[sage cs]

Following the theft of some of our equipment we have today taken delivery of a new pressure washing set up from Merrill Fox in the US.
I justed wanted to express my thanks to the superb service,speed of delivery and great price from a company that could teach a lot of UK suppliers a lesson or two.

This is our third unit from Merrill and I would recommend anyone looking to buy pressure washing equipment take a look at thier website.
They are easy to deal with and emails are answered quickly by Hal.

I am not biased nor paid by them. just wanted to praise their service to others.

Stu

[dandandan]

what equipment did you buy and did you pay import duty?

[sage cs]

Hi
Sorry for the delay in the reply.
Yes we did pay import duty - the whole cost was still cheaper than buying in the Uk. that is mainly why we started to deal with Merrill.

Unit bought was a Honda engined 4000psi unit with hoses lance and other extras.
Very pleased with overall service .
Stu

[dandandan]

thanks for your reply,how long was delivery and what if there is a problem,can you go to honda uk etc for warranty work,did you purchase the wheely bin water tank they recommend?just interested cos i might be placing order with them soon, thanks mate dan.

[sage cs]

Dan

Warranty not a problem engine covered by honda in uk , pump as well. I think from memory engine two years and pump one year.

Yes to the wheelie bin kit - eseential from my experience as we are in an area that has varying water pressure from one property to another-this means the machine is running at maximum flow without any fluctuation. no loss of pressure either. the kit merril organises is simple yet effective.any other questions let me know.
stu

[dandandan]

WHAT SIZE VAN DO YOU USE,IS A NEW FIAT SCUDO A GOOD CHOICE,HOW TALL IS THE WHEELLY BIN,IS IT THE SAME HEIGHT AS A NORMAL UK ONE,SORRY FOR ALL THE QUESTIONS BUT I WANT TO GET MY SET UP RIGHT FIRST TIME FOR THE SPRING,I`VE GOT ENOUGH WORK BOOKED TO PAY FOR EQUIPMENT SO I AM GONNA HAVE A GO,DAN.CANNOT GET A REPLY OF MERRILL FOXTHOUGH,HAVE TRIED AGAIN TODAY,SENT THEM 6 E-MAILS AND HAVE POSTED REQUEST ON THIS SITE TODAY.DAN

[Kleen Machine]

are you emailing to the correct email address
it is fox@merrillfoxenterprises.com

[sage cs]

Dan

Yes a normal size wheelie bin - £25 from local hardware shop. You could get away with a small water butt if you wanted,we just find it easy to wheel the bin about.
Van used is a toyota hiace, friend of mine has same set up and uses a citroen dispatch.plenty of room in both.
stu

[dandandan]

thanks again,merrill have been in touch tonight.final question,if your cleaning a driveway at the front of a house is it possible to have wheely bin and generator in the back of van and have hoses running from van to whirlaway/lance etc to save unloading and pulling unit and bin around job,thanks dan

[sage cs]

Dan

You could operate from van if you wanted. you would need to consider safety warning cones and ramp/cover for any hoses that cross footpath etc.
We normally set up evertything to the side of drive/on lawn where possible or at end of drive. We try not to use more than two long lengths of pressure hose to avoid any posiible drop in pressure but you will soon find your own way of working.
Anything else let me know
stu

[dandandan]

How much import tax did you get stung for Stu?Also my first jobis a block driveway 5 metres long,5 metre wide,is this the correct procedure,brush it,jet it,surface clean,jet crap of,spray some weed killer then come back when dry and dry kiln sand joints .Do you surface clean the whole job then hose off or do it a bit of a time so what you have surface cleaned doesn`t dry back in.Finally how much to charge and how long will it take.Sorry to sound so green but i might as well start the right way,dan

[allyoops]

Dan
As its only 25 sq.metres just set up with your rotary cleaner and away to go,wash down and clean up afterwards,you should probably look to charge about £2.50 per sq metre,and have a minimum charge of about £75.
Timewise from start to finish,probably one hour,so in order to give value for money do a pathway aswell or a wall or whatever,always look to exceed the customers expectations,its the best way to get referals,I am sure others will have different ideas,just take them all on board and you will find your own way
I also bought my equipment from merril fox,superb service-no problems,saved over £800 even with import tax,good luck Neil

[drive surgeon]

make sure you are fully insured, i have heard of a few people getting sued lately for various pressure washing jobs.  also insure your gear, bear in mind that winter is poor for pressure washing too. my first two years wear really bad in winter, no calls from august thru till feb.  only stayed alive with savings, had to take another part time job,  maybe you could valet cars too, all year round work, a guy by mine took it on full time after only getting six months of pressure washing work.  good luck.

[sage cs]

Dan

As others have already stated not a massive area so take your time and give a thorough clean. If you are just starting out then you will not be pressed for time, be methodical and think about what you are going to do.
One small tip if you are cleaning any surface next to or near doors and windows it is wise to inspect them first and check with customer to make sure all are shut correctly and do not leak. we normall tape up any inward opening doors or screen with a sheet of ply to save any excess mess.
Sounds like common sense i know but is is eay to forget and you will only make the mistake once - believe me!
Take some clean cloths to wipe down window/door frames arterwards.
The detail in clearing up will go a long way to impressing your new client.
stu

[dandandan]

Thanks for replys,not going into it full time,already have a business which leaves me with plenty of spare time so i`m not expecting miracles.Everyone i`ve mentioned service too has gave good feedback so i reckon i could more or less pay for my gear with the jobs i`ve been promised.What i want to do is spend more time at the caravan and earn some beer money there through the week,maybe cleaning the odd van as well.I was going to canvas a few houses and cherry pick some quick easy jobs that would show good results to get some training and spread the word,maybe post a quote.

[dandandan]

I have had my delivery off merrill stu and i have sent you an e-mail for some advice,hope you don`t mind,dan,the wheely bin set up has got my head done in,ha ha