[Richard Stevenson]

As above, what have you bought and regretted.  I purchased a swift + 45 and 65, before knowing of Gardiner.  The 45 is still used and is a good pole, as for the 65, super heavy, it bends so much when used at full extention it bends into the building, it just sits in my garage now and has been replaced by the ultimate.  It cost £1600+ vat. Ouch

[Marc Stock]

One word that should be added to the dictionary to describe a 'waste of money'

Brodex.

[P @ F]

I have an early Facelift 42 foot full carbon   , got it  years ago , back when Varitech were working out of no bigger than a shed ! , i reckon its around 5kg , but it is still in very good nick , i still use it today for the odd job , i wouldnt say it was a waste of money , but i could have done way better if i shopped about with my £921 !
And when you consider it was bought to replace a bright orange full glass fibre 35 foot universal that came in at about 9 kg it was a bargain and back then was indeed ahead of its time , sadly its way off the mark these days but i just cant warrant the spend on a gardiner 40 footer for the jobs its used on these days .

[P @ F]

Other than that , the only thing i really regret buying was this Unger on/off tap thing that you strapped to the pole , it was massive and didnt even do the job properly , you also had to run the hose outside of the pole , whoever was responsible for that utter piece of rubbish should have been shot in the face with a 12 bore 

[windowswashed]

Facelift made really good rigid carbon poles when they first came out, I had two myself as they beat universal poles where you had to have hands like shovels as they were so wide in diameter and heavy as hell 

[Don Kee]

First ever pole was a Bayersan 30, it was like trying to use the bendiest scaffolding pole (vikan flocked sill brush on the end of it) you could think of to clean windows with...

Thought I was being clever as it was cheap, it lasted about 6months....what a load of tripe that was!!

[Tony dunmall]

First pole was an imported tucker then an OTT 60 or 64 or 57 not sure pre ionic days, now that was heavy and wavey if you got the three second flip from ground you could move it with a whip and then omnipole ouch heavy

Where they regretted purchases, they are now that your neck and arms lower back  are all cranky from the weight and long days with them

Most regretted purchase the big,needed vans to carry all that weight.

[Slacky]

I'd say the worst thing Ive bought that hasn't lived up to what it says on the tin is a Vikan brush. Not bad considering I suppose.

[P @ F]

I'd say the worst thing Ive bought that hasn't lived up to what it says on the tin is a Vikan brush. Not bad considering I suppose.

Come on , dont slate the Vikan , top brush back then , they lasted donkeys , only downside was the weight for me .
I dont know how it is where you are but a massive amount of windies where i am still use them , what is more weird is when they see a Gardiners they really dont have a clue , its almost like they have seen a flying car !

[Slacky]

Im not slating it. Im saying its the worst thing Ive bought. It did the job, but it wasn't going to encourage feelings of being in the presence of something ground-breaking or of precision engineering.

Work with one of those things for a few years you're going to move on to something better. Apart from that Ive been lucky.

[Plankton]

Other than that , the only thing i really regret buying was this Unger on/off tap thing that you strapped to the pole , it was massive and didnt even do the job properly , you also had to run the hose outside of the pole , whoever was responsible for that utter piece of rubbish should have been shot in the face with a 12 bore 

The Unger thing is good! had it over two years and no problem with it at all, unlike those push fit ones from Gardiners that just started to give up and soak you with fine jets of cold water!

[Plankton]

Gardiners plastic scrapers (the old ones) bought a pack and couldn't get them anywhere near the glass, useless. A complete waste of a hard earned fiver!

[Dry Clean]

Brodex hydra alloy 25ft that was really 22ft, a dragonfly indoor kit, the Unger tap lol, an overpriced 4.8kw guttervac
that would need a generator the size of a van to run it, complete with alloy poles 48ft reach, is it any wonder my joints have had it.

[P @ F]

Other than that , the only thing i really regret buying was this Unger on/off tap thing that you strapped to the pole , it was massive and didnt even do the job properly , you also had to run the hose outside of the pole , whoever was responsible for that utter piece of rubbish should have been shot in the face with a 12 bore 

The Unger thing is good! had it over two years and no problem with it at all, unlike those push fit ones from Gardiners that just started to give up and soak you with fine jets of cold water!

Did you post a pic of your van the other day with them in view ?
I knew i saw it some place , that must have been where if so !

[Tony dunmall]

I want led to say vikan, but thought I’d be mocked as I see people still using them

So you remember the little broom beige ones from Gardners

About a month ago I found a box of about thirty in back of unit oval, oblong ones the sill ones

They got free cycled 😂

[tlwcs]

A 3 hour, (£450 +vat)  sitting with my guru 

[Pete Thompson]

Rectus fittings.

Figured I’d try them out since everyone raves about them. What utter rubbish. I was back to hoselock by the afternoon.

I never used vikan, I could see they were not suitable for window cleaning a mile away. Shame on those suppliers who sold them because they were easy to get hold of. Why on earth would you want flocking on a window cleaning brush?! Traps all the dirt.

The only other thing... not a total waste of money but sort of. Gardiner SLX pole.  Bought a 3-week old one from a mate who didn’t like it. I really expected greatness after how folk go on here.

It is “meh”

Clamps are really good, can’t fault them one bit, but that’s about it. Much bendier than my previous pole (ionic glider plus) and the brush is utter crap. I put an ionic brush on which made it slightly better, but I was generally amazed how pants it was. If only gardiners clamps fitted on an ionic pole, the world would be complete.

[Perfect Windows]

Guttervac. Bought it, earned less money per hour than cleaning windows.

Vin

[Stoots]

Guttervac. Bought it, earned less money per hour than cleaning windows.

Vin

Yep.

I bought a vac, did a few jobs then wondered why I was working twice as hard to make less money than cleaning windows.

Hence I only clean windows now if I can help it.

[richard groves]

Emporium modular pole. Probably unfair of me to slate the entire concept of modular but this particular one cracked and splintered way to easily and probably binned it within 6 months. Thankfully telescopic carbon fiber poles soon caught up and became within mortals budgets !

[Michael Peterson]

Slick connect , you can’t get them off if you need to change them literally the worst window cleaning product I have ever bought ! However the univalve is probably one of the best
Facelift pheonix carbon , lasted about three months I still have a clx bought at the same time a year later
Aqua tap , one of gardiners few bad products , it was fine before it got made into a brush head

[Spruce]

Slick connect , you can’t get them off if you need to change them literally the worst window cleaning product I have ever bought ! However the univalve is probably one of the best
Facelift pheonix carbon , lasted about three months I still have a clx bought at the same time a year later
Aqua tap , one of gardiners few bad products , it was fine before it got made into a brush head

Interesting

[dd]

Isothermal 1 diesel heater from Pure Freedom. Ouch.

[Michael Peterson]

Spruce ... yeah they are literally beautiful to work with then I had to change to hose and the outer cap had seized to the inners the other was the same!

[P @ F]

Perhaps they are not re usable ?
Very SLICK marketing 

[P @ F]

SLICK CONnect     

[P @ F]

Steves done you in the RECTUS !   

[Seymour Sunshine]

Other than that , the only thing i really regret buying was this Unger on/off tap thing that you strapped to the pole , it was massive and didnt even do the job properly , you also had to run the hose outside of the pole , whoever was responsible for that utter piece of rubbish should have been shot in the face with a 12 bore 

Oh, And I was just about to bite the bullet and order one!

[Spruce]

P&F; youre on fire tonight 

[Spruce]

Other than that , the only thing i really regret buying was this Unger on/off tap thing that you strapped to the pole , it was massive and didnt even do the job properly , you also had to run the hose outside of the pole , whoever was responsible for that utter piece of rubbish should have been shot in the face with a 12 bore 

Oh, And I was just about to bite the bullet and order one!

Funny you should say that.

The only reason why I haven't before is that we have 4 poles in the van, 2 hose reels and a third hose reel in sons van. To make them all interchangeable will cost me a small fortune.

Should I add the CLX22 in the garage that works fine but could do with a clamp upgrade.


............... and I forgot to add; the backpack.
.

[P @ F]

The Unger thing does turn off the water fine , but once turned off you cant extend the pole , and to bring it down lower you end up with a loop of pole hose that you have to pull back through the device .
The only time it would be of any real use would be on large runs of staggered windows at the same height , and i had to drop the post office tower due to health issues 

[windowswashed]

Bought a 36ft omnipole for pressure washing, it works alright but it whips like crazy when the pressure washer initially kicks in, little bit dangerous at times. Don't use it no more as I stopped doing guttering work about two years ago.

[Plankton]

The Unger thing does turn off the water fine , but once turned off you cant extend the pole , and to bring it down lower you end up with a loop of pole hose that you have to pull back through the device .
The only time it would be of any real use would be on large runs of staggered windows at the same height , and i had to drop the post office tower due to health issues 

You extend the pole to the max and then leave your hose positioned in the unger hiflo, it will have a loop of excess when the pole is retracted but I've never had an issue with it. I know there is at least one other person using it but they are Irish!

[NBwcs]

Just bought a Moerman bucket on a belt which has  a clip on type fastening  unlike all other brands which give you a 5 to 6 inch webbing loop. The result is your applicator sits 5 to 6 inches higher than usual so you dont just get wet leg, you get wet hip and midriff too. absolute rubbish design. Also years ago bought some ionic rubbers which were practically unusable. Cant think of any wfp gear thats been too bad.

[robbo333]

I bought some poles off Pure Freedom years and years ago. They were a joke (I bought a crap one and a longer crap one!)
Since then I think its all the tons of small crap I have bought, that all ads up, that have taken my money.
I have bought every single 'on and off tap device' available. More brushes than I can imagine. Hose coming out my ears. Gadget, gizmos and add ons.  To be honest, I loved buying them all 
Now I have learned that less is more.
Keep it simple.
I still fancy some new pole hose though.
It's addictive isn't it? 

[M & C Window Cleaning]

I bought some poles off Pure Freedom years and years ago. They were a joke (I bought a crap one and a longer crap one!)
Since then I think its all the tons of small crap I have bought, that all ads up, that have taken my money.
I have bought every single 'on and off tap device' available. More brushes than I can imagine. Hose coming out my ears. Gadget, gizmos and add ons.  To be honest, I loved buying them all 
Now I have learned that less is more.
Keep it simple.
I still fancy some new pole hose though.
It's addictive isn't it? 

My experience almost exactly

[andyM]

Just bought a Moerman bucket on a belt which has  a clip on type fastening  unlike all other brands which give you a 5 to 6 inch webbing loop. The result is your applicator sits 5 to 6 inches higher than usual so you dont just get wet leg, you get wet hip and midriff too. absolute rubbish design. Also years ago bought some ionic rubbers which were practically unusable. Cant think of any wfp gear thats been too bad.

Amazing isn't it?
They take a simple product idea, manufacture it and f*ck it up!
After my experience with their Liquidator I decided to cut my losses.
   

[slap bash]

The biggest waste is the | Vyair pumps they have a design fault and the brushes burn out I have at least 6 of these pumps in pieces in my garage. I kept buying because  at 10 litres per minute flow rate./ Which is overrated as my new Sureflow delivers more water on the glass at 6l per m.