[Phil J]

Looking to buy a new 25ft pole. Always been a Gardiner man but Darran said he was switching to Ova8. There is a £50 difference in the price, which tbh doesn't bother me as long as it's better value in terms of longevity, rigidity, brush quality and weight. Anybody else using them? Any feedback would be appreciated.
Thanks in advance, Phil.

[Slash]

Both are good poles,I raved about how good the Ova 8 was when I first bought them.,after about 3 months of use the clamps let me down,started to move slightly and when tightened with an allen key actually the nut the other side moved too altough its in a nut shaped cove.
I rang my supplier at Full Clean Center who told me to get in contact with Streamline as they didnt sell the clamps.
I rang Streamline to purchase a set of clamps for both 25 foot Ova 8 poles and the issue I had and was told they would ring me back,never did.
For poles that were only 3 months old and clamps that let me down on are now sitting in my garage collecting dust.
I may have just purchased two dodgy ones but will not be purchasing another.
Good poles but clamps are a faff.
I went back to Gardiners in the end.

[jk999]

I have had ova8 for about 15 months ish and never had a problem with it ,as someone once said that you will get different reviews as some people are heavy handed and dont look after them and some treat them like their pride and joy and get years out of them 😁

[jk999]

Slash if you had a problem with the poles why didn't you tell your supplier to sort it out they sold them to you

[Jonny 87]

Gardiners everytime. They are the best all round.

We saw it before with facelift poles, people raved and said they were better, but in time they didn’t last as long and clamps aren’t as good.

Mayb something will come along in the future that’s better, but gardiners are the best when you consider quality and customer service in my opinion.

Customer service is very important.

[Stoots]

All roads always lead back to Gardiners..

They are the cheapest and most proven. Why go anywhere else

[harleyman]

Looking for a free b.😃👍

[Smudger]

Because I don't think all there stuff is as good as it could be - the poles are excellent but quick loc is a poor design - the new style jets are much improved than before, If you've tried streamline you would see the gooseneck and socket connector is far better than quick loc

Darran

[zesty]

Gardiners, haven’t really got any reason to change, I use xtreme poles, so there isn’t really any strong competition for a like for like.

Hated facelift.

Not tried ova 8

[Stoots]

To be fair i like my phantom but i only bought it in the black friday sale. I would have another but at full price i would take the gardiner, does the same thing cheaper.

[jk999]

I think gardiner s do good stuff cant wait for them to do an oval pole ,no spinning on the ova 8

[zesty]

I think gardiner s do good stuff cant wait for them to do an oval pole ,no spinning on the ova 8

To be fair, in my opinion, this is where Gardiners have gone slightly backwards.

I’ve had mk2 xtreme poles, and they never ever span. Reason being they had the metal bands, which never ever wore down .

This meant in all the years I used mk2 poles, I never once had to adjust the clamps. It was great.

They also suffered less with grit issues.

The MK3 is a stiffer pole, but I hate that after only around a year, I’ve worn the top section down where the clamps are. It’s really annoying as that never happened with the mental bands!

Alex, please think about re introducing a metal banded version of the mk3.

Then again, Gardner’s make more money out the of the MK3 as they don’t last as long...

[Slash]

Slash if you had a problem with the poles why didn't you tell your supplier to sort it out they sold them to you

I did,they told me they dont supply the clamps and Streamline sell them.
I dont think a refund after 3 months is going to happen.

[jk999]

They wouldn't have got away with at my end ,if you buy anything from most places they have to sort it out for you even at 3 months old ,

[Phil J]

Looks like I'm staying with Gardiners after all the feedback! Customer service and availability of parts is a massive plus point, as the saying goes " if it ain't broke don't fix it" Thanks for the info lads, much appreciated.

[dazmond]

I agree the metal band clamping sections were great on the mk2 xtreme poles and with the rest of the sections narrower caused less friction on the clamps......I still snapped a couple of sections 

But I'm not bothered anymore trying to make them last longer than 12 mo nths....I just buy a new xtreme main pole every year now.....makes my working days easier for sure....

The top 3 sections are paper thin after a year and usually snap or splinter not long after......

[jk999]

Why would you buy a pole every year thats expensive, i was thinking of the extreme myself but at the cost i dont fancy buying one every year ,how come they dont last so long

[Dave Willis]

You don’t need a new pole every year nessesarily, just a couple of sections now and again maybe three at the most. Lower sections get less use/wear.

[Phil J]

Come on Dave, Daz is making that much money he needs to offload some or the tax man will take it all

[zesty]

I agree the metal band clamping sections were great on the mk2 xtreme poles and with the rest of the sections narrower caused less friction on the clamps......I still snapped a couple of sections 

But I'm not bothered anymore trying to make them last longer than 12 mo nths....I just buy a new xtreme main pole every year now.....makes my working days easier for sure....

The top 3 sections are paper thin after a year and usually snap or splinter not long after......

Yeah that’s fine when your rent is £5.59 a month 

To be fair Daz, it’s more the annoyance of the wear causing spinning sections . I loved that the mk2 never span. Regardless of age.

I’d get two years out of an xtreme easy, with no spinning sections with the mk2.

Mk3, more like just a year. They start to spin so much quicker!

Hope Alex goes back to a metal band idea.

Even is he made the first 3 sections metal banded and the rest normal...

[P @ F]

I have the 25 with metal bands it’s ace !

[dazmond]

You don’t need a new pole every year nessesarily, just a couple of sections now and again maybe three at the most. Lower sections get less use/wear.

I am actually trying to look after this latest xtreme pole Dave.....I strip it down,flush it out,tape the bottom sections and spray PTFE lubricant every month...in fact I'm gonna do it today after all the horrible wet weather this week....

[zesty]

I have the 25 with metal bands it’s ace !

Can you’re next project be an xtreme 3 pole with a metal wrap? 

[Shrek]

You don’t need a new pole every year nessesarily, just a couple of sections now and again maybe three at the most. Lower sections get less use/wear.

I am actually trying to look after this latest xtreme pole Dave.....I strip it down,flush it out,tape the bottom sections and spray PTFE lubricant every month...in fact I'm gonna do it today after all the horrible wet weather this week....

Do Gardiners have a section for this kind of stuff on their website? I can’t find any !

[Stoots]

I thought about buying a streamline once, i soon got Ova 8 and bought a gardiners.

[Dave Willis]

You should go to Unger management classes.

[Les Sparkle]

Recently got a 48ft OVA , the clamps are garbage.
I should of listened and gone for Gardiner's.

[Smudger]

Recently got a 48ft OVA , the clamps are garbage.
I should of listened and gone for Gardiner's.

you joined the forum specifically to make this post 

I thought the days of the troll had gone....

Darran

[windowswashed]

I have a 45ft Ova 8. You need to tighten the allen bolts n the clamps as they never do them up tight enough, The clamps are fine, had no problems with them at all.  They are more ergonomically better and never twist unlike any other pole on the market. The only improvement you could make would be to replicate Gardiners smart clamping system. They are more rigid than a supermax. The reason I love them is easier on the hands, a decent rigid pole and light enough for daily use. I like the poles very much, they are up there with Gardiners poles.

[dazmond]

I have a 45ft Ova 8. You need to tighten the allen bolts n the clamps as they never do them up tight enough, The clamps are fine, had no problems with them at all.  They are more ergonomically better and never twist unlike any other pole on the market. The only improvement you could make would be to replicate Gardiners smart clamping system. They are more rigid than a supermax. The reason I love them is easier on the hands, a decent rigid pole and light enough for daily use. I like the poles very much, they are up there with Gardiners poles.

Surely you dont use a 45ft pole as your everyday pole though?

That would be a very inefficient way of working.....also a lot harder than it needs to be to get your work cleaned...

[Slash]

The mechanism of the clamps are fine,opening and closing.
The big issue I had with these clamps are they slip up and down and when you do tighten them with an allen key the nut the other side moves ALTOUGH THE NUT IS IN A NUT SHAPED MOULD.
And thats the part that lets the pole down.
They went and designed a great pole but that little issue was poorly designed.
Perhaps they should have used a metal cove so it wouldn't wear against a nut.

[windowswashed]

The days I'm using it, I use for the whole of each day it comes out. I have a shorter 25 hi Carbon as my favourite pole (Ova *8s)