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UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: clean on July 23, 2009, 04:18:07 pm

Title: Gutter vacs is it worth it ?
Post by: clean on July 23, 2009, 04:18:07 pm
Hi all,i`ve been thinking about this for a while and was wondering if anyone went for it and can highly reccomend  it,
Thanks  ;)
Title: Re: Gutter vacs is it worth it ?
Post by: Steve CM on July 23, 2009, 04:19:32 pm
gutter cleaning goes hand in hand with windows. it makes the job easier so its a no brainer
Title: Re: Gutter vacs is it worth it ?
Post by: clean on July 23, 2009, 04:23:02 pm
Thanks Steve,do you use one if so what do you have
Title: Re: Gutter vacs is it worth it ?
Post by: clean on July 23, 2009, 04:38:19 pm
If going down the DIY route what wet dry vacuum is need ie wattage power size etc ?
Title: Re: Gutter vacs is it worth it ?
Post by: Steve CM on July 23, 2009, 04:53:56 pm
i bought the full omnivac set up at around 5k and yes it was worth it
Title: Re: Gutter vacs is it worth it ?
Post by: ftp on July 23, 2009, 06:41:40 pm
I went diy for a little over £1k and yes it was worth it too  ;D
Title: Re: Gutter vacs is it worth it ?
Post by: JSMC on July 23, 2009, 11:16:03 pm
what generator you guys got?
Title: Re: Gutter vacs is it worth it ?
Post by: groundhog on July 24, 2009, 12:38:48 am
In a word.... NO!!!! just get yourself a decent ladder and a trowel... far more effective, faster and one hell of a lot cheaper!!!!!!!!!  ;)
Title: Re: Gutter vacs is it worth it ?
Post by: GWCS on July 24, 2009, 09:56:37 am
In a word.... NO!!!! just get yourself a decent ladder and a trowel... far more effective, faster and one hell of a lot cheaper!!!!!!!!!  ;)

This is only any good for the sole traders who do not care about H&S and who have no employees.

If you are an employer it is your responsibility (legal requirement) to ensure you employees are following H&S legislation and are providing your employees with adequate training, equipment and support.

However after previously doing the ladder scoops method and now having a gutter vac of some sorts I can say it is much faster with experience, extremely safer, not only for yourself but for any third party too, and very effective.


Title: Re: Gutter vacs is it worth it ?
Post by: dd on July 24, 2009, 01:01:52 pm
In a word.... NO!!!! just get yourself a decent ladder and a trowel... far more effective, faster and one hell of a lot cheaper!!!!!!!!!  ;)
You told us you earned well over £1000 in one day with a gutter vac you hired from omnipole! Assuming this is the same Groundhog.
Title: Re: Gutter vacs is it worth it ?
Post by: clean on July 24, 2009, 01:04:01 pm
If going down the DIY route what wet dry vacuum is need ie wattage power size etc ?

Can anyone answer this question ?
Thanks  ;)
Title: Re: Gutter vacs is it worth it ?
Post by: groundhog on July 24, 2009, 02:45:38 pm
In a word.... NO!!!! just get yourself a decent ladder and a trowel... far more effective, faster and one hell of a lot cheaper!!!!!!!!!  ;)
You told us you earned well over £1000 in one day with a gutter vac you hired from omnipole! Assuming this is the same Groundhog.

Well remembered dd! your right I did, but I could have done the job just as well (better actually!) and as fast using a ladder + trowel... and saved myself the hassle and expense of hiring the vac!!  ;)
Title: Re: Gutter vacs is it worth it ?
Post by: ftp on July 24, 2009, 04:29:10 pm
Groundhog's right!
There is nothing to beat being up close and personal to the gutter. Of course that means ladders, so if you are happy with ladders then don't waste your money.
However, if you want commercial work then ladders will most likely be a no no. Likewise are you willing to climb on three storey work?
Vacs do the job, not spotlessly but they will clear the rubbish out and leave you with clean hands and no broken limbs.  ;D

So as a kind of life insurance then I suppose they are worth it, the same reason people use the waterfed pole system really.
Title: Re: Gutter vacs is it worth it ?
Post by: Steve CM on July 24, 2009, 05:31:38 pm
In a word.... NO!!!! just get yourself a decent ladder and a trowel... far more effective, faster and one hell of a lot cheaper!!!!!!!!!  ;)

what a load of nonsense!
Title: Re: Gutter vacs is it worth it ?
Post by: wfp master on July 24, 2009, 06:01:08 pm
Hi all,i`ve been thinking about this for a while and was wondering if anyone went for it and can highly reccomend  it,
Thanks  ;)
no waste of cash
Title: Re: Gutter vacs is it worth it ?
Post by: groundhog on July 24, 2009, 08:42:09 pm
In a word.... NO!!!! just get yourself a decent ladder and a trowel... far more effective, faster and one hell of a lot cheaper!!!!!!!!!  ;)

what a load of nonsense!

Who the hell do you think you are?? I've done a lot of gutter cleaning over the last few years, and I would only consider hiring out a guttervac again as an absolute last resort. The way I do it these days is to go up the ladder and get out as much as I can with the trowel and then rod the gutter through as far as I can, so I don't have to put the ladder up so often. The guttervac is heavy, slow and ineffective on gutters that are very blocked, and dosn't clear out downpipes very well at all.
Title: Re: Gutter vacs is it worth it ?
Post by: R W C on July 24, 2009, 09:01:52 pm
welcome back grounhog  ;)
Title: Re: Gutter vacs is it worth it ?
Post by: prestigeclean on July 24, 2009, 09:03:12 pm
just got a gutter job worth £810 twice a year , so i,d say yes , there,s no way i would of got the job without the vac and camera regards alan
Title: Re: Gutter vacs is it worth it ?
Post by: Davo on July 24, 2009, 09:24:21 pm
In a word.... NO!!!! just get yourself a decent ladder and a trowel... far more effective, faster and one hell of a lot cheaper!!!!!!!!!  ;)

what a load of nonsense!
Hi stevecm can you expand on that statement and explain why its nonsense.
Thanks
Mark
Title: Re: Gutter vacs is it worth it ?
Post by: Steve CM on July 25, 2009, 12:57:07 pm
In a word.... NO!!!! just get yourself a decent ladder and a trowel... far more effective, faster and one hell of a lot cheaper!!!!!!!!!  ;)

what a load of nonsense!

Who the hell do you think you are?? I've done a lot of gutter cleaning over the last few years, and I would only consider hiring out a guttervac again as an absolute last resort. The way I do it these days is to go up the ladder and get out as much as I can with the trowel and then rod the gutter through as far as I can, so I don't have to put the ladder up so often. The guttervac is heavy, slow and ineffective on gutters that are very blocked, and dosn't clear out downpipes very well at all.

the gutter vac is an effective solution to clearing out gutters safely and effectively. to say that a ladder and trowel is more effective is nonsense!
Title: Re: Gutter vacs is it worth it ?
Post by: groundhog on July 25, 2009, 02:35:17 pm
In a word.... NO!!!! just get yourself a decent ladder and a trowel... far more effective, faster and one hell of a lot cheaper!!!!!!!!!  ;)

what a load of nonsense!

Who the hell do you think you are?? I've done a lot of gutter cleaning over the last few years, and I would only consider hiring out a guttervac again as an absolute last resort. The way I do it these days is to go up the ladder and get out as much as I can with the trowel and then rod the gutter through as far as I can, so I don't have to put the ladder up so often. The guttervac is heavy, slow and ineffective on gutters that are very blocked, and dosn't clear out downpipes very well at all.

the gutter vac is an effective solution to clearing out gutters safely and effectively. to say that a ladder and trowel is more effective is nonsense!

If we had two identical houses side by side, both with the gutters overflowing with wet leaves and pine needles, I can guarantee that I would have my house finished using my ladder and trowel in at least a 1/4 of the time it would take you with your guttervac!!! And I would be at home with my feet up having a cup of tea, whilst you were struggling with your heavy and clumsy equipment which keeps getting blocked up!!!  ;D ;D
Title: Re: Gutter vacs is it worth it ?
Post by: Glyn H on July 25, 2009, 02:45:56 pm
Quote
If we had two identical houses side by side, both with the gutters overflowing with wet leaves and pine needles, I can guarantee that I would have my house finished using my ladder and trowel in at least a 1/4 of the time it would take you with your guttervac!!! And I would be at home with my feet up having a cup of tea, whilst you were struggling with your heavy and clumsy equipment which keeps getting blocked up!!!  Grin

So what you are actually saying is that is possible for you personally to earn 4 x more than you did in a day with the guttervac that you hired ie. £4000.00  ;D
 ;D
Taking into consideration that you, I believe only hired the vac part of the system and that you had no experiance of using the vac you still managed to earn over £1000.00 in a day .... but in your opinion you wasted your money.

Title: Re: Gutter vacs is it worth it ?
Post by: Steve CM on July 25, 2009, 03:07:07 pm
In a word.... NO!!!! just get yourself a decent ladder and a trowel... far more effective, faster and one hell of a lot cheaper!!!!!!!!!  ;)

what a load of nonsense!

Who the hell do you think you are?? I've done a lot of gutter cleaning over the last few years, and I would only consider hiring out a guttervac again as an absolute last resort. The way I do it these days is to go up the ladder and get out as much as I can with the trowel and then rod the gutter through as far as I can, so I don't have to put the ladder up so often. The guttervac is heavy, slow and ineffective on gutters that are very blocked, and dosn't clear out downpipes very well at all.

the gutter vac is an effective solution to clearing out gutters safely and effectively. to say that a ladder and trowel is more effective is nonsense!

If we had two identical houses side by side, both with the gutters overflowing with wet leaves and pine needles, I can guarantee that I would have my house finished using my ladder and trowel in at least a 1/4 of the time it would take you with your guttervac!!! And I would be at home with my feet up having a cup of tea, whilst you were struggling with your heavy and clumsy equipment which keeps getting blocked up!!!  ;D ;D

tell me what the tea in a NHS hospital tastes like won't you ;D ;D you are an accident waiting to happen ::)
Title: Re: Gutter vacs is it worth it ?
Post by: groundhog on July 25, 2009, 08:13:10 pm
Quote
If we had two identical houses side by side, both with the gutters overflowing with wet leaves and pine needles, I can guarantee that I would have my house finished using my ladder and trowel in at least a 1/4 of the time it would take you with your guttervac!!! And I would be at home with my feet up having a cup of tea, whilst you were struggling with your heavy and clumsy equipment which keeps getting blocked up!!!  Grin

So what you are actually saying is that is possible for you personally to earn 4 x more than you did in a day with the guttervac that you hired ie. £4000.00  ;D
 ;D
Taking into consideration that you, I believe only hired the vac part of the system and that you had no experiance of using the vac you still managed to earn over £1000.00 in a day .... but in your opinion you wasted your money.


Hi Glynn, no I'm not saying that I wasted my money. I am saying though, that if the gutters are really blocked with wet leaves and pine needles, then the ladder and trowel method is much quicker! If the gutters only have a small amount of debris in them then the guttervac would probably be slightly quicker. I have used a guttervac on 3 occassions now, and although I agree that it is a useful tool, I would only use it if the gutters didn't require much cleaning, if they are heavily blocked then forget it!!
Title: Re: Gutter vacs is it worth it ?
Post by: GWCS on July 25, 2009, 08:39:31 pm
In a word.... NO!!!! just get yourself a decent ladder and a trowel... far more effective, faster and one hell of a lot cheaper!!!!!!!!!  ;)

what a load of nonsense!

Who the hell do you think you are?? I've done a lot of gutter cleaning over the last few years, and I would only consider hiring out a guttervac again as an absolute last resort. The way I do it these days is to go up the ladder and get out as much as I can with the trowel and then rod the gutter through as far as I can, so I don't have to put the ladder up so often. The guttervac is heavy, slow and ineffective on gutters that are very blocked, and dosn't clear out downpipes very well at all.

the gutter vac is an effective solution to clearing out gutters safely and effectively. to say that a ladder and trowel is more effective is nonsense!

If we had two identical houses side by side, both with the gutters overflowing with wet leaves and pine needles, I can guarantee that I would have my house finished using my ladder and trowel in at least a 1/4 of the time it would take you with your guttervac!!! And I would be at home with my feet up having a cup of tea, whilst you were struggling with your heavy and clumsy equipment which keeps getting blocked up!!!  ;D ;D

You have a point when it comes to pine needles.

Title: Re: Gutter vacs is it worth it ?
Post by: Rob_Mac on July 25, 2009, 08:49:05 pm
Pole King

I am cleaning UPVC, conservatory roofs and clearing out gutters at the rate of about 15 - 20 per month. How I am getting the work is not for discussion but I am using pressure washer, extending lance and gutter nozzle.

I can clean a four bedroomed house - all gutters in about ten minutes. 10 minutes to rinse down and tidy up. The rest of the time on each job is spent cleaning UPVC, conservatory roofs and full window cleans.


If you want to give me a bell - go on the website and ring me.

Rob ;D
Title: Re: Gutter vacs is it worth it ?
Post by: Rob_Mac on July 25, 2009, 08:52:21 pm
I will add to this that I can clean to 12 metres from the ground and when I am cleaning commercially, which we do often, it is far quicker to presssure wash the box gutter and then scoop up the accumulated crap at a central point, all from a cherry picker

Rob ;D