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Aplus

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Posts posted by Aplus

  2. Posted · Report reply

    Leasing works for me, because I don't drive a ton of miles. Of course you can always buy more miles if you drive more, but other costs go up then too.

    I get three year leases, perfect because everything is under warranty, so all I really do is change oil, and rotate tires.

    Talk with your accountant about tax advantages, and talk to your auto dealer regarding decisions if it's right for you....as opposed to buying.

  3. Posted · Report reply

    Celeste,

    When you stated you stripped a solid Behr product, I incorrectly assumed you were doing so to move towards a semi-trans product. That's why I mentioned WT or RS.

    As far as solid stains go, many of the popular name products will give satisfactory results. I've had good results with Olympic solid, as well as Sears WeatherBeater.

    Regarding the Deckscapes being "linseed" based....is there any reason you went with an oil based solid instead of a latex based solid? I know the oil based may provide more strippability in the future, but latex seems to be the whip for solid as far as I've experienced.

    So what are others using for solid stains....oil based or latex based?

  6. Posted · Report reply

    Regarding Jon's comments on fuel economy, he forgot to mention that the Dodge Cummins is a turbo charged 6 cylinder, while the Ford is a naturally aspirated 8. Of course that matters.

    I've had four different Chevy trucks, 1500's, and have had no problems towing at all. My hot water trailer with a full 330 gallons of water weighs about 6000#. Sure I'd like to have the 2500, but at this point I see no need unless a super deal comes around.

    I lease my trucks, and the last three Chevys I've had have not had to go in for warranty work, other than a couple little things like a horn burned out. It wasn't too bad without the horn though, I have a finger that replaced it. Seriously though, no power train or major component failures at all. LIKE A ROCK!

    Everybody has their opinions and will likely tell you all the bad things they've "heard" , but no experienced first hand. I say buy what you like and what fits your budget.

  7. Posted · Report reply

    We are experiencing a similar problem with a deck that we did just three months ago - the stain is completely failing in some locations and the deck floor, rails, spindles are all polka-dotted with black (big) spots. This was a strip of a solid Behr product - SHE chose the Deckscapes stain that we used because it was the closest match we could get to her previous color. Deck was stripped with SH product, brightened with oxalic - looked fine for the rest of the summer and now POOF, it has black chicken pox. This post has been extremely helpful for us - hopefully we can all find a solution that isn't going to break the bank. (I hate these growing pains).

    Will post pics this afternoon.

    Celeste

    This is a good reason why you should never let a customer chose what brand stain they want. Afterall, you are supposed to be the professional, and you should decide which products you will offer. If that doesn't suit a particular customer, so be it. Better to lose one then the trouble that's caused when a lousy stain fails.

    Your company reputation is worth more than the few bucks you will make satisfying a customer with a low quality stain.

  9. Posted · Report reply

    I was faced with the same decision too......couldn't keep up with what turned into two full time jobs. However, I knew my day job career was in trouble. The company I worked for was losing a lot of contracts, and eventually I would have been unemployed, so I jumped ship before that happened to me.

    Now I can go to all my kids games and outings. I make my own schedule.

    You always could keep some power washing stuff. Only accept the work you want, limited, and be sure it pays what it's worth.

    Best of luck to you, whichever endeavor you chose.

  10. Posted · Report reply

    I've been at this for nine years now too. Good thing work is seasonal here in Michigan, because burnout is very real. By the time the season ends, I've had just about all I can take.

    I usually get started 1st week of April, and unless the weather is bad, don't get a weekend off until September at the earliest. It's not uncommon for me to work seven days a week for months on end.

    Of course just because I work seven days, doesn't mean every day is a full day. I always manage to get to my kids' baseball games in the evening, which is important to me. I've also found it best to schedule quotes for certain days of the week rather than haphazardly every night.

    Although I'm making a decent living, it's not extravagent, in fact not even what I made as a System Administrator for a big computer firm. But the other rewards are just too great, and for now I can't see myself doing anything but this. I pray my health stays good though.

  15. Posted · Report reply

    One thing I can tell you about these canopies. They are snaked full of electrical wires and connections.

    A potential liability waiting to happen. Not that one shouldn't wash gas station canopies, but rather one should fully understand the scope of the job.

    My .02

  16. Posted · Report reply

    What timing. I had a K7 fail on me earlier this week. It went into total bypass. Fortunately I had a spare on hand. It still takes some work to change out all the fittings from the old to new. I did notice the bypass port valve was different, the old one was a #2, and the one on the new unloader was a #1. Different diamter holes in the fitting. Good thing I put the old one back on.

  17. Posted · Report reply

    I've had numerous extension poles, the fiberglass yellow and blue ones, and now I have two Extendawands. I don't even use the fiberglass wands anymore. They're too heavy and sway too much. And those twist cam locks are the worst, especially with soap on your hands.

    Both Extendawands have experienced failures. Plastic housing on gun handle cracked on one, and the other has failed glue on couplings, and set screws falling out.

    Fairly mild failures, easy enough to fix, but how many is too many? Even with these issues, I'd still rather have an Extendawand.

    I despise the fiberglass poles......:(

  18. Posted · Report reply

    Jon,

    What else is there to say that hasn't been said? I too never met you in person, but feel like I got to know a lot about you. I don't doubt for a minute that you were a valuable asset to the power washing community. Actually I hope not WERE, but rather ARE STILL an asset, hoping that you hang around on these boards so we can all pick your brain.

    As you said, health is first, and if you really think about it, life is nothing without your health.

    You'll be in my thoughts, hoping for a full recovery.

    Have you ever thought about moving to Michigan? I could sure use a salesman like you..... smile.gif

    Best wishes Friend!

  22. Posted · Report reply

    If I were going to keep one chemical on hand for stripping decks, it would have to be HD-80. You can adjust the strength up/down as needed for each job. The EFC-38 is OK, but it's not the right chem for most situations. Of course don't forget you need a nuetralizer as well, be it oxalic or citric.

    I understand what you are saying about keeping chems around you don't use often, but in this business you have to be ready for whatever task is at hand, and that means you need to keep many different chems on hand. It's the nature of the beast.

    Maybe the first job you do with each chem is just a break even, but think of it that future jobs will have added profits since your chems will be paid for.

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