A Few Questions???

"So the real question is, at what point does the power exceed the ability to clean."
When it tops the power of a porty, it has crossed the line between a carpet cleaning machine and a water damage machine.  

"Seeing a lot of guys are trying to get more heat and cfm's out of there portable would also say that a portable is not enough."

It is like owning a muscle car.  You can soup up (supercharge) the street rod or drive a dragster.  Which makes more sense?

"Lets look at the four main elements to clean carpet chemical, water, suction, and agitation."

I guess technician is not an ingredient anymore than a 5 star chef matters.  Take the same ingredients to an army cook and he will match the chef everytime?

"Its a fact that the hotter the water the better it reacts with the chemical"
Never been proven that performance of a chemical is enhanced by increasing the water temperature.  Sure seems to be a "fact" thrown around to excess.  So the argument on hotter is better is myth and legend, not supported by fact.  Not saying it is not true, but according to IICRC instructors I have had, belief and not proven fact.

"If you use a weaker chemical you know you wont get as good as results as a good chemical."

It is the tech's know how and determination that will make or break what a chemical will do.  The strength of the chemical by itself may very well be weaker but last I checked we don't soak the carpet in chemicals, rinse and dry.  In fact, I run a rotary shampoo over everything now to bust the dirt loose for simple extraction.  You can do dishes that way but even still you will need to apply something more to some of it.  You mentioned agitation and we all know that how well the carpet is agitated has much to do will determine the distribution of the spray over and above how the sprayer laid down the chemical.  Agitation is what we do to the dirtiest dishes.  Dishwater soap is the strongest cleaning chemical in the average house.  Laundry detergent needs agitation to clean, dishwater soap will take most food off the dishes and needs to be rubbed into very few items.  Even the strongest cleaning chemicals need a technician helping out.  They can't do it all by themselves everytime.

"If my porty could do the same job"
If it can do a job that pleases the customer, that is the same job the TM should be doing.  Once the customer is happy you are done. Why beat a dead horse?

Coal might power other areas of the country that are under the influence of the coal companies and with small towns that would go bankrupt if they lost the coal mining industry but on the western side of the US you have hydroelectric, nuclear, solar, wind and geothermal providing most of the electricity we use.  And Los Angeles is a fair sized town at over 6 million now.  If at their size, they don't rely on coal, maybe the smaller towns along the eastern seaboard and down into the southern states should be made to change.  If we did compare the gas the vehicles go through (more fuel to power heavier vehicles) and add that to the fuel being used to generate the power or a TM or used by a porty, portys would still win out.  Also hot water heaters are gas in most homes out here.  Natural gas that burns clean.

"I do a Chinese restaurant every two months and would love to see you get the results I can get with your portable"

Everybody knows the problems with cleaning a chinese restaurant.  And it is not just filth, it is they don't pay worth a damn so chemicals I would never use on anything but a greasy kitchen get used on theirs to get me out quick.  Balance chemical with power needed which makes Chinese restaurants the equivilent of dealing with water damage.  Only at bargain basement pricing.  I have cleaned carpet so bad from butter and sugar at a hull-less candied popcorn manufacturing plant is was dangerous going in even for fear of losing footing cleaning the carpet or going up stairs all saturated with the crap.  If it wasn't for the rotovac wand I would still be there.  So yes, I know dirty but I don't make it my target for cleaning.

You can continue to use a TM.  Bottom line is we love our portys, they do really good work, customers are satisfied with the job and its cost, and we make good money.  I just beat out one of the big expensive TM guys in the area, bid 1/5 of what he did and actually got half what he bid which make my week for sure.  I also spotted SS on the way to a job out here when I was on the road this morning going to my first job.  I had to go 20 miles and in that 20 miles there and on the trip back, how many TMs did I see traveling or parked at a customers with their door open and hoses stretched out?  Zero.  One of the major RV coach companies here is laying of 10% of their workforce due to a drop off in sales.  Million dollar coaches.  Guess even the rich who should not be feeling the pinch are feeling squeezed.  Time to adjust the thinking and move those prices down.  A sale to existing customers with the message "we feel you pain, let us help" might be one thing for you TM guys to do if you don't want to lose more business to us.  You can talk until you are blue in the face, but you are preaching to the choir.

Typing cramp, done for the day.

Duck,  to clarify I'm not saying portables are bad, after all I used one for 3 years, and still do.  You have already agreed that a TM has more power, so we can get past this.  Like portables they are also making them more powerful, which conflicts with you statement that you stated TM is over powered and there for a waste.  TM are also getting more powerful.  So the real question is, at what point does the power exceed the ability to clean.  Or in other words when adding more power does not give you better results.  I think we are there.  Seeing a lot of guys are trying to get more heat and cfm's out of there portable would also say that a portable is not enough.  Not let me also say that in some cases a portable is all that is needed. Like the retired single person with no pets and vacuums regularly dose not need a powerful TM to get the job done.  Owning both I can tell you the reason I have moved to a TM.  One a truck mount will allow you to go after more trades in the industry(flood work, tile and grout, air duct, and very soiled commercial).  I do a Chinese restaurant every two months and would love to see you get the results I can get with your portable, I'm sorry but not going to happen have tried.  Lets look at the four main elements to clean carpet chemical, water, suction, and agitation. If you use a weaker chemical you know you wont get as good as results as a good chemical.  Its a fact that the hotter the water the better it reacts with the chemical and also the water molecule doubles its movement after every 7 degrees once you past boiling point.  So with basic science you know that this will give you a better result.  Third suction, this is pretty simple the more dirty water you get out of the carpet the cleaner it will be(also dryer a plus with customers). The forth relates to TACT the A=agitation (working in preconditioners and also during cleaning).  So agitation and chemical which is the same in both TM and porty cleaning, you are left with heat and suction which both equal better results.  So I don't understand why you don't see this. These where the reasons I invested in a TM not for the stupid reasons ppl say about feeling more superior or some big d**k contest.  I wish you were in my area I would take you on a few jobs and you can see for your self.  Once you have used a TM and then you have to do high rise and use a portable(like I had to do today) you realize it all over again.
As far as porty guys being more educated I would agree, for this reason you have to use more chemical to remove some spots that a TM would take up with out chemicals, and chemicals=education. Remember this most TM operators started with a porty, so there are a lot of educated TM operators.  If my porty could do the same job as my TM I would go back trust me, every one would in fact there would be no demand for TM, but this is not the case.  You last point how portys equal eco-friendly.   Newer TM with air pumps, EFI, and cat's are very clean burning.  Now a portable that needs two circuits is pulling a sh*t load of electricity, and using hot water from the house.  Now unless something has changed a majority of electric is from coal and I don't know if you have seen a coal plant but it is not eco-friendly.  You also have the fact that you have to use more power due to the fast a TM is faster, so again burning more coal. I would love to hear you disputes to my points.

I am running portables machines for the last 4 years. I just can tell you something: There is good and bad carpet cleaning guys in anywhere, no matter if they are working with portys or truck. I honestly consider that a good tech can do an excellent job with the appropiate porty and knowledge. Same guy with TM same results more faster job and a few more dollars in his pocket. Just my opinion.

I honestly feel that porty guys really focus more on quality and customer servcie. maybe it is because most porty guys own the business..and most TM guys are techs with a boss.

I like explaining my little machine...and watching the faces up my custys when the dirt "they" left behind....vanishes.

Plus...my equipment is paid for. In fact, it was paid for when it left the sellers front door. Not having that over head allows me a little more flexibility when it comes to picking my work.

In the freight elevator
Or could you have a helicopter airlift it

Sunny ..snow melting slowly. Never owned a truck mount. worked for Eatons Home Cleaning. They used pto units (only the best) they competed with Sears. never worked on one they had in house mechanics. I admit I didn't learn a lot from them, only went through the cleaning motions. Only had to turn a switch on and off with the van running an pull hoses in and out. But learned enough of the basics to start this business. This forum and a couple others have been a wealth of info that I have incorperated in my own business. So even though we'll all have to agree to disagree at times I thank all those on this forum for all the useful info.

TM operators...... I made a choice and decided to go the porty route. I have used a truck mount in the past and yes your right " more power". my point is it's power you don't need for residential so why go into mega debt for a TM if you don't need it to do a good job in the eyes of the customer. I have no over head and .90 cents of every dollar I charge a customer is profit. I realize that some consumers (not too many) think a TM will do a better job and that is why I will not take a porty into a home and choose to run it from a generator. The custy does not know whats inside my van and have never asked. So yes the cost of a TM did factor in my decision and the porty paid for is the quickest route to profit. TM operators remind me of the hotrodders that meet at a local parking lot on friday nights  to brag and look over each others engines and praise each other on how cool it looks and show pictures to each other. The problem is nobody cares except themselves, so you better get going I'll give you a head start on the spring market because you'll need 10 times more custys than us porty users to make a profit.  good day all!