[Stoots]

ive just paid £165(inclu VAT and delivery) for 3 tapertec brushes,some rectus 26 connectors and some o clips......

suck it up mate or go and convert a broom brush!

What happened to those Bentley brooms we use to get from Morrisons for £2.99? We used to throw the handle away and put two jets into the brush head. Some brushes would work better with age when the flocking of the bristles wore out, where others the bristles would tangle up and become a mess.

What I liked about them was they were so light.

Someone on that old DIY forum from years ago removed all the bristles from one with the idea of transferring all the bristles from a Vikan oval brush into it. He wanted the lightness of the Bentley brush stock and the quality of the Vikan bristles. He reported it as a failure, if I remember correctly.

That's how I started in 2014.

Alloy decorators pole, some 5mm garden tubing from b&q and a brush head from tesco. 

My next step was an six so I never really had the joys of using a clx thankfully.

[NWH]

We all started like that by converting a basic broom brush how do you think Alex pays to have his boat serviced 🤣🤣🤣🤣

[Spruce]

I don't know, £50 still seems too much. I realise spread over 3/6/12 months the cost per use is low, but it is just a plastic molding with bristles and a coupe of holes. It's not lovingly handcrafted by some hipster artisan in east London, who only crafts 4 a year from recycled Mercedes interiors and polar bear fur . They're churned out in a Chinese factory by the thousand. I need to get in to the WFP brush market I think.

Think about this Ken - you wouldn't expect the brush to be free (obviously) so let's say you felt that £30.00 was reasonable and fair. So you are only unhappy about the extra £20 really, aren't you?

Also the final 20% goes to the government not into Alex's or the manufacturer's pocket ... AND you can claim 20% of the Vat inclusive total against tax.

Interesting way of explaining it. You would have made a good car salesman Malc.

[NWH]

If you are making a 1000% on something the odd 20% to whoever isn’t too bad though is it.

[zesty]

I defo think £50 is too expensive, and I’m not at all struggling.

We’re currently renovating our house, and I’ve been amazed at how cheap tools and materials are from Screwfix, it’s crazy cheap.

Then a plastic brush with some bristles is £50?

Come on guys, of course they’re expensive, that’s not the issue though, the issue, as always with clean it up, is making it out like we’re all minted and £50 isn’t much to us. 

The above doesn’t change the fact that brushes are a complete rip off, but we need them, and that there is the reason they’re expensive, plus the fact the demand is lower (obviously) compared with tools and materials from a DIY store.

If Screwfix sold gardiner type brushes, they’d be around £10 if that.

It’s not about how much you earn, certain products are overpriced whether your’re a millionaire or on universal credit.

[Granny]

Look after them and get the most life you can out of them then.
I'm still using the first Gardiner Superlight I bought 10 years ago.
It works and I have had no complaints from customers.

What's it like using it for awkward angle windows over kitchen extensions  and conservatories?I bet your pole bends like a banana...not to mention the strain on your shoulders...

I truly cant believe window cleaners are still using these heavy brushes on their poles....

I thought you were the big athlete - weight lifting and whatever you're always going on about how strong you are and how many muscles you've got.
Worried about a few ounces on the weight of a brush!

[Ralphie]

you could always get together with H Man and knock something up, knock it out cheap and whilst failing at that get back on the glass to find someones pinched your round whilst you have tried to reinvent the wheel at a more cost effective price.

Or start a thread to bulk purchase to reduce costs of delivery, VAT etc.

Or just pay the £50.

[Smudger]

Yes £50 is expensive - however having been in the moulding sector I know the cost of tooling up - the initial outlay etc….

These brushes are in manufacturing terms “short runs” - they could and would easily just do standard brush heads in the millions

For me a lot of brushes are over engineered now with radius ends weird shapes etc….
A straight forward rectangle or lightweight sill brush would be fine for my use

Darran

[Perfect Windows]

I found this. What do you reckon that tooling would be? I'd guess a tenner, tops. Then a quid for the manufacture of each brush.

https://youtu.be/o7Gq1fTds28?t=10

I'm halfway through making one of those brush machines in the shed. I'll compete with Gardiners with my £3 brushes.

Vin

[EandM]

I defo think £50 is too expensive, and I’m not at all struggling.

We’re currently renovating our house, and I’ve been amazed at how cheap tools and materials are from Screwfix, it’s crazy cheap.

Then a plastic brush with some bristles is £50?

Come on guys, of course they’re expensive, that’s not the issue though, the issue, as always with clean it up, is making it out like we’re all minted and £50 isn’t much to us. 

The above doesn’t change the fact that brushes are a complete rip off, but we need them, and that there is the reason they’re expensive, plus the fact the demand is lower (obviously) compared with tools and materials from a DIY store.

If Screwfix sold gardiner type brushes, they’d be around £10 if that.

Scale of economy:

Screwfix potential UK cutomer base = 41 million

Gardiner potential UK customer base = 200,000 assuming all window cleaners are WFP

[dazmond]

Look after them and get the most life you can out of them then.
I'm still using the first Gardiner Superlight I bought 10 years ago.
It works and I have had no complaints from customers.

What's it like using it for awkward angle windows over kitchen extensions  and conservatories?I bet your pole bends like a banana...not to mention the strain on your shoulders...

I truly cant believe window cleaners are still using these heavy brushes on their poles....

I thought you were the big athlete - weight lifting and whatever you're always going on about how strong you are and how many muscles you've got.
Worried about a few ounces on the weight of a brush!

its just not a smart way to work IMO......your risking RSI using heavy brushes like the so called superlite brush

[NWH]

I defo think £50 is too expensive, and I’m not at all struggling.

We’re currently renovating our house, and I’ve been amazed at how cheap tools and materials are from Screwfix, it’s crazy cheap.

Then a plastic brush with some bristles is £50?

Come on guys, of course they’re expensive, that’s not the issue though, the issue, as always with clean it up, is making it out like we’re all minted and £50 isn’t much to us. 

The above doesn’t change the fact that brushes are a complete rip off, but we need them, and that there is the reason they’re expensive, plus the fact the demand is lower (obviously) compared with tools and materials from a DIY store.

If Screwfix sold gardiner type brushes, they’d be around £10 if that.

Scale of economy:

Screwfix potential UK cutomer base = 41 million

Gardiner potential UK customer base = 200,000 assuming all window cleaners are WFP

I would say that’s way out saying that they only have a market of 200,000,way out.

[james peters]

https://gardinerpolesystems.co.uk/xtreme-sill-26cm-brush-medium-soft.html
I have been using this one for about a month . my favourite so far , its been good on gutters too 

[EandM]

I defo think £50 is too expensive, and I’m not at all struggling.

We’re currently renovating our house, and I’ve been amazed at how cheap tools and materials are from Screwfix, it’s crazy cheap.

Then a plastic brush with some bristles is £50?

Come on guys, of course they’re expensive, that’s not the issue though, the issue, as always with clean it up, is making it out like we’re all minted and £50 isn’t much to us. 

The above doesn’t change the fact that brushes are a complete rip off, but we need them, and that there is the reason they’re expensive, plus the fact the demand is lower (obviously) compared with tools and materials from a DIY store.

If Screwfix sold gardiner type brushes, they’d be around £10 if that.

Scale of economy:

Screwfix potential UK cutomer base = 41 million

Gardiner potential UK customer base = 200,000 assuming all window cleaners are WFP

I would say that’s way out saying that they only have a market of 200,000,way out.

Estimated number of UK window cleaners

[zesty]

Yes, hence me saying demand is lower.

Saying that, gardiner sell in many countries. Including the US.

They’re still overpriced for what they are.

We can’t do without them, there isn’t much competition, so it is what it is, much to Alex’s delight!

[EandM]

Yes, hence me saying demand is lower.

Saying that, gardiner sell in many countries. Including the US.

They’re still overpriced for what they are.

We can’t do without them, there isn’t much competition, so it is what it is, much to Alex’s delight!

Yes, I was thinking about the UK market more than current exchange rates.
I doubt many of us could design, pay for the R&D, build and distribute a decent brush for £50.
Granted, it seems relatively expensive but then niche stuff always is.

[Rob.Hall]

Well I chuckled when I saw a second hand gardiners sill brush go for £47  on ebay the other day 😳 😊

Best buy now lads coz if fuel and food are anything to go by we will be chasing brushes!

[Spruce]

Well I chuckled when I saw a second hand gardiners sill brush go for £47  on ebay the other day 😳 😊

Best buy now lads coz if fuel and food are anything to go by we will be chasing brushes!

If we have any customers left

[NWH]

Won’t be long people will be saying do you remember when we had our windows cleaned once a month or 4 weekly you mean Spruce.

[Spruce]

Anyone priced up a Constructor brush recently?