Razorback Balboa 700 Auto (Machine Only)

Product overview

The Razorback Balboa 700 Auto is the Balboa 700 with automatic fill and automatic pump-out fitted from the factory. Same 600 psi Comet pump, same twin 5.7 inch vacuum motors, same 58 litre solution and 58 litre waste tanks, same single 10 amp cord.

What you buy with the Auto is time. The machine fills itself from a tap and empties itself to a drain, so you are not carrying buckets up stairs or stopping mid-room to dump a waste tank. On long commercial jobs that is the difference between one operator working continuously and one operator servicing the machine.

Who it suits

• Operators doing large or continuous jobs where filling and emptying is the bottleneck, not cleaning speed.
• Commercial work where a tap and a drain are available and the machine can simply keep running.
• Anyone working alone who would rather not carry water.

It is not the machine for tile and grout. At 600 psi it is built for carpet and upholstery. For hard-surface work look at the Drago 1600 Auto at 1600 psi.

Specifications

The pump — current and earlier builds

Machines built currently run the Comet LW2520E triplex plunger pump, rated 9.4 litres per minute and 2000 psi maximum, set to 600 psi working pressure and driven by a 1.1 kW motor.

Earlier Balboas were built with a General ET-Series pump set to 500 psi, driven by a 0.56 kW Lafert motor. If you are servicing an older machine, or comparing a used one, check which pump is fitted before ordering parts — the pressure and the drive motor both differ.

The same Comet LW2520E is now used across the whole Razorback extractor range. The Dragos run it at 1600 psi with a larger motor. One pump, one set of seals and one service procedure across the range.

Vacuum motors and replacements

Machines built currently are fitted with two 5.7 inch two-stage tangential 1100 W motors. Earlier machines were fitted with the Ametek 119625-00 5.7 inch two-stage tangential 1200 W motor. The two are a straight swap in either direction, so either motor suits either build.

Fit a new motor gasket whenever a motor is replaced and check the mounting spring at the same time. A new motor on a hardened gasket leaks air and costs lift on every pass.

Heating and power

The machine carries a 1200 W in-tank immersion heater, which heats the solution in the tank rather than in line.

The heater does not run at the same time as the pump. That is deliberate. It is what keeps the machine inside the current available from the supply it is built for, and it is normal operation rather than a fault.

An inline Heat-Mate heater is available separately where you want heat at the tool on demand. It draws 8.1 amps on its own lead, so it needs its own circuit.

Key features

• 50 mm (2 inch) vacuum plumbing from the hose connection port through to the vacuum collection chamber, which reduces restriction and keeps airflow up where it matters.
• Lint catcher fitted as standard. The basket keeps lint out of the vacuum system, protects the motors and makes the machine easier to clean out at the end of the day.
• Waste tank gate valve set at the right height to empty directly into a standard toilet, so waste goes to sewer without buckets.
• Brass and stainless fittings throughout, and a vacuum muffler and sound suppression system that make it one of the quieter machines of its size.
• Heavy-duty aluminium chassis with a rubber bumper and a chassis-mounted front handle, plus marine-grade stainless handles down the full length of the back so the machine loads into a van without chewing the fibreglass.
• Choice of hinged flat-top lid or clear perspex dome. The flat top gives you a work surface and removes the cost of replacing a lost or cracked dome.
• Large tank capacity at 58 litres solution and 58 litres waste, which extends the time between filling and emptying on a working day.

Built-in protection

• Low-water pump cut-off. The pump stops when the solution tank runs dry, so a pump is not destroyed because someone kept cleaning past the last of the water.
• Waste tank filter and lint catcher between the recovery tank and the vacuum motors.
• Hour meter, so servicing runs to actual hours rather than guesswork, and a used machine's real history can be read off the panel.
• Vacuum booster outlet, for running a Vac Mate booster box on long hose runs or upper floors.

Vacuum motor damage — what is and is not covered

Water or foam ingress damage to the vacuum motors is not covered by warranty. It is the most common warranty argument in this industry, so here is exactly how it happens and how to avoid it.

The shut-off float in the recovery tank is a level device. It stops water. It does not stop foam. Prespray and detergent residue coming back out of the carpet will foam in the recovery tank, and foam carries plenty of moisture without ever having the density to lift the float. The float sits where it is, the foam goes through, and moisture reaches the motor.

The machine is also set up so this should never be tested. At handover you are shown the level to fill the solution tank to, and the machine is built to run out of solution before the recovery tank ever reaches the float. The float is a backstop against operator error, not part of normal operation.

How to avoid it

• Fill the solution tank to the level shown at handover, not to the brim.
• Use a defoamer at the first sign of foam, not once the tank is full of it. Powdered defoamer is the cheapest insurance on the machine.
• Rinse prespray and detergent residue out of the recovery tank at the end of every day. Residue left in the tank is what foams tomorrow.
• Keep the lint basket in the machine and clear it daily.
• Stop the vacuums as soon as the float closes. Running on after shut-off draws water straight into a motor.
• After cleaning the tank, run the motors dry for about five minutes to clear moisture from around the bearings.

Maintenance

• Flush the whole system, including wand and upholstery tool, with about 10 litres of clean hot water at the end of each day. Periodically flush with an acid rinse to stop alkaline residue building up in the system.
• Check and rinse the pump inlet filter screen in the bottom of the solution tank daily.
• Change the pump oil with a quality synthetic multigrade every 500 hours, and watch for pulsation or cavitation as an early warning.
• Empty and rinse the recovery tank daily, and decontaminate it periodically with an antimicrobial cleaner.
• Strip, clean and lubricate the gate valve O-rings periodically to stop leaks and premature wear.
• Clean the wand daily, check the jets for blockage or wear, and grease the valve shafts and O-rings. Brass jets typically last about six months, stainless about twelve.
• Have the machine electrically tested and tagged every three to six months. The lead spends its life on wet carpet.

Warranty

• Fibreglass body: lifetime to the original purchaser against manufacturing defect.
• Assembly, components, parts and labour: 2 years.
• Pump, pump seals and vacuum motors: 2 years.
• Not covered: wear items including brushes, gaskets, hoses, jets and filters; and water or foam ingress damage to vacuum motors, as described above.

Options and upgrades

• Automatic fill and empty upgrade, or automatic fill on its own
• Clear perspex dome in place of the heavy-duty flip-top lid
• Vac Mate vacuum booster box for long hose runs
• 15 m hose set and wand or 7.5 m hose set and wand, available with a new machine

Frequently asked questions

What do I need on site to use the auto functions?

A tap to fill from and a drain or toilet to discharge to. Without both, the machine still works as a standard Balboa 700 — you just fill and empty it yourself.

Will it run on a normal power point?

Yes. Single 10 amp cord, with the vacuums and pump running together. The heater does not operate while the pump is running.

Is it any faster at cleaning than the standard Balboa 700?

No. Identical pump, pressure, motors and airflow. The Auto saves the time you spend filling and emptying, not the time you spend cleaning.

Why does my older Balboa have a different pump?

Earlier machines were built with a General ET-Series pump at 500 psi and a 0.56 kW Lafert motor. Current machines run the Comet LW2520E at 600 psi with a 1.1 kW motor.

Are flooded vacuum motors covered under warranty?

No. Water or foam ingress damage to the motors is excluded. The section above explains how foam gets past the float and what prevents it.

Related products

• Balboa 700 — the same machine without the auto functions
• Drago 1600 Auto — 1600 psi for tile and grout, dual cord
• The full Razorback portable range

Not sure whether the auto functions will pay for themselves on the work you do? Contact Carpet Cleaners Warehouse before you order and we will work through it with you.