[sean84]

I cant understand traders,i mean why earn £20 per hour when you could earn £40 per hour, errrrr no brainer

£20 p/h?! Im doing something wrong!

[Dave66]

rain/wind--used to have so many days off trad... 

so much better with wfp not clinging on for your life everytime its windy...

oh and after a few months its paid for for itself and you can start enjoying double the money 

[sean84]

rain/wind--used to have so many days off trad... 

so much better with wfp not clinging on for your life everytime its windy...

oh and after a few months its paid for for itself and you can start enjoying double the money 

Getting a backpack to start doing all the tops wfp in a few weeks.....Cant wait 

[barry mallett]

trad all the way .

[dazmond]

i agree i work far more and more efficiently in good and bad weather than when i was 100% trad.so earnings are well up.dont forget the better more lucrative jobs you can clean then the conny roofs/fascia work....the list is endless in favour of wfp work.

then the safety.its all good!!!i was a trad window cleaner for 16 years.why on earth do you want to climb up to every upper window with a ladder when you can clean it in 15 seconds from the safety of the ground??

it really is one hell of a tool for most work.im glad i seen the light and invested!!

[sean84]

i agree i work far more and more efficiently in good and bad weather than when i was 100% trad.so earnings are well up.dont forget the better more lucrative jobs you can clean then the conny roofs/fascia work....the list is endless in favour of wfp work.

then the safety.its all good!!!i was a trad window cleaner for 16 years.why on earth do you want to climb up to every upper window with a ladder when you can clean it in 15 seconds from the safety of the ground??

it really is one hell of a tool for most work.im glad i seen the light and invested!!

You doing both, wfp and trad now?

[andrew tapsell]

i do both but i prefer trad its proper wc . i do 70 percent wfp which is  more profitable and 30 percent trad.   when i do trad you look and feel like a professional  

[gary999]

I cant understand traders,i mean why earn £20 per hour when you could earn £40 per hour, errrrr no brainer

I agree. But then as a traddy, my overheads are much lower, so I don't need to make £40 per hour and have my profits eroded when wfp equipment breaks. I mean, how many tradders come on here and post plaintiff cries for help when their cloths or ladders wear out!    

dont assume all wfpers over heads apart from the odd brush or
pump and obviously fuel my overheads are tiny

Not assuming anything. It is obvious that it costs more to get a wfp set up and run it. This has to be recouped before any profits are made, and from the many posts I have read on here, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to work out that wfp operators have to earn more to pay for/maintain their kit. Not knocking it, its just that as a tradder I don't have the same overheads, therefore don't have to earn as much! I did look into the costs of going wfp and decided that it was not for me.    

John

cost me less than £500 5yrs ago to set up got a freedom trolley
24ft pole 200gpd ro 25ltr di barrels and teleplus and optiloc poles
and  loads of other trad gear off ebay
im still using the same ro havent changed my filters in 4 yrs and
still getting less than 10ppm my tap water is only 70ppm andi still
use all the poles

the gear has made me more money than if i had stayed trad
and thats taking overheads into account

i think you would find if you went wfp the gain would definately
outway your cost.less face it the people who have switched from trad
to wfp wouldnt continue with it if on balance it wasnt more than
worthwhile

[gary999]

i do both but i prefer trad its proper wc . i do 70 percent wfp which is  more profitable and 30 percent trad.   when i do trad you look and feel like a professional  

funny that i come across more and more customers who think
that the only cleaners who are on ladders are dodgy and unproffesional

thats not my opinion its just what im starting to hear

[sean84]

Im a trad man but I agree, wfp looks more professional.

[john the cleaner]

totaly agree with johnny b well said johnny trad all the way

[dazmond]

i really think its madness to stay trad but its your choice!!

[bad trippy]

I want to ask this question to the traders.
Me and the Mrs done 3 hours today, we averaged £96.50 per hour
My question is this. What is the nearest you can get to this hourly figure trad?
Im not trying to put you down so dont take it the wrong way, i was trad for over 14 yrs
This talk of large overheads for water fed polers is a nonsense
Do all your facts and figures like a proper businessman, and study.
If your only a fraction bright, you will understand that going wfp, is a life investment,and business changing experience

[sean84]

I want to ask this question to the traders.
Me and the Mrs done 3 hours today, we averaged £96.50 per hour
My question is this. What is the nearest you can get to this hourly figure trad?
Im not trying to put you down so dont take it the wrong way, i was trad for over 14 yrs
This talk of large overheads for water fed polers is a nonsense
Do all your facts and figures like a proper businessman, and study.
If your only a fraction bright, you will understand that going wfp, is a life investment,and business changing experience

Your spot on with what your saying, im going wfp soon (tops only) and can't wait! Definately going to make me more money by being quicker its a no brainer and can't see how theres 'big' overheads. Ok, water bill may go up a bit every month but thats hardly worth worrying about.
Are you doing commercial work to average that hourly rate?

[JackieW]

100% traditional but looking to change over 100% waterfed pole.

''My question is this. What is the nearest you can get to this hourly figure [£96.50] trad?''

Nowhere near. I average £27 per hour across my whole round. Varies between £24 and £30

[sean84]

100% traditional but looking to change over 100% waterfed pole.

''My question is this. What is the nearest you can get to this hourly figure [£96.50] trad?''

Nowhere near. I average £27 per hour across my whole round. Varies between £24 and £30

Thats very good for trad! Ive only just started, don't have many customers, but I think I could do £15 p / h avarage I think thats a nice wage IMO.

[andrewlefkas]

Did Trad for 25 years or so but WFP now 90% nfew trad bungalows and its a nice change and keeps my hand in - also reminds me what hard work it is compared to wfp. Biggest downside to WFP for me is messing with water although I have it pretty sorted now it was a bit of messing getting IBC ,pumps ,filters,drums,hoses trollys and stuff but still feel and want to feel more proffesional doing my job 

[Panorama]

I've found with wfp you need to get organised , once you accomplish this , it's removes a lot of stress

[Richy essex]

Do you think it would be worth me being wfp if I'm only doing 5 to 6 houses 3 days a week??  Money wise and setting up wise would it still be worth it how much would it cost me to get set up would it be cost effective etc etc??

[tom cronin]

Do you think it would be worth me being wfp if I'm only doing 5 to 6 houses 3 days a week??  Money wise and setting up wise would it still be worth it how much would it cost me to get set up would it be cost effective etc etc??

Ud smash those houses out in about 6 hours on the pole