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Pole's

trevor62

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26
I spent yesterday visiting a window cleaning equipment supplier, we discussed putting a package together to kit me out with a starter's kit. I was shown a number of pole's, some fibre glass and some composite fibred, I was told that the composite fibred pole would be lighter though would not really make much difference for length's of up-to 30ft.

Also there were a varied brands such as UNGER, NTEC, GXTEL, IMMPRESSOR, and EXTENDER POLE, It was also explained that pole's usually last around 12-18 months, depending on use of course.

Doe's anybody have any opinions on the above brands, or have any recommendation of their own? :Image7:

 
personally there are better poles out there than them, the phoenix, gardenier or even X-line poles are looking good.

poles can last alot longer if looked after well!

 
what is your budget

don't bother with fibre glass, go composite, or carbon is you can afford it, or even high mod if you got the cash

unger nlite, I didn't like, too long, too clumsy

phoenix, good pole, like clamps

gardiners, get slx or extreme, clx is good, but you will only upgrade at a later date

my clx is 4 years old and is still used a few times a week,

 
12months use from one pole? I have a 8year old facelift... works almost fine. And its been used each week every day lol

Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk 2

 
personally there are better poles out there than them, the phoenix, gardenier or even X-line poles are looking good.

poles can last alot longer if looked after well!
what is your budget

don't bother with fibre glass, go composite, or carbon is you can afford it, or even high mod if you got the cash

unger nlite, I didn't like, too long, too clumsy

phoenix, good pole, like clamps

gardiners, get slx or extreme, clx is good, but you will only upgrade at a later date

my clx is 4 years old and is still used a few times a week,
Don't forget Reach-iT
12months use from one pole? I have a 8year old facelift... works almost fine. And its been used each week every day lol

Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk 2
Of course I would like to have the best kit from the very start, but as you know when you start up you have to think about costs etc, the wholesaler I went to yesterday is the only one I could find in my part of town where I could actually handle the equipment. From the looks of it this wholesaler wasn't selling great equipment compared to what other's would rather use. Their trolley system didn't look as good as the pure freedom trolley so I guess I still have to shop around a bit before I take the plunge.Actually the pole that was suggested to me did seem a bit heavy, I could see me getting tired using it over a whole day. :Image4:

I did think 12-18 months to be a short time span for one of those pole's.

 
Of course I would like to have the best kit from the very start, but as you know when you start up you have to think about costs etc, the wholesaler I went to yesterday is the only one I could find in my part of town where I could actually handle the equipment. From the looks of it this wholesaler wasn't selling great equipment compared to what other's would rather use. Their trolley system didn't look as good as the pure freedom trolley so I guess I still have to shop around a bit before I take the plunge.Actually the pole that was suggested to me did seem a bit heavy, I could see me getting tired using it over a whole day. :Image4:

I did think 12-18 months to be a short time span for one of those pole's.
what area are you from?

 
Im fairly new to all of this but been going several months and have a good customer base and earn myself over a 100quid a day with room for more. When i first started i was looking at all the singing all dancing products which i had the budget for. Then i gave my head a shake and thought, lets get some entry level stuff, see how it goes and then invest.

I eventually bought a tank for the van, but if im honest with you i dont even use it. Well i do use it but not in the way i intended. I use it purely to fill my back pack and containers up. I found it a right pain in the ****, pulling up at a house and trying to get parked, then running loads of hose, laying down cones, twisting hoses, fouling gates, plants etc etc. And if you cant get parked near the property its even more of a pain in the ****.

I soon reverted back to my old system, with the added benefit of a 450 litre storage take, used purely for that.

I have the wcw 22ltr back pack, well i have 2 now ( 1 for a back up ) and the 22ft pole that comes with the starter package. And for the average residential property it does everything, the only time i come unstuck is with rear sloped extension roofs but a small aluminium step ladder sorts that problem. It cleans windows spottless, you could have the all singing all dancing stuff but it wouldnt clean it any better....... Well some may say the super marketed stuff will clean better, but the windows i do are spottless...... I have had teething problems with speed, and got spotting when rushing, but never had any problems when taking my time. ( THIS WAS DOWN TO ME THE OPERATOR NOT THE BRUSH ) .

So basically all im saying is you don't have to spend a fortune to get the results. I had the budget and left a well payed job to come and do this, and i am normally the kind who likes to buy the best stuff and with this i was heading in that direction but soon did a u turn back to basics.

If my back pack broke tomorrow and my brush broke tomorrow, i would just go an buy the same stuff, it makes my life so much easier. The back pack is on a trolley now, it comes out of the van, it gets filled up and goes wherever i need it to. I have my back pack on the lowest setting and i think that is the sweet spot. Depending on the size of the house i have to lug a 25ltr container with me, which i just leave round the front and do the backs first. When come back round the front its a simple case of i might need to fill the back pack/trolley again. Then nothing heavy to take back to the van. I have a little bit of filling and lugging but i personally find it a lot easier. I love these back packs/trolleys and its all i will ever need. Ask me 6 months ago what id of done if my business had ever got bigger and i had to take a pal on board..... My answer would of been, ill go and buy a 2man van system with all singing and dancing poles etc etc. Ask me now and i would buy another trolley / back pack full package and possibly a bigger tank.

Ok not everyone's cup of tea but it works for me perfectly. obviously if you are looking at commercial stuff and larger properties then this is no good. But if you are looking to be a average residential window cleaner this is spot on.

 
what area are you from?
Im fairly new to all of this but been going several months and have a good customer base and earn myself over a 100quid a day with room for more. When i first started i was looking at all the singing all dancing products which i had the budget for. Then i gave my head a shake and thought, lets get some entry level stuff, see how it goes and then invest.

I eventually bought a tank for the van, but if im honest with you i dont even use it. Well i do use it but not in the way i intended. I use it purely to fill my back pack and containers up. I found it a right pain in the ****, pulling up at a house and trying to get parked, then running loads of hose, laying down cones, twisting hoses, fouling gates, plants etc etc. And if you cant get parked near the property its even more of a pain in the ****.

I soon reverted back to my old system, with the added benefit of a 450 litre storage take, used purely for that.

I have the wcw 22ltr back pack, well i have 2 now ( 1 for a back up ) and the 22ft pole that comes with the starter package. And for the average residential property it does everything, the only time i come unstuck is with rear sloped extension roofs but a small aluminium step ladder sorts that problem. It cleans windows spottless, you could have the all singing all dancing stuff but it wouldnt clean it any better....... Well some may say the super marketed stuff will clean better, but the windows i do are spottless...... I have had teething problems with speed, and got spotting when rushing, but never had any problems when taking my time. ( THIS WAS DOWN TO ME THE OPERATOR NOT THE BRUSH ) .

So basically all im saying is you don't have to spend a fortune to get the results. I had the budget and left a well payed job to come and do this, and i am normally the kind who likes to buy the best stuff and with this i was heading in that direction but soon did a u turn back to basics.

If my back pack broke tomorrow and my brush broke tomorrow, i would just go an buy the same stuff, it makes my life so much easier. The back pack is on a trolley now, it comes out of the van, it gets filled up and goes wherever i need it to. I have my back pack on the lowest setting and i think that is the sweet spot. Depending on the size of the house i have to lug a 25ltr container with me, which i just leave round the front and do the backs first. When come back round the front its a simple case of i might need to fill the back pack/trolley again. Then nothing heavy to take back to the van. I have a little bit of filling and lugging but i personally find it a lot easier. I love these back packs/trolleys and its all i will ever need. Ask me 6 months ago what id of done if my business had ever got bigger and i had to take a pal on board..... My answer would of been, ill go and buy a 2man van system with all singing and dancing poles etc etc. Ask me now and i would buy another trolley / back pack full package and possibly a bigger tank.

Ok not everyone's cup of tea but it works for me perfectly. obviously if you are looking at commercial stuff and larger properties then this is no good. But if you are looking to be a average residential window cleaner this is spot on.
rcpropert, I'm in west London.

Steve32, I'm looking at the trolley system, I can see the benefits as you explained, I don't mind buying the cheaper products but I also want to do the work as efficiently and as easy as possible, I don't want to end up with a pole thats going to be uncomfortable to use. :Image7: .

Anyway nice to hear that you are making money, I've been unemployed for a while, just had a bit of work from an employment agency, been working today, left home at 8.15am returned 6.45pm, earned just under £50 and worked like a dog in a warehouse, what a mug :Image1: .

 
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