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Toughest carbon fibre pole.

G

Guest

Just snapped a section on a pole less than a year old and not a daily pole. Was wondering what the most durable carbon pole might be? 

 
My SLX22 is an everyday pole and its nearly 7 years old. Its had new clamps and I've lacquered  the sections 4 times in its life. Its still a perfectly usable pole. It also gets to close upper windows periodically.

 
Just snapped a section on a pole less than a year old and not a daily pole. Was wondering what the most durable carbon pole might be? 
Just got a SuperMax myself. Gardiner seem pretty confident in them, was told that apart from accidental damage, they’re pretty much bulletproof (I can put up the actual quote if one wants, just need to find it). Going cheap at the moment since thry’re changing the range. 

 
Super-Max I bought mine almost 6 years ago but stopped using it as a daily pole 3 1/2 years ago due to shoulder issues but in the time I used it, yes it wore down but it was rock solid and I hardly ever had clamping issues and I hardly ever did any maintenance on it, but things will have changed over time but I would have thought that a new one would be fairly bulletproof   

 
It’s a super max that is snapped. Oddly on section 4, about 8” from the clamp.

I’m now wondering if one of the guys has bust it and slid it back in.............

 
It’s a super max that is snapped. Oddly on section 4, about 8” from the clamp.

I’m now wondering if one of the guys has bust it and slid it back in.............


We have had a lot of wind recently. Our open van doors can be blown closed with a heavy gust of wind. If the van doors are open and a pole left half inside with its base on the road, it would easily be damaged if it were trapped between the body and the slamming door. I'm also inclined to rest a little extended pole up

on the roof rack until I can get a 'space' to pack my pole away which is also vunerable to damage by a slamming door.  I don't want to leave the pole lying down on the road as it could inadvertantly get stood on.

I'm not saying this is what could have happened but I've caught myself doing it. 2 cleaners at the rear doors gets very crowded.

In the old days we used to convert fishing poles for wfp use before Gardiners started selling their range of C/F poles. I stood on a few sections by mistake and crushed them.

 
It’s a super max that is snapped. Oddly on section 4, about 8” from the clamp.

I’m now wondering if one of the guys has bust it and slid it back in.............
Mate I would contact them and discuss it with them. They maybe able to help you figure out what’s happened, plus they do sell spare sections. In fact, why don’t we bring the man himself onboard, lol!

 @Alex Gardiner 

 
Cheers chaps. In all honesty, we do use our kit quite roughly. The pole sections can quite often be rubbing against a gutter or pv frame, as it’s the type of work we do. Cleaning windows, the poles are rarely in contact with anything.

Thanks Alex, I’ll cut off the end (there’s plenty of pole left) and take some photos.

 
Cheers chaps. In all honesty, we do use our kit quite roughly. The pole sections can quite often be rubbing against a gutter or pv frame, as it’s the type of work we do. Cleaning windows, the poles are rarely in contact with anything.

Thanks Alex, I’ll cut off the end (there’s plenty of pole left) and take some photos.


It would be best if you take photos before cutting the end off. Photos showing the whole section and then close ups of the break area from all around the section (top, bottom, sides.) Also include photos of the base overlap area of the section that goes inside the broken section (section #3) as this will help with the assessment.

With any carbon pole, a hard impact from a sharp edge can snap a section if there is enough force in the impact. Whilst carbon is very strong and rigid, if an impact is focused across a sharp edge it can snap the wall section at that point - sometimes evidence of the impact can be seen, other times it cannot if it was a clean and very focused impact. If being used on solar arrays then it is possible that the pole did impact a sharp metal edge in use.

 
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It would be best if you take photos before cutting the end off. Photos showing the whole sections and then close up of the break area from all around the section (top, bottom, sides) Also include photos of the base overlap area of the section that goes inside the broken section (section #3) this will help with assessment.

With any carbon pole a hard impact from sharp edge can snap a section if there is enough force in the impact. Whilst carbon is very strong and rigid if an impact is focused across sharp edge it can snap the wall section at that point - sometimes evidence of the impact can be seen other times it cannot if it was a clean and very focused impact. If being used on solar arrays then it is possible that the pole did impact a sharp metal edge in use.


I think our guys need rubber poles!

 
Posted pictures and grinded the end off.

Cross section of walls is fairly thick.

Anyone any tips on removing the old clamp..........? Vice and grips?

 
Thanks for the photos - it does look like crush damage to me. So either it has been stepped on, jammed in something or been bashed on to an edge hard. Poor section ?

The easiest way is to cut the clamp body off with a hacksaw, going diagonally across the band glued on and then pry off with a screwdriver blade. However if you are wanting to reuse the clamp then that’s no good. You could try knocking it off and upwards with a hammer?

 
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not been happy with our xline carbon poles, not lasted very well at all,

our streamline poles we still have as back up, the original carbon is sound but clamps let it down,

had ovo8 for a couple of months really impressed

 
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