George,
your questions read like you need to do some 'experimenting' on your own, irrespective of getting a new wand.
I’d recommend you experiment with your own wand(s) if you think you want ‘serious flow.’
Experiment wherever possible before sinking a bunch of money into new equipment that will just add more variables to the equation. Make the most of what you’ve got, then once you KNOW, then go on to other equipment.
“I'm interested in serious flow. What maximum do you recommend with the custom fiber?”
There’s no way I can answer this for you. Flow is a variable dependent on you, your truck, your jobs, the climate, etc. etc etc
These carbon fiber wands have a high flow head and a decent sized tube, although there’s a choke point, ~1.75” up top, so no way will it suck like a PC Ti or some other true 2” wands, but it’s got good suction.
The 12” head uses a 4-jet manifold so you can try 4 flow, 6, 8, maybe as much as 12 flow.
The 14” head uses a 5-jet manifold so you can try 5 flow, 7.5, maybe as much as 10 flow.
Your call, not mine. I’ll just help you make it.
I send out ‘practice jets’ all the time to guys so they can do their own ‘experiment’ with ‘flow’, no charge.
Just return the ones you don’t keep. Now you KNOW flow.
I sell stainless vjets, just $6.99ea. They come with the Stubby™ check valve already installed. They even come with Teflon balls, $0.30 for long life and high heat if you want, and Stubby™ jet screens too, $1.50. With all my new wands you get these jets, check valves and jet screens already installed. Several other manufacturers are adding the Stubby check valves and/or Jet screens as standard with their new wands. If your Rotovac drips, call me for the new Floodjets with Stubby check valve installed right in the back of the jet.
In the case of these custom carbon fiber wands, you get
- a good fit to your body,
- super lightweight, maneuverability,
- variable strike & shear.
“Is feather touch standard or optional?”
You mean Westpak’s Soft Touch right? Yes, it comes standard.
A good wand deserves a good valve imo and I can tell you that over 90% of the guys I know who’ve tried it, like it so much, they eventually put it on all their wands, or at least try to. So why not make it standard? It’s why I spent time writing instructions on converting almost every wand out there over to the Soft Touch… so it’s easy as possible for guys to do it.
I charge full retail for this valve, 50 bucks, big whoop, so I get paid for writing these instructions.
I also sunk $1,000s into making an improved rebuild kit for this valve cuz that was the main weakness with it. Now I’m making a more durable trigger lever for it…cuz it needs it. I won’t spend this kinda moneuy on just any valve. So you get a killer valve for $50, conversion instructions + any parts you may need to do it, $free, + the best source for a long-life rebuild kit, $12.
PMF is perfecting a couple of their stainless valves as we speak.
When it’s done I’ll offer those valves as well. 'Til then, all the wands I sell come with Westpak’s Soft Touch valve.
I think it’s a no brainer. Most all the best cleaners I know use it exclusively.
But I DO have a drawer full of crappy valves I’d like to get rid of if you want cheap?
“Sheer? I like it when the jet's skim the base of the
glides (i think)."
So you have experimented with where the jets ‘strike.’
Good. One less experiment to do. My custom wands will let you do more of this. It’s built into the ARC design although your degrees of freedom are limited to the particular wand, in this case ~25-45° My Arc bracket will let tons of cleaners go from ‘I think I want shear’ to ‘I know what angle I need for this room.’
“Can it be ordered with a glide?”
As Greenie would say, absa-fn-lutely. Just ask around. I bet somebody will help you get a glide for these wands. There’s a few things to consider with glides. Anymore, let’s talk by phone. 877-Wanders
Flow, valves, strike, shear… all these will be easy decisions if you take them separately. Experiment with a wand(s) you already know. Hold everything constant except one variable at a time. Take notes.
Hope this helps put you in the KNOW when you go to new stuff.
:arrow: Look for new pictures posted in the Garage (thanks Bob Foster)
-Joe