What's your pole?

[Belfastcleaning]

I would be interested in hearing what poles you use? And what you find good about them? Which brush heads you use and why? For new customers who's windows are bogging is there a brush able enough to get off all the tough marks? Also what about silicone, paint and **** you need a blade to get off?

I was wanting to buy my set up individually rather than in a kit. And suppose the pole and brush is the most important?

 

[Paul]

North


Sorry just slipped out lol

 

[Masons]

I use most often a 32ft aluminium Brodex, and a 22ft facelift carbon fibre pole.

I also have a very old 9ft (3x3) pole that's yellow and I believe to be plastic, and another 32ft glass fibre pole I have sed once since I bought it.

I want a Gardiner next, I used one in London once and it blew my mind.

 

[chip]

i use a ninja mainly, clampless, when it's good it's a dream, annoying when the sections slip down. just about had it's day now, would like slx next but think i'll have to go clx.

richard can tell you all about first clean brushes, but i think it's often good to have a first clean pole, namely an alloy, can put more scrubbing pressure on

 

[mark m]

All my poles are a gardiners apart from a 45ft brodex one i use for solar panels .

 

[Matty H]

Gardiners SLX22

Gardiners SLX35

Gardiners Super Max 47C

Brodex 36ft Alu for commercial buildings (not glass) etc

/emoticons/biggrin.png

 

[AS Window Cleaning]

xTel 18 footer used for 2 years with dual trim medium bristles super lite brush.

just bought me an slx25 with medium trim sill brush. lovely pole but hated sill brush but slowly getting used to it. gardiner poles come with quick release gooseneck now, so planning on getting a stiff bristled brush for those first cleans.

 

[Richard]

Brushes can have their limits but for all your regular work you can only be a wfp window cleaner if you choose. Depending on the work you decide to take on getting face to face with the glass maybe the quickest option with some types of jobs.

If you are only going to have a few brushes, start with bigger differences rather with the brushes with smaller differences. For example if you decide to have two wfp brushes, I would recommend a low absorbent polyester filament/bristles brush and a Boar’s hair or a more absorbent Nylon filament brush – don’t only have 2 brushes with the same type of bristles i.e. full trim and a double trim – that would be a small difference.

With the choice of pole the more rigid the pole is the faster you will be able to clean. To keep the weight of the pole down don’t carry around pole sections all day that are used infrequently.

For example I have a 16ft 3 section pole with a reach of 22ft the pole weight is 750g it’s a multi modulus pole - high modulus and 3k CF - it only has 2 clamps so has no bend or flex; I also have this pole with 4 & 5 sections, the 5 section pole weighs 1200g the 4 section about 950g

I appreciate it does get expensive working this way, but the time saved when working should be more valuable then the cost of the equipment. If you think that’s not going to be the case don’t go overboard with the equipment.

Richard

 

[Belfastcleaning]

Cheers f


Effing touchscreen!

Cheers for replies And advice.

To start me off i Was thinking of a gardiners slx 25 or 30? Suppose bigger the better?

Maybe a clx as a back up?

Would like to save up and get a decent pole about 50 or 60' too.

 

[frankwii]

slx 25 definitely best pole for me at the moment

 

[Posh]

2 homemade b&q ones I did myself and I gota be honest there brilliant. Nice and light reach where I want them to and the pair cost me £30 each.

 

[Paul]

I've heard of this posh do you have a pic I already use one for app and squeegee.

 

[Posh]

Nah. Could take one but ain't got a clue how to put them on lol. If you go on the DIY section a chap has put how to do it. I followed his instructions and it worked a treat. He's got pics on there.

 

[Paul]

Cheers pal I'll gave a spy

 

[Podrikk007]

Posh where did u buy the bits to convert b&q poles?

 

[vito61]

Just got an Ionics 21 foot Grafter carbon fibre as a replacement for a 9 month old Unger fibreglass (same length). Quite impressed. Came with ok brush, angle adapter and lenght of hose with hozelock connector. They were doing a deal - £94.95 + vat. Postage a bit strong £15 + vat but quick delivery. Able to put aqua-dapter (in my opinion a must have) on no problem . I've got a Vikan flagged sill brush which I rate highly

I've also got an Unger 27 foot fibreglass. Doesn't get used so much. Very bendy it seems to me, although haven't tried anything else. Sometimes feels like a fighting a great big Marlin in the Caribbean :-0

 

[Posh]

Posh where did u buy the bits to convert b&q poles?

Harris pole 5mtrs from b&q. Harris metal broom handle b&q. 5mm tubing b&q. 5mm hozelock connectors eBay. 3 way connector(to fit hose on and then two bits of hose connecting to brush) pack b&q. Epoxy resin( to fix end of broomstick to pole) b&q. Hope this helps. Anything else let me know. Go on DIY section and look at post DIY pole a chap tells you how to do it and what bits you need and can vouch it defiantly works

 

[Richard]

Converting the Harris or any other Decorating/pole is a good way to start if funds are tight.

The converted pole is much slower to use over using a rigid pole, so as soon as funds are replenished there is no reason why you shouldn’t be using a rigid pole at the lower heights; the time saved and extra money earned over the lifetime of the pole can run into thousands of pounds over any difference in pole price.

If you have a lot of work up 21-22ft (ground floor & 1st floor windows) a 3 section 15ft quality high modulus carbon fibre pole is all you need, at this length it is very light at around 750g and totally rigid - it is very fast to use.

A high modulus carbon fibre pole like this shouldn’t cost much, around £85 to £95

Richard

 

[MyLittleCleaningCompany]

Had a 32' Ionic Grafter Plus, which is actually a 28' pole. Until recently when the end screw piece snapped off it was a good pole. Ionic to be fair had a brand new section sent to me within 24 hours and the said screw section design has now been changed. This is now my back up pole, I've got a Gardiner Slx 22' & 35' with the carbon fibre gooseneck.

After reading Richards book (very good by the way) and hearing several comments on your pole and brush making a big difference in time I was a little sceptical. Well I was very wrong, I'm already noticing a massive difference. I've never used a carbon fibre gooseneck before and use to have an aqua dapter on the end. Without it I'm much faster without all the mucking about trying to turn the bloody thing off! (works good on ground floor) plus the goose neck seems to make the brush work a lot better and I'm quicker between windows. Ok I'm loosing a little extra water but the save in time and possible earning hours is well worth it.

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[Richard]

Thanks for the comments Jamie.

Being sceptical can be a good thing, as you demonstrate here by being inquiring and then opposing dogmatic views and comments on equipment and how to work.

The cleaning method is the flip side to correct pricing; technical aspect are - the more rigid the water fed pole is and the easier and quicker the right brush can work, get these two things right first and then the cleaning method can be refined (speeded up)

I recently won some work where all the compe***ion quoted for two days to do the work; I priced the work less than all the compe***ion, but charge more per day/hour and then completed the work in one day.

I took my sister window cleaning not long ago, we got to the first commercial job and I told her how much I was charging, straight the way she told me its not enough (everyone’s an expert) 30 minutes later when we are driving off, she cant believe how much money I had just made! The trick is to be able to do this over the compe***ion and not only your sister (if you have one).

Basically I try to charge less than all the compe***ion, but I also aim to work far more efficiently, there are many ways to do this; this is also the key reason why the Aerial brush is made.

Wfp window cleaners who are sole traders, have many excellent advantages over bigger firms, I think a lot of them don’t exploit the wfp equipment fully and then miss great opportunities every day.

Not being up to date and using shoddy equipment is a mistake often repeated, simply starting work each week with a ‘Clean’ brush will save time? And that cost nothing.

Richard

 

[super mck]

got 2 one diy harris with a vikan brush, and a clx22, both good