[kauai88]

this is a long over due post for john over at geo-blaster

I called john @ geoblaster and had been bothering him about buying one of his units but could not afford it, because funds are tight and I all ready have a wet blaster.
so instead of him saying sorry buddy call me when u got some cash he pointed me in the direction of some restrictions on my farrow and with the mods he told me to do I have at least doubled my production. I have never met a business owner that would do that. share secrets from years of research for free. the guy just wants to see us blaster doing good .

all I can say is I wish I bought one of there units in the begging.

AND MY NEXT UNIT WILL BE ONE OF HIS
MAHALO JOHN :thumbsup:

 

[MasterBlaster]

That's one of the reasons I went with GeoBlaster.

John's a straight shooter and and no BS... before I switched he helped me double the production on my Farrow pot by making the same changes.

When I finally switching to the GeoBlaster it easily doubled my production from my modified Farrow.

John's good peeps and will help anyway he can.:thumbsup:

 

[blastserv]

This is just a question...do you feel you will actually need another wet blasting system?
Good on the owner for being forthright with info that you found helpful.

 

[MasterBlaster]

This is just a question...do you feel you will actually need another wet blasting system?
Good on the owner for being forthright with info that you found helpful.

For me it was about production.

With the Farrow it was taking me two days to get in and out of jobs of most of my jobs including set-up and clean-up.

With the GeoBlaster I'm in and out in a day including set-up and clean-up.

So yes for me it was about production.

 

[Pytheas Group]

Can you elaborate on what you changed in your Farrow setup?

 

[MasterBlaster]

Can you elaborate on what you changed in your Farrow setup?

Well, with Farrow anytime I asked Nigel how I could get more production out of my Farrow 185 he'd tell me I had to buy a new Farrow machine altogether.

With GeoBlaster... John MacIntyer came down and looked at my Farrow and said "it's just as simple as swapping out all the restrictive undersized fittings and hoses from the Airman compressor to the blast cabinet."

30 minutes later my Farrow was doing double the production.

I suppose its kind of like comparing a McDonald's fast food straw and a Burger King straw... one's designed to suck milkshakes and the other is small and designed for drinking soda.

Also if you pop a GeoBlaster panel open.... your jaw will drop over how simple the GeoBlaster is designed compared to a Farrow or EcoQuip.

Less stuff to break and you can pick up the parts at any Fastanel, Granger, BlastOne or Norten catalog.

 

[Bob Moore]

I know it's been a couple of months since a post on this blog, but I picked up a Geo Blaster unit from John in AZ and boy am I glad I was able to get it. John at Geo-Blaster and Wade both have gone the extra mile. Wade has taken my call into the early evening and also on weekends to answer questions. Great People. Great Machine.

 

[UKMasterBlaster]

Well, with Farrow anytime I asked Nigel how I could get more production out of my Farrow 185 he'd tell me I had to buy a new Farrow machine altogether.

With GeoBlaster... John MacIntyer came down and looked at my Farrow and said "it's just as simple as swapping out all the restrictive undersized fittings and hoses from the Airman compressor to the blast cabinet."

30 minutes later my Farrow was doing double the production.

I suppose its kind of like comparing a McDonald's fast food straw and a Burger King straw... one's designed to suck milkshakes and the other is small and designed for drinking soda.

Also if you pop a GeoBlaster panel open.... your jaw will drop over how simple the GeoBlaster is designed compared to a Farrow or EcoQuip.

Less stuff to break and you can pick up the parts at any Fastanel, Granger, BlastOne or Norten catalog.

Hi Master Blaster, I have a 2007 Farrow F185 system in the UK, is there any chance you could expand on this post with maybe a few pics of the changes you made?
Kind regards

 

[UKMasterBlaster]

Hi Kauai88,
I live and work in the UK. I also have a 2007 Farrow System F185. Would you be kind enough to tell me the mods Geoblaster helped you with on your rig, maybe some pics as well? I would love own the a Geoblaster, it's early days for my business but when the time comes I will import the gb1200 dt to the UK.
Many thanks

 

[kauai88]

Hi Kauai88,
I live and work in the UK. I also have a 2007 Farrow System F185. Would you be kind enough to tell me the mods Geoblaster helped you with on your rig, maybe some pics as well? I would love own the a Geoblaster, it's early days for my business but when the time comes I will import the gb1200 dt to the UK.
Many thanks

change your main air supply ball valve to a 1" and main air whip to a 1"
also go to a 1" blast hose and a #7 nozzle

 

[kauai88]

did you give it a try?

 

[UKMasterBlaster]

Hi Kauai88,
Thanks for your help. Sorry for the delay in replying.
My wife is heavily pregnant and I had to rush her to hospital yesterday.
They kept her in overnight so I will be there again today.
I am going to have to buy all the stuff your talking about. Easier said than done here and expensive!
1" air supply ball valve, 1" main air whip, new 1" blast hose and No. 7 nozzle.
Which bit is the air whip? Would you be able to post a pic of these changes?
I am a bit of a newb in this business.
The Farrow is complicated and there is no support here in the UK.
Parts are real expensive. God help me when the Airman compressor starts to go wrong.
I could do with a parts catalogue and a workshop manual, rarer than hens teeth.
Thanks again

 

[kauai88]

no need to explain my wife is 7 mo pregnant and i have a 3year old. i hope she is ok.

the whip is the main air supply that hooks from the compressor to the bottom of the control panel

the farrow aint too bad once you get the hang of it , and the airman is an awsome compressor i have 1700 hrs on mine and have not had one problem just change your oil and filters regularly I change every 200-250 hrs

will try and post a pic later today out to work have a good one!

 

[UKMasterBlaster]

Hi Kauai88,
Your a diamond, thanks. I am slowly getting the hang of it. I have changed every component in the cotrol box and put lots of extra bits on the machine. I was having a problem with splurting and worked out that when I am blasting the air backs up to where the hose is attached to the control box and seperates the 2 seals drawing air in and causing the media to come out in blobs at the nozzle end. I put 2 small bolts either side of the connectors and nipped them up tight which seems to have solved the problem. Took me an age to work out why the media was blobbing. Seems to have fixed it for the time being but its not ideal. I am not sure what size blast hose I have at the moment but its the original Farrow hose, I think everything is original on the machine which has only 487 hours on it. I am slowly getting more work now and I really enjoy doing it, beats digging holes in the ground and the money is good!

 

[UKMasterBlaster]

Hi Cody,
I have put some pics on my fb page for you of my rig, enjoy!
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.314725445366219.1073741836.176707972501301&type=3

 

[UKMasterBlaster]

Hi Cody,
How are things going in your part of the world?
I don't suppose you had time to look at the pics I sent on my link?
Regarding the Farrow 185. I did a job last Friday blasting a concrete driveway.
Just when I thought I had the machine running well it started blobbing media again. This is the biggest problem with my machine. I can't seem to get it right at the nozzle end.
I have figured out what I think is the problem. I believe that when I am blasting the back pressure in the blast hose seperates the 2 rubber seals in the metal coupling where the hose is connected to the control box and draws in air which causes the media to blob. When I take the nozzle off the blast hose the water air and media travel freely through the hose I assume in the right doses and there is no blobbing. Even in wash down mode with the nozzle on the water blobs out, take the nozzle off and it stops blobbing. The coupling from the box which attaches the hose to the control box is crap.

The limited Farrow instructions that I have state that only the Farrow blast hose should be used with the machine and I am assuming that, that type ocoupling is used so as not to restrict the bore of the blast hose at the point where it connects to the control box. I am tempted to fit a tail type coupling which inserts into the blast hose but would slightly reduce the blast hose bore at the control box end.
If the problem isn't with the blast hose then I am at a loss.
I have had so much hassle with this machine that sometimes I wonder what I have got myself into.
I had a self confessed expert with a degree in engineering come down to inspect the problem back at the end of June and he diagnosed that the problem was the wiwa pump. He changed some seals in the pump and left, as a result the pump completely failed to operate, he then sent me an invoice for £480. As a result of his involvement I lost all of the contracts I had lined up amounting to over £3000 because the machine wouldn't work without a working pump. I then sent the pump to a wiwa specialist here in the UK and it cost £360 to put the damage he had done to the pump right. I am learning the hard way but I am learning mainly through trial and costly error. There is very little support here in the UK for Farrow and it's hard to get anyone with a good broad base techical and practical hands on knowledge to guide you through these seemingly little technical issues. Like I said I am a complete newb in this business, the heart is willing but the head is somewhat weak! Woe is me lol!
I have to say though that I like this business and I am determined to get to the bottom of it, in for the long haul so to speak.

 

[kauai88]

sounds to me that your blast hoes fitings are leaking it is very important to not have any leaks through out the blast hoes couplers
as far as the size hose that farrow says to use is wrong do like i said get a new 1" blast hoes and # 6 or 7 nozzle i prefer a 7 i was told to use a #6 XL venturi nozle have not had the chance to try it out
give me a call my number is 1 808 482 0303

 

[Full Blast]

have you tried these people in the uk http://www.surfprep.co.uk/Services/farrowspares.html

 

[UKMasterBlaster]

Hi Full Blast,
I have tried them, it was this company that screwed up my WIWA pump, I lost a lot of money because of them.

 

[UKMasterBlaster]

Hi Cody,
Thanks for the update.
It would cost me more than a venturi nozzle to phone you in Hawaii
If you have an iPhone I could facetime you though.
I am looking into getting new nozzles, I have found a supplier on eBay UK and will be ringing him today.