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How Good Gardiner Slx Poles?

HouseProud

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Hi guys i need some advice I need a good pole and I have been looking at the Gardiner SLX range SLX 35 to be more specific from the Gardiner Sale page £245 + vat I am a big guy 6'4 at the minute i am using the Gxtel 31ft and I absolutely hate it i am using this for all levels it's heavy and not very rigid so anyhow my question is will it be easier to use one of these poles for all levels , can it be broke down to an 18ft pole by removing sections and can more sections be added and if so how long can this pole be extended to reach and finally which are the best accessories to buy with this pole?

 
The slx are brilliant poles. The one on sale has the old style clamps which are fine, but one the pole/clamps wear the section start spinning where the pole gets clamped the most, but you can get the new clamps for them at a later date when needed.

You can break the pole down but the other sections do not have insulation on them and you can also add section with the new extension kits they sell.

For the price they are well worth buying. I bought one in sale a few weeks ago with brush and goose neck for £300 inc vat, and sold my old slx 35 on eBay for £280

I personally use an slx 22 for everyday use and only get the 35 out when I need it.

The 22 is shorter collapsed even if you took sections off the 35 it would still be longer, and its quicker than having to mess around taking sections on and off.

 
Are you finding the smart clamps an improvement?

I find them fiddlier than any clamp I have used before and I personally not sure if I am going to get on with them. The clamps are not very positive and twist around and don't sit straight on the pole.

Either they haven't been tested thoroughly or I have a bad example of the clamps, I am just not sure.

 
Are you finding the smart clamps an improvement?I find them fiddlier than any clamp I have used before and I personally not sure if I am going to get on with them. The clamps are not very positive and twist around and don't sit straight on the pole.

Either they haven't been tested thoroughly or I have a bad example of the clamps, I am just not sure.
do the sections spin sometimes at full langth ie not locking proply?.im up grading my clx cos of the clamps spinning all the time was not guna buy slx 4 that reason thault smart clamps would have bin a big inprouvement now im in doubt.
 
clamps

I sold a clx with the new clamps, to buy a slx with old clamps, the best clamps out there are phoenix poles, had the phoenix been in stock I would of bought that, but they didn't have any so bought the slx

the slx a the sale price is worth buying

 
Are you finding the smart clamps an improvement?I find them fiddlier than any clamp I have used before and I personally not sure if I am going to get on with them. The clamps are not very positive and twist around and don't sit straight on the pole.

Either they haven't been tested thoroughly or I have a bad example of the clamps, I am just not sure.
You need to tightened them up a little (maybe a turn or so on the bolt) until they are firmly against the lubrication strip/spacer and they won't turn. We found it easier to do once the clamps had bedded down after a couple of weeks use. They are a vast improvement over the old ones.
Old SLX clamp users would be worried about overtightening as the bolt would strip the threads on the plastic 'dowel'. It won't happen with the new metal 'dowels' and you will feel the spring in the clamp doing its job.

 
I have tightened the top section as it was letting the gooseneck spin at random points. The old clamps clamp better than the new ones, if the phoenix pole lot had come to Exeter then I would have had something to compare clamp wise. I will leave it a week or so longer to let it "bed in" and see how much difference that makes.

 
Great advice guys thanks but what are the must have accessories and also if i put an aquadapter xtra light on these pole does it make much difference to the rigidity of the pole adding the extra weight to the tip? Also if you guys get a chance I'd love to know what you think of my set up i posted pics in the gallery the other night and would be grateful for any feedback good or bad thanks.

https://www.windowcleaningforums.co.uk/gallery/image/261-my-wfp-system-pic1/

 
Are you finding the smart clamps an improvement?

I find them fiddlier than any clamp I have used before and I personally not sure if I am going to get on with them. The clamps are not very positive and twist around and don't sit straight on the pole.

Either they haven't been tested thoroughly or I have a bad example of the clamps, I am just not sure.
If the clamps are floppy then it would indicate that it would be worth tightening up the bolt by at least one full turn, if not two turns - this keeps everything under better tension. The true benefit of the Smart Clamps will be felt as the pole ages and sections start to wear - when this happens the pole will just continue to clamp in all places. Other poles with traditional non-adjusting clamps would then start to struggle to give the same level of useability.
 
Great advice guys thanks but what are the must have accessories and also if i put an aquadapter xtra light on these pole does it make much difference to the rigidity of the pole adding the extra weight to the tip? Also if you guys get a chance I'd love to know what you think of my set up i posted pics in the gallery the other night and would be grateful for any feedback good or bad thanks.
https://www.windowcleaningforums.co.uk/gallery/image/261-my-wfp-system-pic1/
We have the heavier mk3 A/D's on a couple of our SLX22's. You will notice a bit of weight to begin with, but have compensated by putting on a Gardiner Extreme brush. For me the instant water control without having to bend down and pick the tap off the floor to switch it off is worth the negative of the extra weight. The SLX is pretty rigid even with the A/D on.
My son uses his SLX25 with an A/D and he finds it works well when using his pole with his backpack for water saving.

I have an A/D on my SLX40 which is also spot on.

These poles are a pleasure to use. When we first started WFP 9 years ago now, we used Unger Teleolus poles with heavy Vikan brushes. We thought they were great, but how wrong we were.

 
clamps

I sold a clx with the new clamps, to buy a slx with old clamps, the best clamps out there are phoenix poles, had the phoenix been in stock I would of bought that, but they didn't have any so bought the slx

the slx a the sale price is worth buying

how much did you sell your clx for mate? What clx was it? I want a slx 35 but I need to sell my clx18 and clx10 first don't know how much I will get for it though the 18 has been used on 5 jobs and the 10 has not been used at all just been sitting In the van /emoticons/sad.png

 
£60 it was clx 27, put it on ebay, and it got snapped up on a buy now, prob could of got more, but wanted rid

the slx 30, I bought I will prob be getting rid off in sept, when I come back fro Egypt and getting a phoenix,

 
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