Window cleaning equipment brands compared

What to take away

Squeegee and water-fed brands compared

Unger is a German maker of squeegees, channels, scrapers and buckets. It is the default for crews that want one supplier and predictable spares. Its ErgoTec handle has a rubber grip, and channels come in stainless steel or brass. A handle is typically $12 to $20, a channel $8 to $15, and rubber $3 to $8.

Ettore is the other long-standing squeegee name. Ettore Steccone patented the squeegee in 1936, and its brass channels and rubber are what many senior operators learned on. A brass handle and channel set is typically $15 to $25, and rubber blades $4 to $8. Brass can bend if dropped, so check straightness before buying.

Sorbo sits alongside them. Its rubber and channel clips have a following because the clips hold the rubber without a metal channel. A Sorbo rubber blade is typically $5 to $10, and clips $2 to $5.

Moerman and Wagtail are the pivoting handle names. Moerman's Liquidator 2.0 swivel squeegee is common on high-glass-count routes and typically costs $25 to $40. Wagtail sells a pivoting squeegee that lets an operator reach a top corner without a ladder step. It typically runs $40 to $60. That changes what a residential route looks like.

Tucker sells the water-fed brush and pole systems that many van-based operations start on. A complete van setup with pole, brush, hose and filtration is typically $1,200 to $3,000. The brush and pole alone run $400 to $900.

IPC and Xero are the two names most often compared for filtration and for the poles that go with it. IPC poles are typically $200 to $600. Xero carbon poles are typically $300 to $800. Both sell standard filter housings, so media is a recurring cost you can shop.

Gardiner and Reach-iT are the pole specialists. Both sell by the section, so a broken clamp is a replacement part rather than a new pole. A full carbon pole is typically $300 to $600, and a section $80 to $150. Gardiner clamps are proprietary, so order them from the supplier.

On ladders, Little Giant, Werner and Louisville are the brands a Canadian or US supplier will actually stock. Little Giant multi-position ladders are aluminum, Type IA, and typically $200 to $400. Werner and Louisville fiberglass ladders are typically $150 to $400.

The fall protection guidance from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration treats protection as planned and documented, which is the standard any ladder purchase has to meet.

Fifteen equipment classes: brands and one check each

A ranking needs two brands run side by side on the same glass, and almost nobody does that. What you can do is run one check per class before you spend.

Typical price bands, in US dollars: a squeegee handle is $12 to $25, a channel $8 to $15, and a rubber blade $3 to $10. An applicator is $10 to $25.

A pole section is $80 to $150. A brush is $30 to $80, and a filtration vessel $100 to $400. A ladder is $150 to $400, and PPE is $20 to $100.

The cleaning industry hazard material from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration sets out what this trade is exposed to, and the safety data sheet tells you which glove and which eye protection answer it.

Where the brand decision actually costs money

Three questions separate suppliers faster than any review.

A supplier who answers all three plainly is worth more than a discount. A supplier who shrugs at the third has told you what your running costs will look like.

The proprietary question is sharpest on filtration. A vessel that takes a standard media size is a recurring cost you can shop. A standard 10-inch cartridge is typically $15 to $40. A proprietary cartridge for the same job often costs $50 to $120.

A Gardiner or Reach-iT clamp is a proprietary part, typically $10 to $25, and you order it from the supplier. A standard clamp from a hardware store is $2 to $5.

Standardize within a class, not across the van

Buying everything from one maker feels tidy and quietly costs money, because it stops you choosing the right item where that maker is weak.

The useful discipline is narrower: within a class, standardize. One rubber, one blade holder, one channel system, so spares interchange and the crew stops improvising. Across classes, buy on the checks above.

That discipline belongs in a written routine rather than in habit, and the safety and health program guidance from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration describes the form that routine should take even in a small company.

What to do with the answers

Buy in the order the work demands. The classes used on every job justify spending; the classes used twice a year justify renting.

The reasoning behind which classes you need is in the window cleaning equipment and setup guide. The minimum starting set is in the equipment checklist for new owners. Whether an item should be bought secondhand is in the new versus used cost comparison.

Two things sit outside the purchase. Whichever brand you land on, somebody has to be competent on it before it reaches a customer's building. That is what structured hiring and training is for.

Which classes earn their keep depends on the buildings around you. That is the question behind choosing the best markets for a window cleaning business.

Common questions

Is expensive equipment worth it in this trade?

For the items you touch on every pane, usually yes, because the difference shows up hundreds of times a day. For items used occasionally, rarely. Spend where the frequency is.

How do I compare two poles honestly?

Extend both fully, hold them horizontal, and work a real building with each. Weight on a spec sheet and weight at full extension in wind are different experiences.

Should I buy from a local supplier at a higher price?

Often, for anything whose failure stops a job. The premium buys a same-week repair, and one avoided lost day usually covers it.

What if a maker will not tell me what is proprietary?

Treat the silence as the answer and shortlist someone else. A company that will not describe its own spares is describing your future running costs by declining to.

Which squeegee brand should I buy first?

Unger and Ettore are the safe first choices because spares are stocked everywhere. A handle and channel set is typically $20 to $40. Add a Sorbo rubber blade if you work in humidity.