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Robert Carnazzo Posted: Mar 03, 2009 12:18 AM	Beware Of Shoddy Companies Selling Products Beware, ask for references, look them up on the BBB, get as much info as possible.I spent $48,000.00 on a Spray Foam Rig and I could have saved myself alot of aggrevation and Money if I just done more research. The list of problems are too many to mention...
Linerman Posted: Mar 03, 2009 08:47 PM	$48,000? To get a rig and I mean a real good one will run you about $80,000. I see some companies selling rigs for $30,000-$35,000 and all you get is junk, at that point you might as well do it yourself.
Robert Carnazzo Posted: Mar 05, 2009 06:02 AM	So if I spent $80K $90k the company would have had better business practices, I don't think so... reguardless of how much was spent companies selling bad service, bad products, and not keepin on schedule will make people loose work, in these times it's just wrong. Not all the equipment is bad, I got a Gama G250 Probally the best thing the company did for me. Gama is an awsome machine. My problem is not with Gama its with the shoemaker who put my rig together. Its not good when you cost people their lively hood because of bad business.
Posted: Mar 05, 2009 06:23 AM	sorry to hear about the rough start,,, a few thoughts on the subject,,, yes indeed the industry is befrot with scully wags and scumb buckets,,,many who sprayed foam (or tried to) for like 6 months,,,discovered it is hot hellin hard work and suddenly decided they are gonna sell rigs,,,and juice,,,and stuff,,,and stuff.... god luv the internet,,it is changeing and has changed the face of how business done/run.... (now can the stock market survive?? the industry is also full of smart,,ethical,,moral,,honest folks whom offer rigs & juice & stuff and even more stuff,,, this is the camp you want to be in,,,you get what you pay for,,,the lowest buck most often cant be the best deal in most cases,,particularly if you consider service before and after the sale,,, rob,,dont be angry about this but its gotta be said,, you cant eat steak on a hamburger budget,,, if it walks like a duck its a friggin duck,,, cheap is as cheap is,,, you cant afford a yugo and drive a caddy.... a nod is as good as a wink to a blind horse,,, ,,,well you know the rest of the story,,, ;) this site is full of blowhards whom share information for the sound of their voice,,,,,good information too!!! the fate of these cheap rigs is well documented,,,and the frustration of those who went that route as well,,,, so get the grainger cataloge and re work the physical innards of the rig,,,buy a real generator and sell the nice little gas one to a framer or sumpin,,,give the compressor to your bro-in law,,and get a real one,,,oh yeah,,and this is important,,put bigger axels under the trailer,,,may as well set her up higher then as well to keep the butt off the ground when backin,,,rofl,,, the satisfaction you will realize from puttin this back together right will ease your frustration,,and no one will know how this stuff works better than you,,and you can then approach the world with enthusiasm,,confidence,,and reliability,,,qualitys that will be noticed by those that matter,,,those who's camp you want to be in as an applicator and businessperson,,, good luck with your endevour,,,foamin can be a good business if you plan well and work hard,,, 'dude
Robert Carnazzo Posted: Mar 05, 2009 09:19 AM	God bless you Dude, its for guys like you that give us all piece of mind in this business, if not for you(the guys on sprayfoammagazine.com)... I would have given up long ago, I agree with you My point to the readers is not just what you said... " you get what you pay for,,,the lowest buck most often cant be the best deal in most cases,,particularly if you consider service before and after the sale", but more that said, if I had read a post like this before I signed on with the company I did I could have saved myself alot of mental anguish. Oh BTW The company is still advertising their services on sprayfoammagazine.com. If they claim their home made equiptment is better get as much information, References, Feedback...as possible...maybe check with the BBB.
Doug Commette Posted: Mar 05, 2009 11:01 AM	Guys: I wanted to personally thank you folks for remaining "diplomatic" while discussing and posting on this unfortunate issue. I also wanted to thank you for sharing these issues so others can learn from all of "our" misfortunes, mistakes, and growing pains. Most if which never stop, that's why the guys here the longest can feel the same pain and often provide needed guidance or support. I am sorry if the site led any of you in the wrong direction!! All I can do now is learn as well, and help educate the visitors and users on these things up front. It gives me thought to enhance a section or two on the site. Eyes and ears are always open here, so any ideas are welcome... THANKS for using the site. We have had over 84,000 visitors in the two months of 2009 already. It is made possible and enhanced by guys like you!! Let me know if there is anything I can do to help you guys!! DC
Linerman Posted: Mar 05, 2009 06:16 PM	foamdude hit it right on the head, when I said "junk" I wasn't necessarily referring to the spray equipment itself but the set-up of the rig. You get your machine with maybe 150' of hose, a small gas generator that'll blow up in 6mo., a generator that can't even power a hot dog stand, poor wiring, no elec. outlets, non-insulated walls and like 'dude said then they stuff all all that stuff in a single axle trailer. Oh, then your tools and your material which is another 1000lbs. for one set and if you tried puttin two or more in for big jobs, good luck takin that thing down the road it's just a rolling disaster waitin to happen.
Posted: Mar 05, 2009 07:00 PM	You don't have to spend $80K+ to buy a rig. Fancy doesn't make money. Tim
Robert Carnazzo Posted: Mar 06, 2009 12:35 PM	Maybe I can reiterate…not to beat a dead horse… it’s really not the quality of the equipment or how it was installed; most of what I got is ok. It’s what I didn’t or haven’t got that’s the problem. It’s been 6 months and I still haven’t got the generator I was supposed to, let alone any receipt, proof of purchase, or warranty info. I have to take blame for not demanding it when I took delivery but they assured me they would mail it out/ get it to me. When something goes down or not working properly… ok that’s going to happen, I’ll fix it get back up and go again, but there should be some interaction on their behalf… if it’s under warranty. They stopped calling and don't return phone calls. This is what I want people to be aware of.
Linerman Posted: Mar 06, 2009 06:46 PM	I'll say this you don't have to spend $80k for a rig but they usually start around $60k for a basic set-up. After $60k is when you start paying for all the extra's(custom workbench usually stainless steel, cabinets for tools, storage compartments, lighting, etc.). Hope it all works out for you. Good Luck.
quentin Posted: Mar 06, 2009 10:45 PM	No matter what you will have some things you want different in a treailer you have made but if they are not supporting you or fixing things they promised, I would ask a lawyer to get involved after a few months. I am happy that CPi has done things right by me if there has been a problem they have been there ASAP and kept all their promises to me. A good company may cost you more but in the end you get what you pay for and support can mean the difference between failure and success in any business.
Posted: Mar 07, 2009 10:08 PM	Howdy Fellas, If I may chime in, which I have never done, but feel compelled to do so. Just my two cents here...I am a equipment and material distributor as well as an Ex-Florida roofing contractor and proud to represent GAMA products. What I find frustratng is the smoke and mirrors some of the rig builders propose to customers. We cannot bring ourselves to sell some $2,500 15kw generator and a crappy lil air compressor to run a rig. It's funny how many guys buy them. What strikes me is how true can the specs be on the competitions E machines if it will run off a 15kw portable???? I shake my head every day when I someone tells me what they are getting for $50k, or in Robs case, NOT getting... Yes, buyer beware. Diamond plate floors and stainless steel toolboxes don't make a profitable spray rig. Diesel generators and refrigerated air driers, do. Our job is to help you not make costly mistakes! Rob, if you need sound advice, please feel free to contact us.
Robert Carnazzo Posted: Mar 07, 2009 10:49 PM	thank you... ALL OF YOU, I may be callin. I will be in the market for a 40 kw generator, and an air drier, i'll let my Lawer deal with them... in the mean time lets spray some foam...
Todd Baxter Posted: Mar 08, 2009 08:48 AM	I would let them know that if they dont help fix the problems them I would make a new post and name the company that has done this to you.
Posted: Mar 08, 2009 09:40 AM	There is nothing in an $80,000.00 rig that you can't buy/build and install yourself. Unless you have no mechanical apptitude at all, you can do everything that they do yourself from 2/3 to 1/2 the price. Top of the line Plural component machinery runs around $20K or less, Diesel Generator from $5K to $7K, Screw compressor $800 to $1500.00, air dryer $400.00 to $500.00, tandem axle trailer $5K to $10K, 100 amp breaker box $300.00, wiring another $300.00 knowing your own equipment.....priceless! Bells and whistles are pretty, but decide whether you really need them. I feel for you Rob. I am an electrician/welder/fabricator/engineer/accountant and shrimp processor and I did the same thing. I worked out my problems with my equipment myself after getting aggravated with lack of support and never asked help from them again. Steve
Linerman Posted: Mar 08, 2009 04:03 PM	Building your own rig is nice if you know what you are doing. There's alot more to take into account then just throwin the equpment in and sayin there ya go. You have to layout out for accessibility to everything not having it looked so cluttered plus just having proper load balance to make it road safe. When pricing rigs it also comes down to what size rig you want. My supplier charges around $70$-$80K for 35ft rigs there abouts. But also all of his are one-off's everything is built from the frame up on triple-axled trailers with insulated walls, all electrical wiring is hidden in the wall where it has that nice clean look, storage compartments up the wazzoo, everything you need, it's all custom tailored to what you want. It also makes you look more professional. I tried throwin a rig together, yea it worked but it wasn't as nearly as nice as the one's you can get from the professionals.
Posted: Mar 08, 2009 08:44 PM	hey man,,, 5k-7k gen is what got this topic goin,,, as is the 800-1500$ screw compressor,,, have you priced this stuff lately??? 20k will get you the e30 and 50' and a gun,,,add some more hose,,,xfer pumps,,stirrer for maybe another 5k best delivered price i had a few months ago for a 60k diesel john deere with 25 gal tank was 11k with most up in the 15-16 range,,,40ks are just as much,, and 1500$ screw compressor???,,,exhale dude,,you musta be partyin this weekend,,lol,,,uh 7.5 with dryer and 85 gal reciever is about 5k,,, 30 gooseneck with dual 7500 lb axels will run about 12k with the current economy,,and you aint insulated,,lined,,floored,.,, and then theres hose, wire, fasteners,,pipe, conduit,regulators,,air fittings,,hose makers and all the other goodies you just need to have layin around,,, i too like to put my own together,,but it does take some planning and mechanical/construction skills,,,and time,,,precious time,,, the satisfaction of building your own rig sure gives one a warm fuzzy,,and noone can wrench it better when stuff goes on the fritz,,,
Posted: Mar 08, 2009 10:51 PM	You guys need to quit shopping at Grainger's! Finally broke down and bought a Gama 250 this week for more than a few thousand under 20K. Izuzu 40KW Marine can be picked up without a fuel tank for under $7500.00 and run directly from the fuel tank on my box truck. You got me on the Screw Compressor though! I guess that it has been a while since I priced one out. Hertz Rental had an Ingersoll Rands for sale for $3875.00 on 08 model (On the showroom floor), but I still don't think that you need anything that big to run two drum pumps and a Fusion Gun. I guess my point was, I am not about to pay $80K for a rig that can be done for a little more than half the price. Dude is right though, time is precious and if you don't have the time to build your own, then you may not have a choice. Just because these guys are offering to give you a turn key rig doesn't mean that they aren't spitting them out left and right. This leaves a lot of room for problems. I bought my equipment from one of the big guys on this site and everything worked fine when it arrived. It was the middle of the summer and hot in south Louisiana at the time, but as it got colder into the winter, my gun started shooting foam up to a distance of 15-20 ft. I didn't know why, only that it had a hellofa range and was difficult to keep a nice pattern. Turns out the heaters were set at 50' of hose and not the 200' that was installed. That was quite a few years ago and I still remind them of that whenever they tell me how great they are. It took a tech guy from Graco to help me figure that one out. If you get great support from the company that builds your rigs out, then you obviously picked the right company to deal with.
Robert Carnazzo Posted: Mar 09, 2009 09:30 AM	This what I want for people..."If you get great support from the company that builds your rigs out, then you obviously picked the right company to deal with."...Since posting I have had a conversation with someone who is having issues with the same company, My first intention in posting was to expose the company, but I thought about it and I opted for a more informative aproach rather than a vendetta. If they don't answer my lawer's request like they did the BBB, you bet I will, so nobody has to deal with what I did...
quentin Posted: Mar 10, 2009 02:26 PM	LOL, I had the same issue you had Bayouboy! We figured it out pretty quick though and I found if I have an issue the company I deal with works overtime to help me. The nice part is I havce learned a hellalot about my equipment when minor issues have needed diagnosed. Buying a rig saves a lot od time and hassel buut unless you have the skills to build one yourself then I suggest you look at another line since you will have to be part mechanic, part electrician and part electronics engineer as well as the ability to spray a good pattern in this line of work.