Clean It Up

UK Floor Cleaning Forum => Carpet Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: chrisjohn on May 07, 2012, 09:16:03 am

Title: Lighter Wand
Post by: chrisjohn on May 07, 2012, 09:16:03 am
Need a new wand.Im currently using a 4 jet double D chemspec wand.Its a brilliant piece ok kit,but it weighs a tonne.Its got so bad that Im on painkillers and having physio.Need a lightweight version that does the same quality job

Chris
Title: Re: Lighter Wand
Post by: Kinver_Clean on May 07, 2012, 10:15:42 am
Many cleaners who have tried a light wand find that they do not get on with it.

In your case I would try fitting a   glide   so you do not have to lift the wand off the floor.
Title: Re: Lighter Wand
Post by: Mike Halliday on May 07, 2012, 10:56:16 am
the problem is you are going to have to spend big bucks on an answer, either going titanium or  carbon fibre like the Bentley both these are pricey.

or a compromise would be to drop down from as 2 inch wand to something smaller
Title: Re: Lighter Wand
Post by: Susan Dean (1stclean) on May 07, 2012, 12:26:21 pm
stop moaning and get on with it yr wimp or go to the gym , i use a under glided standed h.m. two jet hooked up to a 450 max  ;) i hate glides i binned mine as i thought they lefted the carpet to wet
Title: Re: Lighter Wand
Post by: Richard Basey-Fisher on May 07, 2012, 02:03:29 pm
I have a 2 jet standard 1.5 bore wand and a 5 jet 2 inch  VT 14 titanium glided wand from joe brist in the states  . i prefer the big wand easier to use
Title: Re: Lighter Wand
Post by: brianbarber on May 07, 2012, 07:06:42 pm
Anybody tried the sapphire scientific wand?


Mr B
Title: Re: Lighter Wand
Post by: Craigp on May 07, 2012, 07:57:25 pm
Chris, try the evo wand, really really light, mainly as the head is made of moulded plastic.

About £540 though.
Title: Re: Lighter Wand
Post by: chrisjohn on May 07, 2012, 10:01:24 pm
Craig

Cheers mate,will take a look at that

Chris
Title: Re: Lighter Wand
Post by: Billy Russell on May 07, 2012, 10:02:41 pm
Wouldn't be without my evo now!!!! Fantastic piece of kit, i'm going to get the 2" Evo next!!!
Title: Re: Lighter Wand
Post by: Jim_77 on May 07, 2012, 11:48:18 pm
Chris I know exactly what you mean mate, my back has been terrible for years, from way before carpet cleaning, and I'm only 34!!!  As already suggested try spending £100 on a glide first rather than £500 on a new wand :o

I wouldn't be cleaning carpets any more if I hadn't started using glides quite a few years ago.  You'll wonder why it took you so long :)

There's absolutely no way on earth a glide fitted properly can leave a carpet wetter

You might get on with a light wand but they do still present their own problems - on some carpets you have to push them down into the carpet to get a vac seal, which still gives you back ache.  They will also 'chatter' across a polyprop pile if it's matted down a bit.

I've tried one of those evolution wands and thought it was an absolute bag of s**t, worse even than a normal stainless wand with NO glide.

You might also do well to really analyse your wand technique - I'd like to bet you're stooping and/or over-stretching!  Your posture should remain upright, never stooping, and your length of wand stroke not too long, just the limits of the reach of your arms.  Yes it's quicker to extract with much longer strokes but also a quicker way of crippling yourself.

Do you lift the wand up off the carpet between strokes?  The weight of a wand shouldn't matter if you keep the wand in contact with the carpet and use push & pull strokes, occasionally twisting it to let a rush of air up to clear the hose out.  You'll find a glide makes that technique a doddle.

You should find with a glide you can use longer strokes though, as it is so much easier to operate the wand you can do it one handed between thumb and forefinger on a lot of carpets :)
Title: Re: Lighter Wand
Post by: Billy Russell on May 08, 2012, 05:47:05 am


I've tried one of those evolution wands and thought it was an absolute bag of s**t, worse even than a normal stainless wand with NO glide.



Thats because you don't know what your doing!!!

 ;)  ;D ;D
Title: Re: Lighter Wand
Post by: Paul Moss on May 08, 2012, 07:24:31 am


I've tried one of those evolution wands and thought it was an absolute bag of s**t, worse even than a normal stainless wand with NO glide.



Thats because you don't know what your doing!!!

 ;)  ;D ;D

I agree ;D can't wait to get hold of Jim this Saturday and show him how to use a wand and a uph tool. I've got a sneeky feeling that he got trained with a rug doctor in the early days :D

The Evo is a superb wand ,the 2 inch one covers massive areas very quick 8)
Title: Re: Lighter Wand
Post by: Elfyn on May 08, 2012, 04:11:49 pm
I have a dodgy back and I wouldn't be without my Evo wand.
Title: Re: Lighter Wand
Post by: Jim_77 on May 08, 2012, 05:55:34 pm
Are you going to take me in hand, Paul? :o


Billy, any wand would work the same with your Puzzi 100 ;)
Title: Re: Lighter Wand
Post by: Susan Dean (1stclean) on May 08, 2012, 06:03:50 pm
Chris I know exactly what you mean mate, my back has been terrible for years, from way before carpet cleaning, and I'm only 34!!!  As already suggested try spending £100 on a glide first rather than £500 on a new wand :o

I wouldn't be cleaning carpets any more if I hadn't started using glides quite a few years ago.  You'll wonder why it took you so long :)

There's absolutely no way on earth a glide fitted properly can leave a carpet wetter

You might get on with a light wand but they do still present their own problems - on some carpets you have to push them down into the carpet to get a vac seal, which still gives you back ache.  They will also 'chatter' across a polyprop pile if it's matted down a bit.

I've tried one of those evolution wands and thought it was an absolute bag of s**t, worse even than a normal stainless wand with NO glide.

You might also do well to really analyse your wand technique - I'd like to bet you're stooping and/or over-stretching!  Your posture should remain upright, never stooping, and your length of wand stroke not too long, just the limits of the reach of your arms.  Yes it's quicker to extract with much longer strokes but also a quicker way of crippling yourself.

Do you lift the wand up off the carpet between strokes?  The weight of a wand shouldn't matter if you keep the wand in contact with the carpet and use push & pull strokes, occasionally twisting it to let a rush of air up to clear the hose out.  You'll find a glide makes that technique a doddle.

You should find with a glide you can use longer strokes though, as it is so much easier to operate the wand you can do it one handed between thumb and forefinger on a lot of carpets :)

next time a speak to hy.master i will make sure to tell them there fitting there glides wrong , glides are for wimps simple as that !  ;D ;D
Title: Re: Lighter Wand
Post by: chrisjohn on May 08, 2012, 06:38:10 pm
Jim

Great post mate.Over next few days Im going to try shorter strokes with the wand.Think Im possibly over stretching.Also I tend to stoop a bit aswell.Need to straighten up.Im right handed but the pain is in left shoulder as this is the arm I pull the wand back with.Not sure if I could get a glide for my wand.Its a double D chemspec truckmount wand.Unless anyone else knows of a glide to fit?

Chris
Title: Re: Lighter Wand
Post by: elliott cleaning on May 08, 2012, 07:19:10 pm
Ken Harris at Wandglides.com does glides for the 12 & 14" DD wands
Title: Re: Lighter Wand
Post by: Kinver_Clean on May 08, 2012, 08:49:37 pm
Make sure the handle on the wand is high enough. You should be able to stand up straight and have your hand comfortably on it.
Try holding the wand in the other hand when you go back across the carpet width.
Title: Re: Lighter Wand
Post by: Jim_77 on May 08, 2012, 10:26:53 pm
Susan, I'll carry on being a wimp thanks ;)

No worries Chris.. I think sometimes when we've been doing something for so long we forget to stop and think if we're doing it right or not, and it's easy to slip into a bad habit.  That's especially true when it comes to looking after your back - it's often the easier, short-cut way of doing something that results in a bad back, like bending your back to pick something up instead of bending your knees.

The amount of times I've pulled my back whilst working is frightening, and it's never when lugging a portable up stairs or lifting the rotary because I'm always aware and keep my back straight.... it's always stupid things like bending down to pick up a furniture slider!!!  No sense in it, but one thing's for sure if you don't do everything you can to look after your back you'll pay for it later.

When I used to work in the building trade (when my chest was bigger than my belly, rather than the other way round :( ) we used to lug a lot of materials on and off our truck, setting up site etc for the brickies.  I used to get a 25kg bag of cement dropped on to EACH of my shoulders and walk across site with them!  If you couldn't carry the absolute maximum weight you could lift it just meant more walking.  Digging is bad too, we used to do a lot of that.

All that plus a car crash that injured my back, and boy am I paying for it now!
Title: Re: Lighter Wand
Post by: Billy Russell on May 08, 2012, 10:37:53 pm
Susan, I'll carry on being a wimp thanks ;)

No worries Chris.. I think sometimes when we've been doing something for so long we forget to stop and think if we're doing it right or not, and it's easy to slip into a bad habit.  That's especially true when it comes to looking after your back - it's often the easier, short-cut way of doing something that results in a bad back, like bending your back to pick something up instead of bending your knees.

The amount of times I've pulled my back whilst working is frightening, and it's never when lugging a portable up stairs or lifting the rotary because I'm always aware and keep my back straight.... it's always stupid things like bending down to pick up a furniture slider!!!  No sense in it, but one thing's for sure if you don't do everything you can to look after your back you'll pay for it later.

When I used to work in the building trade (when my chest was bigger than my belly, rather than the other way round :( ) we used to lug a lot of materials on and off our truck, setting up site etc for the brickies.  I used to get a 25kg bag of cement dropped on to EACH of my shoulders and walk across site with them!  If you couldn't carry the absolute maximum weight you could lift it just meant more walking.  Digging is bad too, we used to do a lot of that.

All that plus a car crash that injured my back, and boy am I paying for it now!


Hang on Jim, I'll get my violin out!!!!!

 ;D ;D ;D
Title: Re: Lighter Wand
Post by: Jim_77 on May 08, 2012, 10:53:36 pm
No need mate, just give me a rub down on Saturday  :-* :-*
Title: Re: Lighter Wand
Post by: garyfindlay on May 09, 2012, 10:18:13 pm
Jim Neal`s only 34 :o :o :o   been to a few all nighters.
Title: Re: Lighter Wand
Post by: Shaun_Ashmore on May 09, 2012, 10:28:18 pm
Woodbridge also do the Bentley wand which comes with a glide as well as a cheaper version which comes in 2 pieces and is a steal for under £200.

Shaun