Living up to its name the tri-motor 3600w predator by Gutter Vacuum Systems is a beast that has so much power it will make light work of clearing out even the worst of gutters. We have been testing the predator and our review can help you decide if it is the right machine for your business.
The Predator is the biggest machine in the GVS line-up. You can see the whole range on the Gutter Vacuum Systems website. GVS has built a great name for themselves in the industry, not just for their products but also for their outstanding customer service.
25 litre water suck
The GVS Predator performed excellently in the water suck test.
Our used machine managed to completely suck 25 litres of water in just 8.4 seconds! There is no difficulty in holding that volume in its massive 76-litre stainless steel drum.
Water lift
The GVS Predator did really well in the water lift test.
On their website, the Gutter Vacuum Systems claim that the Predator has a 95-inch water lift. This equals 2413mm.
In our test, we recorded the water lift from our used Predator as 2760mm, actually surpassing the measurements on their own website.
The Predator has built a reputation as being a powerhouse of a machine that has great lifting power, and our tests definitely backed this up.
Build quality
The Predator is a well-built machine that should last you for years.
It has three 1200w motors making a combined power of 3600w. It runs at 87.3 dB.
It weighs in at 27.9 kg, but its nice wheels help with manoeuvrability, along with the option for an all-terrain model.
It features a large 72mm side entry inlet to reduce blockages in the entry port. It also has a metal deflection shield to protect the motor and improve cyclonic action.
The drum is well built and constructed of stainless steel.
It comes with a selection of filters. You have a HEPA filter for dry and dusty guters and a foam filter for wet jobs.
The cable hook is just what you would normally expect to see but we really like the metal clips to attach the drum to the head.
We have previously broken plastic clips when the vac fell over on uneven ground. Having metal clips goes along with the general build quality you see on the Predator, it is something designed to be used on tough jobs and it is designed to last for years.
There is little that is unique about the Predator. It does a simple job very well. It is only for this lack of unique features it doesn’t get the full 5 stars on build quality.
Frame
The GVS Predator frame is sturdy and well thought out. It is unique in the industry in that it has two handles at the top of the frame instead of a bar.
It has large inflatable rear tyres to help with movement across uneven land. It has been tested on all sorts of terrain and has won the “all-terrain” badge!
We also really like that the front caster wheels lock in place to stop it from rolling away when on uneven ground.
Other thoughts
The GVS Predator truly is a beast! GVS sell a range of accessories to work with it, including generators and heavy-duty extension cables to allow you to use it anywhere.
You can choose for it to come with aluminium poles, tapered carbon fibre poles or clamped carbon fibre poles. There is also a choice of a flexible silicon or a rigid carbon fibre neck. We will review the poles separately but we have found them to be excellent.
If you buy it in a kit with poles it comes with a choice of 3 nozzles – a 35-degree nozzle, a narrow “crevice” nozzle and the unique GVS “Gulper” nozzle.
They also have a range of hoses available to order with it that are available in up to 20 metre lengths to work with this machine.
You can choose from three types of hose. The basic universal hose will do a great job at sucking out the debris.
If you are looking to upgrade you can opt for the wire reinforced hose. This is really nice to use (it seems to lie better on the ground) and more hardwearing than the universal hose.
At the top of the range is the GVS hi-vis hose. This is not only brighter than the other hoses. Even though it is not reinforced with wire it is reported to be the toughest of the three options because it is made from very durable plastic.
At the time of writing, you can buy the predator with 40ft tapered carbon fibre poles and 5m of universal hose on the Gutter Vacuum Systems website for £1805 incl VAT. It is not a budget machine, but it never pretends to be. You are buying premium quality at a very reasonable price when compared to similar products on the market.
We really love the GVS Predator. It is an extremely powerful machine that outperforms the manufacturer’s claims. It is well designed and well built and has a reputation for reliability. If you are regularly doing large gutter cleans you can’t go far wrong with this gutter vac!
If you are trying to decide between the Predator and its little brother the Panther, make sure you check out this article to help you out.
If you want to see the Predator in use, check out the video below:
Do you agree with our review of the GVS Predator? Do you have any questions about it? Whatever the case, let us know in the comments section below. Also, check out our gutter vac table to see how the vacs we have reviewed compare to one another.
