[Splash & dash]

Slacky  how are you getting on with the vac ? Any good would you recommend it ? Do you find that the filter gets much dirt stuck to it ,? Does it get wet ? Did you get the 240 v or 110  Sorry for all the questions but it's a fair bit of money so want to make sure it's ok before committing to buying one thanks in advance

[Tosh]

I got the 240. Its a pretty good machine IMO. I have found once the drum gets chocka the suction goes, understandably, and its at that point once emptied you also have to give the filter a good hose down.

As a vac I can’t compare it as Ive never used any other model but one improvement I would suggest is that  they make the end of the hose where it fits the pole rotatable, as Ive found it can make things awkward handling the pole if the hose doesn’t spin as you move from one position to another as you progress along a length of gutter. Its a bit difficult to explain what I mean but if you get one Im sure you’ll understand.

Id also suggest the camera could be better. Lots better to be honest. Im fortunate in that I received mine from SkyVac as an add on and would be mighty peed off if Id paid £600 for what is supplied. The imagery isn’t that clear and it doesn’t make seeing what you’re doing particularly clear. Saying that, gutter vaccuming is an art/skill Id say, a bit like learning to drive. Ive done probably 3 or 4 full days work with it since I got it, and think the camera is an extra that in time is likely to generally only be used to confirm the gutters are clear once they’ve been vacuumed rather than an assist whilst they’re being vacuumed.

The battery on the monitor is also not up to much, Id say 2 hours tops before it needs a recharge.

The vac is great though, Id recommend it. I was a little hesitant at first as there were a few mentions of it blowing fuses; but Im finding that Im just being particularly careful that I only switch one motor on at a time to save a large electrical surge to the circuit fuse.

[Splash & dash]

Thanks for the reply , I know what you mean about the hose not rotating , I've currently got an omnivac and have  been doing gutters for about 7 years so have a fair amount of experience, there is always room for improvement with these things but most manufacturers don't listen , I used to test equipment for one of the largest companies that make and install wfp systems , the minute you criticise and point out how there product could be improved they got the hump , so why did they ask me to test it and report back , bit of a pointless exercise if they just want there ears tickled .
I cannot make up my mind weather to go for the 240 or 110  taking a genny all the time is a pain , but at least you are self reliant for power .
So the filter is washable , and reusable then I thought it might be a paper type of element that would have to be replaced a lot I see that they are about £30 . I need to replace mine soon as have got a couple of large commercial contracts that have to be done every 3 months .
Thanks for your comments it's very helpful to hear from someone who has the kit good points and bad

[Nick Day]

No disrespects, but why on earth are you driving yourself nuts about the vacuum, when the real question is about the tools. You can buy a De Walt drill for £300.00 but if the drill bit is blunt, you are screwed. You can buy a £20.00 drill, give it a sharp drill bit you have drill that will do the job.
Like they say "only them that has it, can waste it" (that is money by the way!).

[Splash & dash]

The vacuum is the engine of the car if the engine is no good the gold plated interior is a waist of time , the tools are quite simple I've made a lot of my own over the years for specific jobs i.e. Very deep gutters , very narrow gap between roof tiles and gutters , different shape of guttering some times a silicon bend works well sometimes you need a fixed head etc , the 240 or 110 is important depending where you are working on a site 240 is not allowed it has to be 110 , if just doing houses then 240 is ok if the householder is in , if not then you are stuck . It's also very useful to hear from people who already have the kit to see what they think of it good or bad that was my reason for asking as it's a lot of money to get it wrong  !!!

[Spruce]

I got the 240. Its a pretty good machine IMO. I have found once the drum gets chocka the suction goes, understandably, and its at that point once emptied you also have to give the filter a good hose down.

As a vac I can’t compare it as Ive never used any other model but one improvement I would suggest is that  they make the end of the hose where it fits the pole rotatable, as Ive found it can make things awkward handling the pole if the hose doesn’t spin as you move from one position to another as you progress along a length of gutter. Its a bit difficult to explain what I mean but if you get one Im sure you’ll understand.

Id also suggest the camera could be better. Lots better to be honest. Im fortunate in that I received mine from SkyVac as an add on and would be mighty peed off if Id paid £600 for what is supplied. The imagery isn’t that clear and it doesn’t make seeing what you’re doing particularly clear. Saying that, gutter vaccuming is an art/skill Id say, a bit like learning to drive. Ive done probably 3 or 4 full days work with it since I got it, and think the camera is an extra that in time is likely to generally only be used to confirm the gutters are clear once they’ve been vacuumed rather than an assist whilst they’re being vacuumed.

The battery on the monitor is also not up to much, Id say 2 hours tops before it needs a recharge.

The vac is great though, Id recommend it. I was a little hesitant at first as there were a few mentions of it blowing fuses; but Im finding that Im just being particularly careful that I only switch one motor on at a time to save a large electrical surge to the circuit fuse.

You've made some good points Slacky.

I think the most important thing with gutter vac is the safety aspect. We have a single motor 1500 watt vacuum with a 38mm hose. It works well but we do find if a large bit of muck, such as a bit of wood gets stuck in the hose it causes a blockage which can be a pain to remove if its in the flexible hose section.

We may still have to get up the ladder and unblock the top of the downpipe as the vacuum doesn't get all that out. But overall I feel better for having this equipment.

I haven't room on the van to carry the vacuum with us, so this has to be prearranged with a customer. I've looked at a generator but having the customer provide a power source is much easier.

I've seen some vacuums with an added plate between the inlet and the filter which I imagine will stop a lot of the muck being drawn into the filter.
Grippa also sell a side inlet attachment which looks like a good idea.

But my main gripe with vacuums is the time spend cleaning the equipment afterwards. I'm sure overall it takes longer to clean a gutter with the vacuum than it did off ladders when you consider the clean up time afterwards.

Overall I'm much happier as we are safer doing the job. That's a big plus factor.

.
 

[Tosh]

No disrespects, but why on earth are you driving yourself nuts about the vacuum, when the real question is about the tools. You can buy a De Walt drill for £300.00 but if the drill bit is blunt, you are screwed. You can buy a £20.00 drill, give it a sharp drill bit you have drill that will do the job.
Like they say "only them that has it, can waste it" (that is money by the way!).

Doesn't mean they're going to waste it though.

[bobplum]

i could be wrong haven't they gone into liquidation