Here are my answers based on my own experience with a b-10 (FloorPro)

1.) Damp mop. Wet vac or other methods don't remove all the dirty water and residue. Mopping does.

2.) Yes. You want as little dirt/grit on the floor as possible before cleaning/polishing to avoid scratches.

I vacuum between each step.

3.) I put down solution on the initial pass only and only add more if I see an area that has not been covered or is particularly soiled.

4.) I have done both, now I vacuum after dry. Using further steam or water extraction just saturates the carpet more and I have noticed zero difference in the time between cleanings (I live with 5 Great Danes and if is anything that can track in more dirt I don't know what...)

5.) I use a variety of products, though those from Aerus work just fine. I like Kirby's lavender scent shampoo because of the smell, there are products from Aerus, Stain-X, Franklin Floor Care that work just as well. Stain-X and Franklin have been the least expensive for me to find and I buy them when I can't get Kirby for cheap.

6.) Just like any good vacuum motor. Brushes and bushings checked and replaced if needed and keep a spare drive belt around since you never know when you'll need one and it's inconvenient to have to find one if you're right in the middle of carpet cleaning.

When I get back home this evening, I'll find a part # and hopefully a source if someone else doesn't sooner.

Tom

Here is an e-bay listing for a b-8 belt that appears to be in great shape for $9.99 shipping included BIN. I'm 99% sure the belts are the same, but haven't been able to get a definitive answer. The 2 sources outside of Aerus that I've been able to find odd parts like belts are no longer in business. TotalVac.com listed them, but their web site is down and phone is disconnected so I'd say they aren't in business anymore and the other is definitely closed as I know the guy who used to run it and he closed it down when he couldn't sell the business to anyone for the price he wanted.

The belts are available from Aerus, but fairly $$

I may still do some part time sales... the franchisee has re-evaluated some of his positions shall we say... Since I was selling most of what was keeping him afloat, he's in a bit of a bind and making much more reasonable noises. But we shall see if he keeps his new religion or not. I'm only going to do one weekend a month for now and service my existing customers (the second part I was going to keep doing anyway, I mean a little extra pocket money never hurts right?) and any referrals from them. If it goes well, I'll add another weekend and if not, I'll re-evaluate at that time.

LOL.. Mark, I'm smart, but slow to the finish line sometimes :-) I get there eventually and I don't enjoy playing games at work... didn't like it in corporate life and I'm not going to change that for anybody. I won't prey on emotions of customers and I won't make them feel shame to make a sale. So as long as we keep this understanding, I'll keep selling - and getting a little bit bigger piece of the pie for me. I'm paying him a flat fee for the machines and overhead and I get whatever I sell them for above that. I've agreed not to go below certain pricing - which is an Aerus number not his and it isn't that out of reach for many more people. I'd rather sell 10 and make a certain income than sell 2 for the same income and fewer customers. 10 people need more bags, filters, belts and service over time which is all good for me.

LOL.. That's how I began to put the pieces together about the Aerus frachise here.... he'd send me to the 'tough' customers.. who weren't at all difficult but he'd pissed them off and they wouldn't buy if he came. About the 3rd one I caught on that the only time he or the office had an appointment for me was when he was hoping I could save the deal. And I do, most of the time. Some are too far gone to salvage, but most aren't. Just takes some un-common sense and a bit of patience and an open heart along with an honest reply and most of the time things work out just fine. I had one woman who'd bought a Kirby Sentria just because she couldn't bear the thought of him coming to her home again. She hated that vacuum and had she not been so angry with him she'd never have bought it, her home only has carpet in the bedrooms and slate tile everywhere else the Kirby just isn't cut out for mostly tool use. Anyway, she ran into the bookkeeper/office manager one day at the grocery and asked her if he still was in charge. Finding he was she was ready to walk away but the office manager said she'd send me out for her. I went, listened to her story, looked at the brand spanking new Sentria and made her one hell of a deal just because she was so upset about it all and the root cause was the MAN. Anyway, she's now a very happy Legacy owner - didn't want the complicated electronics of the Platinum - and I have a Sentria II in my collection that I bought from her for a good price and the trade of a destroyed G6 that I found curbside one week which became her trade in. Everybody is happy. I bought a Sentria II for cheap, she got a good trade in and I took a very small commission. She will only call me if she needs repairs or supplies and she is my best referral source. She earned her discount several times over.

The current floor pro is sold as a shampooer, however there are scrubbing brushes, scrubbing pads and polishing pads sold to add to the machine.