep 13, 2007
Messages
514
Reaction score
185
Points
43
Location
Montana
I ve had rugbeater since 2004,recommend it if you have an attended wash. Customers need a demonstration of operation. We do the demo on our "dime" and they are impressed. IT took awhile to build a customer base and its used many times during day. More use than air shammie that is a waste of space.
 

Rainway

Member
Joined
May 24, 2018
Messages
128
Reaction score
16
Points
18
Location
Alaska
A Cryptopay reader will connect to any system that runs on low voltage coin pulses. It has a pair of wires that you can connect inline with a coin acceptor, then you would set up the reader to send enough pulses to start the unit.
I assume it is, but reached out to inquire. Was a little put off by their response. Like the sales guy didn’t want to bother a tech guy to confirm..
 

Rainway

Member
Joined
May 24, 2018
Messages
128
Reaction score
16
Points
18
Location
Alaska
I sold mine when I remodeled. If I got $25/month out of it it was a record month. It wasn’t worth the cost of pouring a new pad and running electricity to it for the remodel.
The guy that bought it has a detail shop that utilizes it.
IMO, spend your money on something that will make more money or have a reasonable ROI. Have you considered an Tire Air Machine?
This is helpful, thank you. I’ve thought about a tire/air machine but thought this might do better. What do you charge for air / how much time? JE Adams has some nice digital ones. Maybe the payback wouldn’t be as long as I assumed.
 

MEP001

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 30, 2007
Messages
16,667
Reaction score
3,933
Points
113
Location
Texas
I assume it is, but reached out to inquire. Was a little put off by their response. Like the sales guy didn’t want to bother a tech guy to confirm..
Sounds like Dralco, car wash stuff has turned into a side project for them.

FWIW, between the much lower cost of an air machine over the rug beater and the lack of maintenance, and if you're looking for a profit center, I'd definitely go with an air machine. If you treat it right, the rug beater can and will draw in customers, but if you aren't there to educate them it won't get used.
 

mjwalsh

6 bay SS w/laundromat
Joined
Sep 7, 2007
Messages
3,131
Reaction score
172
Points
63
Location
North Dakota
Sounds like Dralco, car wash stuff has turned into a side project for them.

FWIW, between the much lower cost of an air machine over the rug beater and the lack of maintenance, and if you're looking for a profit center, I'd definitely go with an air machine. If you treat it right, the rug beater can and will draw in customers, but if you aren't there to educate them it won't get used.
If there are a large number of tire machines for free very close by such as in our area ... that will be a factor in getting your usage numbers up.
 

Waxman

Super Moderator
Joined
Aug 31, 2007
Messages
5,848
Reaction score
1,341
Points
113
Location
Orange, MA
I bought my air machine for 40 bucks used. I put a new coin acceptor in it I think it was about $13 for the part. I charge a dollar for air. I've never timed how long it runs but I never get complaints about not enough time. I've got a really long hose on mine so customers can park anywhere near it and do all four tires easily.
 

Randy

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 5, 2007
Messages
5,626
Reaction score
1,914
Points
113
I bought my air machine for 40 bucks used. I put a new coin acceptor in it I think it was about $13 for the part. I charge a dollar for air. I've never timed how long it runs but I never get complaints about not enough time. I've got a really long hose on mine so customers can park anywhere near it and do all four tires easily.
How many air hoses and chucks haveyou replaced? I have a customer who has a Air machine and vacuum route, he buys air chucks by the gross and air hoses 50 at a time. He told me that he keeps 25 hoses and 50 air chucks on his truck all the time. I think he has about 100 vacuums and 50 air machines at gas stations. He wanted to put an air machine at my car wash, not enough return on it. The rug beater we had on trial lasted about 2 weeks before someone decided they needed it more than we did.
 

Waxman

Super Moderator
Joined
Aug 31, 2007
Messages
5,848
Reaction score
1,341
Points
113
Location
Orange, MA
I've had mine for four or five years and replaced the air chuck and hose once. Most of my customers wrap it up neatly when they're done, unlike the vacuum hoses which they seem to love to leave on the ground.
 
Top