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Suggestions on trolley systems

Jim23

New member
Messages
8
Location
West midlands
Hi all, 

Ive been reading the forums with interest over the last week or so. I am thinking about starting a round in my area. 
The question I have is what trolley system can anybody recommend? I’ve been looking at different ones and I must admit I’m going round in circles with it. 
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated and any other advice that you can offer me for starting up would be fantastic. 
much appreciated 

james

 
Hi Jim. Good time to start mate IMO. Been a very busy year so far with enquiries. As far as trolleys go, I used to use a pure freedom trolley mark 1. I have recently upgraded to a pure freedom nano-trolley which is half the weight and seems robust and does the job. I don’t have anything to compare it to as I’ve only used these two trolleys but IME they are both good bits of kit. I think the Nano trolley is £100 more but is lighter and the battery is much more accessible. My advice for starting is just knock on as many doors as you can and simply ask “do you need a window cleaner”. Worked for me. And have business cards at the ready as people who are unsure will ask for one. If no one answers the door then just post a card.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Hi Jim. Good time to start mate IMO. Been a very busy year so far with enquiries. As far as trolleys go, I used to use a pure freedom trolley mark 1. I have recently upgraded to a pure freedom nano-trolley which is half the weight and seems robust and does the job. I don’t have anything to compare it to as I’ve only used these two trolleys but IME they are both good bits of kit. I think the Nano trolley is £100 more but is lighter and the battery is much more accessible. My advice for starting is just knock on as many doors as you can and simply ask “do you need a window cleaner”. Worked for me. And have business cards at the ready as people who are unsure will ask for one. If no one answers the door then just post a card.
thank you for the reply Brian. I will take a look at that one, it does seem cheaper in cost than the ones I was looking at ?. Excited to get started and making money for myself instead of other people. 

 
Depending on your TDS,  you would have to check that before anything. Then if you need an RO system and an ibc tank to store the water once you have produced it. 
Then you would transfer the pure water to barrels that are then used on the trolley. Lots of choices. 
you could use the above with a backpack like part timer says

 
You can either buy a Purefreedom trolley or a backpack.. I will let u choose (

Purefreedom trolley -  The best mobile window cleaning system on the market, A purefreedom can last longer then 20 backpacks. They arent even that expensive now, they cost like £400 , they used to be £700-800 , but they have a new trolley on the market with an upgraded battery. i recommend you go for the mark 1 trolley, i use this myself and can nor fault it , its a work machine and is 100% weatherproof as its had a lot of rainy days and still never lets u down.

Backpacks are problematic and are cheaply made, after a few days heavy use it falls apart, there made cheap in China.  I have been through a lot of backpacks, last thing u need is a backpack to stop working which can stop u from having a productive day.


 

 
I've got a couple of Gardiner backpacks. The oldest I bought in 2014 and the new one 2016. Both are used every week and still going strong.

 
Thanks for all of your comments guys. I’ve gone with a nano trolley. They were really helpful on the phone and went through all the options with me. Should have it it within 10-14 days. I can then get practicing and then try and get some business ?

 
Thanks for all of your comments guys. I’ve gone with a nano trolley. They were really helpful on the phone and went through all the options with me. Should have it it within 10-14 days. I can then get practicing and then try and get some business ?
You had better get some pure water made very quickly then. 

 
Hi mate,

I have just started out and have about 60 customers on the book and I'm using the Gardiner backpack V3. And I honestly don't understand why anyone would spend 5x as much on a pure freedom trolley?

I bought a telescopic sack trolley for the backpack when i may need it for £39. 

The back pack also means it's super portable, the amount of houses i do where you wouldn't be able to drag a trolley round the back because of tight pathways or overgrown bushes is unbelievable, but all I do is carry my backpack round with me and jobs a good un. 

I've never used the backpack as a 'backpack', took the straps straight of it and just use the top handle but it's easy enough. I charge it once every 30 houses or so. 

So unless anyone can tell me a good enough reason why anyone would spend £600 on a trolley system rather than £150 on backpack and sack barrow I really don't get it. I would rather buy 2 backpacks and a sack barrow for £300 and then you've always got a spare. 

All I do now is have a 350 litre tank in back of van with hose connected to the tap. Then get backpack out, put house in it, turn tap on and by the time I've got my pole out backpacks full and ready to go. Simples.

 
Fair enough Bongofish. I’ve never used anything else so haven’t got anything to compare trolleys to. Got to say though I’ve never had an access issue with the trolley. You’re correct though, sounds a bit cheaper your way. Never understood why they are called backpacks as I’ve not once seen someone with one on their back; they either carry them or wheel them on a sack truck.

 
Fair enough Bongofish. I’ve never used anything else so haven’t got anything to compare trolleys to. Got to say though I’ve never had an access issue with the trolley. You’re correct though, sounds a bit cheaper your way. Never understood why they are called backpacks as I’ve not once seen someone with one on their back; they either carry them or wheel them on a sack truck.
I would like to think I'm a fairly physically fit 34 year old, but my back would be in bits after 1 day if I carried it on my back. So much easier just to put it down on the floor. 

It's like in the last week I've had 3 customers come to me who say there's no access to the rear apart from through the property. With the Gardiner backpack this is easy not sure how people would do it with a trolley. 

We are all learning though. Let me know how it go's and if you find any really descent pro's over using to a backpack system it might make me rethink. 

But so far the backpack has really impressed me for price and portability. Just silly things like driveways with cars parked really tightly to get through is something I encounter a fair bit. 

Let me know how you get on with it dude ?

 
I would like to think I'm a fairly physically fit 34 year old, but my back would be in bits after 1 day if I carried it on my back. So much easier just to put it down on the floor. 

It's like in the last week I've had 3 customers come to me who say there's no access to the rear apart from through the property. With the Gardiner backpack this is easy not sure how people would do it with a trolley. 

We are all learning though. Let me know how it go's and if you find any really descent pro's over using to a backpack system it might make me rethink. 

But so far the backpack has really impressed me for price and portability. Just silly things like driveways with cars parked really tightly to get through is something I encounter a fair bit. 

Let me know how you get on with it dude ?
Cheers bud, I appreciate the comments and only time will tell. Looking forward to get going. I’ve got 12 customers waiting already, so hopefully no other window cleaner knocks their door in the meantime ?

 
I got one custy with a tight driveway.. .although i get my backpack and telescopic trolley down there, it's always a pain and i find myself thinking "if only i had a long reel i wouldn't need to drag this down here.."

Horses for courses as they say.

Personally i love my little back pack trolley setup. That back pack from Gardiner may well be cheap but it's brilliant. Absolutely brilliant. It's the cheap way into WC and being your own boss. Yes a van would be great but with Covid and the 2nd wave due i don't dare spend the money on that at present. I might treat myself to a hose and reel though. Then i could leave the pack in the boot and just work like a vanner..

 
I got one custy with a tight driveway.. .although i get my backpack and telescopic trolley down there, it's always a pain and i find myself thinking "if only i had a long reel i wouldn't need to drag this down here.."

Horses for courses as they say.

Personally i love my little back pack trolley setup. That back pack from Gardiner may well be cheap but it's brilliant. Absolutely brilliant. It's the cheap way into WC and being your own boss. Yes a van would be great but with Covid and the 2nd wave due i don't dare spend the money on that at present. I might treat myself to a hose and reel though. Then i could leave the pack in the boot and just work like a vanner..
Do you use a univalve with the backpack? As this is the only way I could see the backpack being able to stay on the van? 

 
No I don't! At the moment i just work with a 10m microbore hose and turn it on / off as and when needed but a univalve would be groovy.. with that said, i'd really prefer a remote control.

I've got the plastic boxes, arduino processors and RF transceivers for it but no power supply boards and ordering them from china in a covid crisis ain't exactly useful lol. Might as well get me a univalve at some point..

 
As long as the items are in stock, turnaround from China isn't too bad despite the long (6+ weeks) lead times that may be stated on sites like Amazon.

You're probably looking at 9-10 days in reality.

 
Hi mate,

I have just started out and have about 60 customers on the book and I'm using the Gardiner backpack V3. And I honestly don't understand why anyone would spend 5x as much on a pure freedom trolley?

I bought a telescopic sack trolley for the backpack when i may need it for £39. 

The back pack also means it's super portable, the amount of houses i do where you wouldn't be able to drag a trolley round the back because of tight pathways or overgrown bushes is unbelievable, but all I do is carry my backpack round with me and jobs a good un. 

I've never used the backpack as a 'backpack', took the straps straight of it and just use the top handle but it's easy enough. I charge it once every 30 houses or so. 

So unless anyone can tell me a good enough reason why anyone would spend £600 on a trolley system rather than £150 on backpack and sack barrow I really don't get it. I would rather buy 2 backpacks and a sack barrow for £300 and then you've always got a spare. 

All I do now is have a 350 litre tank in back of van with hose connected to the tap. Then get backpack out, put house in it, turn tap on and by the time I've got my pole out backpacks full and ready to go. Simples.
That’s odd as I have the nano and two V3 Gardiner back packs one one the backpacks is on a trolley the Gardiner backpack is the same width as the nano including outside the tyre width as soon as you add the backpack to the trolley even the one with tiny thin wheels it’s automatically become wider than the nano, so if your using yours along tight alley ways than the nano would be a better choice. ?

The rugged puncture proof tyres on the nano as some much more superior than the thin wheel trolleys. 

I recommend Gardiner backpacks as I use one for going thru houses (not on a trolley)  until corona virus. 

If the OP isn’t using a van mounted tank and only using 25l barrels I would advise the nano all day long over the backpack they are more robust, barrel changes are easier than-hand balling 25l to refill backpack all the components are far superior.

Glad of my van mount and very rarely have to do the above. 

 
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