[David Beecroft]

Hi everyone,  I'm in the market for a decent gutter vac. Which of the many available represents value for money and why? Does it really make a big difference if its carbon fibre sections or aluminium? Any advice from those who have experience would be very welcome.
Thanks in advance,
David.

[SB Cleaning]

Don't bother with alloy poles believe me it's worth paying extra for carbon poles...i have a grippa vac and it's a good set up

[David Beecroft]

Hello again, just in. Thanks for the input, how long have you been using the Grippa Vac? Do you ever have to use ladders for tricky sections?

[SB Cleaning]

Hello again, just in. Thanks for the input, how long have you been using the Grippa Vac? Do you ever have to use ladders for tricky sections?

had it 6 months I've done a about 10 jobs with it and nothings stopped me yet...but houses with tiles overlapping the gutter it's ladders time!!!

[Plankton]

I've went for the cheaper option to test the water for myself as it's to easy to say'buy this and not that'.

So my take on it is, alloy poles are a pain to tighten with thumb screws, in fact they probably won't tighten and won't stop spinning and are a pain to uncouple even though they spin!
Weight of the poles could be an issue over conys etc although depends on what you consider to be tough work.
Some poles advertised as carbon may still be around the same weight as alloy. I've noticed that a company doesn't show the weight of their carbon poles but shows the alloys weight.
Vacuums, I'm getting away with a 1400 (just)
Vacuum hose becomes heavy as supplier told me and advised a maximum of 5 meters.

As I said "testing the water" and I would like to add carbon poles as third/forth sections on top of the alloy,  increase the vacuum hose to 10 metres, buy a 3000w vacuum and add a cheap camera.
Supplier never responded to my email regarding the use of their carbon poles with their alloy and extra hose, vac etc.
I will probably stick the lot on gumtree late summer!

If someone has more money and less time on their hands then buy from a leading brand.

[David Beecroft]

Thanks Guys for your input, it answers a few questions for me. I've been struggling with myself for ages as to what to do, I'm a bit closer to knowing what to go for.
Any more info from those in the know would help. 

[wpclean]

How seriously are you going to put your effort into developing your business ?    If you just want to earn some beer money then buy a cheap machine and rubbish poles !
If you want to earn some good money, then invest in some good equipment, and do some marketing.     There is good money to be made cleaning gutters, but it is like anything else, you get out what you put in.

[Avo]

I've been tempted by numatic wvd900 and the sky vac commercial but wanna see them before I buy really

[David Beecroft]

I have a well established wfp business and the gutter cleaning is more of a service to my customers rather than a serious pursuit. I'm not keen on climbing ladders any longer, that's why I need to know which gutter vac  is the best buy for me.
 I'm now down to deciding between the Grippa outdoor Pro vac 30' at £1386 https://www.grippatank.co.uk/vacuum/complete-kits/grippavac-outdoor-packages  or the Gutter cleaning systems 30' inc camera kit at £940. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/121624826539?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT
The Sky vacs look super duper, but too much money for me to justify.

[wpclean]

I have a well established wfp business and the gutter cleaning is more of a service to my customers rather than a serious pursuit. I'm not keen on climbing ladders any longer, that's why I need to know which gutter vac  is the best buy for me.
 I'm now down to deciding between the Grippa outdoor Pro vac 30' at £1386 https://www.grippatank.co.uk/vacuum/complete-kits/grippavac-outdoor-packages  or the Gutter cleaning systems 30' inc camera kit at £940. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/121624826539?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT
The Sky vacs look super duper, but too much money for me to justify.

You can buy a stand alone skyvac for 1k including Vat, and a set of 6 x2m carbon fibre tubes for £400 from www.carbonfibretubes.co.uk.   That is a top set up

[wpclean]

Gopro is a top camera also, think they are around 250 - 300 squid 
If you need any further advice give me a call 

[David Beecroft]

Are you saying that the camera kit shown is a GoPro?

[David Beecroft]

You can buy a stand alone skyvac for 1k including Vat, and a set of 6 x2m carbon fibre tubes for £400 from www.carbonfibretubes.co.uk.   That is a top set up.

What about the hose and the gutter tool attachments?

[SB Cleaning]

Gopro is a top camera also, think they are around 250 - 300 squid 
If you need any further advice give me a call 

The go pro is a good camera a little to good for gutter clearing...

I have the sj4000 on par with go pro at a fraction of the price

[wpclean]

You can buy a stand alone skyvac for 1k including Vat, and a set of 6 x2m carbon fibre tubes for £400 from www.carbonfibretubes.co.uk.   That is a top set up.

What about the hose and the gutter tool attachments?

If you speak to the guys at Skyvac they will probably throw them in with the price ( but don't tell them I told you that ) 

[lal]

 
 I bought the Skyvac with carbon poles & attachments, very pleased with it, mine came with 5 metres of hose, i thought about
 getting a camera with it originaly , but heard from people on CIU who had purchased cameras for their vacs, that after a handful
 of jobs they stopped attaching the camera because its a PITA having to be so careful with it. i thought if you accidentally drop the pole which happens sometimes and break the camera which cost you hundreds of pounds, its just not worth it, thats just my opinion anyway.

Best regards
Lal

[David Beecroft]

Well for better or for worse I've ordered this; https://www.averncleaningsupplies.com/WVD900-GD-Gutter-Vacuum-Cleaner-Drain-Numatic&filter_name=gu
Its the machine I wanted for a good price. I ordered the gutter cleaning kit along with it, I know its aluminium and basic tools but it will probably do what I want and if not I can upgrade to carbon fibre later. I know Numatic machines are good from experience.
I'll let you know how I get on.

[wpclean]

We use the camera on our clx 27 pole, just made an attachment and it fits onto the pole easily.      Wouldn't leave  without checking with a camera the finished  job, as it easy to miss bits ( especially with that awful box stuff with the silly brackets ) !

[David Beecroft]

Thanks for all the advice. I'll let you know if I regret my decision.

[wpclean]

That is a good machine, you will be ok.

[mark m]

I was impressed with space vac poles which I saw at the show

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vvig_1Yu5_U

[David Beecroft]

Hi Again,  the Numatic 900 guttervac arrived today, good machine!
However being the numpty I am, I never read the specs properly for the gutter pole kit that came with it. To my dismay its only 38mm and not 51mm . So that's going back. (its not exactly what was advertised anyway)
So now I'm in the market for gutter poles, 51mm vacuum hose and the end attachments. I think i'll take everyones advise and just pay for carbon fibre poles up front then I'm not wasting anymore time or money. If anyone has advice on the best buys for these items I'd appreciate it. 

[David Beecroft]

Samson, you recommended www.carbonfibretubes.co.uk.  Has anyone bought from here? 6 poles for £400 seems reasonable compared to what other sites are offering. Are they good quality?

[wpclean]

Samson, you recommended www.carbonfibretubes.co.uk.  Has anyone bought from here? 6 poles for £400 seems reasonable compared to what other sites are offering. Are they good quality?

Been using then over a year now, and they are still going strong.   You have to remember to keep the ends clean and lubricated or they can stick together !

[Avo]

Hi Again,  the Numatic 900 guttervac arrived today, good machine!
However being the numpty I am, I never read the specs properly for the gutter pole kit that came with it. To my dismay its only 38mm and not 51mm . So that's going back. (its not exactly what was advertised anyway)
So now I'm in the market for gutter poles, 51mm vacuum hose and the end attachments. I think i'll take everyones advise and just pay for carbon fibre poles up front then I'm not wasting anymore time or money. If anyone has advice on the best buys for these items I'd appreciate it. 

was there a side mounted 51mm inlet on this vac with reducers to 38mm hoses??

[Nick Day]

We are guttercleaningsystems.co.uk. We got fed up reselling poles that were claimed to be 100% carbon fibre....but were not.
So we did a crash course in carbon fibre manufacture, built an oven, mandrel remover, had mandrels made and now make our own.
We can now guarantee 100% carbon fibre. Believe us, many make that claim but are not. We only make 51mm and they weigh in at approx. 450 grams for 5'6" tapered poles. You get 5' of useable pole.
We purchase our material and resins from Europes major supplier, our uni carbon fibre material is made in Scotland.

[David Beecroft]

was there a side mounted 51mm inlet on this vac with reducers to 38mm hoses??

The side mounted inlet is 51mm with the usual screw-on Numatic hose fitting which houses 38mm hose.
I assume it will take a 51mm hose, if not I'll need an adapter.

[David Beecroft]

We are guttercleaningsystems.co.uk. We got fed up reselling poles that were claimed to be 100% carbon fibre....but were not.
So we did a crash course in carbon fibre manufacture, built an oven, mandrel remover, had mandrels made and now make our own.
We can now guarantee 100% carbon fibre. Believe us, many make that claim but are not. We only make 51mm and they weigh in at approx. 450 grams for 5'6" tapered poles. You get 5' of useable pole.
We purchase our material and resins from Europes major supplier, our uni carbon fibre material is made in Scotland.

So can you compete with 6 poles for £400?

[Nick Day]

Yes we can, all the sizes and prices are on the website.

[David Beecroft]

Thanks, I'll have a look. 

[NWH]

Just coz there carbon it won't mean they are light trust me,I have the  grippa poles and there light but as weak as kittens don't stand on one,mate of mine has another make of so called carbon gutter poles and they were  heavy I would look and try them first coz some of them when you get past 3 sections it's like wrestling a shark

[David Beecroft]

There's no way I can see these poles before I buy, I live and work out in the sticks!! Would the weight give me any true indication of strength and durability?

[David Beecroft]

Does anyone use the poles from Gutter Cleaning Systems? If so how would you rate them?

[Blackadder]

I purchased a Space vac with 40ft of carbon fibre poles, loved it, it's easily paid for itself already and only had it six months, it's a good enough system.
Slight negatives are most of the time you have to get your hand in the gunge to allow the water to properly drain away, also, you must clean the poles out each time of use as any debris causes the joins to stick, once they are clean, they're a joy to put together.

[robert mitchell]

i have the grippa tapered poles and they are very light ( around 330grams per 6ft section) they are strong if used correctly .......just don't stand on one because they are strong in that direction.

[David Beecroft]

Well in the absence of anyone giving feedback on the poles from Gutter cleaning systems, I've ordered the 30' pole kit from them. They seem to be very good value for money (£350 inc attachments + £15 postage), They're advertised as tapered and are reckoned to weigh in at 440g each, I know there are lighter ones but I don't mind the extra weight if it translates into strength and rigidity. After all if I could work for years with a Brodex 45ft Aluminium pole for years, surely I can manage this? (Gardiner carbon fibre for past 4 years, phew!) I was going to order a vacuum hose off them but they took too long to return my call, so I just ordered it direct from Numatic.  I'll let you know how I get on regarding delivery and my impressions of the equipment. 

[wpclean]

Well in the absence of anyone giving feedback on the poles from Gutter cleaning systems, I've ordered the 30' pole kit from them. They seem to be very good value for money (£350 inc attachments + £15 postage), They're advertised as tapered and are reckoned to weigh in at 440g each, I know there are lighter ones but I don't mind the extra weight if it translates into strength and rigidity. After all if I could work for years with a Brodex 45ft Aluminium pole for years, surely I can manage this? (Gardiner carbon fibre for past 4 years, phew!) I was going to order a vacuum hose off them but they took too long to return my call, so I just ordered it direct from Numatic.  I'll let you know how I get on regarding delivery and my impressions of the equipment. 

Do you work for gutter cleaning systems ? 

[David Beecroft]

Not unless they have a Scottish branch. Lol. Don't worry I'll give a totally impartial opinion when I've used them!

[David Beecroft]

Okay Guys ( & Gals ), the carbon poles etc arrived today! 1st impressions? they seem okay to me. The finishes are a bit untidy and the attachments are a bit DIY, obviously handmade in a workshop. e.g the inspection mirror is an internal car mirror pop riveted to a clip that fits the pole. The poles seem well enough made, again with one or two rough edges. The kit has obviously been devised by someone who has learned through trial and error and had enough DIY skills to make adjustments.
My conclusion so far? Its not slick and shiny but its the kind of thing I've produced after decades of window cleaning. For the price it seems good value.

Next thing is to use it in the field, which happens tomorrow.

Watch this space.

[Avo]

Okay Guys ( & Gals ), the carbon poles etc arrived today! 1st impressions? they seem okay to me. The finishes are a bit untidy and the attachments are a bit DIY, obviously handmade in a workshop. e.g the inspection mirror is an internal car mirror pop riveted to a clip that fits the pole. The poles seem well enough made, again with one or two rough edges. The kit has obviously been devised by someone who has learned through trial and error and had enough DIY skills to make adjustments.
My conclusion so far? Its not slick and shiny but its the kind of thing I've produced after decades of window cleaning. For the price it seems good value.

Next thing is to use it in the field, which happens tomorrow.

Watch this space.

whats the power on the vac like?

[David Beecroft]

I didn't buy a vacuum off them, being the most important component I wanted one from a reputable maker.
So I bought a Numatic 900-GD. Twin motors, 2400watt. Very reliable and powerful enough for the job.

[David Beecroft]

Well here it is, total cost £1019.25p. Used it for the 1st time today, well pleased.

Thanks for every ones input, its been very helpful.

[wpclean]

How did the job go, did you use a camera ?

[David Beecroft]

No camera, its still in the post somewhere between here and the USA. I did use the mirror they provided though and it did the trick on a 3 bedroom semi, any higher though would have been too high for it. One of the downpipes was clogged, in the past I would put ladders up and dismantle it to empty it, however the tools did the job from the ground. It was very satisfying to hear the sound of water suddenly rush down the down pipe. Job done.

[wpclean]

Well done, you will find a narrower pipe on the end will help a lot when you are vacuuming the down pipes, as the 50mm often is too wide.       I have a load of old 50mm ali tubing that I been cutting, and forming into different fittings for awkward jobs.

[lee_dewing]

David.
Enjoyed reading your post.
Looking to have a guttervac  late summer; same as you service existing customers.

I found when looking gutter cleaning systems Norfolk seemed to have best tool's fitting to top of poles.

I sppke to someone there may have been Nick older guy guessing he was
The boss man.

I'm glad David you verified what he said regarding blockages.
Nick? Said he turned vacuum off and just used tools at the end of the poles to hook oit weeds etc.

I think I'll get aluminium poles to see how the new venture goes; nick said their staff had been using them all day for years.

I plan to get the nisflik vac from machine mart under £150.

Sure it's avo that has this vac.
Also camera from china was on ebay if it's still there it was aboutt £80.
Know someone uses that camera and happy with.
Think might total out lay will be around £500.

But David I do think you have done exceptional well there with a great vac and carbon poles at probably half the cheapest price of the big boys and I do believe the tools you have at the top of the pole are the best around and save using a ladder which as youself have no intention doing.
Great replies from everyone too.
Thanks  Lee.

[Avo]

David.
Enjoyed reading your post.
Looking to have a guttervac  late summer; same as you service existing customers.

I found when looking gutter cleaning systems Norfolk seemed to have best tool's fitting to top of poles.

I sppke to someone there may have been Nick older guy guessing he was
The boss man.

I'm glad David you verified what he said regarding blockages.
Nick? Said he turned vacuum off and just used tools at the end of the poles to hook oit weeds etc.

I think I'll get aluminium poles to see how the new venture goes; nick said their staff had been using them all day for years.

I plan to get the nisflik vac from machine mart under £150.

Sure it's avo that has this vac.
Also camera from china was on ebay if it's still there it was aboutt £80.
Know someone uses that camera and happy with.
Think might total out lay will be around £500.

But David I do think you have done exceptional well there with a great vac and carbon poles at probably half the cheapest price of the big boys and I do believe the tools you have at the top of the pole are the best around and save using a ladder which as youself have no intention doing.
Great replies from everyone too.
Thanks  Lee.

they only sell it has a 1400watt vac now which don't have the same suction as the older 1800watt I gave my 1400 away

[lee_dewing]

thanks Avo will have to re-thinkthe vac will be dearer than i tought then

[Avo]

I'm in the same boat looking to upgrade to something around £500 ish.
Numatic looks good wouldnt mind a cheeky video review from a forum member 😄👍

Another good one lee that won't break the bank  is the nilfisk maxxi 55 because it's not massive to carry about in the van, only £368 delivered and twin motors at 2,500 watts
I think spacevac do the vacuum with there pole sets but mental prices.