[dazmond]

got everything now,nearly finished first cleans.time to canvass better paying wfp friendly work now!!

here my set up:

30ft unger pole

25ft brodex hydra(main pole)

20ft n tech glass fibre(spare pole)

short pole for lower windows

toolbox with various connectors/etc

50L TROLLEY with 12 barrels

5 brushes

trad gear/3.5m ladders/8ft single pointer

[mark dew]

don't want to do a ewan, but your a long way from having all the gear. It works but the majority of kit you have will want upgrading as soon as you've got the cash. It sounds like a dig reading back but isn't meant to be.

Add a water tank, a 12v submersible pump, a 25ft pole which has a closed length less than 5 ft and a hosereel of microbore. Then you can work and refill from 1 barrel insted of 12 and have all the advantages of a van mount for those 'bigger' jobs.
Then that statement will ring truer.

[e newlands]

whats it cost you

[dazmond]

ive spent nearly 2 grand then ive also bought a van.

this set up is all i need for the forseeable future as ive no plans to employ or take over the window cleaning world!!

300L is the max i can carry and i cant see me using anymore than this at the moment!

i use on average 150-200L MAX A DAY!i clean a lot of lower windows trad as its quicker for me and i enjoy it and less hassle/better job.

on my bigger accounts i clean all wfp and commercial.

i could see me using 300L A DAY if i had a couple of big jobs on but i really dont see how you guys get through 400-600L A DAY!!

IF I REALLY NEEDED 600L I COULD ALWAYS NIP HOME AT LUNCHTIME FOR A REFILL!OR FILL UP ON THE JOB!

DONT NEED A SUBMERSIBLE PUMP OR TANK!

i can use trolley as a mini van mount for the odd stand alone and commercial with extension hose.

WHY ON EARTH WOULD I WANT TO KEEP FILLING ONE BARREL FROM A SUBMERSIBLE PUMP??

when i can just pop 2 barrels on the trolley or connect them in the van(as a mini van mount!)

as for poles the hydra alloy is robust and rigid enough for most of my upper work.when i do wfp bottoms it takes 2 seconds to plug in my very light short pole and off i go!

i also have trad gear on belt with squeegee/mop/bottle on a belt so i dont have to go back and get the bucket!

my bucket is half filled in van with gg3/pure and i give mop a quick dunk when refilling barrels/changing cloths.

its so easy to mix and match wfp/trad this way!

1. a save water and money(less resin used/water bill etc)

2.domestic custys prefer it in the main i reckon.

3.it breaks the monotony of constantly having the pole in yer hand!!

4.its less messy and creates a much more reliable job

5.some will doubt this but i reckon its faster than wfp on the majority of domestic taking into consideration tight spaces/getting hose tangled up etc

im also nearly as fast as terry burrows after 16 years trad!

[dazmond]

also my unger pole will go up to nearly 40ft with my height at full extension(4 floors).

i have no work at this height but its good to know i have the equipment if i need to.

im targeting smallish commercial/large country houses and compact 4-5 bedroom houses.

ive no interest in using a pole higher than 4 floors.

we all have different goals in our business and mines mainly bigger residential.

ive no interest in large commercial jobs etc.

top end domestic like roy harding is what im aiming for in the next few years with a few nice small/medium commercial jobs so my equipment is ideal.

[mark dew]

DONT NEED A SUBMERSIBLE PUMP OR TANK!

i can use trolley as a mini van mount for the odd stand alone and commercial with extension hose.

WHY ON EARTH WOULD I WANT TO KEEP FILLING ONE BARREL FROM A SUBMERSIBLE PUMP??

when i can just pop 2 barrels on the trolley or connect them in the van(as a mini van mount!)

You would need a water tank to make your freedom trolley run as a van mount.
And you have answered the sub pump question yourself really. But apart from towing 60 odd kg about, working with 1 barrel (or 2 if you want to use 2) is much quicker and less hassle than using 12 barrels.

Like i said earlier, it wasn't meant to appear as a dig. I did add some good additions and not just criticise. It's just my opinion based on my experience of getting the trolley use down to a fine art.
What you have is a start, but i've looked at my crystal ball and can see the future for you.  It was me before. And 100's of others on here before as well.
Like i say it isn't a dig, it is a start.
A good 1 too, but can and will be improved and honed to a fine art by yourself with time. Now you have got the kit it will be onwards and upwards for you.

[mark dew]

You do make a good point about the pole. And the idea of tradding downstairs windows as quick as wfp does have merit as well.
But you will never get quicker than 1 pole 1 job.
I worked with a long pole and a  minipole for a year and a half. Until the extender poles appeared and then 17ft xtel. Those poles paid for themselves with time saved within a week.
Regardless of what pole length, the most important factor for me now is what is the closed length. Anything under 5ft and you can blitz downstairs after 3 cleans.
If your poles are too long for some downstairs work and you ever want to pole any, then in confined spaces it is easier to stand to one side of the window and zig zag your way down the window horizontally.
I weren't the quickest trad cleaner, but i do trad windows as well still and agree that it is quicker on some windows. Especially in autumn when there's all sorts of leaves on them.

[dazmond]

thanks for the replies mark.

yes its a start and over time ill upgrade to a bigger van and buy a tank probably but ive just got going and this set up will get me better paying work and i wont be rushing into buying more gear etc!!

as for speed im sure i will speed up over the next few months as i learn to lay the hose and not spend as much time scrubbing the frames!also im already earning more money as im cleaning the skylights/extra windows etc for my existing customers.

dont forget that after cleaning trad for 16 years its a big change!!

only a few more days of first cleans to do!!! : :

regards

dazmond

[cat9921]

WHY ON EARTH WOULD I WANT TO KEEP FILLING ONE BARREL FROM A SUBMERSIBLE PUMP??

WHY ON EARTH WOULD YOU NEED TO GO HOME TO FILL 12 BARRELS WHEN YOU HAVE RAN OUT OF WATER WHEN YOU COULD OF HAD A VAN MOUNT 

Adders

[SB Cleaning]

WHY ON EARTH WOULD I WANT TO KEEP FILLING ONE BARREL FROM A SUBMERSIBLE PUMP??

WHY ON EARTH WOULD YOU NEED TO GO HOME TO FILL 12 BARRELS WHEN YOU HAVE RAN OUT OF WATER WHEN YOU COULD OF HAD A VAN MOUNT 

Adders

Adders are you the guy that did all the videos on you tube for WFP?

[lee_dewing]

Daz, goodluck to you.

I'm glad its getting easier for you.

How you have your setup is similar to mine i use freedom trolley, also have wcw backpack.

do odd downstairs windows trad.

Next purchase will be gardiners clx pole carbon/glass hybrid 22ft, closes own to 5ft.

As mark says i think this is must have, i also use muscle zone fish pole with bentley broom head, 30ft bit worn now but only use for a few jobs.

Oh yeh, did you get a ford connect?

could i be nosey and ask age and cost? :

thanks lee

[dazmond]

renault kangoo 2000 1.9 D(625 kg payload)

paid £1400 and spent £600 on it.

spent nearly 2 grand on equipment so 4 grand altogether for van/wfp

[e newlands]

i tend to use a backpack with a 4ft diy pole for ground floor saves mincing around changing over

[cat9921]

WHY ON EARTH WOULD I WANT TO KEEP FILLING ONE BARREL FROM A SUBMERSIBLE PUMP??

WHY ON EARTH WOULD YOU NEED TO GO HOME TO FILL 12 BARRELS WHEN YOU HAVE RAN OUT OF WATER WHEN YOU COULD OF HAD A VAN MOUNT 

Adders

Adders are you the guy that did all the videos on you tube for WFP?

yes and working on a new one 

[SB Cleaning]

Cool mate

Still got the same van???

[cat9921]

Cool mate

Still got the same van???

Yes   

[lee_dewing]

thanks daz, here kangoo's are good.

mind you it's all a lucky dip with second had vans.

had my ford escort 6 years now, had lot of xpense last year.

In hindsght should have got rid, now i feel obliged to hang on in and get my money back (dangerous)

still sitting on the fence, new van lease, newer second hand :

I'm not earning the big bucks