Clean It Up
UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: L.J.Thorpe on July 31, 2008, 08:47:07 pm
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2 weeks on and its brilliant
no more barrels ;D
no more scrimping on water
10 mins to fill up at night instead of half an hour
NO MORE HEAVY LIFTING
amazing how far 100mtrs of hose will reach ;D
i reckon it saves 10 mins in every hour......maybe more when i get used to it
anyone thinking about making the switch,dont think
JUST DO IT
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Yep
had one from day one made my own diy system from all the tips on here and away we went
have never looked back :D
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having done both i totally agree ;D
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What tank you got there Forpy?
Who fitted it?
Ta muchly.
Matt
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matt is that you ??? (scuba marinefish etc ???)
any way its a diy
650 ltr ibc
my mate has an engineering company,he made me a "tray" (best way i can describe it)
it is bolted to chassis members and thru floor with spreader plates
then has BIG ratchet straps over
its baffled too(diy as well ;D)
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ay, tis moi ;D
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awlright mate ;D
yeah all diy
works well tho
and soooo much easier than the trolley
did you get a van ???
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Im thinking the same trolley barrels doing my nut in!
you just get going then having to go back and swop them over thats whats slowing me down i think.
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I used a trolley for a year before i got a van system and would never go back the trolley was last used about a year ago
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Sounds good bud. Yeah I did get a van, still trolley system, will be upgrading later this year.
(http://www.ultimatereef.net/uploader/2008Q1/combo-idea-1.jpg)
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nice van
i still use my diy trolley
its just plumbed into a tank ;D
did it that way so i could take it off if i wanted
cant see it happening so far
any way do it as soon as you can
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i will not listern to you :P :P :P
la la la
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nice van
i still use my diy trolley
its just plumbed into a tank ;D
did it that way so i could take it off if i wanted
cant see it happening so far
any way do it as soon as you can
Mr Gardiner is taking all my cash at the moment ;D
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Holding out to the bitter end Matt???
Trolleys are ok for some,.... but for me going back to a trolley would be nearly as bad as going back to ladders!
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Holding out to the bitter end Matt???
Trolleys are ok for some,.... but for me going back to a trolley would be nearly as bad as going back to ladders!
ive said it before and i will say it again
i cannot see how a van mount will work for me
most street i clean 9 out of 10 houses, i would have to move the van a few times and have hose running right down the road
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Seriously Matt,.. borrow a mates vanmount for a day,.... it makes such a huge difference, even when you clean every house in the street.
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Holding out to the bitter end Matt???
Trolleys are ok for some,.... but for me going back to a trolley would be nearly as bad as going back to ladders!
ive said it before and i will say it again
i cannot see how a van mount will work for me
most street i clean 9 out of 10 houses, i would have to move the van a few times and have hose running right down the road
Matt, get a 100 mtr hose and try it you may well be shocked that doing what you are at the mo is wasting your time, less that £100 you can see yourself, if it dont work sell the hose I will buy it from you. Dont knock things you have not tried, I think barrels are a royal pain in the a** and a total waste of time, I have tried them, van m,ount all the way (|I may try a packpack one day just to see on a few houses we do)
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i helped build a van mount for sme1 local to me ( well 1 hours drive away )
he ordered all the kit and i helped him fit it
he then had a commercail job to do with it, so asked me to help him
i found the hose got snagged by anything and everything, i was allways walking back to find why the hose had stopped, it was a bush or a plant pot or a corner of the building
if i have had my cart with me, i would have got it out, it drove me mad
honestly, it was a right pain, i longed for the 10 m hose that dosnt foul anything
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i helped build a van mount for sme1 local to me ( well 1 hours drive away )
he ordered all the kit and i helped him fit it
he then had a commercail job to do with it, so asked me to help him
i found the hose got snagged by anything and everything, i was allways walking back to find why the hose had stopped, it was a bush or a plant pot or a corner of the building
if i have had my cart with me, i would have got it out, it drove me mad
honestly, it was a right pain, i longed for the 10 m hose that dosnt foul anything
Experience Matt, I know what you mean it a learning curve as is wfp to trad in the fiorst place (hence why many pack up say it rubbish and go back to trad)
I have used both 25L Barrels a royal pain, van mount 100%, back pack on a few jobs I will see if I ever buy one to test
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i helped build a van mount for sme1 local to me ( well 1 hours drive away )
he ordered all the kit and i helped him fit it
he then had a commercail job to do with it, so asked me to help him
i found the hose got snagged by anything and everything, i was allways walking back to find why the hose had stopped, it was a bush or a plant pot or a corner of the building
if i have had my cart with me, i would have got it out, it drove me mad
honestly, it was a right pain, i longed for the 10 m hose that dosnt foul anything
Sometimes that happens yes, but after a couple of days you get the feeling how to do things, what I do is if there is an obstacle, I just pull out enough hose to get to the back of the house (from the spot where I'm standing), then it makes it a lot easier to get the hose around things, because you aren't pulling it so much.
100m comes a long way btw, I have quite a big part of a street, but I only have to move my van twice. It's all about strategic parking. You get to know how long your hose goes I suppose.
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I run all three and they all serve a purpose ...in the main it's the van mount, backpack and then trolley....they are just different tools to do the same job.
But I think I would go for a van mount if I started again...seems to be the best all round tool of the 3 for my situation...mostly domestic and a spread-out round.
Cheers
Dave.
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2 weeks on and its brilliant
no more barrels ;D
no more scrimping on water
10 mins to fill up at night instead of half an hour
NO MORE HEAVY LIFTING
amazing how far 100mtrs of hose will reach ;D
i reckon it saves 10 mins in every hour......maybe more when i get used to it
anyone thinking about making the switch,dont think
JUST DO IT
Without a doubt. AVan mount is much better.
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What ???
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Van mount and buy a backpack for really difficult access jobs.
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Ewan,.. if your van mount is too big for you, I'll happily swap my 400 litre tank with you!!!
I'd never recommend smaller than a 650 litre tank now that I've had some time working from the van. Plan for your busiest day,.. and if you're concerned about carrying the extra weight, just don't fill the tank to the top on normal days!
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Hi
its far better to be coming home with a bit of water left over than running short and not getting the job done. I have a sprinter van with 1200 litre capacity. Occasionally I have used it all when 3 men are working from the van. After using trollies for 2 1/2 years a van mount has its advantages and disadvantages. Its up to the individual to see which is the the lesser of the two evils he can cope with. I used the omnipole 50litre trolley and it was spot on. But the down side is you have to fill it up every 30 mins or so. I used two pieces of decking to act as ramps to wheel it in & out. I modified it so I could put a reel on it otherwise you have to move it every so often depending on the lenght of your pole hose. My conclusion is each piece of equipment is needed some more so than others some more frequently than others. Its all about problem solving and adjusting to your work.
Thanks
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Hi
its far better to be coming home with a bit of water left over than running short and not getting the job done. I have a sprinter van with 1200 litre capacity. Occasionally I have used it all when 3 men are working from the van. After using trollies for 2 1/2 years a van mount has its advantages and disadvantages. Its up to the individual to see which is the the lesser of the two evils he can cope with. I used the omnipole 50litre trolley and it was spot on. But the down side is you have to fill it up every 30 mins or so. I used two pieces of decking to act as ramps to wheel it in & out. I modified it so I could put a reel on it otherwise you have to move it every so often depending on the lenght of your pole hose. My conclusion is each piece of equipment is needed some more so than others some more frequently than others. Its all about problem solving and adjusting to your work.
Thanks
Something that I did when using the Omnitrolley was to carry a piece of hose about 10 metres or so long with the appropriate fittings at either end. Of course I still had to move it but nowhere near as frequently.
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over time you learn to work WITH the hose
until then it is indeed an aabsolute nightmare
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Dave's right you do learn to work with the hose, i use barrels and 30meters of microbore.
its the same with ladders.. you learn to work with ladders :)
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Having to big a system, most only use about 200-300 litres of water a day. Why have a more expensive van and carry all the extra weight around if you are not going to use it.
Understand if you are employing or plan to in the near future to have 650 plus system.
You don’t just refine your round you also refine your equipment to your requirements.
Just saying a van mount is better is not true, you could say 1,000 litre van mount kicks ass and anything less than this is no good.
:)
Ewan this is not a knock at you, but from that post I really dont think you are a window cleaner at all
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I do a row of semi detached houses (9 in total) I park the van in the middle of the street. Pull the hose from the back to the back of the first house and then work my way up the street one by one. I have 100 mts of hose and not all of it gets puled off. I place signs at each end of the path and move one with me as I work towards the other. Its a really good earner and If I had to do that with a trolley I would go bonkers (and yes I have done it). My trolley now only gets used on two jobs and Im thinking of sacking them as its a hassle once your happy with how to use the van mount efficiently ;)
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I do a row of semi detached houses (9 in total) I park the van in the middle of the street. Pull the hose from the back to the back of the first house and then work my way up the street one by one. I have 100 mts of hose and not all of it gets puled off. I place signs at each end of the path and move one with me as I work towards the other. Its a really good earner and If I had to do that with a trolley I would go bonkers (and yes I have done it). My trolley now only gets used on two jobs and Im thinking of sacking them as its a hassle once your happy with how to use the van mount efficiently ;)
trolleys can be a pain. But if set up right you can fly rounds jobs that use less than the 25 litres it carries.
You need 3 things to make trolley work fast.
A water tank in your vehicle and 1 barrel for the trolley.
A decent 12volt submersible pump that will fill up the barrel in the time it takes to write the chit. (Or roll a ciggie if they are home) :)
And hose that will allow you to park the trolley in 1 or 2 places and work from there.
I used longer pole hose as it was very light, didn't knock over or muscle plants out the way. The drawback with this hose is that it is fragile and prone to spring leaks where it splits. Insulation tape sorts that 1 out though.
Other people use different hose. Horses for courses.
! good thing is learning how to do a good job using very small amounts of water. This would be the same with backpacks.
The trick is to be able to complete 1 job or 2 neighbouring semis without refilling. Refiling a barrel is a pain if doing it before completion of a job. But is very little hassle while loading the van.
Saying this, i use a van mount now when i can. 400 litre water tank, flojet pump and microbore. I get through more water now as i use a much higher flowrate. But i find i am much quicker with a higher flow.
I've used a van mount more since last october, cos after 12 months of pain and struggling to walk (though i could work ok) i was diagnosed by a masseur that i had a raised hip. Something the nhs never spotted.
She described exactly how i lifted so i stopped using the trolley for all work. After 2 weeks the pain had gone.
This isn't a dig at trolleys, more my lifting technique. Or lack of it. I never followed a safe procedure. I just used to throw it in as quick as i could by flicking it up with my leg.
For me it would be a trolley everytime if i could afford the extras. It runs as a van mount but is detatchable. There is no other product (apart from trolleys) on the market that i know of, which can do both. And it can be very quick if doing the the things mentioned above.
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I do a row of semi detached houses (9 in total) I park the van in the middle of the street. Pull the hose from the back to the back of the first house and then work my way up the street one by one. I have 100 mts of hose and not all of it gets puled off. I place signs at each end of the path and move one with me as I work towards the other. Its a really good earner and If I had to do that with a trolley I would go bonkers (and yes I have done it). My trolley now only gets used on two jobs and Im thinking of sacking them as its a hassle once your happy with how to use the van mount efficiently ;)
trolleys can be a pain. But if set up right you can fly rounds jobs that use less than the 25 litres it carries.
You need 3 things to make trolley work fast.
A water tank in your vehicle and 1 barrel for the trolley.
A decent 12volt submersible pump that will fill up the barrel in the time it takes to write the chit. (Or roll a ciggie if they are home) :)
And hose that will allow you to park the trolley in 1 or 2 places and work from there.
I used longer pole hose as it was very light, didn't knock over or muscle plants out the way. The drawback with this hose is that it is fragile and prone to spring leaks where it splits. Insulation tape sorts that 1 out though.
Other people use different hose. Horses for courses.
! good thing is learning how to do a good job using very small amounts of water. This would be the same with backpacks.
The trick is to be able to complete 1 job or 2 neighbouring semis without refilling. Refiling a barrel is a pain if doing it before completion of a job. But is very little hassle while loading the van.
Saying this, i use a van mount now when i can. 400 litre water tank, flojet pump and microbore. I get through more water now as i use a much higher flowrate. But i find i am much quicker with a higher flow.
I've used a van mount more since last october, cos after 12 months of pain and struggling to walk (though i could work ok) i was diagnosed by a masseur that i had a raised hip. Something the nhs never spotted.
She described exactly how i lifted so i stopped using the trolley for all work. After 2 weeks the pain had gone.
This isn't a dig at trolleys, more my lifting technique. Or lack of it. I never followed a safe procedure. I just used to throw it in as quick as i could by flicking it up with my leg.
For me it would be a trolley everytime if i could afford the extras. It runs as a van mount but is detatchable. There is no other product (apart from trolleys) on the market that i know of, which can do both. And it can be very quick if doing the the things mentioned above.
Trying to make sense of the last bit of your post Mark.
Did you leave the word "freedom" out of it?
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Trying to make sense of the last bit of your post Mark.
Did you leave the word "freedom" out of it?
yes paul, i could have posted freedom as the mark 1 is the trolley i have. ;D
I didn't mention freedom cos the points above apply to all trolleys and not just freedom.
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trolleys can be a pain.
The drawback with this hose is that it is fragile and prone to spring leaks where it splits.
learning how to do a good job using very small amounts of water.
i use a van mount now when i can. I get through more water now as i use a much higher flowrate. But i find i am much quicker with a higher flow.
I've used a van mount more since last october, cos after 12 months of pain and struggling to walk. After 2 weeks the pain had gone.
Just reading between the lines Mark
Trolleys can be a pain and have been! (in more ways than one)
You have to use less water with a trolley but its quicker to use a high flow rate - which you prefer for speed and your walking better with no pain
and you still think a trolley is better - I'm confused ???
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trolleys can be a pain.
The drawback with this hose is that it is fragile and prone to spring leaks where it splits.
learning how to do a good job using very small amounts of water.
i use a van mount now when i can. I get through more water now as i use a much higher flowrate. But i find i am much quicker with a higher flow.
I've used a van mount more since last october, cos after 12 months of pain and struggling to walk. After 2 weeks the pain had gone.
Just reading between the lines Mark
Trolleys can be a pain and have been! (in more ways than one)
You have to use less water with a trolley but its quicker to use a high flow rate - which you prefer for speed and your walking better with no pain
and you still think a trolley is better - I'm confused ???
haha, yes i was all over the place there.
I prefer the van mount now i have a bigger water tank. I have tried the low flow rate for 18 months, also increasing it and overall i prefer using a higher flow rate nowadays.
I liked the trolley and sub pump before cos i could use every litre in the tank. Last week i ran out half way through my last job and had to get the jack out and raise the opposite side of the van to squeeze the last of the water out.
When i used the trolley i worked out once that i was earning approx 80p for every litre of pure i used.
Using van mount now i earn approx 60p per litre of pure. But i have cut my working time earning the same money by 1/3. Most of this 1/3 saved is by rinsing on the glass nowadays.
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Thats more like it...phew ;D
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Having to big a system, most only use about 200-300 litres of water a day. Why have a more expensive van and carry all the extra weight around if you are not going to use it.
Understand if you are employing or plan to in the near future to have 650 plus system.
You don’t just refine your round you also refine your equipment to your requirements.
Just saying a van mount is better is not true, you could say 1,000 litre van mount kicks ass and anything less than this is no good.
:)
i really do not understand this post ??? ::)
i went for a 650 ltr tank so i have PLENTY of scope for carrying water
i used to carry 400 ltrs in barrels
most days this was enough
somedays it was enough with careful usage
on other days it was not enough
hence a 650 ltr tank
next step is to it a diy pump box on the tank cage
then the trolley can be used on its own again
and maybe i can set someone else on with my spare gear
sometimes ewan you over anal ize stuff ;D
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and any way
a van mount IS better
for all the reasons i listed
and all the reasons everyone else added
just try it
whats the worst that could happen ???
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well im going to add some words to this post, Ive been at this a few years now i first started with a van mount an a backpack but due to my round at the time it didn't fit my work was to spread about, so i went for a freedom trolley it was better for my round, then as things never stay the same my round changed again slightly, so in the few years Ive been wfp, this would be my idea of a system, 400ltr van mounted tank, use a freedom trolley to power it also carry 4 full drums 25ltr, attach trolley to a 100m hose, and when needed you can disconnect trolley and go mobile so you get the best of both worlds, i would still carry packpack in van as you never know, a good 45ft modular pole like sl2, then a 25ft slx for everyday use, then a cut down pole for bungalow work, with this sort of set up you should have no problems, so that is my words of wisdom on this. o and i forgot the new superlite brushes a single trim an a double trim. :P
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SWC what's that then? a single trim an a double trim????
sorry I am asking but I just do not know.
Also you got any pics how you have got your Trolley mounted up to your tank? Cheers J
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single an double trim brushes, cant upload pics on here never worked that out yet