[macmac]

Had this product about 3 weeks now & man, I'm well pleased with it!

Have to admit, I thought it looked a bit cheap & tacky when I got it & there are bits that could be improved but all in all it's a very good piece of kit. Like others advised, it took some getting used to & at first I thought it wasn't going to be for me. I did take the original rubber out but couldn't get my pulex to seat properly so I put the wagtail rubber back in & I'm glad I did. Man, this is very, very good rubber, only the very lightest of pressure is required for a perfect finnish & the ends havn't chewed up at all yet. I've finnished a few commercial jobs in record time without even trying & I'm flying with this thing now. One big downer though, I can't for the life of me use it on a pole!! : So any tips on this are welcome
Superb for insides as it doesn't hold much water & so a lot less mop up too. I'm so impressed with this orbital system I'm going to get the seperate wagtail applicator & squeegee 'cos I love the flat edge of the applicator, gets right into corners without flooding the window!!
I'm still learning this tool & get better with it every day, I've found myself using it more & more, infact, it seems a drag now to use my normal tools of choice!
It's reach is also a much appreciated bonus with the angles achieved from one position- especially for a short-arse like me!

Any tips from wagtail pro's? like wee mods etc? (I've trimmed the applicator edges down a bit but that's all)

Top tool, this could be the way forward for trad cleaning methods.

[ftp]

Good for inside conservatory roofs too. 

[macmac]

Also a perfect tool for any wfp'er who has to trad the odd window!

[macmac]

Good for inside conservatory roofs too. 

Can you use it on a pole dave? Every time I try, as soon as I twist the handle the angle of the blade goes way off!

[Oakley Windows]

Tony, I bought a wagtail a couple of weeks ago for one job in particular, the insides of an fully glazed 8' high pool room. I figured it would help by cutting my time in half there.

Anyway Ive done the job once with the wagtail and even on the first visit using it on a pole and no steps it saved time.

The way I found to start to get to grips with it was to WATCH the rotation of the blade on the joint as I come to the end of a horizontal run just prior to swivelling the thing.

IT HAS TO WORK LIKE A UNIVERSAL JOINT ON A CAR'S DRIVE-SHAFT . SO THE HEAD SWIVELS WHEN THE POLE IS ROTATED.

Practise makes perfect but Im much more confident with it now.

Matt

[M Henderson]

I love em'

The trick with using it on a pole is to twist the pole like a screwdriver to turn it. Keep relaxed and don't press on hard.

I don't flip the flipper. It splashes water everywhere. Before raising the pole, let gravity drop the pad over the blade and then raise it to the window. The same when you want to blade - let gravity do the work.

If you have the pole already in the air, then you can still do it with a slight twist and moving the pole to the side.

Sometimes it's easier to put the wagtails on the window upside down and spin it around on the window. (Easier to demonstrate than to explain )

[macmac]

Yeah, cheers. I'm going to keep trying. To be fair, I've only given it half an hours practice on a pole but I was no further forward for the effort!

What we need now is a BOAB that will hold the flipper + the seperate wagtail squeegee & applicator.

[macmac]

Sometimes it's easier to put the wagtails on the window upside down and spin it around on the window. (Easier to demonstrate than to explain ) 

I know what you mean, that's how I do it without the pole.

Do you need the extension arm to work it on a pole? as I haven't got that bit I just stick the thing straight onto the pole?

[M Henderson]

My extension pole clamp wasn't working properly and that caused problems.

Check the pole isn't turning when you twist it - make sure it's nice and tight.

The new slimline version they are bringing out soon takes standard channels and that'll fit in the BOAB.

I just stick mine in the same space as the mop - it's awkward to start with but you get used to it after a while.

[ftp]

It works well but only on certain jobs in my opinion. It's good inside but needs loads of space on outside work and isn't to brilliant at straight pulls or deep frames. I hate the thing on conventional work and can't get the hang of it on ordinary windows at second storey. Ideal for shop windows though.

[macmac]

It works well but only on certain jobs in my opinion. It's good inside but needs loads of space on outside work and isn't to brilliant at straight pulls or deep frames. I hate the thing on conventional work and can't get the hang of it on ordinary windows at second storey. Ideal for shop windows though.

Yeah, it does have it's limits, it won't do everything. For one, it not holding much water is a blessing for one job & a ballache on another! Can't have everything 'spose.
Deep reveals not too good either.

[macmac]

The new slimline version they are bringing out soon takes standard channels and that'll fit in the BOAB

That's good to know, where you get the inside info?

[ftp]

Certainly need an angle adapter I use an adjustable one for the small amount of pole work i've tried. Wagtail do their own but it's a fixed angle I believe.

[karlosdaze]

The Wagtail adapter is a made to measure device - much better than than messing around with other angle adapters that are heavy weight & having to adjust all the time. The new "blue ribbon"slimline range are also lockable for fixed work & take any normal size channel - See here for video, note the new scraper:
http://robinson-solutions.blogspot.com/2009/04/wagtail-water-meters-videos-other.html

If you use the flipper version the slimline will still not fit in the nomal slot on boab's. I use two Ettore boab's together & use the applicator space for for the wagtails. These are remarkable squeegees, I urge everyone to get the flipper - if you can't get used to the pad, you can always remove it - but at least you have the option.
The only problem I'm having is with the lock which I keep knocking by accident, but even this can be removed.