I know I’m late to this thread, but here’s my thoughts for those that want them. =)
Pulex Stainless Steel Drain Sieve - I don’t think you really need this. We only ever used ours for when it was 0 degrees out and didn’t want to get our hands too wet. But you’ll need to cut the lip in order to get the lid to seal right.
Pulex Green Bucket - A bucket is a bucket in my opinion. I like the pulex colors.
Unger ErgoTec SwivelLoc Handle - I like the ettore stuff, but hey, try different things and see what you like.
Unger 0 Degree ErgoTec SwivelLoc Handle - I just can’t use the 0 degree stuff. I like the ettore super system (non-0 degree).
Ettore Backflip 18 in. - Not an essential tool for me. But these are nice when you’re trying to clean a hot window in the sun. So figure out how often you’ll need to do that and see if it’s worth it. Glass gleam 4 will prevent water from evaporating too quick so a dash of gg4 and you’ll have time to squeegee.
Unger S Channel 6 inch
Unger S Channel 14 inch
Unger S Channel 18 inch - These are the good sizes to start with (I’d recommend 18, 12, and 6). The 6in will get you the cut ups but you’ll also want to use it on commercial sills. Use it to squeegee off the water on the sills and it’ll save you on towels. When you’re proficient at the 18" (for example learn the “z” method on youtube) you can look at larger squeegees, but personally I don’t use anything other than 18, 12, and 6.
But buy two or three 18" channels and you can cut them for special circumstances (11.5" cut outs for example). And if you bend your main squeegee, you’ll have a spare. I only buy 18’s and then cut them with a grinder cut wheel.
[B]What rubbers do I order for these? Unger, Ettore? What size rubbers? Exact sizes or large rubbers like 24", 30", that I can cut down and get other sizes out of it?[/B] - Your main squeegee will be the 18" so order 18" rubber, and after you flip it and when you wear the edges out, cut it down to your next size (12 or 14). The 6" rubber will last forever, so don’t worry about it. I prefer Ettore rubber because I don’t want to think about hard or soft. But it’s a preference thing. Buy 12 of the ettore and 12 of the unger and see what you like.
Unger ErgoTec T-Bar 18 inch
Unger SwivelStrip T-Bar 14 inch - Order the t-bars to match your squeegees. I carry an 18" and a 12". Those two are the only ones I"ve needed. You can use the edges to scrub cut ups.
Unger Original StripWasher Sleeve 14 inch
Pulex Microtiger Sleeve 18 inch (Because the 18" Monsoon is out of stock) - Are you in east texas or west texas? If you’re in west texas and the dirt is everywhere, go with the microtigers. They scrub great. If you’re in east texas then go with whatever. Personally, I think the monsoons have the same scrubbing power as a wet cat, but they do hold a LOT of water. Get two or three washers.
Unger ErgoTec Glass Scraper 6 inch
Unger 6 inch Carbon Blades - If you plan to use these get the Dan Fields videos and some glass waivers printed. Otherwise, take these off your list. You NEED to watch the videos (at least the tempered glass defects video). I’d recommend the triumph mk3 ANGLED scraper. The angle will allow you to only scrape with one side of the blade which will prevent any embedded fabricating debris from scratching the glass. The debris tends to go over the blade and you don’t want to run that side on the window by accident. You can still flip the blade when one side gets worn, but you don’t want to “go backwards” on the blade.
Pulex Tubex Holster Detachable Clip - These are nice boabs, but they tend to break after about 3 months or so. The rivet tends to rust out and you’ll have to fix it. I personally like the under ninjas and it’s designed for left or right hand use. Also get the unger double loop belt. I’m a larger type guy and the pulex and ettore tended to come unclipped after a while, but the unger seems the best made and comes with 2 loops.
Unger OptiLoc 8’ 2 Section - Get a 12’ pole. Some single commercial have glass that can go up to 10-15’ and you’ll want to have the extra length. You’ll get 12-18 months out of the optiloc before having to replace the parts (it won’t lock and tend to collapse on you). I switched to the ettore interlock and love them. I personally don’t like the garlick because you’ll need a wooden dowel to attach stuff and that dowel breaks or sometimes the gear doesn’t hold good (or it holds too good and you can’t get it off).
[b]Reclaimed Surgical Towels 24 pack[/B] - get about 300 of these. You’ll use a lot of them starting out.
Additions
Glass gleam 4 - If you’re in west texas and have some hot sun, get a gallon of glass gleam 4 and a floater bottle. 1/2 oz per 3 gallons and the water won’t evaporate as fast. I personally like to use dawn as my main soap, but I’ll add gg4 when the glass is hot.
Unger double loop belt - I love this belt.
Unger ergotech pouch - This is possibly the best addition I’ve made. It’ll hold towels, scrubby pads, or whatever.
White scrub pad (unger or wcr) - Get about 10 of these and cut them in half. You’ll get twice the life and it’s easier to use.
Bioclean - if you want to remove hard water stain, it’s safe and will keep you out of trouble (compared to acid).
Can opener - Buy the ones from walmart. These are the best tools for getting screens out of windows. The free ones from home depot and lowes are too bent.
2" chip brush - you can get these at walmart and they’re good for brushing dust off sills or out of tracks.
Shoe covers and drop cloth - you’ll make a great impression in houses.
Wet floor sign - if you’re going to do mall work.
17’ little giant - probably the most versatile ladder in the world. When you get bigger, look at stack ladders and extension ladders.
Note: long poles suck. But if you had to, get 2 of the 24’ ettore and that’ll do pretty much anything. Why 2? Because you put the mop on one and the squeegee on the other. When doing second story work, you do not want to have to collapse and extend that sucker each time. Plus if there’s any sun out, you won’t have the time to do that. Also, get a ledger for the squeegee. Personally, I’d rather ladder tall stuff than long pole it, but poles are safer. If you find you’re doing a lot of second story stuff, get a wfp unit and a backpack sprayer.
And of course my screen washer. 