[Smurf]

I dropped an omni 4200 vac out of the back of my van once and the plastic trolley base smashed to pieces. Oops!   

To be honest I find all the types of 3 motor wet vacs with plastic bases can be hard work to move about other than a hard flat surface especially with crud and/or water in them.

[Rob@Blast off]

Mines a pain move around when its empty 

[Smurf]

Mines a pain move around when its empty 

I'm quite temped to put one on a sack truck permanently instead of using the sack truck when needed.  However I do like the look of the metal frame ones so might try one of those next.

[Rob@Blast off]

I'm going to put some better wheels and a drain port on mine when i get chance.   

[Smurf]

I'm going to put some better wheels and a drain port on mine when i get chance.

What sort of drain port did you have in mind Rob?

[Rob@Blast off]

Just going to have a look at swapping the one off my old vac on to my current one, its a small port with a screw cap on to let the water out.

[Smurf]

Just going to have a look at swapping the one off my old vac on to my current one, its a small port with a screw cap on to let the water out.

Oh I see thanks Rob...I sometimes forget to screw the cap back on then wonder why the suction is reduced...Doh! 

[Kev Martin]

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

I have been supplying vacs now for the thick end of about 8 years.  We have tried the gecko vacs, we sell Soteco but at the end of the day I keep going back to the German 3000 watt triple motor vacs.  They are manufactured in the main in China and then sent to Germany for assembly and ce marking.  They are identical to Soteco but half the price.  Don't  get me wrong we sell loads of Soteco as well.  From Germany they are available with modifications one being a 50mm inlet.  I can ask their engineering department if they can do a bigger inlet but I would imagine there is a reduction in power the bigger the inlet?

[Smurf]

That's interesting you say that Kevin as I tend to go for the chepo china 3 motor wet vacs myself now as from experience I find they tend to last just as long as the more expensive branded ones under heavy usage. That way I don't have to mess about stripping the heads down and having to buy and change motors or motor brushes when they die as I just bin them instead now.   

They way I look at it if say you add on a tenner for every smallish guttervac job you do then it more than pays for the cost of replacing a chepo £200 3 motor wet vac every year. People folking out upto a £1000 just for a wet vac is a total waste of money if you ask me.

[Kev Martin]

That's interesting you say that Kevin as I tend to go for the chepo china 3 motor wet vacs myself now as from experience I find they tend to last just as long as the more expensive branded ones under heavy usage. That way I don't have to mess about stripping the heads down and having to buy and change motors or motor brushes when they die as I just bin them instead now.   

They way I look at it if say you add on a tenner for every smallish guttervac job you do then it more than pays for the cost of replacing a chepo £200 vac every year.

Ours work out at around £350ish trade including VAT.  But I can honestly say  ours go through hell with grinding slurry and out of over a 1000+ supplied I don't think in 8 years we have changed more than 5 motors.  Some of my original ones are 8+ Years old and still going strong but as your philosophy we add around £20 to every job we do to cover hoses, wet pick up heads, castors etc  and after 20+ Jobs the vacs owe us nothing.  Interestingly we bought a couple of Metal bodied ones from Eastern Trading I think quite a few years ago when we needed 8 vacs on a big grinding job and they lasted about 1 month

[Smurf]

That's interesting you say that Kevin as I tend to go for the chepo china 3 motor wet vacs myself now as from experience I find they tend to last just as long as the more expensive branded ones under heavy usage. That way I don't have to mess about stripping the heads down and having to buy and change motors or motor brushes when they die as I just bin them instead now.   

They way I look at it if say you add on a tenner for every smallish guttervac job you do then it more than pays for the cost of replacing a chepo £200 vac every year.

Ours work out at around £350ish trade including VAT.  But I can honestly say  ours go through hell with grinding slurry and out of over a 1000+ supplied I don't think in 8 years we have changed more than 5 motors.  Some of my original ones are 8+ Years old and still going strong but as your philosophy we add around £20 to every job we do to cover hoses, wet pick up heads, castors etc  and after 20+ Jobs the vacs owe us nothing.  Interestingly we bought a couple of Metal bodied ones from Eastern Trading I think quite a few years ago when we needed 8 vacs on a big grinding job and they lasted about 1 month

This is the type I use now but I only buy them really for the motor heads that fits well on the old omni guttervac steel drums with 100mm inlet to 51mm reduced. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/WET-AND-DRY-VACUUM-VAC-CLEANER-INDUSTRIAL-80LTR-3000W-STAINLESS-STEEL-/331693725120?hash=item4d3a7c95c0:g:1xQAAOSw~bFWMPHk

As you can see from these example pics they do get a hammering .

[Kev Martin]

These are ours

http://www.tilinglogistics.co.uk/flood-fire-professional-wet-dry-vacuum-90-litre-industrial-3000w-triple-motor-50mm-hose-outlet-flood?filter_name=vacuum

http://www.tilinglogistics.co.uk/Flood-EQPT-Industrial-Wet-Dry-Vacuum-3x100watt-motors?filter_name=vacuum

[Barry Poole]

If you guys want a new one I have one for sale on the equipment for sale section brand new with a pump out bought of Kevin

[Smurf]

Thanks for the heads up Barry but I think a vac with a pump out would be rather pointless just used as a guttervac as most of the waste from gutters is either solid or a very thick sludge so would probably knacker it in no time at all.

[Smudger]

Cheers for the link Kev - how do these compare to a. The omnivac (soteco) 4200 and b. The sky vac - vacuums
On the omnivac it uses a 50mm hose but opens upto 100mm ( I think ) at the drum, the system works well as it rarely blocks, but if 50mm cuff size works then that's cool with me.

Smurf - don't flatter yourself mate, take more than that ill informed comment to upset me, judging by others who own omnivac's and kevs comments it seems more apparent that you blow your equipment up more than anyone else I know.

As a reference, when I got the omnivac the instructions stated not to run it with the filter bag in it for gutter clearing ONLY when vacuuming large qty's of dust - could it be your straining the motors by leaving the filter bag in ?

Darran

[Kev Martin]

No idea how it compares with an omnivac bud.   I have enough problems trying to do comparisons on various machines and sealers so never had any time to compare vacs.  Borrow one and try it if you like!   Then we will have a real life comparison rather than something  staged won't  we?

[Smudger]

Ok Kev

When  it's nearer the time I'll take one on a test drive (so to speak)

Darran

[Smurf]

Smurf - don't flatter yourself mate, take more than that ill informed comment to upset me, judging by others who own omnivac's and kevs comments it seems more apparent that you blow your equipment up more than anyone else I know.

As a reference, when I got the omnivac the instructions stated not to run it with the filter bag in it for gutter clearing ONLY when vacuuming large qty's of dust - could it be your straining the motors by leaving the filter bag in ?

Darran

Smudger just maybe I'm either very unlucky or just might work them harder than most who knows?

Regards to using filters in or out I'm no numpty as have being using wet vacs for years to clear guttering etc.  But after saying that I distroyed an omni 4200 wet vac by leaving the drum filter out as damp crud got sucked through the motors and prematurely fooked it up.

I've found it quite common to do guttervac jobs that have a mix of dry, damp crud and standing water too all in the same gutter run. Now what are you doing to do?...Leave the filter out, use it with the filter in or keep taking the filter in and out of the drum on a single gutter run as per omni instructions ?

At the end of the day it don't matter to me how long a wet vac lasts but from experience if I get more than 12 months use out of one doing a mix of domestic, residential blocks of flats, commercial/retail jobs etc it's a bonus as has earned loads of dosh in that time.

Electric motor wet vac's suck don't you know

[Kev Martin]

Ok Kev

When  it's nearer the time I'll take one on a test drive (so to speak)

Darran

Anytime just let me know

[BDCS]

I also have an Omni vac that I dropped out of my van and broke the top case where it meets the bin so I have spares - it also has a fooked motor and its 110v.

Kevin, do you keep the vacuums in stock with the 50mm hose inlet ? do they come with hose and tools ?