Are you quoting the movie “Frozen” with the last three word’s of this paragraph lol
I couldn’t wrap my brain around the little giant ladders even before I started this business… It just seems like a lawsuit waiting to happen and them disappearing from Home Depot shelves forever. Not to mention they are like hauling around a boat anchor. If you’re going to spend money on an aluminum ladder (which is probably a good reason for an insurance company to deny a claim anyway) might as well have one that weighs less and has 2 moving parts. To each their own though.
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I was a crew chief on a 58/Kiowa in Alaska for a few years. I wasn’t in the Air Cav thank God. I was assigned to a cushy HQ unit who provided air taxi services for generals wishing to scout out hunting and fishing locations Errrr… I mean check on troop movements… We ate in the best chow halls and had the nicest birds. We were always lending parts to the Cav and they would say “you guys actually have that? A new one?”
Then I was a crew chief on a medi-vac Huey for the last part of my enlistment. Seems most Army chopper mechanics go to work for Petroleum Helicopters (PHI) when they get out just to keep the license until something better comes along. I miss choppers a lot, probably why I ride my motorcycle so much, kinda feels like flying sometimes.
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I was navy aviations electronics.
My wife’s sister has a sweet helicopter…Supposedly, one of the few that is capable of flying inverted. Here is her heli and my wife and I scrunched in the back seat. We love it when they take us flying around.
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That’s the first time in my life I have ever heard that phrase. lol
That is a McDonald Douglass 369E. Same engines that I worked on only in a different bird. The MD369E might do a roll in perfect conditions but I’ve never heard of inverted flight in a helo for any sustained period.
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A roll is what I meant… seriously don’t think it would fly inverted for long. Lol
A provocative opening line is a great way to begin an article. This opening line fuels a flame of controversy, hence the many responses on both sides of the argument.
Of course, @Innocentbystander position is ridiculous in that he suggests a guy save up enough (for presumably all flat-bed-mounted or trailer mounted equipment) and learn enough (where? because he suggests the forum is not the right place) all the while keeping a regular income at a job (Journey Of the Brokes) and hoping and praying to one day be able to make the mega-bucks in the dirty jobs industry.
Then there is the idea that a guy can learn the trade while working as an employee for a (hopefully) large and established pressure washing company. This is a good idea and is the route I personally took before going on my own.
While I agree with the main thrust of this article – that guys need to spend the dosh on real equipment and get to work cleaning Jane Doe’s driveway – I disagree with the idea that guys can’t get by with lesser equipment. Because at the end of the day, lesser tools get the job done just at a slower rate of speed.
I also agree with his peeve that guys will ask the simplest and dumbest questions on the forum instead of going out and taking pains to make their own creative solutions. Wouldn’t it be nice if instead of seeing the hundredth question about how a downstream injector works… a guy would go out and buy some, play with them then post on how he found the best one or this or that one is his favorite for x and y application etc.
Finally, the author is clearly an old codger who is venting. So take his good points to heart, throw out the cranky bits and we have all just improved our characters by a degree or two.
Cheers,
OPM
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Well said, I think.
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I’m one of the newbies, trying to figure out what equipment to buy. I’m afraid of not doing something right and having homeowner mad, or sue me, so I’m trying to learn before I start. On the other hand, most of my wealthy friends, that own businesses, started out with little equipment and knowledge, and not much money, and learned with experience.
I agree that you get ten different answers, gets confusing on what to buy, but I’ve learned alot of info here, this is a great forum.I went the route of working for an established person for many years, come to find out he was doing it wrong, form everything I’ve gathered here.
Serious question, the soft-wash system in the video is the wrong way to go because its soft-wash or just overpriced items you can get on your own? I was looking at going that route, so I get it right the first time, not purchase items that are a waste. Is soft-washing houses the way to go or scrubbing with brushes?
The confusion comes from the fact that “SoftWash” is a registered trademark from a company who sells 12v pump systems. They’re good for roofs and other areas that need a high concentration of chems, but are generally impractical for housewashing.
Most people who do low pressure house washing use either a downstream injector or xjet. Brushing is rarely necessary, except when cleaning oxidation off of surfaces like gutters (or the siding, if you mess something up).
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The p.w buisnes is nothing more than applying soaps or chemicles and washing them of with the right p.s.i. as my dad would say keep it simple stupied lol. I also do some of those $99 house washes for regular customers. Im in and out in a hour and they look great and after exspences make a cool $80 for one hour. Im not rich but make a good living. Got into p.w 5 yrs ago and learned everything i needed from Youtube.
You might do ok at $99, but imho you’re selling yourself short. If you’re insured, dependable, accountable, and easy to do business with, you’re easily worth 3x as much as the typical “$99 power wash” guys. It’s much more than just chemicals and rinsing. You’re selling yourself; the experience of dealing with a professional.
I banked $1,150 today for two housewashes. One with exterior window cleaning added on. Worked about 7 hours total, including travel. 4.3 hours of actual runtime on the machine.
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Couldn’t agree more.i try to average $1200 to $1600 a day with 3-4 houses. Today was $2300 with one house.
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Nice 
Are you solo, or do you have a helper?
My oldest son and I ks the crew. Today, my wife and youngest son showed up and helped. My wife is one hard worker. She ran a surfave cleaner for two hours straight without a break. Lol
This was awhile back in the conversation, but I was at the place dreams go to die, AKA Wal-Mart this past week and on their recall board was little giant ladders. Ha!
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THE $99 is for regulars who have been with me since i started. I washed 3200 sq ft wall today only made $320 at .10cents a ft. Im a painter as well and going back to spray it tomorrow at ,75 cents
Sq ft $2400. It will take less time to paint it and i cleaned it in 6 hrs… im not saling myself short. Sometimes you have to give to take .
$329 is our flat rate for most homes we’re doing. If it’s a giant home or there are access issues the customer usually knows they’re going to pay a little extra for it. Just make sure you actually tell them that before they open the estimate. Ha!
The only thing I do for $99 are north side maintenance washes for an HOA that requires it. I know I’m going to do a handful at a time and they’re all right next to each other.
I hear this criticism a lot, and i have to say that it doesn’t really hold up to me, unless i am missing something. Plenty of people make good money only using 12V’s to clean houses with.
As far as applying the chemicals, who cares how the chemicals get on the house? You could put your mix in a coffee cup and throw it at the house, and still get it clean. I see no clear advantage here, especially when you consider the new proportioners where you can adjust your mix on the fly, and go from roofs to wood to vinyl instantly.
Height? About the same, no? I know the 12V’s can use those carbon fiber poles to go up pretty high, dont know about pressure washers.
Rinsing? I guess pressure washers have the advantage… but booster pumps can narrow the gap.
There are pros and cons to either method, of course… so what’s the big drawback? Is it just the speed of rinsing compared to a pressure washer?
Dont get me wrong… i dont have enough experience to know all the pros and cons here… but if they are as useless as many people imply, then why are so many people assumably hitting their daily goals with them?
No doubt they work, but for the expense and limitations, why? I changed oil on machines this morning and 4 of them had over 65 hours for the past week. How many batteries would that equate to? What happens when you are washing the front of a house and need to turbo the front brick steps? Life is a big circle. Nothing is new. 30 years ago folks were washing houses with pump sprayers and garden hoses. I know because I did several that way working as a painter to put my self thru college. Now vendors are making mint selling upgraded pump sprayers to those that don’t know better. Can’t blame them. If there is a market, there will be a buyer. As far as hitting daily goals, I can assure you that whatever your goal for the day is it will be met faster, cheaper and easier with 8 gpm and a dino fuel engine than with 12volts or an air diaphragm system.
