With reference to punctures:
but I personally only know of 2 that have happened.
Well that'll be one of the users who lives close to me. He's had two punctures in the last eight months and finds them frustrating. I'm sure you know who I mean, because the other user from the Chepstow area sold his 'Freedom' (via this site) after about two months of purchasing it, then built his own system that held more water and had an integrated hose and reel attached.
The benefits of a pneumatic tyre far outweigh the remote possibility of a puncture.
Anecdotal evidence suggests otherwise to me.
We have tried non pneumatic wheels and found them to be very inferior. No cushioning effect when going up/down steps.. far less comfortable to use all day due to bumping up and down and ruts left in soft ground etc.
Given the 19 or 32 kg dry weight' of your system, either way, it's still heavy; maybe pneumatic wheels are a must for the weight of your system. But for lighter systems which carry the same amount of water, or slightly less weight; sack trucks suffice, and there is completely no risk of flat tyres.
If it it only a boot I tell them its not ideal.
Good, so I won't be reading anymore posts here from guys complaining about your system, saying they can't get it out of their boot when they've got ladders on their roof.
And I won't hear you telling them to just put their ladders well-forward, clear of the boot, so it opens easily; because that post didn't sound like 'sound' advice to me; dangerous even.
Also you do have a much larger capacity battery so you dont have to worry about running out of charge or as a lot do orcarry another battery to get through the day.
I think this is complete rubbish. I do not know of a single commercial system where you have to 'worry about running out of charge' during the working day; if you've charged it properly. Even a backpack battery will last you more than a full day. Name a system which 'runs out of charge' or where you have to carry a spare battery to last one full-hard days work?
In our and others experience manouveralibility = PRODUCTIVITY which of course = increased earning potential.
Your equation in the above quote is extremely weak; like your product, however I agree wholeheartedly with the sentiment, which is why I love the backpack.
It
truly does go ANYWHERE; totally manouverable; unlike the 'Freedom', which is HEAVY, even before you add water and doesn't carry much more water than the backpack anyway.
AND THE BACKPACK IS A FRACTION OF THE 'FREEDOMS' PRICE TOO!!!!
However, other guys, like Ian_Giles would say he earns more using a van mounted system because he doesn't spend time fannying about changing barrels or re-filling backpacks. (Previously Ian used a 50 litre system as both a 'car mounted system' and as a trolley system; same cost as the Freedom; with twice the water carrying capacity).
They get their manouverability with their longer hoses without lugging round 50kg of weight with them.
Regarding the MK1. We have moved on considerably since then.
It was only six months ago you were pushing them? You said they were the 'fastest selling WFP system on the market'.
What was so wrong with them that you've had to change them? Was it the weight? They're still heavy! Was it the lack of water carrying capacity? It still carries the same. Was it the fact you've got to 'rubber bungie' hoses to them? Oh you still have too.
There's no difference with this system; it's still a lot of weight, a lot of money; to carry a little bit of water which a backpack could do; probably better for a fraction of the cost.
I could continue (to bore everyone; sorry folks), but Wor Lass is telling me I have to go to bed! (Groan!)
Matt, help some fellow window cleaners out and post your DIY link here; to stop them from purchasing a white elephant.
Matt's site shows you how to build a 'same spec' trolley system for under a third of the cost.
I'll concede to Andrew that DIY WFP trolleys don't look as professional as his.
