[* mike RH]

Back pack (Time to actually refill backpack - roughly 2 mins.)

Pros:
Quick to take out van and set up.
Little time lost pulling hoses around etc.
Less trip hazzard
Quick to pack away - no reeling hoses in
Less water spillage in van.

Cons:
Going back and forth to fill up
More limited battery time
Carrying weight around (unless mounted on small trolley)

Hose from tank in van (100m of microbore)

Pros:
Once hose is pulled out you can keep working with little interuption
Longer battery time from van mount set up.

Cons:
Trip hazzard - time setting out signs, matting etc.
Time taken to pull out hose and reeling in.
Lost time untangling, un-kinking, releasing caught-up hoses, wiping off dog poo etc.
More prone to system leaks from hose reels.


Your thoughts please......(and yours LWC  )

[Pj]

Flow from backpack in litres per minute?

Honest answers only

[matt]

Back pack (Time to actually refill backpack - roughly 2 mins.)    use a trolley, just change over the 25 L barrel

Pros:
Quick to take out van and set up.
Little time lost pulling hoses around etc.
Less trip hazzard
Quick to pack away - no reeling hoses in
Less water spillage in van.

Cons:
Going back and forth to fill up   25 L barrel filled to the brim is close to 28 L
More limited battery time  build a trolley with a 85amp battery
Carrying weight around (unless mounted on small trolley) 

Hose from tank in van (100m of microbore)

Pros:
Once hose is pulled out you can keep working with little interuption
Longer battery time from van mount set up.

Cons:
Trip hazzard - time setting out signs, matting etc.
Time taken to pull out hose and reeling in.
Lost time untangling, un-kinking, releasing caught-up hoses, wiping off dog poo etc.
More prone to system leaks from hose reels.


Your thoughts please......(and yours LWC  )

replies in red, just my opinion though and i know it works for me

[* mike RH]

A back pack is still a cheaper option than a typical trolley system . (£500)

Could you not hang the back pack over the top of a sack trolley and have a couple of 10/ 15L containers underneath to top up with held in place underneath?

[mark dew]

if the job requires more than 25 litres of water, there is no quicker way than using a hose. Though i prefer using a trolley for any work that needs less.
A water tank and submersible pump is the better way to go rather than many containers. but not everyone has the option of using a water tank.
The best thing about reeling the hose in is that you get a good workout and the gets the blood pumping (and it's quicker on larger jobs  ).

[geefree]

pull hose out, connect pole , turn water on...

clean... inclip pole... rewind hose, pole in van... drive away.


no contest.

i have both.

Van mount everytime.... (in my opinion )

[Jeff Brimble]

Mike, it depends on your round. For domestic situation a backpack is the fastest way, hoses can be kept clear of dog poo/glass etc and wont knock or snag on plants. Yes putting it on a trolley with water underneath is a good way, I would have the straps facing outwards so you can also turtle into the pac and just lift off. I also have a van mount. Try Silicon hose.

[Feen]

Can't comment on the van system as I've not used one. I have 2 backpacks. One I use on my back when access is difficult or there is a lot of moving from window to window. The other I have on a little sack trolley, with the switch moved to the outside and attached to the trolley. This works well on pavements or when doing a conservatory for example. The second backpack I got off Ebay from US (£120) and the trolley cost £22.50 from Homebase. Works for me as I have the adaptability of the backpack, without carrying it all day.

[Spursboy1972]

For me backpack wins hands down. There are situations where the van mount comes into its own, eg; blocks of flats and larger commercial contracts.

I fill my backpack form empty in exactly 90 secs. This is the tool that has allowed me to save so much more time.

[* mike RH]

I guess it depends on the work then.

Scattered small jobs, (eg a not very compact domestic round) would work well with backpack,

A large run of work (a big commercial job), it makes sense to have the hoses out.

Would you agree?

[Jeff Brimble]

Generally I would agree with that, except in a crowded workplace or on a street ; where the no hose backpack can intermingle with the people where  any hose is a trip hazard  :

[supernova77]

I've used a trolley since I started in Jan 06... It has been great but my round now consists of larger houses, houses with steps etc...

I'm now fed up with lugging the trolley up steps etc... So I'm changing over to a van mount asap.

Andy

[Count Phil]

Surely having a higher flow rate makes you a bit quicker. So you'd really need a van mount for that?

[Paul Coleman]

I've tried both and prefer van mount to backpack.  Van mount is quicker for me but my back isn't brilliant and can slow me down sometimes.  If your back is in good condition and your work isn't so well suited to van mount then backpack may well be quicker for you.  Like a lot of things, it depends on your level of fitness and the type of work you have so there is often not a definitive answer.

[window wonder]

started wfp in feb with back pack and 5 barrels , it was great to start with soon got sick of having to refil it and the constant weight on your back  trolly idea never appealed to me, so now i have a van mounted system with 100m of microbore although it gets snagged  every now and againits alot better i feel less tired due to the energy wasted using the backpack.
my round consists of mainly large houses so it comes into its own.
since i have got rid of my backpack !
 

[Russell Macdonald]

I have never used a back pack as i went for a van mount.

For what it's worth i vote van mount, the thought of lugging all the kit around plus
the water, no thanks. I would much rather pull the microbore out than carry that lot around.

Macc