Zipper back pain

Askal

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Oct 7, 2006
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Al
My tech who is using the zipper has said it is killing his back. He is using it on empty houses and large rooms. He says it's the twisting at the end of the pass that is bothering him. Any suggestions?
 

Askal

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Oct 7, 2006
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Al
Sorry I didn't start a new thread but they all seem to digress back to the Zipper anyway. :-)
 

hogjowl

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Oct 7, 2006
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I have back issues. The Zipper has done nothing to alleviate it. In fact, my back problems are worse when using the Zipper.

The only advantage I've found with the Zipper is in cleaning performance and drying times.

Both are good reasons to purchase one.

Just don't buy the ease of use hype.
 
Joined
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Noble Carpet Cleaners
cool tool but like any manual wand it's friggin work. Gotta learn, learn how to use it so it doesn't tear you or yer guy up. Only you guys can find out what works. Or get him a RE
 
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GeneMiller

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gene miller
I'm 53 and my body is in far better shape at the end of the day using the zipper. Posture is really important. Everybody I hand the sprayer to bends over to use it. What the heck for. Stand straight up. Even with the wand you have to keep your back straight. Watch how he stands and correct his form. It won't matter what he uses if he's hunching over.

Gene.
 
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GeneMiller

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Exercising incorrectly causes all sorts of problems. Muscle pain is just one of those problems. Yes working your back muscles will make them sore just like any muscle group, but working them hunched over is worse. At the end of a long day my muscles are all sore. My back doesn't hurt any worse than the rest of my body. Doing things incorrectly can cause long term damage including pinched nerves.

Gene
 
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Nate W.
I'm 53 and my body is in far better shape at the end of the day using the zipper. Posture is really important. Everybody I hand the sprayer to bends over to use it. What the heck for. Stand straight up. Even with the wand you have to keep your back straight. Watch how he stands and correct his form. It won't matter what he uses if he's hunching over.

Gene.


Feet dangle when on the toilet too?!? As far as bending over to pre spray, not everyone suffers from @billyeadon syndrome................ Isn't the spray distance supposed to be 12"-18" off the carpet? Taller guys need to bend more....

I <3 my Zipper jr.......
 
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ruff

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Ofer Kolton
Any new tool that forces the use of not commonly used muscles will cause some muscle pain and discomfort in the begining.

Certain core muscles will need to be strengthened and posture checked and improved. Like any other tool.
I would think (guess) his issues are more on the pull (he may do it hunched) than the push. And the end of stroke when moving to the new stroke.
Also, I wonder if the old handle versus new handle makes a difference?

I found the zipper to be easier than the wand on the push but only in large open spaces. In small areas I found it to be quite uncomfortable.
As you can tell from others' posts, as with any other tool, it is individual.
 
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hogjowl

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My back problems are due to disc problems. Stretching and core work have had limited utility.

It's the pushing of the Zipper that kills me. The back glide is pushed down into the carpet by the handle and it's like pushing a Dyson vac on Smart Strand Silk. If you raise the back glide to compensate for this, you have to raise it up to the point of uselessness. You might as well be using a wand.
 
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hogjowl

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Erik is supposed to be sending me a bent handle to install to see if it resolves this problem. If it does, then the straight handle will become a doo-doo bird.
 

GeneMiller

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53 is my age, thank goodness, not my height. I'm 6'. I'm not saying that pushing the zipper isn't work because it is. At the end of a long day I'm no where near as beat. The reason is simple, I walk the zipper. I've had 1 back surgery, L4, herniations at 3,5 and 6. I also have 3 in my neck. All from earlier days of bike racing. Core exercises helped with them all. Strengthening the muscles that stabilize these joints helped with back pain and neck pain. Keeping off all belly fat will also remove unnecessary stress on the lower back. I feel great and it's not because of the zipper but because I do specific exercises for the problem areas. I have aches and pains like most from getting older and working hard. I use the zipper because it's a superior tool, being easier in my opinion, is just a plus.

Gene
 

hogjowl

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Young cleaners like Mark's Aaron and my guys think its easier..

How about Porky Jr?
He's sending me mixed signals. He seems to like the way it cleans, but he groans when I take it off the van. I think he'd be ok with using it if I'd not make him go back over every area doing dry passes. The thing really is more work to use than a hole glided wand. The only reason we got it was because Saiger kept saying it was so much faster, but after the drying passes it really a lot of work and not THAT much faster.

We're going to do a big commercial job this week and I'm going to let him walk it with no drying passes and compare its performance relative to the Ti wand with a hole glide.
 
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Mark Saiger

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Dec 26, 2006
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Grand Rapids, MN
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Mark Saiger
For the first couple of weeks (maybe a bit longer) with the Zipper, I do recall having some pain occasionally between my upper shoulder blades....

But, I think in my case it was a bit of my posture and getting used to the tool....

Also, I attributed it to a group of muscles that just had not been used much since the old days of drag wands I grew up on.

But now, I really don't notice any pain or aches at all from the Zipper..

For speed even with dry passes, we almost double our cleaning times. We have been using the Zippers since the middle of Sept 2014, and really a lot....

I watch some videos (even including mine) of when we first started using the Zipper (we were needing work), and I see how much more efficient we have become with hose management, squaring off rooms with furniture to clean, figuring out what is the best time saving steps in a room.

On a couple thick cut pile....oh yeah....they can be ridiculous to move the Zipper without adjusting them...but we usually just plow through and get er done!

I would love to see some videos of how people with these concerns are using the Zipper to maybe help....

So far, anyone who has come and visited and used the Zipper with me, has not had difficulty....BUT, I come from and education back ground and maybe I am getting lucky trying to give tips to those people right away while they are with us and have a good experience....

Hoping you all find the magic like we did :)
 

kingjoelking

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Nov 7, 2011
Messages
521
Are you guys slinging it like a wand or walking it? im 5'11" and I just got mine Tuesday. I dont understand where the people who say its hard are coming from? Are you walking it with your body or pushing and pulling with your arms?

Even when i use my arms only for closets and short areas it's pretty damn easy.
 

White Collar

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Jan 22, 2008
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Bentonville, Arkansas
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Nick Petersen
Are you people using it for residential now? Is it working well for residential?
I'm really considering buying one. I need something that is close to fool proof for my tech.
My Rx tears Seams to easy and my wand doesn't seem to have enough cleaning power.
 

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