Mixed opinion on Gardiners!

[MyLittleCleaningCompany]

Well as I've previously commented I have had my slx for a few weeks now and think it's great. However.......................my dual trim brush that came with the pole is all ready starting to look very used. I've had the brush for 20 days of which 6 of these were weekends, 2 were bank holidays and some have been rained off days. So only really been using it for a max of 10 days. There have been quite a few bristles that have come off and the ones on the end are now frayed. I have contacted Gardiners and they have told me and I quote "Looks like the odd loose bristles. This can happen during the break in period with a new brush. (You) Can return the brush for us to check out, but I doubt it will be faulty. This can happen when a new brush is used for the first month or so, (it) should settle down"

Has anyone else found this to be the case? Should this be the case?

This is one of many things that have gone wrong with Gardiners, the order wasn't sent out the next day as promised by the person on the phone when my pole broke, the delivery company they use didn't bother to try and deliver the package (not their fault granted), me having to chase us tracking numbers so I can find out where the parcel is, me having to make another payment as the original one was refunded to me via paypal even though I used Gardiners website for payment. These are all very small things but one after the other all has a way of destroying your opinion of a company and now the brush.

I have been told I can send it back, at my cost I bet and what would I do in the mean time if I didn't have another brush?

If the brush needs time to settle in then fine, just thought the quality would be a lot better.

Anyone else's opinion or experience would be helpful, Cheers J

 

[windyman]

Hmm interesting.

Firstly...what type of brush is it exactly? Soft? Medium mixed? Hard? Sill or normal?

I have the medium mixed and not had the problem you describe. It might happen more so on a soft. Any pics to show how bad it is? Would give us a better idea if normal or not.

I rate Gardiners highly, but totally understand what you mean when little things mount up it gets annoying.

 

[bluemonkey]

i have a lot of gardiners brushes, to be honest a lot of the new ones in my opnion aint as good build quality as the old ones, i have a dual trim that is 3 years old that looks in better condition than one i bought a few weeks ago the main problm i have noticed is that the ends seem to turn in, but makes no difference to the cleaning quality

 

[Alex Gardiner]

Well as I've previously commented I have had my slx for a few weeks now and think it's great. However.......................my dual trim brush that came with the pole is all ready starting to look very used. I've had the brush for 20 days of which 6 of these were weekends, 2 were bank holidays and some have been rained off days. So only really been using it for a max of 10 days. There have been quite a few bristles that have come off and the ones on the end are now frayed. I have contacted Gardiners and they have told me and I quote "Looks like the odd loose bristles. This can happen during the break in period with a new brush. (You) Can return the brush for us to check out, but I doubt it will be faulty. This can happen when a new brush is used for the first month or so, (it) should settle down"

Has anyone else found this to be the case? Should this be the case?

This is one of many things that have gone wrong with Gardiners, the order wasn't sent out the next day as promised by the person on the phone when my pole broke, the delivery company they use didn't bother to try and deliver the package (not their fault granted), me having to chase us tracking numbers so I can find out where the parcel is, me having to make another payment as the original one was refunded to me via paypal even though I used Gardiners website for payment. These are all very small things but one after the other all has a way of destroying your opinion of a company and now the brush.

I have been told I can send it back, at my cost I bet and what would I do in the mean time if I didn't have another brush?

If the brush needs time to settle in then fine, just thought the quality would be a lot better.

Anyone else's opinion or experience would be helpful, Cheers J

Hi Jamie

I'm sorry that you feel dissatisfied with the service that you have received from Gardiner Pole Systems. Obviously courier issues are outside of our control, as you mention, and affect all of us that have to use their services.

The reasoning that you have quoted above was my words to the office staff having been forwarded the photos you sent of the brush. I was out cleaning windows with exactly the same brush as you have been using! I have looked carefully at the photos (very clear thank you - see below) and I can only see 3 bristles that are slightly awry. I would usually expect to have a couple of loose bristles as a brush settles in. This is not unusual with any make of brush. The brush you have chosen (the medium mixed) has fairly fine bristles. This provides a very easy and fast brush to use, but this can mean that these fine bristles can be caught by sharp joints etc. on window frames. The thicker bristle brushes are not as easy to use, but are less likely to get caught so much.

If you have any further queries then please let me know.

 

[MyLittleCleaningCompany]

Thanks for your reply Alex. I appreciate that the courier system is out of your control, it just didn't help the situation. Is very difficult to try and capture the whole brush with the problems. I can definitely say there are more than three bristles out of place, to start with the bottom photo the whole of the right hand side has lost its structure. Can I also just repeat that I have only used this for a max of 10 days. It looks very worn for that short space of time. I have pulled a fair few number of bristles from the windows so it wasn't just a few. I have had several other makes of this type of brush, one from Ionic the other from Vikan and both have lasted a while with no bristles being distorted or coming free from the brush. As I said, if this is how it is fair enough I just expected a little different and will probably choose a different one from now on.

 

[Alex Gardiner]

Thanks for your reply Alex. I appreciate that the courier system is out of your control, it just didn't help the situation. Is very difficult to try and capture the whole brush with the problems. I can definitely say there are more than three bristles out of place, to start with the bottom photo the whole of the right hand side has lost its structure. Can I also just repeat that I have only used this for a max of 10 days. It looks very worn for that short space of time. I have pulled a fair few number of bristles from the windows so it wasn't just a few. I have had several other makes of this type of brush, one from Ionic the other from Vikan and both have lasted a while with no bristles being distorted or coming free from the brush. As I said, if this is how it is fair enough I just expected a little different and will probably choose a different one from now on.

Hi Jamie

It may be that this softer style brush is not as suitable for the type of use it is being used for. Perhaps a tougher bristled brush would be more suited to your work - such as a Stiff DT Super-Lite. It would not clean as easily though or be quite as light as this brush. If you are used to an Ionics or Vikan brush then this is a very different brush and it is faster, lighter and more precise - it will not however stand up to the same level of abrasion & knocking around etc. as these brushes and it is not designed to.

You are more than welcome to send the brush back for a full evaluation - I can assure that our assessment will be as accurate and honest as possible. If we feel that it is faulty then we would refund/replace the brush and the cost of your postage. If though we assess that it is a wear issue (based on overall condition of the stock and edges etc.) then we would not provide a refund.

Obviously this would all be easier if you lived locally, but such is the nature of mail-order that most of our clients cannot just drop by!

 

[MyLittleCleaningCompany]

I appreciate what your saying but I have several brushes now which I use for different jobs, your soft dual sill brush which I've had for slightly longer but used slightly less has not shown any signs of wear. I also have a flat stiff sill for roofs, gutters and first time cleans. I suppose the point I'm making is I'm only using this brush for maintenance cleans which I understand and I believe you say in your video that it is an all round good brush for these.

I'm struggling to understand what this brush is meant for then? Can it not clean frames just glass? Brushes get knocked, obviously repeated knocks is not good but surly the odd knock against the frame shouldn't effect the brush too much.

I am just very surprised given your good reputation that your brush shows this much wear after very little use. It's great being able to clean faster but if I have to replace the brush so quick that kind off defeats the point.

As for sending it back you have already dismissed the fact that it could be faulty.

After having another look the inside bristles are distorting as well? Please have a look at further pics I have taken. At both ends of the brush the bristles have lost their shape. Then looking at the brush head on several of the bristles are distorted and lost their shape.

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[simon]

i started with a medium dual trim sill brush & it quite quickly looked well used but - 7 mths later its still doing the job bang on - really who cares what it looks like -

 

[Alex Gardiner]

I appreciate what your saying but I have several brushes now which I use for different jobs, your soft dual sill brush which I've had for slightly longer but used slightly less has not shown any signs of wear. I also have a flat stiff sill for roofs, gutters and first time cleans. I suppose the point I'm making is I'm only using this brush for maintenance cleans which I understand and I believe you say in your video that it is an all round good brush for these.

I'm struggling to understand what this brush is meant for then? Can it not clean frames just glass? Brushes get knocked, obviously repeated knocks is not good but surly the odd knock against the frame shouldn't effect the brush too much.

I am just very surprised given your good reputation that your brush shows this much wear after very little use. It's great being able to clean faster but if I have to replace the brush so quick that kind off defeats the point.

As for sending it back you have already dismissed the fact that it could be faulty.

After having another look the inside bristles are distorting as well? Please have a look at further pics I have taken. At both ends of the brush the bristles have lost their shape. Then looking at the brush head on several of the bristles are distorted and lost their shape.

This brush is a great all-rounder with about 1000 of them in use since its launch 6 months ago. It is suitable for all types of work and works the glass almost better than any other brush I have used. Looking at these photos the brush looks as if it is still in perfectly good working order despite slight change of bristle angle. During use you would expect to see some bristle deformation - this can be reset by dipping the bristles in boiling water for about 10 seconds and then resting on its back while they cool (as recommended on our website). My own one of these brushes has one side almost always squashed as this is where it rests in my van.

What temperature water are you using this brush with?

I would imagine that the pressure that you are applying to this brush is just not needed to achieve good results, these brushes need very little pressure to clean due to their soft bristle formulation. Looking at your brush I am sure that it will continue to clean windows very effectively for a long time to come and is certainly not 'worn out'.

You are more than welcome, as has been said, to return the brush to us for evaluation. I have an opinion based on the photos supplied, but this can never be a subs***ute for a hands-on examination.

 

[MyLittleCleaningCompany]

Thanks for the reply and information. I'm using a cold water system.

I will carry on with the brush and see if it changes further. You've explained the issues and seen the pics which seem to be normal and obviously what is to be expected. This is why I called today to see if this is was the case or not so at the moment I won't send it back. Is there any reason why the other brushes aren't reacting in the same way?

 

[Alex Gardiner]

Thanks for the reply and information. I'm using a cold water system.

I will carry on with the brush and see if it changes further. You've explained the issues and seen the pics which seem to be normal and obviously what is to be expected. This is why I called today to see if this is was the case or not so at the moment I won't send it back. Is there any reason why the other brushes aren't reacting in the same way?

Are all your other Super-Lite brushes used on exactly the same work and in the same way?

Keep an eye on it and get back to us if you feel anything deteriorates.

 

[MyLittleCleaningCompany]

Yes, as such. They're used on the same system but for different purposes. i.e first cleans, roofs, self-cleaning glass etc. Will do.

 

[AS Window Cleaning]

I had i think the medium mixed cill brush, it is looking very tired now after only a months work (2 days a week). I was surprised at this, but it still seems to work, I am a bit heavy handed on the glass with it. The usual bristles seem to have got caught in the window frames, so its thinning like the hairs on my head, but there still seems to be enough there to do a good job.

Something that surpirses me though is that my previous eXtel super light medium dual trim brush is alot stiffer than this one, these feel really soft in comparison (both a greyish white colour).

perhaps the medium has got softer over the years (previous 1 is 2 years old now).

I've usually found customer service to be good at gardiners, and they know what they are talking about. Hope it stays this way as its the reason i use them instead of shopping around for cheaper goods. sure it will with alex's lets get this sorted at***ude!

 

[nearlyclean]

I think my super light is about 18 months old and still going strong, I used other brands but prefer the Gardiner and works well with their poles

 

[MyLittleCleaningCompany]

It's definitely a good brush at cleaning just very surprised at how it's changed so quick. But time will tell!

 

[chip]

I've got the med dual sill too, I'd say I lose on average a bristle a day, usually the way Alex says-in the joins of PVC and leaded, ESP old lead, but expect it would still have life in it after at least a year if not 2 +. It did lose quite a few for the first few weeks which concerned me but calmed down, as long as they don't come off in clumps I won't worry. My Only gripe is the ends, I find to clean the edges of a window I have to go onto the frame for the bristles to get it, which I can't do on deep stone windows, hope his next design has a few bristles angling out a bit, just a thought

 

[sim.parkin]

I've been using this exact model brush for 1.5 years and it looked like the photos nr the start for a bit (except i pulled off the stray bits). Now the corners have warn a bit and over 50% of the corner bristle groups have disappeared and it still cleans as well as it did on day one. I still loose a bristle now and again. The nature of the product is that this happens from my experience and maybe for some reason it is a side effect from what makes them clean so well. I always try to remember that at about £30 a time I think 2 years from a brush is excellent value which i could easily view as a semi disposable part! i would be happy if it only lasted a year to be honest. i guess you can liken it to a land rover which is very noisy and a bit uncomfortable to drive on the motorway but does it fine and it does the vehicle no damage but it can also go off road and climb a massive hill as a trade off which is more than acceptable. likewise the gardiners brushes shed the odd bristles and look to be prematurly wearing out but their superior cleaning power and lightness are second to none and they do actually last. You just have to trust it and look at the quality of the result and ease of use. don't get me wrong though i know how you feel, as i felt the same, but you will see it will be fine, as i did. all the best.

 

[MyLittleCleaningCompany]

I've been using this exact model brush for 1.5 years and it looked like the photos nr the start for a bit (except i pulled off the stray bits). Now the corners have warn a bit and over 50% of the corner bristle groups have disappeared and it still cleans as well as it did on day one. I still loose a bristle now and again. The nature of the product is that this happens from my experience and maybe for some reason it is a side effect from what makes them clean so well. I always try to remember that at about £30 a time I think 2 years from a brush is excellent value which i could easily view as a semi disposable part! i would be happy if it only lasted a year to be honest. i guess you can liken it to a land rover which is very noisy and a bit uncomfortable to drive on the motorway but does it fine and it does the vehicle no damage but it can also go off road and climb a massive hill as a trade off which is more than acceptable. likewise the gardiners brushes shed the odd bristles and look to be prematurly wearing out but their superior cleaning power and lightness are second to none and they do actually last. You just have to trust it and look at the quality of the result and ease of use. don't get me wrong though i know how you feel, as i felt the same, but you will see it will be fine, as i did. all the best.

Cheers Chip & Sim,

Good to know that it's not just mine and it will last!

 

[Gavin]

My brush on occasions catches in frames and pulls a bristle or two out but my brush is still going strong after 2 years the bristles wont stay perfectly neat but that does not effect the quality of your clean on the glass.

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2

 

[MyLittleCleaningCompany]

My brush on occasions catches in frames and pulls a bristle or two out but my brush is still going strong after 2 years the bristles wont stay perfectly neat but that does not effect the quality of your clean on the glass.

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2

Thanks Gav, I wasn't expecting it to stay neat. But like I've said wasn't expected to see this much wear and tear after a max of 10 days of use. But we will see.

 

[MyLittleCleaningCompany]

Ok so I had a bit of a moan about the Mixed Dual Trim brush early this week and I wanted to even things out a little. It was raining all day today so I thought I go and get a conservatory roof done. I did have a really heavy old brush that I would use for roofs and gutters, after getting my new slx and using the superlite brushes I thought this thing was going to brake the pole so I bit the bullet and brought a flat stiff superlite sill brush for this type of work.

Well this brush is amazing, not only is it unbelievably light it seems to get in everywhere. Because it's so light as is the pole you can get to some really awkward places, upside down, leaning far across things etc. After getting it super dirty, just rub your hand across and it all flings off. It cleans with so much ease, it was well worth the money. Good job Gardiner!! Plus I've scrubbed loads today and you can hardly tell I've used it lol!!!! :huh:

Here are some pics of the result!

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