2nd thread in a few hours… might set a record today.
Anyway I’m looking to bring another worker on, the only issue is that i would obviously have to train him and I don’t have the right set up for a two person job. I use a 12v softwsh system and my pressure washer to rinse the mix off. I’m very willing to buy more equipment I just don’t think another pressure washer is a good idea as I don’t have/want a buffer tank… for now.
I’ve had him out on a job already and it took almost twice as long because of my one person set up. Should i just build a trailer with a buffer tank and a bigger washer so we can work at the same time? Or is there a more reasonable way to do this? Right now I’m running a 40 gallon batch mix tank on a 5.5 gpm pump for my 12v system and I use a 4gpm 4k psi simpson for the rest. That’s done me very well so far but it’s tough to split jobs up with my set up. I’ve had him just rinsing while I wash but I like to pre/post rinse plants and it gets to be more trouble than its worth. I’m planning on buying a new system and he can use my old one but I want him on the job for at least a few weeks before I set him loose on houses and its a waste of money to leave equipment laying around.
Thought I’d ask some fellas that are smarter and more experienced for their advice. Thanks gents
I thought about that but I’m worried about the spigot on houses not providing enough water to run both machines. I have a 2.3 gpm 3.3kpsi ryobi that i might use for rinsing and he can use the 4gpm simpson? I don’t really know what to do besides just upgrading to a dedicated skid/trailer and upsizing.
You’d need two working spigots. Drawing from the same spigot with no buffer tank won’t work.
Even a small trailer with a medium sized buffer tank will get you going.
You want to be efficient. So work towards that. You’re already realizing the current setup doesn’t make you very efficient.
You’ll make the money back quickly as you’ll be able to do more jobs in the same amount of time. I’m shocked at how many jobs I can do with a helper now. And it makes the day seem so much nicer.
If you’re running a 12v softwash, PW rinse, then that is the classic “2-man system” as far as I know. One soaps and one rinses…roll on. When you run a DS injector, then you’re into solo territory, esp. when you add a remote control. Can a guy go solo with a 12v, sure, but most with 2 man trucks aren’t running dual PWs (although we probably should anymore).
That said, you’ll definitely be more efficient with any of the options discussed thus far, running 2 men. The point of training a guy is so he can take jobs on his own, so you’ll want to make sure whatever he’s learning can be done when you add another truck, or hook that trailer to something else. That may make the trailer idea the best option for your purposes…
I had the understanding that if two spigots were on at the same time it would affect the flow of the other. I’ve never actually looked this up or tested it because i’ve never needed to and it makes sense to me… guess i’m in for a learning experience lol
You just made something glaringly obvious to me that I hadn’t considered. I’ve only had him on two jobs so far and i’ve had to do everything while explaining the basics… I just realized that once he’s somewhat trained we can run the rinser/washer system well and not need any more equipment.
I tend to get caught up in buying gear that makes my job quicker and i’ve been a one man show for a long time so adding a helper hasn’t been in my calculus. Lol
Wouldn’t you be a lot more efficient with 2 guys running with DS?
Most of the time in my case house washing can be done with DS mix. Still able to use the 12v for those dirty jobs as one application the sauce and the other rinsing.
I remember seeing your teams have other roles they complete though other than just rinsing?
Wow that’s very good to know thank you. Do you think a 2.3 gpm ryboi is good enough to rinse the HW off or should I quit being stingy and just get a trailer with the beautiful bells and whistles?
Totally concur with IBS on this one. We pretty much only DS everything, but we’re still mostly running 2 man teams. My difficulty is figuring out how you effectively train a guy over time with one man crews. I think the best answer is to have a 2 PW truck, or a quality trailer, that 2 guys can DS at once on a job. That way you’re not losing much efficiency, but still able to full train a guy before sending him out solo.
Every truck should have two 8gpm machines. Either as a back up for a one man truck or for two guys to work together. Years of trying different things, I have found out it’s faster for one guy to do his own soaping and rinsing. Never faster witb one soaping and one following and rinsing.
Yep, totally agree…that or one man trucks. You don’t gain 100% by having 2 men working, but then you have way less than 100% more cost too. It will just require relaying out the skids to make it work, and buying more machines, lol.
When some years ago i upgraded from 2.5 gpm to 4 gpm i used to think it was really efficient. Now i’ve had an 8 gpm for a little over a year. It broke down a few days ago. I have to use the 4 gpm as a backup. I have tears rolling down my cheeks while i check the time on my watch every 2 minutes and i can’t believe i’m still rinsing the same side. Feels like a toy in comparison also.
