My last gutter vac I owned for 4 years, always used the filter, was still working perfectly but sold it as wanted something a bit more compact.
Newest vac decided to use without the filter as has so much more power without, approx 2 years after purchase both motors burnt out.
Honestly, I will continue using without the filter. Vacs work so much better without them and gets the job done so much quicker. I changed the motors myself at a cost of £250 and am happy to do that every couple of years if it makes my life easier.

Quote from: deeege on December 15, 2025, 08:01:09 pm

Quote from: Splash and dash on December 15, 2025, 07:33:10 pm

Quote from: deeege on December 15, 2025, 07:21:57 pm

Quote from: Splash and dash on December 15, 2025, 06:01:26 pm

Quote from: deeege on December 15, 2025, 05:54:05 pm

Quote from: dazmond on December 15, 2025, 02:02:04 pm

Quote from: deeege on December 15, 2025, 10:31:08 am

Quote from: dazmond on December 15, 2025, 09:37:55 am

Quote from: Klean07 on December 15, 2025, 07:39:06 am

I'm 67 Daz. I think if you get the balance right then there's no reason why you can't work into retirement like me. My mortgage was paid off a couple of years ago meaning that my outgoings now are minimal.  Also love my holidays I quit smoking 20 years ago and only drink socially.

Our mortgage will be paid off in 2 years. Me and my missus will be 56 and 57 respectively. I'll put some of the extra money i won't be spending on the mortgage into my private pension and carry on working if my health is good.

I'm the sort of guy who will not stop working (in some capacity)unless im forced to due to injury of ill health.

I'm down to 20-25 hours per week and hope I can stay at this level for many years to come.

All the best for Xmas and the new year pal.

 

Can’t keep up with you Daz. You’ve always said sod paying into a pension, they are scams etc. What’s changed your opinion on pensions?

I only changed my mind on pensions because of tax relief (plus im getting older). Hopefully I'll have 20 years of paying into a private pension. Its only a NEST pension so government backed and open to the self employed (and easy to open online)......

Fair enough Daz, you got there in the end. Now just imagine how much your nest egg would be if you’d have started paying into a pension or stocks and shares through an ISA 10+ years ago. 

Just imagine what he could have now if he had invested in property 😉

Considerably less than if he would have passively pumped money into the S&P500.

Wise investment in the right property’s will bring in much higher increase in the original investment than any other investment regardless of what that is .

Not necessarily. That’s assuming the investor has the skillset, knowledge and time to put into the property. Even then the S&P has outperformed most property over the last 20 years.

I think who ever is advising you doesn’t know there trade , with property the  initial investment continues to rise in value year on year , plus you get a monthly income so it’s a far higher  overall increase in the original investment , and very little risk long term unlike stocks and shares , each to there own but paying into a pension certainly isn’t guaranteed to give you what you think it will .

Who mentioned a pension? never had one and never would.

Quote from: Splash and dash on December 15, 2025, 07:33:10 pm

Quote from: deeege on December 15, 2025, 07:21:57 pm

Quote from: Splash and dash on December 15, 2025, 06:01:26 pm

Quote from: deeege on December 15, 2025, 05:54:05 pm

Quote from: dazmond on December 15, 2025, 02:02:04 pm

Quote from: deeege on December 15, 2025, 10:31:08 am

Quote from: dazmond on December 15, 2025, 09:37:55 am

Quote from: Klean07 on December 15, 2025, 07:39:06 am

I'm 67 Daz. I think if you get the balance right then there's no reason why you can't work into retirement like me. My mortgage was paid off a couple of years ago meaning that my outgoings now are minimal.  Also love my holidays I quit smoking 20 years ago and only drink socially.

Our mortgage will be paid off in 2 years. Me and my missus will be 56 and 57 respectively. I'll put some of the extra money i won't be spending on the mortgage into my private pension and carry on working if my health is good.

I'm the sort of guy who will not stop working (in some capacity)unless im forced to due to injury of ill health.

I'm down to 20-25 hours per week and hope I can stay at this level for many years to come.

All the best for Xmas and the new year pal.

 

Can’t keep up with you Daz. You’ve always said sod paying into a pension, they are scams etc. What’s changed your opinion on pensions?

I only changed my mind on pensions because of tax relief (plus im getting older). Hopefully I'll have 20 years of paying into a private pension. Its only a NEST pension so government backed and open to the self employed (and easy to open online)......

Fair enough Daz, you got there in the end. Now just imagine how much your nest egg would be if you’d have started paying into a pension or stocks and shares through an ISA 10+ years ago. 

Just imagine what he could have now if he had invested in property 😉

Considerably less than if he would have passively pumped money into the S&P500.

Wise investment in the right property’s will bring in much higher increase in the original investment than any other investment regardless of what that is .

Not necessarily. That’s assuming the investor has the skillset, knowledge and time to put into the property. Even then the S&P has outperformed most property over the last 20 years.

I think who ever is advising you doesn’t know there trade , with property the  initial investment continues to rise in value year on year , plus you get a monthly income so it’s a far higher  overall increase in the original investment , and very little risk long term unlike stocks and shares , each to there own but paying into a pension certainly isn’t guaranteed to give you what you think it will .

Quote from: Splash and dash on December 15, 2025, 06:01:26 pm

Quote from: deeege on December 15, 2025, 05:54:05 pm

Quote from: dazmond on December 15, 2025, 02:02:04 pm

Quote from: deeege on December 15, 2025, 10:31:08 am

Quote from: dazmond on December 15, 2025, 09:37:55 am

Quote from: Klean07 on December 15, 2025, 07:39:06 am

I'm 67 Daz. I think if you get the balance right then there's no reason why you can't work into retirement like me. My mortgage was paid off a couple of years ago meaning that my outgoings now are minimal.  Also love my holidays I quit smoking 20 years ago and only drink socially.

Our mortgage will be paid off in 2 years. Me and my missus will be 56 and 57 respectively. I'll put some of the extra money i won't be spending on the mortgage into my private pension and carry on working if my health is good.

I'm the sort of guy who will not stop working (in some capacity)unless im forced to due to injury of ill health.

I'm down to 20-25 hours per week and hope I can stay at this level for many years to come.

All the best for Xmas and the new year pal.

 

Can’t keep up with you Daz. You’ve always said sod paying into a pension, they are scams etc. What’s changed your opinion on pensions?

I only changed my mind on pensions because of tax relief (plus im getting older). Hopefully I'll have 20 years of paying into a private pension. Its only a NEST pension so government backed and open to the self employed (and easy to open online)......

Fair enough Daz, you got there in the end. Now just imagine how much your nest egg would be if you’d have started paying into a pension or stocks and shares through an ISA 10+ years ago. 

Just imagine what he could have now if he had invested in property 😉

Considerably less than if he would have passively pumped money into the S&P500.

Wise investment in the right property’s will bring in much higher increase in the original investment than any other investment regardless of what that is .

Working for a few accountants last week and they were saying RBS has free agent for us. I'm with TSB but thinking of moving over to RBS or that free sage software. I will have a talk with them to see what they think is the best and the easiest. We have to forward it to the tax office every 3 months which other countries do, so they were telling me.