I used the new wand today, my opinions are in Scott's hands to do what he wishes with..
These are Mike's comments / opinions on the wand we sent him to test out. This is a 14" wide wand head with 2" tube. Combination of steel and aluminum. Mike only got 1
glide, but the final version will come with 3 glides. User can interchange them as he wishes.
- Thoughts so far..
Positives:
- Spray pattern is just right, good angle, zero over spray
- The head is at the correct angle for the flat glide to push and pull efficiently and with a long pull.
- The swivel feels tighter than Mytee and Cal Tools wands so less fatigue fighting to keep it centered.
- There is so little contact area with the flat glide that it's not too hard to push like larger Delrin/plastic glides.
Not so positives:
- The air chamber is too large for the 4.6 blower on the 370, just like the MACH 15, the air feels like it's getting lost in there. I can put on my Sapphire 12" and it screams in comparison. Next week I'll test it on the Aerotech, which I assume will make it scream.
- A round profile glide would help make the wand fit a wider range of operator heights
- I'd like to see a Titanium tube used to reduce the weight. All steel construction, including the swivel is a bit more for this 50 year old.
- The swivel is noticeably wobbly when not locked. I'll assume this will only get worse over time.
- The cheap assist handle should be rubber coated or replaced with a Mytee handle. The sharp edges dig in too much when swiveling...
My responses -
Thanks for the comments.
The air chamber was intentionall designed to be large and to have no sharp bends. In all the compuyter models that increased air flow. The sound may be different, but I think the air flow, even with the 4.6 should be excellent, meaning good soil and water removal and drier carpets. It should be even better with the Aeortech.
There will be 3 glides with the final model. One of them does have a round profile. Operatror can remove 3 screws to change the glide.
Agree, Titanium would be nice. If this model sells well, we make come out with a titanium version. Titanium would also add over $200 to the retail price. Our goal was to keep price between $800 and $900, so we went with aluminum and stainless steel combination
We are aware of the issue with wobble in the swivel. The specs for machines the grooves where they attache have been changed. Hopefully this will eleiminate or at least reduce the wobble. Even with the wobble, we did not find any air leaks.
I like the idea on the assist handle. I will pass that along to engineering and production and see if we can make that change.