Clean It Up
UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: crystal.clear on February 07, 2007, 08:52:53 pm
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what reel do you use? i was thinking ofbuying a plastic one from gardiner but should i go for the metal one
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u get wat u pay 4. the metal 1 will last 4 years
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i had a plastic one lasted about 1 month
then i got a metal one £70 i think had over a year fab get one
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I'd get a metal one, more cost initially but well worth it, it'll last a lot longer
Chris
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i got a plastic hozelok one from argos, they're in the new catalog for 20 quid. had mine 3 years & still going strong. also they are smaller & lighter than the metal ones which is better for me as i lift mine in /out the van all the time. ;)
tony
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mine is a metal 1 its mounted to the inside roof of my van, means loads of space below for other goods
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I got a huge thumping great strong looking plastic thing from B & Q - pulled out around 6 feet and all the plastic lugs on the side wall snapped off! >:(
Took it back to B & Q who said I had mistreated it - huh?
you get what you pay for!
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i bought a large solid metal one which i think is made in germany,they sell them at screwfix direct and i think a few people use these,but beware mine is starting to fall apart after only 6 months,so i dont recomend them
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I would imagine the metal one will last a long time but had my gardiners plastic 60m one since last summer and it still going strong(gardiners site say theirs is 5 years old), advantage it it's so light, and cheap ;D
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I find that Metal reels last longer but if they bolted in the van they last even longer because they are not being battered about on floor and so on bolting it down could double it's life-time! :)
Shaun R. :)
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i've ordered a ionics metal reel plus a 18ft pole and hose.
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I find that Metal reels last longer but if they bolted in the van they last even longer because they are not being battered about on floor and so on bolting it down could double it's life-time! :)
Shaun R. :)
Only negative for me with bolting down in van is that you cant easily lock the van with the hose trailing out, or you have to pull the hose to your futhest limit then return to lock the van, or do you all just leave van open:-\
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We use microbore so it fits ok between the two doors whilst shut!
Shaun R.
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Whilst metal reels are often more robust it does not guarantee that they will outlast a plastic/aluminium one.
I tried one of the metal ones and found it just too heavy to lift in and out several times a day. It must have weighed 5 times as much as the Hozelock ones.
The Hozelock plastic/aluminium ones that I have are over 5 years old now and despite me giving them a very tough life have never let me down once. The only part I have replaced on them is the grey male connector (about 1 year ago) on the side of the reel as it started to pop-off when reeling out.
If you are fixing the reel down or only lift them out once or twice a day then weight is not such an issue.
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We use microbore so it fits ok between the two doors whilst shut!
Shaun R.
I know it will fit through shut doors but you still have to pull the required amount out and then return to van to shut the doors which looses quite a lot of time if thats happening 10+ times a day and a pain if you haven't quite got the required amount out ;D.
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I know it will fit through shut doors but you still have to pull the required amount out and then return to van to shut the doors which looses quite a lot of time if thats happening 10+ times a day and a pain if you haven't quite got the required amount out ;D.
Although i agree that is does take up extra time walking back to tha van to lock the doors but its not exactly a lot is it ...20/30 secs at the most so all in all at the end of the day doesn't add much to your working day.. maybe 5/6 minutes hardly going to miss it are we & most of us finish at different times each day anyway so how you can really think you may be missing that all important extra job ???
Chris
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talking of hoses can you get a retractable hose reel for microbore hose? i want to mount it in the back of my van or would you get away with a normal garden retractable hose that takes 40m of normal hose?do you think 100m of microbore would fit in a 40m hose reel?
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talking of hoses can you get a retractable hose reel for microbore hose? i want to mount it in the back of my van or would you get away with a normal garden retractable hose that takes 40m of normal hose?do you think 100m of microbore would fit in a 40m hose reel?
I dont think it will but im sure 60m would Alexg would probably know better
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thanks chris, what do you say alex mate
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Why would anyone want to lift a reel in and out of the van ??? Totally confused by that one!
Mine is bolted to the floor of the van! Best place for it ;)
If you lift a reel out and place it on the ground and start pulling the hose around several corners, how on earth will the reel stay standing upright ???
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I have 2 reels and they are both clipped to the floor I can pull out 100m of micro of it and they dont snag at all
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I have 2 reels and they are both clipped to the floor I can pull out 100m of micro of it and they dont snag at all
you said in an earlier post 20/30 secs at most, so if you pull 100m out then return to van in that time you should be heading for an Olympic gold medal ;)
My post earlier was thinking of the town house I did yesterday where I had to go up the side of the neighbours house, along the entry at the back of their garden to gain access to the garden then down the garden to the house, what a pain!
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Why would anyone want to lift a reel in and out of the van ??? Totally confused by that one!
Mine is bolted to the floor of the van! Best place for it ;)
If you lift a reel out and place it on the ground and start pulling the hose around several corners, how on earth will the reel stay standing upright ???
it allows you to face the hose reel in any direction, incase you cant get your van parked in the correct place/angle. been doing it this way 3 years & the reel always stays upright when pulling hose out. so basicaly you can park van anywhere & still face the hose reel any where you want. saves reversing down drives etc. ;)
tony
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The job I was thinking of is a large nursing home and I normally park at one end and walk the hose to the other end and it takes up almost 100m But it takes me less the a minute to walk back to the van if I have a problem ( not that I normally lock the van at this place anyway usually there all morning anyway)
normal houses 20 /30 secs yes but the nursing home still no more thn a minute
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I have 3 hosereels a metal one with wheels which i have 100 mtrs of minibore on.
And two hozelock reels one with 50 mtrs of tricloflex
and the other with 30 mtrs of microbore.
And i can honestly say the hozelock reels have been rubbish they leak like a sieve at the grey connector on the side and both started doing this within 1 week of using them.
The metal hozereel does not leak at all the only time it does is when the hozelock connector i plug on to it wears.
Paul
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Hi Aztec,
You will not be able to get any more microbore hose on the retractable reel than it's stated capacity. Its ability to Auto-rewind is not based on the size of hose but on the amount rotations needed to wind a set length of hose back in. Replacing 1/2" hose with microbore will not affect the number of rotation it will be able to rewind.
Well said macmac, flexible placement is the key to hose reel unwinding. We often have a limited option on where to park and then need to run 2 hoses in completely different directions.
Paul Griffin,
I never worry about slight leaks as I have a custom built drip tray (matches my tank)for my hosereels to sit in , this can be emptied as needed. This saves water sloshing around the vehicle.
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thanks alex thats what i thought but wanted to check before i bought anything, is there a retractable hose reel for microbore hoses anywhere on the market you know of please?
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as for the hozeloks leaking, yes they do after a while. in 3 years i've replaced the rubber O ring 3 times at a cost 7p each time!!!!! & i've a young family to feed too. ;D ;D ;D ;D
tony
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Hi Aztec,
You can get them but they only have about a 10m capacity and cost about £80+ VAT.
Let us know if you are interested.
Alex