nonbias plz

[dave525c]

I understand i am on the delta forum,,,but in asking this i would like honest answers.I thought about getting into this about 8yrs ago but instead did the pdr thing,well 3grand later i was still a truck driver,did 4 cars for reletives or friends and did and awsome job really but that was it.still driving a semi...and no pdr,gave up on that,but now i am back at looking at the windshield repair systems.gm looks ok and the delta kits look alright but the one i am looking at is the ultrabond one,,,with the starleg thing for doing 18 inch cracks.that looks great and is not 5 grand like the us kit i seen.but i am not dead set on any one system yet.I am looking to within 2mths of doing this in the st louis area and hitting it hard,make it or break it.and keeping at it also,at 41 i am burned out on driving and need to be on my own again,so plz only honest unbias opinion or should this be in another forum???is there one??,,thx and as far as the pdr...i am keeping the tools,not for sale.thx

[dave525c]

Also on one of the sites,,,i believe the u.s. one it says be afraid of kits that sell lighters or torches for heat,,and also if the sell air pumps instead of hydraulics?????i would like to get the best kit to start with if possible,,thx

[Brent Deines]

Dave,

Obviously I am biased, so I will do my best to stay out of this one, except to say that whichever system you decide on, be sure you get a money back guarantee, and be sure you feel confident after talking to the supplier that they will honor that guarantee.

There is a great deal of difference in the injection process of the various systems offered on the market, as well as in the resin products provided, so if at all possible I would recommend visiting a trade show where multiple systems are demonstrated. There is nothing quite like watching a repair being done to filter out the hype from the truth. All the arguments about pressure vs vacuum, and hydraulic vs air are put to rest when you see a demonstration. There will be several companies demonstrating product at the Mobile Tech show in Clearwater Florida on January 20th if you are interested.

If a company does not offer a demonstration, ask yourself why that would be. I can't speak for the other companies, but if you visit the Delta Kits booth at a trade show we will not only show you a demonstration, but will allow you to do a repair on your own. In fact, at least one person on this forum actually spent a couple of days getting free training at the Mobile Tech show a few years ago.

I would also invite you to attend a free Delta Kits training and certification class in Eugene Oregon at your convenience. There is no sales pressure, and no bad mouthing of the competition, just hands on training to see if our system is the right one for you. If you can find others that offer free training I would encourage you to visit them as well if at all possible. The more research you do the better your chances of ending up with the right tools for the job.

Whichever system you choose, I wish you the best of luck.

[screenman]

Firstly welcome to the forum, second I would say Delta will offer all you need and you will have no problem doing long cracks with their system. Third I have a worry that you packed in PDR so quickly, to succeed in this business you need the sales determination to get out and sell. Delta tools will help you do the job well they cannot however get you the work. That said with a little effort and determination most guys will get a good living from this business.

I run PDR alongside WSR and they work very well together. Go for it, there is never an easier time to change your life than right now.

The very best of luck in whatever you decide.

[SGT]

Dave,

Obviously I am biased, so I will do my best to stay out of this one, except to say that whichever system you decide on, be sure you get a money back guarantee, and be sure you feel confident after talking to the supplier that they will honor that guarantee.

There is a great deal of difference in the injection process of the various systems offered on the market, as well as in the resin products provided, so if at all possible I would recommend visiting a trade show where multiple systems are demonstrated. There is nothing quite like watching a repair being done to filter out the hype from the truth. All the arguments about pressure vs vacuum, and hydraulic vs air are put to rest when you see a demonstration. There will be several companies demonstrating product at the Mobile Tech show in Clearwater Florida on January 20th if you are interested.

If a company does not offer a demonstration, ask yourself why that would be. I can't speak for the other companies, but if you visit the Delta Kits booth at a trade show we will not only show you a demonstration, but will allow you to do a repair on your own. In fact, at least one person on this forum actually spent a couple of days getting free training at the Mobile Tech show a few years ago.

I would also invite you to attend a free Delta Kits training and certification class in Eugene Oregon at your convenience. There is no sales pressure, and no bad mouthing of the competition, just hands on training to see if our system is the right one for you. If you can find others that offer free training I would encourage you to visit them as well if at all possible. The more research you do the better your chances of ending up with the right tools for the job.

Whichever system you choose, I wish you the best of luck.

Brent,

Not sure if you were referring to me but I also used the Expo as an opportunity to see multiple mfg's under one roof demonstrate there products. There are many good systems out there but in the end the creme that rose to the top was Delta Kits on so many levels. Hard to believe that was six years ago. I still use exclusivley Delta products.

One common denominator that I heard over those couple of days from established techs using various systems was " I wish I had bought a Delta system" or "The next time I buy new equipment I am buying a Delta Kit". That in conjunction with seeing the difference first hand resured me of the decision I made. Great product, service and people.

[splitpit]

It's not so much about the equipment. I think I could even do a decent repair using a cheap wal-mart kit. It's more about using proper tecnique, patience, and common sense. But even doing the best repairs possible won't stand for much if you lack business. A good repair tech. could likely do good repairs with any of the kits out there.

[Glassdoc]

Splitpit, I disagree. Sure you can use any equipment to do a repair but how long will the resin hold up? So what if it looks great today. What about 6 months or a year down the road?
To the O.P., I have used the equipment you are thinking about. Actually used it for several (3) years before switching to another competitor. But, ask yourself if its worth paying a monthly fee to be able to use a certain brand equipment or resin. And, technology has changed since the inception of that particular kit, resins have changed (for the better overall) and crack repair is not all its cut out to be.. You will find "very few" customers actually honest about the age or the length of the crack prior to you driving to the location and seeing it for yourself. I find it odd that 96% of the public cannot distinguish the difference between a 4 inch crack and a 10 inch crack. Anyways, good luck with your choice whichever you choose.

[splitpit]

I wasn't refering to resin....equipment only. With good resin, a good wsr tech. should be able to do a good repair with ANY of the various equipment kits.

[dave525c]

well thx for all the input from everyone,,and i am still lost in what to buy for equipment.and brent i know you are bias my friend,,,but i am also looking at your system also,,but i will be going into this with both feet,so to say...so i need everything to take care of whatever i run into out there,thx.

[Brent Deines]

Dave,

I thought more people would chime in on this one, especially those that started with one brand of equipment and later switched to another. They still may given a bit more time I suppose. I have never done a poll, but I think there are at least as many non-Delta Kits users on this forum as there are Delta Kits users.

Whether you choose a Delta Kits windshield repair system or not, I strongly disagree with splitpit about the equipment not making a difference. If a Wal-Mart kit is as good as any other, that is what everyone would use as you would have to be an absolute fool to use anything that costs more than $10. If all systems were the same no one would ever trade in their equipment or switch brands either, but discerning technicians trade up all the time. We used to sell a very inexpensive system to compete on the low end, but frankly none of us at Delta Kits would demo it as we were unable to get professional results.

Again, all of this will become very clear if you visit a trade show and try the various windshield repair systems your self. If the manufacturer cannot make a good repair with their own equipment, you won't be able to either, regardless of technique. I hope splitpit will also visit a show where multiple suppliers demo equipment as I think his opinion will change also.

With some systems you will have to drill every repair to get the resin to flow properly, with others you will will have to use multiple viscosities of resin to fill various break types, and with still others you will need special attachments just to do repairs near the edge of the glass. Try as many as you possibly can and continue to do your homework. I thought the bridge and injector I used 10 years ago was the best there was, but I certainly wouldn't go back to it now. There is a difference!

I do however agree with splitpit that technique is very important, and no matter how good the equipment your repairs will only be as good as your technique. That is why I believe it is so important to be trained by the manufacturer that you purchase your equipment from. Using a technique taught by another manufacturer or by someone using a different brand of equipment will not give you the results you are working for.

Often times the technicians that have the most trouble in our training classes are the ones that have been repairing windshields for many years and try to use techniques that we do not recommend with Delta Kits equipment. Brand new technicians almost always do very well in the classes, as do experienced veterans that come to the class with an open mind. I also try to keep an open mind and have learned a great deal from other technicians over the years. While it may be true that a monkey can repair a windshield, some of us monkeys do repairs than others.

Keep doing your homework and you will find a system that works well for you, especially if you follow my advice and return any that do not perform as advertised.