Clean It Up
UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: roundbuilder on July 01, 2013, 06:41:35 pm
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As some know im building up my step dad a window cleaning round but at the mo he only has a car(ford focus) he hasnt got the funds to afford a van yet. I have spares of everything in my garages so can kit hi out to get started..will this work surficiant untill he gets a van and vanmount setup.
Surflo backpack, 8 25 litre barrels, pheonix 22 pro pole, telescopic steps or small aframe ladder for reaching higher ground windows and climbing the odd gate, trad gear for downstairs, have i missed anything??
Im going to get hi poling the tops and trading all bottoms so he will be able to master both methods by the time he gets a van.
He will Only be doing 10 jobs a day to start with so in my way of thinking 6-8 barrels doing tops should be more than enough?.
Any input would be handy from others who work from a car, whats the maximum amount of average houses can be managable a day without it becoming stressfull.
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It will help a lot if you put 30m of hose on the trolley, so you can leave it one spot, and work round the house.
Put a tap on the end of the hose, and you will save a lot of water.
First cleans are always the killer with a trolley, because you need lots of water, so it is maybe an idea for you to do the first clean with him.
Worked from a trolley for a couple of years, and it totally destroyed the car, and my back ;D
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Lol cheers i wont tell him about bad back or destroying the car, i didnt think of tap and hose so more to add to the list. i was going to use a sack barrow with the backpack? I do have a pure freedom trolley as well but thought backpack would be more space saving for him using a car??.
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I used a 35 ltr trolley
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/35ltr-Water-Fed-Pole-Trolley-/161035525898?pt=UK_HomeGarden_CLV_Cleaning_CA&hash=item257e771f0a
These are quite light compared to others, and they are five speed.
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Personally i would not use 30 mtrs of hose , I would recommend having an additional 10 mtrs of pole hose to what is needed for the pole used as this will help avoid to many tangles .
If he is going to be taking backpack out of car 10 mtrs should be sufficient and 6-8 barrels will be more than enough for 10 jobs per day depending on house size 6-8 barrels would do 10 full houses not just tops .
6 25ltr containers is 150 ltrs so that should do him enough . Mike
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We had a Nissan primera estate, and this fitted on the back seat.
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Pure freedom trolley will fit in a focus boot along with 2-3 containers then you can get 2 containers in each rear footwell thats what i used to do in the early days . Mike
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I use my Ford Focus for 2 and a half years with roof bars a good car.
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Cheers chaps just what i wanted to hear. My only worry was him working from a car and it not being as easy as it seems.
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Random idea but what about putting a pump on a board and just putting the feed into differents barrels when needed?
Put a splitter on the feed so ot can draw from two barrels at a time...
No carrying barrels all day, can use a hosereel....
Would that work?
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If he is fairly fit and healthy and working from his car with trolley is only for a few months then i am sure he will manage fine ,
I was never the fittest person and managed fine for 3 years working out of a car and at least he has got you for advice and help Mick which will make things a whole load easier . Mike
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I agree with Pride, take the feed direct from two 25tls barrels. Hozelok reel from screwfix 30 quid, 100mts of 6mm microbore off the net about 50 t0 60 quid. That would cut out most of the lifting in and out of the car, especially if the feed pipe is long enough to reach all the barrels wherever they are in the car.
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My first year was exactly as you suggest Mick, I was working out of a rover 45 with a shurflo backpack and barrels of water. Worked OK, just tell him to carry the barrels one at a time. I hurt my back carrying two.
10 semis a day would be about all he could do.
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Can only give you my experience as it is Mick, worked for 20 years using trad pole and backflip for upper windows and normal trad gear for lower, never had a complaint, ok I couldn't do the upper frames but nobody ever complained. Its worth thinking about, safe, cheaper by far than wfp, work in any weather etc. I know people will knock this but 20 years stands for itself, cut in the top edge and there are no runs.
However wanting to be a pro, bought an ro in the garage and 20 litre barrels, backpack and poles etc. worked out of an astra estate, probably slower than using the trad pole but better job with frames done.
Now got a 175 litre tank in the estate, use wfp for tops but in reality I need a van. Run out of water and the backpack takes around 4 mins to fill from the tank.
If I was starting out again I'd go trad pole, the customers like to see a squeegee.
low overheads on start uo and easy to do, later progress into wfp.
All the best mate.
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i use a shopping trolley i nicked off my mum,bungee the backpack to it & its great, much better than the sacktrucks
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I used a sheet of waterproof material fitted in the back, stopped the boot getting wet, I used pond liner.
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I started out using a sack truck and lifting it out the back of a car id ok until I pulled mussels in my lower back. I then started using a hose reel leaving the sack truck in the car, worked a treat.
If I had to use a car again I would do as others have said, leave it ask in the car and use a hose reel, simple and quick.
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Cheers chaps just what i wanted to hear. My only worry was him working from a car and it not being as easy as it seems.
I've got a set of focus roof bars
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Cheers chaps just what i wanted to hear. My only worry was him working from a car and it not being as easy as it seems.
I've got a set of focus roof bars
Will they fit a MK11 focus (2007)?
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Mick did you need a few drums back for your step dad im not using them all at the moment.
I can drop them off later if you want.
Paul
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Cheers for the thought paul, its ok though i have loads of barrels laying in garage gaining dust, he can use them.
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Why doesn't he sell the car to get a van and be more practical. That's what I had to do.
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Use a trailer.
Get a 400kg top end camping trailer second hand (like I did) (£150/200)
Put a 200L tank in (maybe plus immersion plus a couple of barrels) plus 100m of microbore (like I did)
No bad back, no lifting in and out. Enough water for a steady 4/5 hours. Small enough to manoeuvre single handed.
You soon learn to reverse.
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Use a trailer.
Get a 400kg top end camping trailer second hand (like I did) (£150/200)
Put a 200L tank in (maybe plus immersion plus a couple of barrels) plus 100m of microbore (like I did)
No bad back, no lifting in and out. Enough water for a steady 4/5 hours. Small enough to manoeuvre single handed.
You soon learn to reverse.
This has got me thinking!. Nice 1.