Razorback Drago 1600 (Machine Only)

Product overview

The Razorback Drago 1600 is a 1600 psi fibreglass portable built in Australia for operators who clean hard surfaces as well as carpet. It carries 58 litres of solution and 58 litres of waste, runs twin 5.7 inch vacuum motors and heats in the tank.

The pressure is what separates it from the Balboa. At 1600 psi it drives tile and grout tools properly, where a 600 psi carpet machine cannot. The cost of that pressure is power: the Drago needs two separate 10 amp circuits.

It is sold here as machine only, without auto-fill or automatic pump-out. The Drago 1600 Auto is the same machine with both fitted.

Who it suits

• Cleaners doing tile, grout and hard-surface work alongside carpet, who would rather own one machine than two.
• Commercial operators who can rely on two circuits being available.
• Anyone who wants pressure in reserve rather than a machine working at its ceiling.

Specifications

Power supply — read this before you buy

The Drago has two power cords and they must go to two separate circuits, not two outlets on the same one. Two outlets in the same room are frequently on the same circuit, and the breaker is usually what tells you.

This is the trade-off for 1600 psi. If the sites you work on cannot reliably give you two circuits, the single-cord Balboa 700 is the machine that will run, at 600 psi.

The pump

The Drago runs the Comet LW2520E triplex plunger pump, rated 9.4 litres per minute and 2000 psi maximum, set to 1600 psi working pressure and driven by a 1.5 kW motor.

1600 psi puts tile and grout work within reach. Around 1000 psi is enough for most hard-surface cleaning, so the Drago has headroom rather than sitting at its limit — which is also why the pump is specified well above its working pressure.

The same Comet LW2520E is used across the whole Razorback extractor range. The Balboas run it at 600 psi on a smaller motor, so seals and service parts are common to every machine in 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. The Heat-Mate is rated to 800 psi. Set the Drago to 800 psi or below before connecting it.

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

Do I really need two circuits?

Yes. Two cords on one circuit will trip the breaker. Test the outlets rather than assuming two rooms are separately fed.

How much pressure do I actually need for tile and grout?

Around 1000 psi is sufficient for most hard-surface work. The Drago at 1600 psi gives you headroom above that, which is easier on the machine than running a lower-rated pump flat out.

Can I use it on carpet as well?

Yes. The pressure is adjustable at the machine, so it cleans carpet like any other portable and steps up for hard surfaces.

What is the difference between the Drago 1600 and the Drago 1600 Auto?

The Auto has automatic fill and automatic pump-out fitted. Everything else is identical.

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

• Drago 1600 Auto — the same machine with auto-fill and pump-out
• Balboa 700 — 600 psi carpet machine on a single cord
• The full Razorback portable range

Not sure whether you need 1600 psi, or whether your sites will run a dual-cord machine? Contact Carpet Cleaners Warehouse before you order and we will work through it with you.