Elite pole anyone

« **on:** May 17, 2011, 09:52:29 pm »

I have been reding on Nats forum how he is testing this pole and it sems to compare quite well so far ,from what i have read and asked.
Has anyone here got one or tried one ?

« **Reply #1 on:** May 17, 2011, 09:58:40 pm »

wouldnt mind testing the extreme pole
fr gardiners

« **Reply #2 on:** May 17, 2011, 11:19:15 pm »

Had it for while now and is far better to use than slx or clx

« **Reply #3 on:** May 17, 2011, 11:30:16 pm »

Quote from: thermoclean on May 17, 2011, 11:19:15 pm

Had it for while now and is far better to use than slx or clx

When are they going to tell us the "real" weights of these poles? They removed them from the site after a few porkies were unveiled!

« **Reply #4 on:** May 17, 2011, 11:51:30 pm »

Quote from: ♠Winp®oClean♠ on May 17, 2011, 11:30:16 pm

Quote from: thermoclean on May 17, 2011, 11:19:15 pm
Had it for while now and is far better to use than slx or clx

When are they going to tell us the "real" weights of these poles? They removed them from the site after a few porkies were unveiled!

Is that a nickname for them? Are they that heavy?

« **Reply #5 on:** May 18, 2011, 12:54:55 am »

I recieved my 30 foot Elite yesterday,the base cap could be alot better for what I paid,I will have to replace it with an alloy one or something better and the insert cone at the top fell out,had to reglue it,it does seem a very rigid pole and the clamps are very good but the base cap will last about a week.
Good light pole though compared to the rubbish I have been useing.

« **Reply #6 on:** May 18, 2011, 07:05:44 am »

Used my 35ft elite yesterday took base section off and used a squash ball with top cut off and placed on to bottom of section as base cap , I did 'nt think base cap was up to the job , But what a great pole clamps seem good quality and robust should stand the test of time , Pole is really light i was doing 3 storey townhouse's for 3 hrs yesterday and did'nt feel as though i had been working all that hard continued all day with pole as 30ft with great ease, I really dont see the point off stripping down any further as i feel i will be able to use all day everyday as a 30ft , Its rigid at height and and very light which is what is needed there is little bit of flex but just the right amount I.M.O , There is the weights for the pole on www.cleaningspot.co.uk which when compared to SLX their is not much difference between both pole weights, Really wished i had bought one earlier

« **Reply #7 on:** May 18, 2011, 07:14:35 am »

prowindow so your saying using a 30ft pole is ok to use as an everyday pole?whats the closed length and what do you use as a flow control?(aqua-daptor/trigger/tap etc)

« **Reply #8 on:** May 18, 2011, 07:19:04 am »

morning dazmond , closed length about 5ft 8" dont use any trigger or tap been trolley user i am never that far away from trolley to walk back and turn ot off

« **Reply #9 on:** May 18, 2011, 07:20:06 am »

Can anyone post a video of the pole it would be intresting to see just how much flex there is. I've always thought the less the best, any flex IMO ='s wasted energy.

Simon.

« **Reply #10 on:** May 18, 2011, 07:28:21 am »

there is video on there website www.waterfedpolecompany.co.uk although not the best and IMO better pics of pole would help but its the same on all sites IMO

« **Reply #11 on:** May 18, 2011, 07:33:32 am »

Quote from: Gav Camm lammy 283 on May 17, 2011, 09:58:40 pm

wouldnt mind testing the extreme pole
fr gardiners

Just waiting for my 25FT Super-Lite Extreme pole to arrive with the 5FT extention section

cant wait to get working with it

« **Reply #12 on:** May 18, 2011, 07:39:58 am »

Trouble with that video is that you couldn't see the whole pole, but there did seem to be a bit of bounce in it, which you couldn't see clearly as the whole pole extended wasn't in the video. I personally think that the lightest and least flex is best even if it's more money.

The pole design does look good though, very similar to the slx. Amazing a couple of years ago only one pole manufacturer was using lateral clamps and now every body is at it.

Simon.

« **Reply #13 on:** May 18, 2011, 07:51:27 am »

the flex in that video does look a little excessive but when using mine yesterday the flex was less than appeared in their video , i have used fiberglass poles and hybrid and just gone from hydra alloy to elite this pole is far superior to them all , its a good rigid pole mate

« **Reply #14 on:** May 18, 2011, 08:36:37 am »

Gardiner VS Elite Comparison Chart

« **Reply #15 on:** May 18, 2011, 09:46:16 am »

Quote from: GoodFella2006 on May 18, 2011, 08:36:37 am

Gardiner VS Elite Comparison Chart

The only problem with the weights listed by Cleaning Spot is that they are not the manufacturers weights and they do not make complete sense. For instance the 4 section 18ft pole weighs exactly the same according to their weights as the 20ft 4 section pole - this defies physics!

Also according to Cleaning Spot adding 1 extra section between a 30ft and a 35ft pole adds 350g, but then adding one extra section between 35ft and 40ft adds 800g.

I'm sure that they will update with more accurate weights soon.

« **Reply #16 on:** May 18, 2011, 03:04:32 pm »

i'm waiting for 25ft Elite as the waiting list for an slx is way too long and also the reviews on them seem to be as good as the gardiner poles so i think they should be a good buy.
out of topic does anyone know if you can buy extra sections as i think i may struggle with 25 ft on some old 3 storey victorian houses.cheers

« **Reply #17 on:** May 18, 2011, 04:27:32 pm »

had not noticed that alex well spotted that is a let down when trying to make an accurate comparison .
C.C.S phone the waterfed pole company they should be able to help i am sure they will be re-stocking soon

« **Reply #18 on:** May 18, 2011, 10:04:16 pm »

I've both an Elite-18 & an SLX-18 next to me right now.

I won't have chance to use the pole properly until friday, but my initial impressions are:

1. The SLX but cap is much better. Not that I have ever worn one out, but I do see comments on forums about them, and the one on the Elite pole isn't nearly as substantial as the SLX one. Its a very small point though.

2. The SLX is 180g lighter than the Elite, that's approx 10g per foot. Its not a huge figure, but it is noticeable. The Elite-18 is actually slightly (30g) heavier than the CLX-18, though it is much more rigid.

3. The SLX-18 has a shorter closed length than the Elite-18 by about 90mm, mostly due to the clamps on the SLX being more compact.

4. The SLX-18 is a little slimmer,.. still comfortable to grip, but this is probably the main reason its lighter.

5: The Elite-18 is approx 40mm longer when extended

6: Rigidity,.. its hard to tell categorically when dealing with only 18' poles, but both seem fairly equal as far as I can test them (Put the brush on & swung it round a bit). MUCH more rigid than comparable CLX or HXTEL poles. Couldn't really ask for better.

7: The Elite clamps are larger,.. but my Mrs reckons they "look" better & stronger. They don't have thumb adjuster bolts like the SLX, but all Elite poles will ship with a fancy keyfob with an alan key built into it, so you'll always have the adjuster tool handy.

8: The Elite comes with a screw thread top, and the SLX comes with an extra quick release clamp on top. Weight wise there probably isn't an advantage in either, but the quick release is nice.

9: The SLX has positive stops, & the Elite doesn't. Its only a bit of sticky tape, so you can add it to the Elite if it bothers you.

10. The carbon weave looks very similar on both poles,.. almost identical in fact.

« **Reply #19 on:** May 18, 2011, 10:15:52 pm »

Nice review there Nat

Now if elite would publish the ACTUAL weights / lengths we could have a very informed review of it.

Funny how some will publish this info and others wont

« **Reply #20 on:** May 19, 2011, 06:59:06 am »

they wont do their self any favours if they give out misleading and inaccurate weights of their poles.at the end of the day their heavier than gardiners poles!why would you want to buy one if gardiners poles were in stock?less weight (however small) can make a massive difference to your working day if the poles are used day in/day out for 6 or 7 hours a day.

enough said methinks.

dazmond

« **Reply #21 on:** May 19, 2011, 07:41:52 am »

In fairness to the guys making the Elite pole, the extra weight is due to recent design changes/upgrades & the website is just a bit slow to be updated.
They are heavier than the SLX,... but they are a little cheaper. I personally think the SLX would be my pole of choice, but for anyone finding themselves short of cash, or needing a pole quick when the SLX is out of stock, its a very good option.

« **Reply #22 on:** May 19, 2011, 04:54:16 pm »

Very good review Nat, good points of comparison. I have to say that the quick release gooseneck on the slx is just a stroke of brilliance.

Simon.

« **Reply #23 on:** May 19, 2011, 05:08:03 pm »

3 days i have now used elite pole as 30ft and have no complaints at all great pole and not heavy to use for 7 hr day used as 30ft all day easily and nats review i belive said the elite was more rigid which counts a lot for me

« **Reply #24 on:** May 19, 2011, 06:29:44 pm »

I'll post some pics as soon as I can find the cable for my phone,.. but yes, the Elite pole is slightly more rigid than the SLX, something that came as a surprise to me! The difference is small, and in use is hardly noticeable at all, but there is a difference.

« **Reply #25 on:** May 19, 2011, 08:20:24 pm »

Excuse the mess in my garden!

I remembered how Ionics did their test in an old mag & thought I'd do something similar.

Both poles are fully extended with the base's aligned & weighted down next to each other as equally & fairly as possible. I didn't have 2 brushes of identical weights, so used 2 unopened, identical bottles of olive oil attached with a bit of sticky tape as weights to simulate brushes.

As you can see, the Elite pole does hold itself a little straighter. It'd be interesting to see someone try this with the longer versions of these poles for a more accurate comparison.

http://acsforums.com/yabbfiles/Attachments/IMAG0149.jpg[/img]

« **Reply #26 on:** May 19, 2011, 09:32:26 pm »

1 bottle looks bigger than the other

« **Reply #27 on:** May 19, 2011, 10:07:46 pm »

I snapped the top section of my slx today so i'm going to try one of these poles (if i can get on their website).
If it can last 6 months with me then its a good buy

« **Reply #28 on:** May 19, 2011, 10:15:46 pm »

Quote from: luther1 on May 19, 2011, 10:07:46 pm

I snapped the top section of my slx today so i'm going to try one of these poles (if i can get on their website).
If it can last 6 months with me then its a good buy

Is that your SLX-22? How did it snap as this is most unusual?

« **Reply #29 on:** May 19, 2011, 10:20:46 pm »

Pole was leant against a fence,top section half extended,hose got caught on a wall, stamped on pole out of frustration.

I take it that the guarantee is void under such circumstances Alex?

« **Reply #30 on:** May 19, 2011, 10:22:25 pm »

Quote from: luther1 on May 19, 2011, 10:20:46 pm

Pole was leant against a fence,top section half extended,hose got caught on a wall, stamped on pole out of frustration.

I take it that the guarantee is void under such circumstances Alex?

I'll check the small print for these circumstances!

« **Reply #31 on:** May 19, 2011, 10:29:13 pm »

Alex When will the clx27 back in?

« **Reply #32 on:** May 19, 2011, 10:32:28 pm »

Quote from: wightsurf on May 19, 2011, 09:32:26 pm

1 bottle looks bigger than the other

I've asked Nat to do a re-test with a more representative weight. The SLX has been fine tuned to offer maximum rigidity at a more standard head weight (250g brushes not 750g oil bottles). This overloading of weight will not offer a good representation of rigidity in a real world working environment. This has allowed us to make the SL-X as light as it is (20% lighter).

« **Reply #33 on:** May 19, 2011, 10:33:46 pm »

Quote from: bee on May 19, 2011, 10:29:13 pm

Alex When will the clx27 back in?

Please email me on alex@agardiner.co.uk as I cannot answer this type of question on the forum.

« **Reply #34 on:** May 19, 2011, 10:38:33 pm »

thanks Alex cant do in now as am on web on my phone as laptop not working, do you phones never get picked up?

« **Reply #35 on:** May 19, 2011, 10:41:37 pm »

But it gives you a idea of the flex in the pole especially when scrubbing muck off the window.

« **Reply #36 on:** May 19, 2011, 10:50:16 pm »

and is that for the other sizes as well or they in latter

« **Reply #37 on:** May 19, 2011, 11:14:27 pm »

if that luther keeps snapping my slx
he's gonna b wishing he aint

iv told you be gentle with my gear
il be wondering if alex may like to repair
or relace this much loved pole

?

or offer you the use of an extreme pole

?

« **Reply #38 on:** May 19, 2011, 11:26:34 pm »

I do feel that i should be the guinea pig for Gardiners poles.

Btw Gav,i've got a nice 45ft Tucker in my museum you can have for free

. Fan jets over the brush,oh those were the days

« **Reply #39 on:** May 19, 2011, 11:52:41 pm »

bring it up when u come rhyl
or if yr payed out sooner
il be down for system il get it then lol

« **Reply #40 on:** May 20, 2011, 06:31:59 am »

Rigidity to weight is an interesting concept. If you have a floppy pole you are expending energy every time you brush the windows. A heavier pole costs energy with every lift.

As an example my mk 1 slx 25 is about 50% hevier than the mk 2 slx 18 but it is a LOT more rigid. Every time I cleaned some windows that were under 20ft though I picked up the 18. When the good mrs Sherwood came back to work from being off sick she wanted her slx18 back so I had to use the 25 all day again. All of a sudden my arms were aching and I had elbow pain. The rigidity is very important but in relation to weight. A pole that is only 2% heavier but twice as rigid would be a good trade off. 50% heavier twice as rigid and your arms hurts.

Anyway off now to do another health centre with my extremes.

Simon.

« **Reply #41 on:** May 20, 2011, 06:47:02 am »

simon mate the difference is 20% not 2% , i will try and sort out a good video of my elite at 35 ft extension so you can all have a look only trouble is i have done all my 3 storey work , might take a few days to organise ,, mike

« **Reply #42 on:** May 20, 2011, 07:42:38 am »

Hi,

Well done Nat for carrying out this test and for giving you opinions. It is always good to have an impartial view on products.

I will be organising some better video's and pics over the weekend and will put them on the website for Monday. Hopefully this will give you a better view of how rigid the Elite poles are.

« **Reply #43 on:** May 20, 2011, 07:54:42 am »

Adam

I'm in Milton Keynes. Any chance i can come and view/demo your range. Would be of great interest.

Thanks

« **Reply #44 on:** May 20, 2011, 08:06:50 am »

Hi Steve, please send me an email with your Telephone number and I will give you a call to get this organised.

Thanks

« **Reply #45 on:** May 20, 2011, 08:10:54 am »

I've just done a quick re-test with smaller bottles (255g each) and the results show both poles handling the weight with equal amounts of flex (almost none).

I'll upload a pic tonight when I can find the cable for my phone!

« **Reply #46 on:** May 20, 2011, 10:17:38 am »

Quote from: prowindow on May 20, 2011, 06:47:02 am

simon mate the difference is 20% not 2% , i will try and sort out a good video of my elite at 35 ft extension so you can all have a look only trouble is i have done all my 3 storey work , might take a few days to organise ,, mike

I know its 20%. I meant to say 2%. I think 20% would be too great a weight increase to gain a small amount if rigidity. I know some would say that it's only a couple of hundred gramms but over the course of a day, a week and then a year I think it would cost more than the pole itself. If I was asked to clean extra windows at each property for no extra I'd turn it down, extra effort no benefit.

Another job done with the extreme and I'd now say that I wouldn't even go back to using the slx. It's like wfp heaven.

Simon.

« **Reply #47 on:** May 20, 2011, 10:34:35 am »

Just want to add though that it is good to see more wfp manufacturers coming out with better poles at competitive prices. It wasn't that long ago when a 45 ft pole would weigh several kilos cost well over a grand, be as bendy as a banana and still have the manufacturer raving about how good it's supposed to be.

Simon.

« **Reply #48 on:** May 20, 2011, 11:39:39 am »

Quote from: Alex Gardiner on May 19, 2011, 10:32:28 pm

Quote from: wightsurf on May 19, 2011, 09:32:26 pm
1 bottle looks bigger than the other

I've asked Nat to do a re-test with a more representative weight. The SLX has been fine tuned to offer maximum rigidity at a more standard head weight (250g brushes not 750g oil bottles). This overloading of weight will not offer a good representation of rigidity in a real world working environment. This has allowed us to make the SL-X as light as it is (20% lighter).

thats nonsence, a more representative test would be a 2kg weight

in a real world working enviroment 750g is nothing
you regularly exert 2kg when cleaning the windows

« **Reply #49 on:** May 20, 2011, 11:49:56 am »

Quote from: SherwoodCleaningSe on May 20, 2011, 06:31:59 am

Rigidity to weight is an interesting concept. If you have a floppy pole you are expending energy every time you brush the windows. A heavier pole costs energy with every lift.

As an example my mk 1 slx 25 is about 50% hevier than the mk 2 slx 18 but it is a LOT more rigid. Every time I cleaned some windows that were under 20ft though I picked up the 18. When the good mrs Sherwood came back to work from being off sick she wanted her slx18 back so I had to use the 25 all day again. All of a sudden my arms were aching and I had elbow pain. The rigidity is very important but in relation to weight. A pole that is only 2% heavier but twice as rigid would be a good trade off. 50% heavier twice as rigid and your arms hurts.

Anyway off now to do another health centre with my extremes.

Simon.

thats why carbon fibre is used, for it strength to weight ratio
you go to light with it and it will start to flex like a glass fibre pole, thats why that pole bends in the picture with just 750g
it will be lighter but you need rigid poles for window cleaning, you have to be able push out the flex in the pole to use the brush
thats the whole point to using carbon fibre having less weight but keeping the ridigity :

« **Reply #50 on:** May 20, 2011, 02:26:53 pm »

Quote from: Alex. on May 20, 2011, 11:39:39 am

Quote from: Alex Gardiner on May 19, 2011, 10:32:28 pm
Quote from: wightsurf on May 19, 2011, 09:32:26 pm
1 bottle looks bigger than the other

I've asked Nat to do a re-test with a more representative weight. The SLX has been fine tuned to offer maximum rigidity at a more standard head weight (250g brushes not 750g oil bottles). This overloading of weight will not offer a good representation of rigidity in a real world working environment. This has allowed us to make the SL-X as light as it is (20% lighter).

thats nonsence, a more representative test would be a 2kg weight

in a real world working enviroment 750g is nothing
you regularly exert 2kg when cleaning the windows

Most of the force exerted during use of a pole is in compression on the length of the pole due to the acute angle of use. The greatest lateral force similar to the test environment (the photos show the poles almost horizontal) is actually exerted on the base sections not the top sections, which by diameter are more rigid anyway. The crucial thing for working ease is to keep the top sections as light as possible, this reduces whip and bounce which adversely affect the work experience. Combine this light weight with good rigidity and you have a work experience second to none.

« **Reply #51 on:** May 20, 2011, 03:18:20 pm »

very true, I don't know about the Elite but the SLX/Supermax poles are nicely balanced.

« **Reply #52 on:** May 20, 2011, 07:50:24 pm »

Quote from: Adam WFP Co on May 20, 2011, 07:42:38 am

Hi,

Well done Nat for carrying out this test and for giving you opinions. It is always good to have an impartial view on products.

I will be organising some better video's and pics over the weekend and will put them on the website for Monday. Hopefully this will give you a better view of how rigid the Elite poles are.

Nice one adam will save me the trouble looking forward to new pics and video's

« **Reply #53 on:** May 20, 2011, 08:25:56 pm »

More pics are here:
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.205344102837305.50963.186358978069151&l=71779f292c

As you can see, with no weight, & with the smaller weight the rigidity is fairly equal for the 2 poles.

« **Reply #54 on:** May 20, 2011, 08:39:38 pm »

had a look Nat really good pics great job at comparison

« **Reply #55 on:** May 20, 2011, 10:14:29 pm »

They do appear to be very similar. How many factories are there that make carbon poles?

« **Reply #56 on:** May 21, 2011, 09:06:51 am »

Quote from: Hydrophyl® on May 20, 2011, 10:14:29 pm

They do appear to be very similar. How many factories are there that make carbon poles?

They are definitely different poles, the SLX sections are slimmer & the finish is very slightly glossier.

« **Reply #57 on:** May 21, 2011, 07:14:47 pm »

ptfe spray makes my elite glossy

« **Reply #58 on:** May 21, 2011, 09:22:34 pm »

how much these retailing at?

« **Reply #59 on:** May 21, 2011, 10:31:33 pm »

Quote from: JSMC on May 21, 2011, 09:22:34 pm

how much these retailing at?

Prices here:
http://www.surecleansystems.com/products.asp?cat=64

« **Reply #60 on:** May 26, 2011, 12:53:57 pm »

Quote from: Alex Gardiner on May 20, 2011, 02:26:53 pm

Quote from: Alex. on May 20, 2011, 11:39:39 am
Quote from: Alex Gardiner on May 19, 2011, 10:32:28 pm
Quote from: wightsurf on May 19, 2011, 09:32:26 pm
1 bottle looks bigger than the other

I've asked Nat to do a re-test with a more representative weight. The SLX has been fine tuned to offer maximum rigidity at a more standard head weight (250g brushes not 750g oil bottles). This overloading of weight will not offer a good representation of rigidity in a real world working environment. This has allowed us to make the SL-X as light as it is (20% lighter).

thats nonsence, a more representative test would be a 2kg weight

in a real world working enviroment 750g is nothing
you regularly exert 2kg when cleaning the windows

Most of the force exerted during use of a pole is in compression on the length of the pole due to the acute angle of use. The greatest lateral force similar to the test environment (the photos show the poles almost horizontal) is actually exerted on the base sections not the top sections, which by diameter are more rigid anyway. The crucial thing for working ease is to keep the top sections as light as possible, this reduces whip and bounce which adversely affect the work experience. Combine this light weight with good rigidity and you have a work experience second to none.

rubbish, dont know how you can claim its less whippy the other pole wasnt affected with the low weight of 750g

crucial thing for a wfp is a rigid pole
you excert several kilos using wfp's
750g is nothing, you can excert that amount of pressure with you little finger
and not even notice you are doing it

« **Reply #61 on:** May 26, 2011, 02:18:09 pm »

I spent a few days working with both poles & can honestly say that without doing that test I would never have noticed any difference in rigidity between the poles in normal day to day use. I did notice the difference in weight though,... The SLX is noticeably lighter & with the extreme brush & gooseneck feels better balanced. I would expect that this difference will only be more pronounced with longer poles.

The Elite pole is brilliant,.. 10 out of 10.

The SLX is better,.. 12 out of 10 at least.

« **Reply #62 on:** May 26, 2011, 03:14:04 pm »

I think in all honesty that any increase in weight will reduce the rigidity the longer the pole gets. It would be an interesting test to see, both poles in the 45ft variant might give a different result as the base sections have to support a much heavier weight.

Simon.