[lee_dewing]

hi,   everyone

I've been using freedom trolley since sept 06.

I have been very happy with freedom.

BUT WAS WONDERING ANYONE USED FREEDOM AND A SHURFLO BACKPACK
AND IF YES WHAT DO YOU THINKS BETTER.

with everything there are pros and cons.
Off the top of my head this is my thoughts on f/trolley.

Pros: very reliable, pretty robust,
Design of trolley unlike others and backpack allows you to take lid off barrel stand on trolley away you go(no filling).
Great backup service from adepta.

Cons: Trolley is fairly heavy, the only place i can recharge is my front room, pain bringing in as bulky.
And my main problem is replacing parts on trolley as pump and battery are packed in a very tight space.

When i needed new battery i attempted to replace battery myself i failed miserabley and had to send back to adepta.

I then asked them to replace battery, pump, varistream controller, and even tyres.

Reason being so two months later i wasn't back in same boat


I have been reading a lot on shurflow back pack and am seriously considering changing over,
especially seeing utube vid of backpack running as van mount system,

I'm sure with a few male female microbore connectors, back pack could switch between van mount and portable(original use)

I realise freedom trolley can work as van mount also.

Back pack pros: light, fairly cheap, spares sold, battery£20

Cons: 15 ltr capacity,  maybe a backache constant filling up.


Unfortunately it's not pratical having tank fitted to my van, my ro setup at my parents place no off street parking


any thoughts anyone
which do you think is better!
A freedom trolley is around £800 from varitech, where as back pack £240.(did get my f/trolley as starter pack £1000, trolley, pole, ro-man 200 gpd)

Thanks lee.

[jouk45]

you can use the backpack on a trolley, i use mine for everything now, look how fast i fill mine, 15secs

[lee_dewing]

jouk,

I remember reading your post the  other day.

Bl00dy brillant.

This is what started me thinking of using backpack.

Do you find it a pain say; you were doing a 3 bed semi do you run out of water as 15 ltrs is max in backpack.

As opposed to 25 ltrs in my barrel (more like 22 as never fill to brim, too heavy!)

also how do you find the longeviety of backpack? have you had to replace much battery etc,
can you remove battery and just bring this indoors to charge?(my real gripe with freedom trolley after the problem of replacing pump battery as packed in like sardines .
and do you just plug pole into backpack?

I have extra lenght of hose between trolley and pole as pain keep moving trolley around property.
But find pain coiling up hose.

I suppose if you had to trad more downstairs windows to save water you could buy wagtail flipper to do downstairs flat glass.

Are you pleased with time it takes you to clean a house the way you do and do you think you'd be much quicker trolley or even van mount.

Thanks very much with your input jouk.

Cheers lee

[lee_dewing]

oooppps sorry

what is the lance i've seen on backpack hose described as optional?

[jouk45]

well if your using the backpack for wfp you dont need the lance, answer to your question above, i clean 4 and 5 bedroom houses, if you have already done all the first cleans, then a full backpack will do a 4 bedroom, and 25ltrs for a 5 bedroom, i do all the frames, plus garage doors, for first cleans i always use around 40 to 50 litres, i have had  my backpack near 2 years, and i have had no problems yet, the battery will last a full working day, i find using the backpack very easy to use, also i just use my car, you do need the trolley if you have a compact round, better than carrying the backpack, if you copy that video you saw of a backpack van mount, you can sit it on top of a 25ltr container on the trolley, saving you refilling

[chris@c.m.s]

I'm van mounted and I hate it when I need to use the backpack "usually due to parking problems " the flow rate just frustrates the hell out of me, I like good flow and backpack will not get me through much more than about 10 windows, have a look at some of the 35ltr trolleys its what I would consider next.
       

[elite mike]

hi lee

this would make a cheap trolly / backpack system 

  www.sprayersandwaterers.co.uk/product/?pid=11928

dccleaners managed to get one for £120  without the lance

[lee_dewing]

thanks jouk.

Can you remove battery from backpack to re-charge on it's own or does it have to be left in it's shell within backpack.

 2 years that's great, are you using backpack all day everyday( i think you are, just checking)

What do you think of chris's comments re: poor flow rate?


Chris, thanks for your input

Anyone else got an opinion on this

thanks lee

[lee_dewing]

thanks mike,

think i see one of your other posts pointing it out to someone.

My  concerns would be getting spares and reliability as shurflow has been well road tested by many on here.

THanks very much for your help.
What is your setup mike van mount, trolley, backpack?

thanks lee.

[elite mike]

i use a 35 ltr trolly,

have all the stuff for van mount

will get round to fitting it sometime :

i think a combination of all 3 will always be usefull

trolly does suit most of my round

if you go for the 35 ltr trolly

omnipole are doing a good deal on my one

and they have ironed out all the faults as well 

[elite mike]

sorry lee

meant to say a few on here have the wcw and sureflow

and use them with a cheap sacktruck


so best of both worlds really

mike

[lee_dewing]

thanks mike.

Unfortunately none of the systems are perfect.

working out what's perfect for you is the main thing.

Always been happy with freedom trolley, but have some issues as stated.

Will have a quick look on omnipole for the 35 ltr trolleys, but they all start £500 upwards.


I would really hate to know the money i spent on wfp since sept 06

Alot i have wasted on bits and bobs trying things out hose reels, crappy poles, micro bore fittings etc.

even when i was trad i probably bought and tried most holsters, squeegy's, cloths, ladders, pouches, belts, detergents the list goes on and on

thanks for your help mike
lee

[lee_dewing]

sorry squeegee's

[chris@c.m.s]

Omnipole are apparently out of stock of the 35ltr trolleys until mid July , But they were £200. Ionics does the same trolley for around just under £500 I think, When I said about flow rate on the backpack what I actually meant was that if you have it set to a decent flow IE setting 3 or 4 you will be running dry quite quickly.

[Fieldsy]

Having just bought the wcw backpack, I'm finding it great to use. Mind you we only do tops wfp at the moment. The pole has 10m of pole hosing, but have found that this snags easily and begins to coil up in twists and loops. Don't really have problems filling the backpack up as I find not carrying a ladder everywhere a lot less stressfull. Latest decision has been to convert to microbore hosing, leave the backpack in the van, and fill when necessary with the 25 litre containers. Hasn't really been a big hinderance (sp), but I'm sure if and when we can convert to a van mount we would find it a whole lot easier. Don't really have a problem with flow rate either as I've fitted a flow valve to the hose and vary it accordingly.

[elite mike]

lee the 35 ltr trolly is £195+vat  but sold out
  www.omnipole.com/omnitrolley.htm
 


35 Litre Waterfed Spray Systems TROLLEY

Ultra compact - Easy to use and Transport

 Price busting cost!!

Only £195.00 + Vat  SOLD OUT

new stock due Mid June - July 09

NO competitor system can come any where near this High Tech specification for such a small cost

5 Speed Electronic Variable Flow

35 Litre Tank

Inbuilt pump protection filtration

Airlock preventor

17ah Deep cycle battery

70 PSI demand pump

Battery Condition meter

Pneumatic tyres - Steel wheels on roller bearings easy transport over any terrain

Steel frame and instrument panel


Enlarge View
   Unbeat

[lee_dewing]

thanks fieldsy, chris.

Mike i take it this is what you use, how do you find pulling it around i imagine quite heavy!

I find sometimes freedom can be akward, but barrel seperate and can topple off trolley.

obviously you dont have this.

Also how would you feel in changing components ie, putting on new pump new battery.

thats my real issue with freedom trolley as everything really packed in tight at bottom

thanks mike chris pointing this trolley out, unlike one of the big boys to sell something at a great price.
I didn't bother looking at ionics version.

I'm sure the guy who invented freedom trolley, went on his own and made something like this.

They make me laugh what they charge for what is basically a sack truck with pump and battery a few connectors

OMNIPOLE: this trolley as said is great value, you couldn't build anything that cheap i dout.

freedom trolley £800

thanks lee.

Ps mike have you thought about jouk idea to fill up your trolley, lid off container stick in your trolley(2 of nearly) no spills

[elite mike]

lee i must admit i have had quite a few issues with the trolly

but i have put decent connectors on the pump, and redesigned

the lay out.

water proofed the electrics , and sealed some of the components

its a very easy trolly to work on

just frustrating that i had all the probs to start with

pumps are cheap to get and easy to work on

seen them on the net for £30 ish

[Fieldsy]

Don't know if this is any good to you lee. I was talking to this guy over the net regarding an ro system, and he told me he was getting backpacks/trolleys. I think he has been mentioned on here before (John Hewitt). I know nothing about the systems, but thought it might give you other options. Not sure if they are expensive or not???............but at 35 litres they are obviously bigger than most........well the big one is anyway.......lol

http://www.johnhewitt.com/wc.htm

[lee_dewing]

thanks for your honesty mike

fieldsy thanks for link very intresting indeed

anyone on here bought one of these backpack trolley systems ?

thanks lee.