Andy Hall wrote:
On 2008-03-23 01:38:11 +0000, "The Medway Handyman"
SNIP
At one stage I worked for a Danish manufacturer (Gerni) who quoted
exact performance figures for each machine. The standard laid down
rules for where in the pressure could be measured, how it should be
measured & the tolerance allowed. Pressure was +/- 10% and in their
brochures Karcher always used actual test pressure + 10%, whereas
Gerni used actual test pressure - which made the Gerni machines seem
less powerful. Temperature was a bit flexible in how you measured it.
Gerni quoted
max temp as 135c because that was what you got at the nozzle,
Karcher and all the others quoted 150c because that was what you
could measure at the machine. The 10 metre pressure hose lost you
15c before the water got to the nozzle, so the machines produced the
same heat.

Did it actually make a difference in operation? The principle is the
same as above although not perhaps quite so stark. Why didn't Gerni
alter their specifications and test procedures to the same as those of
Kaercher or perhaps quote two sets of figures (pointing out which one
the competition uses)? This would have analogous to quoting input
and output power for a drill.

In the end they did, it had started to affect sales, so they told the same
lies as everyone else.

I think from what you've said before, Gerni wanted to sell a quality
product honestly to a discerning market and the market shrank.

Partly, but much more to do with a small privately owned company (GERt
NIelson) being bough by a large conglomerate (Nilfisk Advance). Managers
with no knowledge of the industry, graduates with no knowledge of anything,
short term planning to satisfy shareholders, downsizing staff who had been
there 20+ years. A story as old as time.



--
Dave - The Medway Handyman
www.medwayhandyman.co.uk
01634 717930
07850 597257