Carbon gutter poles?

[Smurf]

So @Rascal what is the difference between the gardiner and the skyvac carbon poles?

It was about £610 for 5 x 6ft, one lightweight tool and a holdall for the poles. I think you can get just the poles from gardiner for about £500. It's not an offer they advertise anywhere....

First post got to start somewhere!
Smurf how are ya? Remember me?!

Now to the point....

If you do gutter vac work get carbon poles. I first had omni alloy poles and using carbon poles makes sooooo much difference

Don't buy skyvac they are **** got through a set in a year with many many repairs.....

I now have the gardiner poles from grippatank and they are brilliant. Even if I break them I will just keep replacing them as I would never go back to alloy, it's just back breaking. I first had an alloy wfp from omni and when I went to carbon I was like why didn't I do this sooner....

Tip: If you order the poles direct from gardiner and buy more than 3 they give quite a discount, if only I knew that before I ordered from grippatank!

 

[Rascal]

well @Smurf the skyvac poles I had were just a big pile of :turd:

They started to split and crack within the first month of using them. First at the ends where the sections overlap, I ended up gluing alloy cuffs over all the ends to reinforce them which just added to the weight. Most of the breaks happened when bringing the pole down to the ground or lifting it up with 3+ sections together or when working over a garage or conservatory. Then they all started splitting in the middle meaning more repairs and more weight. Just a load of **** really. Before this I was using some old carbon fishing pole extensions I had which where brilliant same size as the skyvac poles so I could use them together. I still have the fishing poles, I only broke one of them when I trod on it!! I'm not knocking skyvac they just don't have the experience with carbon as Gardiner do.

I notice skyvac now do a 52mm pole for the same price as the 44mm. The weight they advertise is 310 grams which is for the 44mm I think. The gardiner are 6 ft not 5ft and weigh 305 grams and are 49mm at the big end. The gardiner poles also have a little inner alloy ring on the male end to protect the carbon and a plastic protector at the top. The plastic bits have all come off and I had to glue them back on but that's only minor! I paid £100 per section from skyvac as I didn't need any hose or tools. Just looked at the website and it's £756 for 4 5ft poles with hose tools and a bag!!!!

Even if skyvac have improved their poles it's a no brainer really. I don't know anyone who has a bad word to say about gardiners kit.

I've only been using the new poles a couple of months but so far no problem. 5ft sections are a bit easier to work with imo but grippa tank have just started selling a half 3ft section......

and yes I am on commission from gardiner /emoticons/tongue.png

 

[Smurf]

Thanks for that as I always thought carbon even though would be easier to use would also not be up to the job. I'm still not convinced carbon poles would last me very long either.

Maybe @Alex Gardiner would be interested to send me out a set to try

 

[Rascal]

c'mon @Smurf get your wallet out....from what i've been reading on here your on your way to your first million

All I do at this time of year is gutter cleans, 3 jobs a day sometimes, i'm still knackered at the end of the day using carbon poles!

If I had to buy a new set every year I would............

 

[Smurf]

Sounds like you are the one on the way to his first million not me /emoticons/biggrin.png

 

[Rascal]

I do it for the love of the job not the money :angel:

 

[Smurf]

What vac are you using at the mo as you have must have been through a few by now?

I do it for the love of the job not the money :angel:

 

[Rascal]

Numatic 2400 watt, I can't recommend it enough. I have two, one 240 one 110. I got the 110 first but then got fed up with lugging the transfomer round so got a 240 aswell. Both second hand and both still working perfectly /emoticons/smile.png

I could build one from new with spares available on the net

I keep meaning to have a vac off with my mate who has the omni vac.........

 

[Smurf]

if it's an omni 4200 watt yellow top one then don't bother as mine did not last very long.

 

[Rascal]

He had the yellow one, motor went, no spares so he got the new one. That's my issue. Omni pole keep changing their vacs and don't offer spares for old ones. I still don't get how it can be 4200 watts. From my limited knowledge of electrics 3120 watts is the max for anything fitted with a 13amp plug. I did ask them when I was at their shop once and was told the motors uprate the wattage internally???!!! Clever marketting I think. Why are all other vacs max 3000 watts?

 

[Smurf]

Same as the one I had as was a bag of shite....I very rearly ran the 110 volt yellow top one on 3 motors and when I did it used to trip the supply out...worked ok using 3 motors from a huge genny though /emoticons/biggrin.png

 

[Rascal]

I think my mate had a problem with a melted plug on one job, not a good look! Needless to say he now has a generator!

 

[moonpig]

Hey guys im after some new carbon gutter poles ive seen the space vac ones that x-line systems sell does anyone or has anyone used these in the past ? Atm im useing some that I got from a company on line and made them into gutter poles they work fine but getting a bit tired now and allways like trying new/different kit.

Or as a alternative I was thinking of useing gardiner extension poles for gutter rods has anyone done this or know if you can.

Thanks for any advice

Simon

 

[Neil]

I think you can use the gardiner modular extensions for gutter clearing [emoji106]

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[moonpig]

Ive tried to find the inside diameter of them on there webpage before I wil give them a call in the morning. Thanks Neil

 

[Rascal]

Weight: 305grams per section

Length: 6ft

Top O.D 49mm

Top I.D 47.5mm

Bottom O.D 46mm

Bottom I.D 44.5mm

From grippatank website who sell the gardiner sections for gutter cleaning

 

[moonpig]

Thanks rascal. I will take a look at there website. Do you have any experience with these poles and attachments ?

 

[Rascal]

I have the poles, they are very good. Read through this thread I have commented on the poles.....

 

[moonpig]

Ive just had a look and it seems cheaper to buy them from griper tank rather than off gardiner site is that right or am I looking at two totally different poles both are the super lite

 

[Rascal]

Gardiner don't offer any deals on their website but if you give them a call they should offer a discount if you buy more than 3 sections. Gardiner don't sell the tools though. I make my own from pvc pipe.

 

[moonpig]

Yeh sorry ive just read back through your posts very informative thanks. Atm I'm using a ASH hoses 130° bend on the top but I find it just flops about all the time you can't really put any pressure on the gutters that are very bad to chop away at the garden inside. Can you post a pic of you set up i.e the bend and tools you use on top section.

And just to put it out there i use the kartcher n65/2ap Hoover it has a suction of 148L a second and a 65L holding tank i find it very powerful to use and its 240v. All the other vacs that I have seen advertised dont have a suction power anywhere close to that. All I would say is it could do with a little D.I.Y upgrade of making it into a 51 inlet then it would be perfect i use it atm on a 38mm setup and I get big clumps stuck all the time.