I would like to say something and this is not out to be taken the wrong way. Erik is a cleaner, and while he cleaned he thought long and hard about how to make his job easier, and he came up with the first Zipper... Now as I understand it....He then was approached by Cintas and they offered him big money????
Now any of you out pushing a wand.....would you have not done the same thing? We are carpet cleaners and if someone came to you and said will give you x amount for product...really think about this, Erik was not rich, he was out cleaning carpet at all hours, and what money he did have I'm sure he was sinking tons back into this tool. So for Erik at the time was like OMG this is it! I am actually gonna make some money.
Now that is in the past, Erik is still a carpet cleaner and being that he is still a carpet cleaner he also understands that we work hard for our money, and to put this tool in the stores would make this tool close to what 2800-3000.00 so that the Distributors can make there cut on the tool. I am not knocking distributors but for small production guys it is very hard to make a tool and still make it affordable to the public.
I understand distribs want to sell the tool but if it puts the tool to to high of a price tag it is not really right to black ball someone for that, it really isnt fair and I know this is the world we live in but dam a guy shouldn't be shit on for trying to better the industry, his family, and other carpet cleaners by trying to keep the tool as reasonable in cost as possible.
In all honesty I wish Roto Vac would just look at this whole deal and just ask is this really worth it, is this tool really gonna make us that much money. For the backlash that is being given...but the internet crowd is pretty small I understand.
The reason I say this is they are pricing it at a lower cost yes and they will put them in stores....but is that target market going to fork out 1500.00 for this vs a 360I or just a regular aw29 or a cheaper 14-15" wand.
The video RV made at the CAD when guys were trying the Bonzer no pun intended do you think they would spend the 1500.00 for it? Or the other little guy in the other video cleaning the pit dinner. Do you really think that guy is gonna fork out 1500.00 on this tool?
The zipper is a LOVE/HATE kinda tool, I love the Zipper but I don't have the work for it, my company is just not setup in the kinda work it was built for, and it is built perfect for it, I bought the Zipper for two accounts that I had, they have replaced carpet in both with hard flooring. so I ended up selling my zipper to help me with some funds for my own projects. The weight of the Zipper is very important, anything lighter and the vac hose would rule the tool and you will end up fighting with it.
I wish Erik the best, I wish RotoVac the best, and I wish this would just come to some light and both parties would find some way to work this out.