this thing is soooo cool!

[swrest]

Swerst you're the only roller pump I've heard mentioned, how do they spray and what kind of lift or height can you get out of them?

I get 40+ depending on tip or gun is used.

We ran the 22GPM with a total of 150' lift and pumped all day no prob last week.

Tom, there have been several people and I mean more than a dozen that bought roller pumps that I know of that no longer use them due to failures. Some are just no longer using them period, some are back to 12v systems and others are now using air diaphragm pumps but NONE that I know of still use roller pumps, even the guy that sold a ton of them off another board no longer sells them unless you specifically ask for one.

I started using Hypro diaphragm pumps 7 years ago and stopped 18 months ago or so due to failures with the gear boxes. Have more hours then I can count on roller pumps and only one rebuild.

Rollers can be rebuilt in a couple of hours, lots of dealers, easy access to parts ....ect..... Just cant complain about them, just need to take care of them, I run a small amount of veg oil at the end of the day and works perfectly.

Plus we need lots of volume and the rollers are the perfect choice, can run with 6 hp or so, so if engine dies no big deal, once again easy availability.

I just tried out a ceramic piston pump and plan to buy another soon, 20GPM@500PSI.

 

[Ron Musgraves]

udor cost twice what a comet cost though?

OK

Pump X cost 100 This pump washes 100 roof and need replaced
Pump Y Cost 200 This pump washes 300 roof and need replaced
Pump Z cost 400 This pump washes 1200 roof and need replaced

What Pump is the better value?

I really dont think cost of pumps matter if they will out perform the cheaper ones.

On the other hand if they dont then your getting robbed.

Isnt it the same when a person gets a 49 house wash instead of getting a royal wash from Larry. or Delux wash what ever he calls it.

 

[Russ Spence]

Ron honestly I think the best value for a guy using roof cleaning as an add on service is the Delavan Fatboy, we still use the same one you saw in Bama in 2009 - it has done many many buildings and pumped thousands of gallons of sodium hypochlorite and still works, I replaced 1 pressure switch, also I have one that is older than that I also replaced a pressure switch on and keep as a backup in the toolbox. That was 200 bucks 2 years ago and still running the same two deepcycle batteries as well as the same goodyear pliovic hose.

 

[swrest]

Can you tie 2 or 3 of the Fat Boys together?

 

[Russ Spence]

I assume you could but what purpose would that serve?

Its already is rated at plenty of volume enough to clean a roof with no problem

 

[swrest]

I assume you could but what purpose would that serve?

Its already is rated at plenty of volume enough to clean a roof with no problem

We don't clean roofs....no resi any way, need lots of volume for doing large buildings though. 16 GPM @ 60 PSI would be ok, need lots of head lift. Very often worki 100+ feet. ALot of the building we have coming up are very pourous raw block , takes lots of water just to keep block wet and chem flowing.

And the roofs we do are acres large, need lots of liquid just to keep them wet and flowing, so strapping a few together would be an option if it is possible.

 

[Russ Spence]

I see, when doing residential you have to find a happy medium.

We have softwashed large stuff with a fatboy pump and wished we had more volume for that as well just like you said.

All in all the avg company will fair just fine with a 12v system in my oponion

 

[Chris Francis]

Joe you would be better off geting air pump I just saw chris tucker talking about one that is 1" puts out 46 gpm on his site but needs large air compressor to run. But Chris said you can run it with wheel berral types in need be.

 

[Russ Spence]

with jobs that high of a work area would need a different pump, a 12v would devolip too much head pressure to tackle a job of that magnitude.

 

[asewell77]

joe, do your guys do the windows afterwards or do u leave that to the pm?

 

[swrest]

joe, do your guys do the windows afterwards or do u leave that to the pm?

We will start doing all of our own windows very soon, we just broke off ties with a huge window cleaning company due to their greed. The company that we were dealing with for the last 8 years did good work, but like I said GREED got the best of them.

We do VERY little work for PM's, almost always deal directly with building owners. Dealing with PM's is a game, they all too often go with lower price rather then the best contractor, and my business model is based on higher pay less work, so PM's are out.

 

[Christopher]

I have the original Bandit roller pump that Bob built and demo'd at the round table back a few years ago. I got 2.5 years out of the original pump and early this year I had to put the spare pump on the skid. I still do have a rebuild kit for it but I am not sure if I will go that route.

I have the All Flo that I got from Pressure Washer Products, I just need to get the large air compressor and I have not done any roofs in a while so that is why I have not purchased the air compressor yet.

With the Bandit roller pump, I can shoot easily from 45'-60' high or out to the side but not both, those that saw the in-person demo at the round table know what it can do or those that watched the video know.

The roller pump is a good pump but like most pumps, it is not engineered to work with the love and the love is what kills it over time, even with rinsing it out all the time.

I feel I am very lucky to have gotten 2.5 years out of that original roller pump, probably will not get much out of the spare pump but that is ok, they have paid for themselves many times over.

I started out with the FloJet and ShurFlo and Delavan pumps and they are good pumps, just rinse them out when you are done. I would usually get a year or so out of them, depending on what I am using them for.

Large marine battery is a good thing, 2 are better.
Wire it correctly, better relay and have a spare pressure switch for the Fatboy is what I have been told and I know that Scott D. has had good luck with his pump.

Whatever you are happy with is all that really matters here, what is dependable, what makes you money and what you can live with is what will determine which pump you will use.

 

[PressureWashingStarkeFL]

Same thing can be said about my GMAX 2 5900. I always chase out all the water with spirits. It has kept my gun working longer than any of the friends I know who own a spray unit. I do the same thing to my pw and roof cleaning units.

 

[Guy Blackmon]

The reason I believe in these Air Diaphragm pumps, is because they are the same basic design as the ones we used to use in my old Waste Water job. These pumps were used for all types of chemical transfer and applications, Bleach, caustics, acids, polymers, semi-solids, grit, sand, didn't matter they were outstanding.

Like Chris said " what is dependable, what makes you money and what you can live with is what will determine which pump you will use." I'd have to agree!

 

[Sirocco Jerry]

about chemical pumping..
Sometimes the difference between 30% and 60% concentration
is the difference between "compatable" and NOT.
before you buy ANY pump, look at the materials inside the pump
compared to the dillutions you "actuallly" need to use..
You might find yourself dilluting just a little bit more,
and GREATLY extending the life of the pump.


..and buy reclaim systems as soon as it makes sense.

 

[asewell77]

Ok, so i did a roof today with new toy i wish i had pics but i was too excited about firing this thing up. it started off very bad....i was on the second story and had almost no pressure so i was like mad right. get down off the roof and i cant find anything wrong after about 20 minutes of tinkering i switched guns and Bam was back in business. the new wand i got with the pump must be defective because let me tell you what...... i got back up on that 4000sf roof and was done in about 50 minutes!!! i used 50 gals of apple sauce mix at 60% h2o 40% sh. i can shoot around 30 foot with the 0 tip but i think i like using the 15degree better because it produces more suds. that includes gutters and soffiet too!!!!!!!!!!!!easiest day of work in a loooonnnng time.:nanner: id like to do my neighborss shingle roof as a freebie do i need to lighten up on the sh for shingles.

i guess i need to sit down and refigure my roof pricing so i can attract a bigger customer base.

anyway, great day in southwest florida.

 

[innovativewash]

Ok, so i did a roof today with new toy i wish i had pics but i was too excited about firing this thing up. it started off very bad....i was on the second story and had almost no pressure so i was like mad right. get down off the roof and i cant find anything wrong after about 20 minutes of tinkering i switched guns and Bam was back in business. the new wand i got with the pump must be defective because let me tell you what...... i got back up on that 4000sf roof and was done in about 50 minutes!!! i used 50 gals of apple sauce mix at 60% h2o 40% sh. i can shoot around 30 foot with the 0 tip but i think i like using the 15degree better because it produces more suds. that includes gutters and soffiet too!!!!!!!!!!!!easiest day of work in a loooonnnng time.:nanner: id like to do my neighborss shingle roof as a freebie do i need to lighten up on the sh for shingles.

i guess i need to sit down and refigure my roof pricing so i can attract a bigger customer base.

anyway, great day in southwest florida.

Hey congrats man!.It got up to 30 degrees today so I went out side to shovel the 2 feet of snow to my shop! LOL

 

[Doug Rucker]

Ok, so i did a roof today with new toy i wish i had pics but i was too excited about firing this thing up. it started off very bad....i was on the second story and had almost no pressure so i was like mad right. get down off the roof and i cant find anything wrong after about 20 minutes of tinkering i switched guns and Bam was back in business. the new wand i got with the pump must be defective because let me tell you what...... i got back up on that 4000sf roof and was done in about 50 minutes!!! i used 50 gals of apple sauce mix at 60% h2o 40% sh. i can shoot around 30 foot with the 0 tip but i think i like using the 15degree better because it produces more suds. that includes gutters and soffiet too!!!!!!!!!!!!easiest day of work in a loooonnnng time.:nanner: id like to do my neighborss shingle roof as a freebie do i need to lighten up on the sh for shingles.

i guess i need to sit down and refigure my roof pricing so i can attract a bigger customer base.

anyway, great day in southwest florida.

Wat to go Antony

 

[asewell77]

went back and looked at the house i did with that comet pump and apple sauce and it was even brighter today!!! and i picked up two neighbors that want it done also.
will this roof get even cleaner over the next few days? we do have alot of dew in the mornings down here so i was wondering if it kinda sorta reactivates the apple sauce?

 

[Mike V]

Just wait for a good hard rain and it will look even better! Congrats adn good luck!