[Tosh]

After having a go of Ian_Giles's Wagtail I purchased one and they're great.

Normally, because I've been to lazy to learn to use a squeegy on a pole, I used A Frames to get me to the desired height.

So after an hours practise on some high ground floor windows on my house, I used the wagtail this morning instead of my A Frames and found it brilliant.  Even inside the shop I used it on, it was great for getting round all the high displays they like to stick in front of the windows (just to make things awkward for me).

So I'm considering getting a one-pass tool.  I do a few larg(ish) inside jobs with simple but fairly big one-pane windows; perfect one pass tool territory I reckon.

Which one do you recommend?

[Chris Cottrell]

Tosh which wagtail did you use? I have the Wagtail Flipper which i mainly use on a pole for shop work and that is as you say there great , they dont hold much water but then its not too much trouble to dip it in the bucket again is it

[Tosh]

Tosh which wagtail did you use? I have the Wagtail Flipper which i mainly use on a pole for shop work and that is as you say there great , they dont hold much water but then its not too much trouble to dip it in the bucket again is it

I didn't realise there was more than one type!  Yes, I think it's the 'flipper' where the sponge 'flips' over the blade; you wash the windows and then it flips down for the squeegie bit.

It's a lot easier than using a seven foot A frame and it's a simple but clever bit of kit.  I can see why it's won design awards.

To be honest, I bought a lot of different types of stuff when I first started window cleaning, but due to my inexperience at squeegying, I thought they were naff.  Now I'm a 'brown belt' at squeegying (probably not quite a black belt; I think that takes about 20 years), I'm in the market for some faster trad tools.

As I say, I do a few largish - single paned - inside jobs; I can do the 'Terry Burrows two-handed technique' fairly competently (Terry even gave me a quick lesson at the NEC), but it's harder work than doing it one step at a time; if you know what I mean; especially on panes of glass that go to the floor.

So does anyone use a one-pass-tool that they recommend? 

[ftp]

How is a flipper a one pass tool? Mine is two passes - soap up then squeegie off - have I missed something?

[Tosh]

How is a flipper a one pass tool? Mine is two passes - soap up then squeegie off - have I missed something?

Yes, reading!   

I've basically said I've recently been adventurous and purchased a Wagtail; think they're great; so am going to be even more adventurous and I'm after getting a one-pass-tool.

And I'm after getting a reccommendation of which one to buy.

Sigh!

 

[ftp]

Doh! i'm with you now.
I've had a stressfull hour - my eight year old wanted to help paint the garage door :
Got it somewhere handy when I took over, then the next door neighbour turns up and daughter decided to impress them - stuck her half dry covered in dirt paint brush right into the middle and started brushing again whilst smiling to the neighbours. 

[m b shaw]

The back flip can be used as a one pass tool, but to be honest it does nt work best that way. However if you want to wash and then squeegee without takeing it from a pole you won t find any thing better than this,it s cut my time nearly in half,and also there on offer at the cleaning centre,ipswich. cheers mick

[AuRavelling79]

Plus one for the back flip. (But not as a single pass)

[dai]

Just to clear up any confusion, the Wagtail Combi is a single pass tool, I know that Ian Daubtfire and myself have been using them for years, alas, they don't make them anymore, and that's a real shame as they are the dogs. Glyn at Omnipole had a few in stock but I don't know if he has any left, give him a ring, if you can get one, you will love it.

[STEVE-UK]

do these fit onto the plastic end of a wfp or do you need the unger pole ?

[dai]

do these fit onto the plastic end of a wfp or do you need the unger pole ?

Mine fits on a cone end pole. The Harris from B&Q WOULD BE PERFECT.

[M Henderson]

Peter Fogwill created the 'Squeegee Mate' which is like a basic squeegee with an applicator strip attached to the handle just below the blade. Much lighter than using a backflip as a combo tool.

Worked quite well. Was good for ladder work where you can't use a two hand technique.

They don't make them anymore but try asking Darrell at the Windowclean Centre. I got mine there a couple of years ago when he still had a few left over.

[bad trippy]

How is a flipper a one pass tool? Mine is two passes - soap up then squeegie off - have I missed something?

Yes, reading!   

I've basically said I've recently been adventurous and purchased a Wagtail; think they're great; so am going to be even more adventurous and I'm after getting a one-pass-tool.

And I'm after getting a reccommendation of which one to buy.

Sigh!

 

Tosh do you use micro fibre cloths for detailing? As your looking for more trad gadgets i can highly recomend micro fibre cloths if your not allready using them, i used unger scrim for 14 years and only just bought micros from WCW. Cant speak highly enough of them, they glide over the glass effortless and feel much much better on the hand and fingers than scrim and take up a lot more water than scrim and i can get away with using only 1 micro to about 2 or 3 scrims

[JSMC]

links to these items please?

[brett walker]

The wagtail flipper is a great piece of kit

but the one pass tool is different to the flipper i got mine at christmas from omnipole i think they only had a couple left personally i prefere the fliper to the one pass tool

Brett

[lee_dewing]

where can you get a wagtail flipper, australia?

ordered one from a company in holland, what a piece of 5hit!

they had me over, it was surely not a wagtail, funny looking squeegee with what looked like a yellow duster hanging off the end

[macmac]

It's a shame that too many people don't realise how quick, efficient & effortless trad can be!

WFP is guilty of creating too many "professional, important, technical, highly-skilled, sought after top tradesmen"!! ( who too desperately desire a huge, flashy van)

It's like giving the security guard his badge!!