[timglaze]

This may or may not have been covered in another thread but would anyone recommend the following vac or can anyone comment on whether it's good or not please

http://www.guttercleaningsystems.co.uk/3000carbonfibrekits.html

Is it a cheap option???

[Smurf]

The other option is you can also knock up a good spec gutter vac by sourcing and buying the parts you need yourself if you are that way inclined as is relatively easy to do. Works out about half the cost of say buying a skyvac industrial set up  and more than likely just as good too.

[Steve H]

Thanks guys for all the answers,
Smurf, big thanks for the advice, much appreciated.
Many thanks
Steve

[timglaze]

Smurf can you recommend a good/reliable/powerful vac on its own and then I suppose can work from there as regards the peripherals.

[Smurf]

Smurf can you recommend a good/reliable/powerful vac on its own and then I suppose can work from there as regards the peripherals.

This is an ideal chepo 3000 watt vac to start with as I have one so know it works ok and at £199.99 including free delivery you can't go wrong at that price.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/WET-AND-DRY-VACUUM-VAC-CLEANER-INDUSTRIAL-80LTR-3000W-STAINLESS-STEEL-/331693725120?hash=item4d3a7c95c0:g:1xQAAOSw~bFWMPHk

For poles I would recommend carbonfibretubes.co.uk as you can get 6 x CFMOD50 2m poles sections for just under £450 inc vat and delivery.

The rest of the bits you can also find on the likes of fleebay cheap.

So by the time you have finished putting one together yourself will come to about £750 that will do the same job up to 40' which would be comparable to the likes of say a Commercial SkyVac 75 - 8 Pole (40') packages that would cost a whopping £1,764.00

[Kev Martin]

Do not buy a stainless steel Vac body as you will regret it.  Buy a polypropylene one.  Make sure the trolley has a large set of wheels on the back and a decent set of casters.  You are also better with 50mm inlet to use it as a gutter vac

[Smurf]

Do not buy a stainless steel Vac body as you will regret it.  Buy a polypropylene one.  Make sure the trolley has a large set of wheels on the back and a decent set of casters.  You are also better with 50mm inlet to use it as a gutter vac

Why not as I've used large stainless steel drum vac's for yonks and never found them an issue 
You can change the inlet to a 100mm if you wanted and even use a sack truck for really rough terrain too.
Yes you can pay 500-1000 or more for a better vac with better wheels etc but thats just a waste of money if you want my honest opinion.

[Smudger]

I agree with smurf here, had a stainless steel body vac over six years - it's as good as the day I got it 

Good find smurf, I'd change the inlet personally.

Would I reccomend gutter vac systems..... No comment

Darran

[Smurf]

I agree with smurf here, had a stainless steel body vac over six years - it's as good as the day I got it 

Good find smurf, I'd change the inlet personally.

Would I reccomend gutter vac systems..... No comment

Darran

I've also got spare steel drums in the lockup if you want to buy some smudger 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-bTMbePj0A

[Smurf]

That 199.99 chepo vac clears 3 storey gutters no probs too smudger 
Still don't ask me why that chicken wire was in the downspout opening but it was there already so I left it there as you do 

Re: gutter vac - worth it? Hell yeah on jobs like that as is a no brainer.

[timglaze]

How would i go about changing the inlet?

[Smurf]

Buy a larger say 50mm inlet then cut the hole in the drum to fit it.

It will work with that 38mm inlet as it stands though but the only difference is you may have to unblock the it more frequently than using a larger inlet which is no big deal really.

The one I brought I just wanted the motor head and trolley base as already had and old omni guttervac stainless steel drum with a 100mm inlet so all I did was just swapped it over.

[DaveyboyC]

They're good on certain jobs but don't expect them to do every single job you take on, if the gutters are full of wet growing weeds and also have internal brackets you'll struggle to do it properly from the ground. They block up  all too easy on the angle and if you buy the alloy poles which I did it can be heavy work.

[Smurf]

Agree as every job is different to be sure.

They still come in very handy for most jobs or parts of jobs  though when you don't want or can't use ladders safely due to access issues.

Here is a quick example of  an easy but awkard blocked downspout cleared with a guttervac & water tested afterwards without the need to struggle with ladders.

[DaveyboyC]

Agree with all of that, not so sure you could do a 3 storey building with a blocked outlet from the ground though, just takes a twig or bit of pointing and up the ladders we go.

[Smurf]

Agree with all of that, not so sure you could do a 3 storey building with a blocked outlet from the ground though, just takes a twig or bit of pointing and up the ladders we go.

Indeed as you can struggle for sure if you can't suck out (remove) what is causing the blockage. Sods in general and especially in corners and narrow gaps can be very difficult to remove too even on 2 storey jobs let alone on 3.

[Phil @ Extreme Clean]

So are the poles decent from the link posted and do you make own fittings or can you buy them aswell ?

[Kev Martin]

I agree with smurf here, had a stainless steel body vac over six years - it's as good as the day I got it 

Good find smurf, I'd change the inlet personally.

Would I reccomend gutter vac systems..... No comment

Darran

Do not buy a stainless steel Vac body as you will regret it.  Buy a polypropylene one.  Make sure the trolley has a large set of wheels on the back and a decent set of casters.  You are also better with 50mm inlet to use it as a gutter vac

Why not as I've used large stainless steel drum vac's for yonks and never found them an issue 
You can change the inlet to a 100mm if you wanted and even use a sack truck for really rough terrain too.
Yes you can pay 500-1000 or more for a better vac with better wheels etc but thats just a waste of money if you want my honest opinion.

Darran

I find the metal bodies get dinted all the time perhaps you are just lucky but we had a couple 6-7 years ago and it looked like we had been stock car racing with them after a few jobs in the van just my opinion really got polyprop ones over 9 years old still look the same as the day we bought them

[Smudger]

Well like smurf says - I don't do anything!

I've not treated it with kid gloves, it's even fallen 6 ft into a swimming pool (empty) but it's always in the wheeled trolley.

I'll be in the market for a decent wet/dry vac to kit out another van as we just can't keep up with demand so getting ready for the Feb onslaught and having 2 separate teams running, I'd be interested what you reccomend Kev. I'll source poles,hose etc.. Only stipulation minimum 50 mm inlet, but would love it if I could get larger like the omnivac

Darran

[Smurf]

Well like smurf says - I don't do anything!

I've not treated it with kid gloves, it's even fallen 6 ft into a swimming pool (empty) but it's always in the wheeled trolley.

I'll be in the market for a decent wet/dry vac to kit out another van as we just can't keep up with demand so getting ready for the Feb onslaught and having 2 separate teams running, I'd be interested what you reccomend Kev. I'll source poles,hose etc.. Only stipulation minimum 50 mm inlet, but would love it if I could get larger like the omnivac

Darran

No what I said Smudger you must not do much gutter clearing using a guttervac if yours has lasted you 6 years as on avereage they last me about 12 months even the omni 4200 watt ones. Either that you have been very lucky having to only change 2 motors and no motor brushes in 6 years.

Mind you I suppose the difference is gutter clearing is my core service and the vacs get a good hammering every week. Not only that they get used on pressure washing jobs too when needed.

Sorry I did not mean to upset  you Smudger but was just going by my own experience that’s all.