On average how much do you earn on a 7-8 hour day?

[dazmond]

also i use my air con a lot so the engine soon gets to operating temperature even on short journeys....

 

[Pjj]

personally i think your wrong.....a service once a year is fine,twice a year is overkill......as for doing low mileage in a diesel van.....i  dont think that does them any harm either,less wear and tear on the suspension,brakes,tyres...everything really....only thing is the DPF can get clogged if im not driving long distances but i give it some welly on the motorway every so often....my vans only 2 and a half years old with 9000 miles on the clock....ive had 2 oil changes in that time,thats it...but at 3 years old  ill get the fuel and air filter changed too when i take it for its first MOT.....

I suppose your gonna say idling my van every lunchtime for 30 mins(to put some extra charge into my leisure batteries for my diesel heater)is bad for my engine too....?

diesel vans are built to be used and abused!.........?

Short stop start journeys is bad for any vehicle but especially diesels , and if they have a dpf  even worse the mileage you are doing it should be changed  twise per year all manufacturers will tell you this,  and yes sitting there with the engine ideling isn’t good either , is it going to kill the engine no but it certainly won’t do it any good .

 

[paul alan]

Spruce you are a very switched on guy , but theses figures cannot be right 45% expenses is crazy , you might as well be an employee in a supermarket . 

unless he's not turning over much?

 

[Part Timer]

unless he's not turning over much?

Unfortunately he's probably like me can't get any good work. 

 

[Iron Giant]

Short stop start journeys is bad for any vehicle but especially diesels , and if they have a dpf  even worse the mileage you are doing it should be changed  twise per year all manufacturers will tell you this,  and yes sitting there with the engine ideling isn’t good either , is it going to kill the engine no but it certainly won’t do it any good .

Manufacturer's can be shocking for my Vauxhall Combo oil change about 16,00 miles I think  ? , not a bleedin chance, I do around 3,000 miles a year, give the van a 20-30 minute run down the motorway once a month at a constant of 2,500 revs to get heat on the exhaust to burn off the **** in the dpf I also us Cataclean  2-3 times a year 

 

[paul alan]

Unfortunately he's probably like me can't get any good work. 

I know from previous posts the he's slowing down nowadays, I reckon that could be it.

 

[scottish cleaning service]

I suppose your gonna say idling my van every lunchtime for 30 mins(to put some extra charge into my leisure batteries for my diesel heater)is bad for my engine too....?

My mechanic told me that idling Doesn't charge any Battery because the revs are too Low that's why using jump leads you always use full revs. ?

 

[Part Timer]

I know from previous posts the he's slowing down nowadays, I reckon that could be it.

The only advice on here that should be taken as gospel is @spruceposts 

 

[mike007]

£10 less than I wanted!!!!!!

 

[paul alan]

My mechanic told me that idling Doesn't charge any Battery because the revs are too Low that's why using jump leads you always use full revs. ?

Nah, I used to have battery issues with the last one, If I didn't idle between jobs it would die.

 

[spruce]

My mechanic told me that idling Doesn't charge any Battery because the revs are too Low that's why using jump leads you always use full revs. ?

It just goes to show that mechanics don't always know everything.

In the old days of generators this was the case. But since the mid 1960's vehicles manufacturers have been fitting alternators to vehicles.

I have a Sterling battery to battery charger in my van together with a Victron BMV-712 battery monitor. I can see exactly what the alternator is doing when then engine is running via my phone. I can assure you that my alternator charges my leisure battery at exactly the same amps at idle as it does at 2500RPM.

I noted the other day that at idle after 2 big jobs the alternator was pushing 38amps into the leisure battery at idle before slowly dropping down to 22 amps before we drove off.

I have also long advocated that those on split charge relays or voltage sensing relays take a slow route home. The longer it takes you the more charge you are putting back into your battery and you could well be saving fuel as well.

By reving the engine when jump starting you are trying to help boost the flow of current from the starter car's battery to the car with a dead battery.

I recall once many years ago I was asked to jump the boss' Mercedes Benz with a large V8 engine from my 1800 Mitsubishi. The Japans were reknown for using small capacity batteries.

Rather than kill my battery, I choose to put the jump leads on and run my engine for around 20 minutes to put a bit of current into his battery before jump starting. It worked first turn of the M/B key.

 

[paul alan]

It just goes to show that mechanics don't always know everything.

In the old days of generators this was the case. But since the mid 1960's vehicles manufacturers have been fitting alternators to vehicles.

I have a Sterling battery to battery charger in my van together with a Victron BMV-712 battery monitor. I can see exactly what the alternator is doing when then engine is running via my phone. I can assure you that my alternator charges my leisure battery at exactly the same amps at idle as it does at 2500RPM.

I have also long advocated that those on split charge relays or voltage sensing relays take a slow route home. The longer it takes you the more charge you are putting back into your battery and you could well be saving fuel as well.

Gospel

 

[scottish cleaning service]

I have also long advocated that those on split charge relays or voltage sensing relays take a slow route home. The longer it takes you the more charge you are putting back into your battery and you could well be saving fuel as well.

Or when you get home, leave the van running and check your phone for messages and calls. I like to do this because i don't get disturbed and its like my mobile study. Now i have to park round the corner because my relatives have started coming out to ask me questions. That's what happens when one becomes popular!???

 

[Incheck]

Yes inner city driving isnt good for diesels, take it on the duel carriageway sometime and rev it up to 4/5000 revs in a lower gear and watch the soot and smoke fly out. Dont do it for long mind as it sounds like the engine will blow up. This helps it to pass on the emissions test for MOT

Regarding expenses ours were high last year around 23% and that’s obviously before tax. I’m working hard to bring it down by using less resin (harvested rainwater) servicing my own garden machinery instead of taking them to the dealership, so im paying parts only and less on labour, cutting down on advertising that didnt appear to be working, however i did land a job off it the other day. Still doesnt amount to near enough what ive spent advertising with that particular platform. Any little thing i can do prevent the expenses escalating. 

met a tradder the other day he’s happy doing £100 a day, his expenses are basically non existent i imagine, bucket, ladder, squeegees, cloths. I didnt see a vehicle so whether he had one or not i dont know. But theres definitely profit in trad - if youve got the work. The big word is if. Any tradder with full books and not needing to advertise or do add ons is probably on to the greatest win i reckon. 

 

[spruce]

Spruce you are a very switched on guy , but theses figures cannot be right 45% expenses is crazy , you might as well be an employee in a supermarket . 

Yes, you are probably right. But age and back issues severely restrict what I can do these days. So loading shelves in a supermarket at night is also a no-no. I'm probably doing a 1/4 of the window cleaning work a day I used to 15 years ago, and that's with better equipment.

My post was to show the o/p that turnover means nothing as other have also said. If the o/p is doing £150 a day but his costs are £100, then he might as well be doing something else.

For me I get a small pension as I haven't paid into the system to qualify for a full pension. I'm very grateful for what I get, but I need to supplement that to keep our heads above water. There may come a time when I'm not able to do anything so then I'm will have to beg for additional help with pension credits (I think that's what they call it.) But until that time I'm going to do my best to remain as self sufficient as I can.

The other issue has been alluded to by @Part Timer. In our part of the world we have to compete with cleaners cleaning 3 bed semis for £5 and £6. They quote and work these stupid prices for a while and move off because they can't run a business that those rates. But the prices stick.

15 years ago I was asked to clean a large conservatory roof and large 3 bedroom bungalow. Her trad cleaner wouldn't clean the roof. The lady of the house, a widow, complained that her cleaner did such a poor job. I asked how much she paid him. Answer £6 for the house and conservatory. My response was to increase it to £8 or £9 on condition he does a better job. She nearly had a heartache. She can afford a new Audi every 3 years but not to pay the windie more. She bumped into me about 6 years ago at her sisters house we clean. I asked if she had the same windie and what she was paying him. Yes and it was still £6. The window cleaner fell off his ladders cleaning the house across the road from her 2 years ago and has sustained life changing injuries. He will never walk again. He was charging £6 for that. This is a wealthy estate in an up market area.

 

[spruce]

Yes inner city driving isnt good for diesels, take it on the duel carriageway sometime and rev it up to 4/5000 revs in a lower gear and watch the soot and smoke fly out. Dont do it for long mind as it sounds like the engine will blow up. This helps it to pass on the emissions test for MOT

Regarding expenses ours were high last year around 23% and that’s obviously before tax. I’m working hard to bring it down by using less resin (harvested rainwater) servicing my own garden machinery instead of taking them to the dealership, so im paying parts only and less on labour, cutting down on advertising that didnt appear to be working, however i did land a job off it the other day. Still doesnt amount to near enough what ive spent advertising with that particular platform. Any little thing i can do prevent the expenses escalating. 

met a tradder the other day he’s happy doing £100 a day, his expenses are basically non existent i imagine, bucket, ladder, squeegees, cloths. I didnt see a vehicle so whether he had one or not i dont know. But theres definitely profit in trad - if youve got the work. The big word is if. Any tradder with full books and not needing to advertise or do add ons is probably on to the greatest win i reckon. 

Costs for trad are negligible when compared to wfp as you say. But I think I would rather suffer the higher wfp costs and still be alive. If didn't change over to wfp the chances are I wouldn't be here today. I would have either fallen off the ladder again or died of a heartache climbing it. ?

 

[Incheck]

Costs for trad are negligible when compared to wfp as you say. But I think I would rather suffer the higher wfp costs and still be alive. If didn't change over to wfp the chances are I wouldn't be here today. I would have either fallen off the ladder again or died of a heartache climbing it. ?

Very very true. He wasn’t exactly doing small houses either. 1930’s large type semis. I judge he’s been at it a while. All it takes is one fall though 

 

[Iron Giant]

Yes inner city driving isnt good for diesels, take it on the duel carriageway sometime and rev it up to 4/5000 revs in a lower gear and watch the soot and smoke fly out. Dont do it for long mind as it sounds like the engine will blow up. This helps it to pass on the emissions test for MOT

Regarding expenses ours were high last year around 23% and that’s obviously before tax. I’m working hard to bring it down by using less resin (harvested rainwater) servicing my own garden machinery instead of taking them to the dealership, so im paying parts only and less on labour, cutting down on advertising that didnt appear to be working, however i did land a job off it the other day. Still doesnt amount to near enough what ive spent advertising with that particular platform. Any little thing i can do prevent the expenses escalating. 

met a tradder the other day he’s happy doing £100 a day, his expenses are basically non existent i imagine, bucket, ladder, squeegees, cloths. I didnt see a vehicle so whether he had one or not i dont know. But theres definitely profit in trad - if youve got the work. The big word is if. Any tradder with full books and not needing to advertise or do add ons is probably on to the greatest win i reckon. 

What I wrote earlier in this post is what has been written in the drivers manual of diesels I have had which is, if the dpf light comes drive constantly for around 20 minutes at 2,500 revs until the light goes off, this is the advice I use when I do my monthly drive down the motorway, I have had my van since January of last year and never had the dpf light come on and it never did in the 2 years or so I had my last motor for,

It also drains the battery, I bought a brand new battery 3 weeks ago and after 2 weeks it had depleted by around 50% when I checked it, so I put it on charge in order to maintain it.