[KS Cleaning]

Does anyone have the new gardiner backpack?Are they the same as the budget ones from WCW?I would like a wee review on it as I am cosidering buying one.

[richardlingard]

good morning my friend, i have the gardiners backpack and the latest wcw backpack.

Design - The wcw backpack is designed to fit to the contours of the back and is shaped as so, however no-one wears a backpack, it is miles better stapped to a foldable trolly with some extra pole hose. i use both this way and they both proform the same.
one thing that does happen is when eventually water gets inside the wcw backpack you will have to open up and have a look inside to sort out some wires and stuff, due to the rubber seal around the gardiners backpack, this will far likely less happen with the gardiners backpack.
if you dont want to use the trolly the wcw wins due to ease of carrying as mentioned above.

You can also see how much water is left in the gardiners backpack which is a good touch, as well the flow controll os not somewhere where you will snap it off, the wcw now come with protecters

Winner - Draw

Charge - The gardiners charging system is better hands down

Use - on the budject wcw backpack they say the pump is of lower quality, however this is not the case with the gardiners backpack, although it looks the same they are the sole uk distributers of this product and having used them side by side they preform the same.
 
Winner - Draw

Battery Life - they will both last all day working non stop.

verdict, simmilar price, hard to chose which is better, as on a trolly the both equate to a fantastic product earning 100's for a 140 ish outlay.
both companys have great after service so it goes down to personal choice really.
i must say though i would probably go for the gardiners again for it looks a little sturdier and water tight, but thats not to say the wcw dont last becasue they normally do and are always fixable.

i hope this has helped its really difficult to seperate them :-)

on thing of note though is wcw often sell send backs at a fraction of the price if you give them a call.

the currect wcw backpack i have been using as a full system day in day out for around a year and in that time i connected crocodile clips to the ends of the wires inside and it has never let me down

[William McCafferty]

I have an older version from wcw and the new gardiners backpack and I did write a review some months back.

Over the years my old wcw backpack has had to have modifications made to it, the battery is prone to movement and the connectors come off, the charging connection is normally the 1st thing to go and I have had to re-gig this.

The switch is normally the next thing to play up, mine is iffy at times.

I have had this backpack for over 3 years and the pump and battery are still in full working order, the body is still in good order apart from the usual wear and tear.

The gardiners backpack is a different animal, at first inspection you can see a better build and quality, but the biggest failure is the carrying handle, when the backpack is full, it seems a lot heaver than the wcw one to transport around, because of this I have mine attached to a trolley.

The flow control switch is something I don't really use, I only use one flow setting and that is full blast, but if I was to use it I think it would be a problem, the unit is located underneath the on/off switch and if the user was wearing large gloves he could find it difficult to locate and adjust, ideally this would be better if it was moved to the top of the backpack.

Overall which is the best backpack, well they both do the job that they are built to do, if you have a lot of houses that require you to go though customers houses and tight spaces, then I would recommend you use the wcw one, if though you are happy to have it strapped to a trolley then the gardiners one is the one.

[Small but perfectley formed]

I purchased one last week and used today first time , all I can say is it not very well designed you can only manage a few windows before it kills the back the straps are useless and the bottom of the backpack sticks in your back.
On a trolley it would be different but I wanted a back pack for terraced houses where dragging the hose is a ball ache

[richardlingard]

no one should use the backpack as a backpack, also both companies advice otherways, why would you put soething on your back when it has a carrying handle ?

[keyser soze]

get on great with the new gardiners backpack..... handy bit of kit . i dont find it heavy at all on my back .

[Small but perfectley formed]

Do you put any water in it

[KS Cleaning]

Thanks for replys,I was a bit brief with my OP.The reviews have been really helpfull.I carry my backpacks by the handle and thought there may be a few issues with having the lid as a handle.I can't see how gardiners claim to be the sole UK supplier tho, when the budget WCW ones(not the orange ones,I have 2)look exactly the same,but are quite a bit cheaper

[John pearce]

what ever one you get,  just buy a shopping trolly from argos and bungee it on, do not use straps for back, bin em.

[Alex Gardiner]

Thanks for replys,I was a bit brief with my OP.The reviews have been really helpfull.I carry my backpacks by the handle and thought there may be a few issues with having the lid as a handle.I can't see how Gardiners claim to be the sole UK supplier tho, when the budget WCW ones(not the orange ones,I have 2)look exactly the same,but are quite a bit cheaper

WCW must have bought a few sample units to test the market after they saw our one being advertised. However we are now the Sole UK distributor as the manufacturer will only sell to us as we have bought two full production runs now.

[richardlingard]

very nice as well they are mr G :-)

[Frankybadboy]

no one should use the backpack as a backpack, also both companies advice otherways, why would you put soething on your back when it has a carrying handle ?

why i used a backpack for 6months every day when i 1st started you some get used to it.

it sold as a back pack cause it is a back back.want to put it on a trolley then invest in a trolley as your get more use out of a proper trolley and it will outlast a backpack.

no one every tells you to fill it up to the top,if your doing,just a few windows then half fill it

[John pearce]

no one should use the backpack as a backpack, also both companies advice otherways, why would you put soething on your back when it has a carrying handle ?

why i used a backpack for 6months every day when i 1st started you some get used to it.

it sold as a back pack cause it is a back back.want to put it on a trolley then invest in a trolley as your get more use out of a proper trolley and it will outlast a backpack.

no one every tells you to fill it up to the top,if your doing,just a few windows then half fill it

Your right, i got pure freedom trolly 50 ltr, used for a while but found it heavy for in , out of van, and for tight spaces, just find it easier with back pack, but still dont fancy lugging around on my back, i use it for most of work

[Blue Frog Systems]

i started out with a backpack (the old wcw one). it went on my back and came straight off again. 9 months later i got a van mount and the backpack got made redundant. fast forward 18 months and i got the old backpack out as i could see a need for it on some jobs. well after 2 house moves it wasnt working. bought a gardinera one and although the handle placement wasnt as good at the old wcw one its well made. am going to strap it to an ikea trolley. its not going to get much use as there are only a handfull of jobs i will use it on so i expect it to last for some time.

backpacks are a good starting point for wfp or a great additional tool for a van mouny