How to Choose a Tornado Carpet Extractor
Start with how you will move through the building. Tornado's five self-contained carpet extractors spray, scrub and recover in one walk-behind pass, for open offices and corridors. The four portable carpet extractors are box units you park and work from with a wand, so you reach stairs, upholstery and furnished rooms. The PS Spotter and Pro Spotter join our other carpet spotters for stains between full cleans.
Size the self-contained machine to your carpet. The 49 pound Mini-Marathon 370 suits single offices and hotel rooms. The Marathon SE 900 and 1200 cover mid-size rooms with 9 and 12 gallon tanks, and Tornado rates the 1200 at 900 square feet per fill. For lobbies and long corridors, the self-propelled Marathon 2000 and Cascade 20 carry 20 and 25 gallons.
Heat and pressure. Heat helps you break down greasy soil and sticky residue, but the heated Surge units need two cords on separate circuits. Pressure runs from 20 psi on the Mini-Marathon to an adjustable 500 psi on the Surge 500 and Pro 500. Compare all brands on the heated carpet extractors page.
Recycling or fresh water. The Pro 500 and Cascade 20 use Tornado's Continuous Flow Recycling, which filters and reuses solution as you clean. Tornado rates it at about a seventh of the water and chemical of a conventional extractor, so big jobs need fewer refills.
What comes in the box. The three Surge models ship with a two-piece wand and a 20 foot hose. You can buy the Pro 500 as machine only or kitted with a wand, hand tool and 33 foot hose, and the Pro Spotter Deluxe adds a carpet wand and misting wand. The Marathon 2000 has a built-in pre-spray wand, while the Mini-Marathon 370, SE 900 and 1200 come without one.
Tell us your square footage, carpet type and cleaning schedule, and you will get a Tornado extractor matched to your building, backed by our 30-day return policy. You can also reach us through our contact page or at (855) 601-5678.
| Model | Format | Solution / recovery | Pressure | Heat | Warranty (parts / labor) | Starting price |
|---|
| Tornado PS Spotter | Spotter | 2 / 2 gal | 55 psi | No | 2 yrs / 2 yrs | From $999 |
| Tornado Pro Spotter | Spotter | 3.5 / 2.5 gal | 55 psi | No | 2 yrs / 2 yrs | From $999 |
| Tornado Mini-Marathon 370 | Self-contained, pull-back | 3.7 / 3 gal | 20 psi | No | 2 yrs / 2 yrs | From $1,499 |
| Tornado Marathon SE 900 | Self-contained, pull-back | 9 / 6 gal | 100 psi | No | 2 yrs / 2 yrs | From $2,799 |
| Tornado Marathon 1200 | Self-contained, pull-back | 12 / 14 gal | 100 psi | No | 2 yrs / 2 yrs | From $3,499 |
| Tornado Marathon 2000 | Self-contained, self-propelled | 20 / 20 gal | 100 psi | No | 2 yrs / 2 yrs | From $7,699 |
| Tornado Cascade 20 CFR | Self-contained, self-propelled, recycling | 25 gal recycling | Up to 400 psi | No | 4 yrs / 2 yrs | From $8,499 |
| Tornado Surge 10 | Portable box, with wand | 8 / 10 gal | 100 psi | No | 2 yrs / 2 yrs | From $2,150 |
| Tornado Surge 220 | Portable box, with wand | 15 / 15 gal | 220 psi | Yes, in-line | 4 yrs / 2 yrs | From $3,999 |
| Tornado Surge 500 | Portable box, with wand | 15 / 15 gal | 50 to 500 psi | Yes, in-line | 4 yrs / 2 yrs | From $4,299 |
| Tornado Pro 500 CFR | Portable box, recycling | 13 gal recycling | 100 to 500 psi | Perfect Heat versions | 4 yrs / 2 yrs | From $3,799 |
Warranty terms come from Tornado's May 2026 schedule. Kitted and heated Pro 500 versions cost more than the price shown.
Tornado Carpet Cleaner, Encap Machine or Spotter?
An extractor rinses soil out of your carpet, so it is the deep-cleaning machine. Between extractions, you can keep traffic lanes presentable with low-moisture encapsulation using our encap machines, and our guide to encapsulation carpet cleaning vs hot water extraction compares the two. If you mostly face spills, a spotter costs far less. For technique, read how to use a carpet extractor, and find the rest of the line on our Tornado vacuums and cleaning equipment page.
Frequently Asked Questions About Tornado Carpet Extractors
Which Tornado carpet extractors heat the water?
Three of them. The Surge 220 and Surge 500 heat solution in-line to as much as 190°F, and the Perfect Heat versions of the Pro 500 add their own heater. The others clean at the temperature you fill them with, so check the maximum fill temperature before you use hot tap water.
Which Tornado extractor handles stairs and upholstery?
A portable with a hand tool. The Surge 220 and Surge 500 have a stair-assist design with 12 inch rear wheels, and the Pro 500 kits and the Pro Spotter come with hand or upholstery tools for furniture and steps. For upholstery and spot work, the 20 pound PS Spotter is the easiest to carry. Self-contained machines are awkward on stairs.
What warranty comes with a Tornado carpet extractor?
Every model here carries 2 years of labor and 10 years on rotomolded parts under Tornado's May 2026 warranty schedule. You get 4 years of parts coverage on the Surge 220, Surge 500, Pro 500 and Cascade 20, and 2 years on the Marathons, Mini-Marathon, Surge 10 and both spotters. Labor runs through an authorized Tornado service center; wear items such as hoses are excluded.
Where do I get parts and service for a Tornado extractor?
Your service and warranty labor go through Tornado's authorized service centers, and Tornado's technical support line is 1-800-4Tacony. We work with that team regularly and have found it competent and knowledgeable. For wear parts such as hoses, wands and filters, send us your model and part number and you will get a quote on genuine Tornado parts.
