[dazmond]

after quite a few months on ere mulling it all over and changing my mind like the weather ive decided to stay trad.

1.i live in 1st floor flat on a water meter.

2.cant afford a car AND a van!

3.over half my round v.compact 3 bedders,i dont think WFP will be faster on this work.

4.domestic custys dont like wfp!

5.easy to make a mess of windows with wfp


6.hassle with pumps,hoses etc

7.higher overheads,insurance,resin,poles,pumps etc

8.dont want to carry a ton of water about just to clean windows!!

9.hard to get a good finish when its even slightlywindy!

[GWCS]

after quite a few months on ere mulling it all over and changing my mind like the weather ive decided to stay trad.

1.i live in 1st floor flat on a water meter.

2.cant afford a car AND a van!

3.over half my round v.compact 3 bedders,i dont think WFP will be faster on this work.

4.domestic custys dont like wfp!

5.easy to make a mess of windows with wfp


6.hassle with pumps,hoses etc

7.higher overheads,insurance,resin,poles,pumps etc

8.dont want to carry a ton of water about just to clean windows!!

9.hard to get a good finish when its even slightlywindy!

Only if your rubbish at it.. 

but again, its your choice. I know my preference

[martinsadie]

i decided that long ago 

[steveo22]

after quite a few months on ere mulling it all over and changing my mind like the weather ive decided to stay trad.

1.i live in 1st floor flat on a water meter.

2.cant afford a car AND a van!

3.over half my round v.compact 3 bedders,i dont think WFP will be faster on this work.

4.domestic custys dont like wfp!

5.easy to make a mess of windows with wfp


6.hassle with pumps,hoses etc

7.higher overheads,insurance,resin,poles,pumps etc

8.dont want to carry a ton of water about just to clean windows!!

9.hard to get a good finish when its even slightlywindy!

Good on you, i don't see me changing either. If it works why try and fix it!!

[Pole 2 Pole]

after quite a few months on ere mulling it all over and changing my mind like the weather ive decided to stay trad.

1.i live in 1st floor flat on a water meter.

2.cant afford a car AND a van!

3.over half my round v.compact 3 bedders,i dont think WFP will be faster on this work.

4.domestic custys dont like wfp!

5.easy to make a mess of windows with wfp


6.hassle with pumps,hoses etc

7.higher overheads,insurance,resin,poles,pumps etc

8.dont want to carry a ton of water about just to clean windows!!

9.hard to get a good finish when its even slightlywindy!

Well if ya put it like that  So what ya selling??? 

[MopTop]

While I think some guys on here who have made the switch may disagree with a few of your reasons it seems you have made the right decision based on your situation. Just goes to show that trad is not a dying art after all.

[[GQC] Tim]

While I think some guys on here who have made the switch may disagree with a few of your reasons it seems you have made the right decision based on your situation. Just goes to show that trad is not a dying art after all.

Unless you fall off your ladder that is.

[wizard]

I must admit I enjoy trad and I do not have a problem with either system, but I do see WFP and progress forward. I do both and WFP is much faster and results are good. I will always offer both.

[gr cleaning solutions]

im staying traditional with my domestic but hopefully in the new year im getting wfp for commercial work

[SteveAllan]

While I think some guys on here who have made the switch may disagree with a few of your reasons it seems you have made the right decision based on your situation. Just goes to show that trad is not a dying art after all.

Unless you fall off your ladder that is.

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

[Smudger]

hmmm.  i think you will see trad disapear as they enforce more H&S

I do both  and they both have good points - i think trad is a better job on the glass and faces of the frame ( for those who clean them )

however i did 4 new cleans today, i used WFP all of them and can say that there is no way any trad worker could get out all the dirt and spiders crap traped in the frame tops and between the openers,  so WFP is great for that - it is also good to maintain a good quality job on the glass after being done trad.   it certainly does not polish/clean the glass like scrim/micro fibre cloth.

i have found WFP custy's are generally cleaner than trad when i return after 4 weeks ie.. no spiders webs/poo etc.

as for time - personally its around the same for ground level -  do not use ladders under any circs -  1 fall was enough for me!!


Darran

[mci services]

i do both i never really switched to wfp i just added it, to do jobs that were suited to wfp and get work that couldnt be done from the ladder. i then switched the jobs i couldnt care less whether i lost them or not, now i have a nice 50% mix that suits me especially just now when systems freeze up etc

[Sir Squeaky]

I can see your reasoning, and respect your decision, but having done trad for 10 years and  nearly 3 wfp, I could never go back now.

I did half a dozen bungalows trad today, and in the cold it's a nightmare for smearing when you're detailing.
And more than anything it's bloody knackering!

[Clive McDonald]

We've had these talks before on here. I quite like you Dazmond because you are a tryer.You've said that you've learned lots from this forum.
Pretty much all the list of reasons you give have some truth.The bits about the flat and the water would take some figuring.But this is about money Dazmond, it's not about anything else.

When i came on this forum 3yrs ago there had been many trad/wfp debates.I found trad work hard, and the most i could earn was about £80 per day.I couldn't even imagine earning more than that.A guy posting on here did a sort of diary of his switch.He had eleven years standing then, and i notice you have fifteen now.

His posts were very instrumental in making me go wfp.In fact i found his posts very sad.To start with he was a very clever and able man, he posted superbly (he still does) and he had a brilliant technical grasp.He was very likeable and a lot of people followed what he had to say.As it happens i did not rate him as much of a business man though but you may have noticed that my judgements can be a bit harsh.

In any event he chronicled in detail how he gave all of his customers explanation and warning letters.He researched what pole and what system.He pre cleaned the frames to avoid problems on the penultimate trad clean. He had a lot of doubts.

Cutting to the chase he had very few problems, but what made me want to cry for him was that on day four of wfp working no harder than he normaly did and finishing quite early he beat his best ever day trad.I think the figure was £174.

[dazmond]

i feel a lot better after finally making my mind up..........for now..........!! .i will be gettin wfp for extras like conny roofs,gutters etc but itll just go on outside taps! .im happy with the way i work and dont use ladders that much anyway!

thanks for everyone who has answered my questions regarding wfp and all the banter!this forum has helped me a lot!thanks guys!

i will be posting informative traditional window cleaning tips for those just starting out and trad pole tips from my 15 yrs experience in this game from now on!!

[krave]

I can see your reasoning, and respect your decision, but having done trad for 10 years and  nearly 3 wfp, I could never go back now.

I did half a dozen bungalows trad today, and in the cold it's a nightmare for smearing when you're detailing.
And more than anything it's bloody knackering!

Or in the summer with the blaring sun it can some times be a nightmare. Especially with cheaper cleaning solutions,   

Looking forward to summer Wfp and not having the heat up the ladder, and the water/solution drying as your trying to clean.

[SherwoodCleaningSe]

Fair enough all the points seem valid all though I'd say I disagree with points 4,5 & 9 unless you don't know what your doing.

Have a mate in a similar situation, although he lives in a house and has a garden, but has the same type of round and works from his car with six 25 litre barrels and a pure freedom trolly.  He trads the downs and seems to do well out of it.

Simon.

[cozy]

It's the same for me as Dazmond, I've never used or seen WFP except for Germans using WFP on com work. It's only an option for my Brit custies here anyway. It's not the cost factor either, my carpet machines cost alot more than WFP setups.

Just think about this though. When it gets that far in UK, that 99% of window cleaners are WFP. There is an estate of lets say 2000 houses,  6 WC's clean there, 5 are WFP and 1 is trad, who woulld have the advantage for winning custies? And before all the WFP guys say hang him, It's not the amount of work the trad guy can manage, he can employ too, just like WFP guys can. Has the trad guy got a better chance of getting more custies than the WFP guys? Because people prefer trad to WFP? What do you think?

[Sean Dyer]

We've had these talks before on here. I quite like you Dazmond because you are a tryer.You've said that you've learned lots from this forum.
Pretty much all the list of reasons you give have some truth.The bits about the flat and the water would take some figuring.But this is about money Dazmond, it's not about anything else.

When i came on this forum 3yrs ago there had been many trad/wfp debates.I found trad work hard, and the most i could earn was about £80 per day.I couldn't even imagine earning more than that.A guy posting on here did a sort of diary of his switch.He had eleven years standing then, and i notice you have fifteen now.

His posts were very instrumental in making me go wfp.In fact i found his posts very sad.To start with he was a very clever and able man, he posted superbly (he still does) and he had a brilliant technical grasp.He was very likeable and a lot of people followed what he had to say.As it happens i did not rate him as much of a business man though but you may have noticed that my judgements can be a bit harsh.

In any event he chronicled in detail how he gave all of his customers explanation and warning letters.He researched what pole and what system.He pre cleaned the frames to avoid problems on the penultimate trad clean. He had a lot of doubts.

Cutting to the chase he had very few problems, but what made me want to cry for him was that on day four of wfp working no harder than he normaly did and finishing quite early he beat his best ever day trad.I think the figure was £174.

I dont mean to offend - £80?? either your prices are shocking or you are really unfit,

even on my worst work trad theres something seriously wrong if i hadnt earned that by 12 at the very latest!!!

trad shouldnt be underestimated, before wfp was around no one left wc because they might fall off a ladder, use it safely end of

i am switching for different reasons but i think carrying on trad is fine, i would if i could, i have no problem wuth it and will miss it alot

[Clive McDonald]

The tips will be good dazmond because i'm still pretty useless at it. You feel better because you've made a decision, and i feel better because i've tried to tip you the wink. I can remember squeaky's posts, the thing about squeaky was that he was supposed to be good at trad and very fast.It was this pride that held him back, i was never that good, so i had nothing to lose.

Not offended in the least sean, we are talking three weeks into the game.I would be pretty annoyed if i hadn't hit it by 9am.But this isn't about bragging how much we earn.This guys a grafter who deserves a chance.