Which is the best pole to buy?

[scottish cleaning service]

Just bought an SLX 22 after much umming and ahhing. I`m now officially a gardner fanboy Wahoo!

I have only ever used Gardiner poles but I would like them to make an anti-spin pole.

 

[WombatPool]

I have only ever used Gardiner poles but I would like them to make an anti-spin pole.

Just before I started window cleaning I saw a windy working in a garage and I went over for a chat, he advised against Gardner poles for that exact reason but after hearing more positive reviews than negatives I went with gardener anyway, and luckily enough I haven’t encountered the spinning pole problems yet. I wonder why that is, surely it’s not simply the user isn’t adjusting clamps tight enough? Or could it be that ?

 

[ched999uk]

Saw the angle of the brush once it was swivelled in the vid and thought they might push the brush into those tight triangle shaped corners, not a normal right angle but a much tighter angle, if you can decipher what I mean ?

The gooseneck you linked to is the one I use, the adapter ones give you more like a longer gooseneck, which I'm not keen on but it's a personal preference. gardiners also do a swivel brush quickloc so the swivel is as close to the brush as possible but then you need 1 for each brush and you are stuck with a swivel so I prefer the gooseneck types.
I also like them so I can angle the brush to go diagonally across trickle vents. I would say they allow you to keep the bristles flat on the glass no matter where you stand.
You will find it takes a short while to work with the swivel and adjust the tension to your liking.
The only time I don't use a swivel is on gsf - sometimes I just tighten the tension screw other times I swap to a fixed gooseneck.

 

[WombatPool]

The gooseneck you linked to is the one I use, the adapter ones give you more like a longer gooseneck, which I'm not keen on but it's a personal preference. gardiners also do a swivel brush quickloc so the swivel is as close to the brush as possible but then you need 1 for each brush and you are stuck with a swivel so I prefer the gooseneck types.
I also like them so I can angle the brush to go diagonally across trickle vents. I would say they allow you to keep the bristles flat on the glass no matter where you stand.
You will find it takes a short while to work with the swivel and adjust the tension to your liking.
The only time I don't use a swivel is on gsf - sometimes I just tighten the tension screw other times I swap to a fixed gooseneck.

I can see at some point in the near future I’m going to have a big collection of all these different bits and bobs ?

 

[Bwfc]

Mackintosh poles ??nah joking Gardiner are incredible before that I tried ionic, mcs & aluminum poles they were all rubbish compared to Gardiner. Great value too

 

[Clean zero]

Welcome to the club Crystalalan they are a great pole you will wish you had tried them ages ago ?

 

[Iron Giant]

Just watched this vid, I could do with one of these. Had a job last week cleaning a porch where my brush wouldn’t fit into the corners. This looks the perfect solution ??

They've been out years but I only made the switch last year for me a complete game changer and only took a day to get used to.

 

[Crystalalan]

Welcome to the club Crystalalan they are a great pole you will wish you had tried them ages ago ?

thanks mate. I had an ova 8 17 footer before. It was a good pole and has lasted me 3 and a half years but was noticing that when stripping down that shaft 2 was breaking up towards the bottom and it wasn`t quite long enough on some of the houses I clean so I was getting the ladders out so will retire the ova 8 and just keep it as a spare.

 

[SB Cleaning Services]

Slx22 is my go to pole, I have a extreme 47 for higher stuff, I prefer the 22ft to the 25ft as it has a shorter closed length for tight spaces is a tad lighter and still easily reaches over connys and to 2nd floor windows etc.

 

[Part Timer]

They've been out years but I only made the switch last year for me a complete game changer and only took a day to get used to.

When my son started working with me he wanted a CLX27 with a 45cm flocked brush, what I always used, but no swivel. He said the extra cost of an Xtreme couldn't be warranted and didn't see the point of a swivel.
6 months later he was using an Xtreme 25 with a Xtreme 35cm sill brush and a swivel. The swivel makes life so much quicker and easier.

 

[Iron Giant]

When my son started working with me he wanted a CLX27 with a 45cm flocked brush, what I always used, but no swivel. He said the extra cost of an Xtreme couldn't be warranted and didn't see the point of a swivel.
6 months later he was using an Xtreme 25 with a Xtreme 35cm sill brush and a swivel. The swivel makes life so much quicker and easier.

Thanks to you I switched.

I think there is also the possibility that a swivel may reduce strain as I've not had any niggles or anything since swapping over because you aren't exerting or twisting your body and shoulders because the swivel is going easily into those awkward spaces and angles

 

[WombatPool]

Thanks to you I switched.

I think there is also the possibility that a swivel may reduce strain as I've not had any niggles or anything since swapping over because you aren't exerting or twisting your body and shoulders because the swivel is going easily into those awkward spaces and angles

When you put it like this it makes sense, let the swivel find the angle you need rather than twisting your body, or arms shoulders ect

 

[Iron Giant]

When you put it like this it makes sense, let the swivel find the angle you need rather than twisting your body, or arms shoulders ect

It's not often I make any sense, so thanks

 

[Marko067]

Regards the so called spinning problem with Gardiner poles, I've used them for ten years plus and have never had a problem with spinning. Will they spin? Yes, if the clamps become loose and are left loose. This can happen for a couple of reasons.
1. The weather. In my experience this is the most common. If you are using them in the rain or on a cold day the friction between the sections and the clamps can change just enough to make them slip. It takes seconds to rectify by just tightening the clamp half a turn. Even if I have to do this a couple of times during a cold or wet day it's not a problem enough to make me want to buy a different pole. And it stops the wear on the pole just below the clamps.
2. And much less common, the nyloc nuts in the clamps can become weak alowing them to work loose. This has happened on one of our well used poles. I just replaced the nuts. You can get them from Gardiners I believe. I had some left over from another project bought from ebay.

 

[Clean zero]

Also I find give them a wipe with the dry wd40 and spray the clamps and shins keeps them running smoothly

 

[Yogi1872]

Use one of they 18 foot light poles by Gardiner. Reaches just about everything I do, have a 22ft carbon fibre phantom pole aswell but really isn't used much.

 

[Iron Giant]

Regards the so called spinning problem with Gardiner poles, I've used them for ten years plus and have never had a problem with spinning. Will they spin? Yes, if the clamps become loose and are left loose. This can happen for a couple of reasons.
1. The weather. In my experience this is the most common. If you are using them in the rain or on a cold day the friction between the sections and the clamps can change just enough to make them slip. It takes seconds to rectify by just tightening the clamp half a turn. Even if I have to do this a couple of times during a cold or wet day it's not a problem enough to make me want to buy a different pole. And it stops the wear on the pole just below the clamps.
2. And much less common, the nyloc nuts in the clamps can become weak alowing them to work loose. This has happened on one of our well used poles. I just replaced the nuts. You can get them from Gardiners I believe. I had some left over from another project bought from ebay.

You missed out about the shims https://gardinerpolesystems.co.uk/gardiner-smart-clamp-delrinr-shims.html I wonder how many people replace these as they become worn down and just continually tightening up the clamp helps but no doubt wears each section down.

 

[Marko067]

Yep, your right Iron Giant. I have a bag of them, bought as spares a few years back but I've only ever needed to use about two of them. Mind you I keep on top of cleaning my Xtremes. I know some don't like to do it but I quite enjoy it. In winter I sometimes strip mine down at the end of each day and push a small microfibre through each section with a long dowel. It doesn't take long when you've got a system in place. In summer when the ground is dry I hardly need to clean them at all.

 

[steve garwood]

Yep, your right Iron Giant. I have a bag of them, bought as spares a few years back but I've only ever needed to use about two of them. Mind you I keep on top of cleaning my Xtremes. I know some don't like to do it but I quite enjoy it. In winter I sometimes strip mine down at the end of each day and push a small microfibre through each section with a long dowel. It doesn't take long when you've got a system in place. In summer when the ground is dry I hardly need to clean them at all.

Wait, what? You strip your poles down every day in winter?
Blimey Mark, fair play. Honestly don’t know how you can be ar5ed ?

 

[Marko067]

Wait, what? You strip your poles down every day in winter?
Blimey Mark, fair play. Honestly don’t know how you can be ar5ed ?

I'm fortunate enough to work close to where I live and am home around 4pm most evenings, so perhaps have more time than some to include it in my workday. I don't miss it in the dry months though, but I hate working with a gritty pole.
I don't find that flushing them through as per the Gardiner guide gets enough muck out. As I mostly use the top two sections these are the ones that get taken out and cleaned most days. Whilst they are out I'll run the microfibre down through section three whilst it's inside the other two sections. But the whole pole is taken apart and cleaned at the very least once a week in winter.

 

[Pjj]

Also I find give them a wipe with the dry wd40 and spray the clamps and shins keeps them running smoothly

You dont want to use WD40 on any poles it can damage them and cause delaminating, use a PTFE dry lube sp

Yep, you’re right Iron Giant. I have a bag of them, bought as spares a few years back but I've only ever needed to use about two of them. Mind you I keep on top of cleaning my Xtremes. I know some don't like to do it but I quite enjoy it. In winter I sometimes strip mine down at the end of each day and push a small microfibre through each section with a long dowel. It doesn't take long when you've got a system in place. In summer when the ground is dry I hardly need to clean them at all.

i dont find the shims ware never replaced one they aren’t exposed to friction only compression