"Tornador" Cleaning Tool

I saw the "Tornador" cleaning tool being discussed on another car forum. It looks to be amazing at cleaning pretty much anything. There are two versions of the tool -- a white one (which is about $90) and the black one which is supposed to have more power but use less air (at about twice the price). I haven't seen this discussed on Fchat. Is anybody here using it?

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJUzRyIa7qo[/ame]

 

I have the older "905" version of this Wagner steam cleaner: Amazon.com: Wagner 915 (0282014) 1,500-Watt On-Demand Power Steamer and Cleaner: Home Improvement

I'm really happy with the Wagner and would recommend it as far as steamers go, but I've found there are definite limits to what steam can do. For dirt on the interior of the car, for example, I've found that steam alone doesn't do much. I use the steamer more for freshening up fabric or for final cleaning, but a lot of times mild chemicals are needed to get dirt off. My experience with steam is that you need to hold the steam on the target area pretty long for it to do serious cleaning, so it can take a long time to do a large area that's dirty (and I'm also concerned about too much heat for delicate items when holding the steam on it or moving the head slowly for deeper cleaning).

I don't know about for use with the Tornador specifically, but in general, a lot of the guys on Autopia use Meguiar's "All Purpose Cleaner" (Amazon.com: Meguiar's D10101 Detailer All Purpose Cleaner Gallon: Automotive) on everything -- engines, interiors, ... It's usually used in dilution of 10:1 or 5:1 for most stuff, so a gallon will last a lifetime. I have some that I ordered, but I haven't had a chance to try it. I can't comment from experience, but the Autopia guys seem to be in love with it, so I expect it to be pretty good. I actually bought the APC because my efforts to clean my wife's daily driver interior with steam alone left it pretty dirty.

Here are some Meguiar's APC dilution recommendations (cut & pasted from an Amazon review):

1:1- Caked on dirt and grease in your engine bay or sink. Let it sit for a few minutes then scrub.
2:1- Strong household cleaner, use for bathrooms and kitchen counters.
3-4:1- General household cleaning, works reasonably well on glass. Wheels and engine bay if they aren't super dirty.
4:1- Auto interior cleaning.
5:1- Heavy carpet stains.
10:1- Light carpet cleaning, headliners, blinds.

 

Some more info on Tornador here: Tornador Users...

Sounds like most people are using Tornador's Enzyme Cleaner or diluted APC as the cleaning solution. They strongly recommend wearing a respirator when using it because it atomizes the cleaner.

 

I'm not sure how it works, but apparently there is a vacuum attachment that can be used with it Tornador Blastor Vacuum Attachment TB-017).

It seems like the people who have used it on Fchat are not as thrilled with it as the rave reviews I see everywhere else. I can't figure out if this is the best product ever, or the most overhyped product ever.

 

Thanks for the feedback. Glad I asked!