[jimlaffo]

Hi fellas, do any of you own a gutter vac? If so, do you recommend? Since I changed over to WFP over a year ago I have been doing less gutter jobs due to not using the ladders as much. Now I feel like I'm missing out as it was always a good little side earner.
So, can you recommend any makes, models, sizes etc? Also, if a downspout is blocked, can a gutter vac still clear them?
Thanks for any help.

[Mr. S]

May help mate, my queries earlier this week.
"best gutter vac to add to my window cleaning round"
I went and looked at all 3 of their machines Wednesday. After comparing lots of different brands. A lot of money but already got jobs booked in for when it arrives.

[Smurf]

Skyvac industrial they say seems to have the most suck but you still can't beat a good hand job as they say when ladders can be used safely. Sods etc can be difficult to remove in corners, in very narrow gaps etc so by the time you have been messing about with a guttervac it would have been quicker to do by hand. Not to mention unblocking swan necks etc and any guttering repairs that may need doing too so ladders are still essential to carry on the van if you want to start offering a gutter clearing service again.

Regarding ladder work using the right size ladder with and ankalad stabiliser fitted properly and deployed with a microlite standoff fitted that can rest on roof tiles can be used for roofline jobs.  Using that setup I found when doing any ladder work It's a darn lot safer and easier to access the roofline when required.

Don't think just by buying a guttervac you will never have to use ladders again but still on awkward access part/jobs is a handy bit of kit to have.

Guttervacs suck don't you know 

[Smurf]

May help mate, my queries earlier this week.
"best gutter vac to add to my window cleaning round"
I went and looked at all 3 of their machines Wednesday. After comparing lots of different brands. A lot of money but already got jobs booked in for when it arrives.

If you don't mind me asking which one did you go for in the end ?

[Smurf]

Don't worry as I see you have already answered that in the other thread now...nice one 

[jimlaffo]

Cheers guys. After reading the Mr S thread it doesn't really sell it enough for me! A lot of money to spend on a kit if the ladders are still required on a regular basis.
I've been looking on some cleaning sites and I reckon I'm gonna buy a decent extendable pole, gutter clearing attachment, ladder stand off and some hard wearing rubber gloves and then jobs a good'n!

[Smurf]

It's a catch-22 if you don't carry a guttervac about as some part/jobs you will defo need one or you will be turning jobs down. Reason being not all guttering can be reached by ladders safely even using a pole with a gutter tool as you will find out as some access wise are  real pigs to do so the only way is to use a guttervac and hope for the best 

[Peter Rayner]

If you are ok using ladders and that's a big if. I cannot see why anybody would buy a gutter vac all that expense for what, buy the time you set it up get power camera survey . You could have nearly done halve the job. If you cannot or will not use ladders that's a different story. 

[jimlaffo]

I'm ok working off ladders, I just thought this kit was a must for gutters but it sounds very hit and miss to me.
I know some gutters can be a pain in the backside, especially the ones with brackets every metre or so, (they do my head in!) but a decent pole and attachment can be a really quick and efficient way of doing it on the right job.
Each to their own I suppose, every way is a good way if its making you a wage that you're happy with.

[Smurf]

As an example I was asked to give a quote for 3 large blocks of flats  3 storey jobby.

After the meet & great bit was over I wizzing around with me gopro on a pole firstly mainly for my own benifit to see exactly what I was up against. I then showed the customer the vids so he could see for himself how bad they were. 

As we got chatting I found out who was the window cleaning company that does the windows bi monthly and  price also regarding the price for the gutter clearing  he was going to let me know too so I had something to go on as you do .

It turns out the firm does all the windows by trad and clears the guttering too by hand. However he was concered and other residents noticed this that they have to put the ladder againg the wall of the building and lean far back, reaching up into the gutters so to try and grab what they can out of it.

I think the final straw for that firm was when the chap looked at the vids and he mentioned it don't look like the gutters have ever been cleared properly. I agreed and said no it don't look that way does it.

I did not even mention the cost to do the job but he still wanted me not only to look after the gutter mainteance side of things but also take over doing the windows too as you guessed it they use ladders and don't clean the frames.

I'm just saying you can't do every job by ladders and one decent contract like that would pay for guttervac kit many times over...
As they say right tools for the job and all that

[jimlaffo]

Yeah I agree mate, it's always beneficial to have all the tools for the job. When I have a few spare pennies I'll definitely be purchasing one, thanks. 

[Craig downey]

I own a gardening business and invested in a sky vac to add on to my business with the intention of getting through the winter months. It cost me £2500 for the kit and within a year I have more than doubled that in takings.  If your a window cleaner I'm sure you would get more work than I currently do.  I have only had to get ladders out a few times, yes some jobs have difficult parts that take ages to get clear, but the majority of jobs it's does it with no problems.  Regardless if using ladders on some of them might have been quicker, many of my customers have commented that they got me to do it rather than their window cleaner because they think using ladders is dangerous.

I have done a couple of schools and also apartment blocks that simply couldn't have been done with ladders, and I have been pricing them at around £180-250 per day.

I would highly recommend getting one. 

[Smurf]

Indeed Craig as ladders are sometimes not the easiest nor safest option for sure.

Here are a few example still images taken from the gopro survey I did on one of those 3 storey buildings I mentioned earlier.
Pictures paints a thousand words and all that...The rest of the buildings guttering looked much the same and the smallest one was approx 60 metres of guttering so fook that trying to do it all by hand   

For 3 storey easy work using a guttervac then 10 squid a metre on a yearly basis I think is a reasonable price to pay don't you?
That's not bad for a single operator to do in less than a day either as an experience guy could do all 3 buildings in a day too and not need to use a ladder once. Best practise is to price for the job and not a day rate is the best way I've found or you can quite easily end up underselling your service if not careful but each to their own.

The difference for example is if say you allowed 3 days on a day rate of say 250 a day = 750
Then say you also allowed 3 days on  say 250 metres at 10 per metre  = 2,500 which is a big difference turnover wise.

[Smurf]

Following on from the example pricing per job vs day rate. People are probably thinking that sounds a lot but it's not really when you can get 65-100 squid per 2 storey gutter clearing only job puts it into a better perspective. Even charging only 65 squid at approx 10 m per home x 25 = 1625 not 750 for 3 days worth of work. Makes you think don't it   

Like I said earlier buying a guttervac would pay for itself in no time and is a no brainer if you ask me that if it works