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I want to buy a new pole

Diamond geezer

Active member
Messages
522
Location
greater london
iwant to buy my first new pole,i have listened  to you fellas with your extream poles etc,ive no exp with thease not even a clx.ive been using an old 30ft carbon, and a fibre glass18 since day one,nerly 2 years ago now. I have to work out wea,ther an 18 or a21 would be better a 22 slx is about the wight of a nice size orange, heavyer than the 18, basically what I wnt to know is that little extra weight worth carrying all week so you can get the extra reach when you need it, or have the lighter weight all week and add an extention when you need it ?.Love to hear your opinions please

 
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iwant to buy my first new pole,i have listened  to you fellas with your extream poles etc,ive no exp with thease not even a clx.ive been using an old 30ft carbon, and a fibre glass18 since day one,nerly 2 years ago now. I have to work out wea,ther an 18 or a21 would be better a 22 slx is about the wight of a nice size orange, heavyer than the 18, basically what I wnt to know is that little extra weight worth carrying all week so you can get the extra reach when you need it, or have the lighter weight all week and add an extention when you need it ?.Love to hear your opinions please


My son uses his SLX25 as an everyday pole and it reaches 99% of his work.

I have an SLX22 and that gets nearly all my work. We have an SLX40 on the van for those odd extra high windows.

I would consider an SLX22 and keep your old pole for those odd houses your SLX22 won't reach. You could add a base section to the SLX22 and make it an SLX27. I like this idea as you have 2 base sections. This means that in either form (SLX22 or SLX22 with an addition extension,) your pole has an insulated base. But I believe adding a base section when you need the extra length sounds good as a sales spiel but its a lot of messing around in its application.

I have considered an SLX27 but its extra weight and the base section is slightly bigger. If I removed the base section and worked with it as an SLX22 then my base section is pure carbon and not insulated.

Even although I care for my pole I probably wouldn't go the Extreme route as I believe they would be rather fragile as my day to day pole. I regularily push and 'hammer' windows closed in summer with my SLX22 which I couldn't do with an Extreme.

 
iwant to buy my first new pole,i have listened  to you fellas with your extream poles etc,ive no exp with thease not even a clx.ive been using an old 30ft carbon, and a fibre glass18 since day one,nerly 2 years ago now. I have to work out wea,ther an 18 or a21 would be better a 22 slx is about the wight of a nice size orange, heavyer than the 18, basically what I wnt to know is that little extra weight worth carrying all week so you can get the extra reach when you need it, or have the lighter weight all week and add an extention when you need it ?.Love to hear your opinions please
I got slx 22 and it does 99% of my work. most 3 floor houses fine (ground, first, second) Just a couple of 3 floors where it cant reach when they're above an extension or whatever. Its not worth me having the next size up just for that, so for them I just stand on a little step ladder to get there. Weight wise no problem at all. If i had more jobs that were troublesome or higher then of course, would have to be the next step up. (also, the slx 22 fits in the back of small van ok, even with a bulkhead, though I have to hang it up diagonally, over slx 22 wouldnt fit.)

 
I got slx 22 and it does 99% of my work. most 3 floor houses fine (ground, first, second) Just a couple of 3 floors where it cant reach when they're above an extension or whatever. Its not worth me having the next size up just for that, so for them I just stand on a little step ladder to get there. Weight wise no problem at all. If i had more jobs that were troublesome or higher then of course, would have to be the next step up. (also, the slx 22 fits in the back of small van ok, even with a bulkhead, though I have to hang it up diagonally, over slx 22 wouldnt fit.)


Another good point to consider.

 
thanks for your replies.Ill try my round using the f/glass 18,see how far I can get without using the 30 but its a lot whipyer it would be lightest(the 18)slx,but some times a car or a porch gets in the way and the 22 gives you that little extra length to over come. I like the fact the 22 is the same closed length as the 18.Green pro has just got a 30 ft tTitan frm WCW,its designed to split to a 22 if you want but although it has an alloy end ring to protect the 22,i don't think its insulated.My 30 steamline ive used as a 22ish but it feels vunerable with out the insulated base pole,but then it dosent have an alloy protector ring.

 
thanks for your replies.Ill try my round using the f/glass 18,see how far I can get without using the 30 but its a lot whipyer it would be lightest(the 18)slx,but some times a car or a porch gets in the way and the 22 gives you that little extra length to over come. I like the fact the 22 is the same closed length as the 18.Green pro has just got a 30 ft tTitan frm WCW,its designed to split to a 22 if you want but although it has an alloy end ring to protect the 22,i don't think its insulated.My 30 steamline ive used as a 22ish but it feels vunerable with out the insulated base pole,but then it dosent have an alloy protector ring.


With our round I would be at a disadvantage if I purchased an SLX18 as I would need to add an extention a few times a day. I've looked at this before and mentally noted how many times a day my SLX22 is close to full stretch. I'm not very tall so having a shorter pole is also a disadvantage. That extra height makes a difference. There are several windows my son can just reach with his SLX25 that I can't using his pole.

Before we learnt a hard lesson from experience, we purchased 2 Prolong ali poles from Brodex with alloy end caps.

If you are working near vehicles we found we had to cap our hand over the end of the pole at the base incase we accidently blashed a car. At least Gardiner's end caps won't cause too much damage because they are 'plastic'.

I know we started off with Unger Teleplus poles, but the comfort of knowing my Gardiner base section has a fiberglass insulation 'wrap' is important for me. We still clean a couple of old houses with electricity supplied via overhead cables from a pole in the street. Although we are careful when working these properties, that little extra protection is important for us.

I honestly would never consider splitting my SLX40 and using the first 3 or 4 sections as an everyday pole for this very reason.

 
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Thanks for the reply its going to be  a great help towards my final decision.Iam 6ft tall . The adding of one section for me shouldn't take to long at the moment because iam hoseless (about 4"pole hose sticking out the bottom) so should just slide on. Ive just visited gardiners site 18+no5 ext weighs 5grams lighter than 22 funily enough,but£39 more expensive. I would have thought two fibre glass insulated sections would've made it heavier.Dont think you get many houses down here in the old smoke with elec supplys like you described,but yea better to be safe than Zapped. I also close windows with the pole,Its just the weight issue guys talking about extreme, they gone and spoilt it for me,cause were only talking 280kg to be exact,  am I going to notice it I wonder Cheers

 
Thanks for the reply its going to be  a great help towards my final decision.Iam 6ft tall . The adding of one section for me shouldn't take to long at the moment because iam hoseless (about 4"pole hose sticking out the bottom) so should just slide on. Ive just visited gardiners site 18+no5 ext weighs 5grams lighter than 22 funily enough,but£39 more expensive. I would have thought two fibre glass insulated sections would've made it heavier.Dont think you get many houses down here in the old smoke with elec supplys like you described,but yea better to be safe than Zapped. I also close windows with the pole,Its just the weight issue guys talking about extreme, they gone and spoilt it for me,cause were only talking 280kg to be exact,  am I going to notice it I wonder Cheers


I presume you meant grams (gms). ?

In the very early days a few of us followed the DIY instructions posted on another forum making an 18' pole from a Ron Thompson 'put over' fishing pole. Those pole sections were very thin and light, but the pole when assembled was pretty rigid and durable. We used duck tape at the join of each section to stop the pole sections compressing together too much. The windows I couldn't reach I reverted back to my Unger Teleplus pole.

In those days we used to get the poles for less than £15. With a modified Bentley floor brush we could make a decent, useable pole for around £25.00.

I went through a couple of sections which broke under foot. I don't recall one ever breaking in application. But we couldn't shut windows with them like we can with our SLX's.

Speaking for myself, I was very naive in those days and we did things without much forethought for the consequences if things would go wrong. Thank goodness the likes of Gardiners came along and did the forethought for us, manufacturing and selling poles at a price we could afford with inbuild safety features we never thought about.

I still miss the lightness of those fishing poles. One day I might be forced to go for an extreme but thats for another future time. When Aquadapter was still being made by Steve Jones there was a continual drone on the forums about their weight and how heavy they made the poles. I have a Univalve on my SLX22 and we have another SLX22 in the van with a flocked brush and Aquadapter that we use on leaded windows. Honestly, I can't tell the difference weight wise between the 2. With this in mind, I wonder how much of a difference in weight I would notice with an Extreme. I guess I will just have to visit a window cleaning show one day and feel the difference between the 2 on the Grippatank stand.

 
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What new brush?Thanks for that tip on waterstain removal,just now!

I presume you meant grams (gms). ?

In the very early days a few of us followed the DIY instructions posted on another forum making an 18' pole from a Ron Thompson 'put over' fishing pole. Those pole sections were very thin and light, but the pole when assembled was pretty rigid and durable. We used duck tape at the join of each section to stop the pole sections compressing together too much. The windows I couldn't reach I reverted back to my Unger Teleplus pole.

In those days we used to get the poles for less than £15. With a modified Bentley floor brush we could make a decent, useable pole for around £25.00.

I went through a couple of sections which broke under foot. I don't recall one ever breaking in application. But we couldn't shut windows with them like we can with our SLX's.

Speaking for myself, I was very naive in those days and we did things without much forethought for the consequences if things would go wrong. Thank goodness the likes of Gardiners came along and did the forethought for us, manufacturing and selling poles at a price we could afford with inbuild safety features we never thought about.

I still miss the lightness of those fishing poles. One day I might be forced to go for an extreme but thats for another future time. When Aquadapter was still being made by Steve Jones there was a continual drone on the forums about their weight and how heavy they made the poles. I have a Univalve on my SLX22 and we have another SLX22 in the van with a flocked brush and Aquadapter that we use on leaded windows. Honestly, I can't tell the difference weight wise between the 2. With this in mind, I wonder how much of a difference in weight I would notice with an Extreme. I guess I will just have to visit a window cleaning show one day and feel the difference between the 2 on the Grippatank stand.

 
If I use an 18 with extetion all the time, ill have two insulated sections and 5grams lighter cost me £39 more but if I realy only want it as an 18 I can.Do you see any prob with this,like would the two insulated sections rub more and therefore be uncomfortable to use?

 
If I use an 18 with extetion all the time, ill have two insulated sections and 5grams lighter cost me £39 more but if I realy only want it as an 18 I can.Do you see any prob with this,like would the two insulated sections rub more and therefore be uncomfortable to use?


You would just put the extention base section on when needed so I couldn't see the inner base section wearing much and becoming uncomfortable to use. We still have a spare CLX pole which was the first Gardiner Telescopic pole I used as an every day pole. Those sections are half carbon inside with a fibreglass layer outside.

I never wear gloves and that pole was an every day pole for 4 or 5 years and a spare pole for a few years later. I have never experienced a 'fiberglass splinter' using that pole.

 
You would just put the extention base section on when needed so I couldn't see the inner base section wearing much and becoming uncomfortable to use. We still have a spare CLX pole which was the first Gardiner Telescopic pole I used as an every day pole. Those sections are half carbon inside with a fibreglass layer outside.

I never wear gloves and that pole was an every day pole for 4 or 5 years and a spare pole for a few years later. I have never experienced a 'fiberglass splinter' using that pole.
Sorry to bring this up again last time promise.What I really meant was,would the action of the handle of the 18 plus the extetion feel slower,by this I mean,the handle of the 18 is clamping on carbon fibre,the extention though would be clampihg on the insulated handle.The reason I have this  bee in my bonnet is because I laqured my pole to prevent spin from wear.The section under the handle had the most laquer and I experience quite a bit of drag,ie, its hard to pull out.The first section,where the brush attaches to,,theres not much laquer,or its worn off.this section slides out easy.If it was slower, then the 22 might be a nicer pole especialy if iam  yousing it all day every day.What do you think please.Thanks

 
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I have this same 'problem' with one of the sections on my SLX40. I lacquered it once and its been like this ever since. On the couple of times every 6 weeks when I pull it out to its full extent I just have to use more effort with that section.

I've half convinced myself that this section was slightly bigger, hence the issue. It could be that the coating was too thick and I'm paying the price. There is nothing stopping me removing that section, rubbing it down with water paper and relacquering it to see if it will sort the issue out. The base section has never really bothered  me so it only ever got one coat.

What I was trying to say on an earlier post is that my everyday pole to start with was a CLX22. Each section is made up of 2 components; an inner carbon fibre layer with an outer fiberglass layer. Those sections always slid nicely over each other even after they were lacquered.

Gardiners recommend that a solution to reach those odd windows is to fit another extension. If it didn't work properly with two base sections of fibreglass outer layers then I firmly believe Alex wouldn't suggest it.

 
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