[CleanClear]

Not sure how long they are supposed to last , but my CLX 27 just snapped today. Number 3 section. For no reason, just moving over window to window then bang !!! It went.



Still on the original clamps too, not the updated ones. You'd think they'd last a bit longer as they are quite expensive. 2010 i purchased it, i do hope this is not going to be a reccuring thing with them. Luckily for me i had a hardly used CLX 18 that i was able to shoehorn into my CLX27 tubes to make good. So be wary that £200 odd quid you spent on a pole from them you may need to do that every 5 or 6 years or so.  They should be like pets......"for life."   

[dazmond]

your having a laugh surely?

you ve easily had your moneys worth out of that pole.they dont last forever.ive spent over £2000 on poles,brushes and goosenecks in 7 years!

[M & C Window Cleaning]

your having a laugh surely?

you ve easily had your moneys worth out of that pole.they dont last forever.ive spent over £2000 on poles,brushes and goosenecks in 7 years!

My thoughts as well.  Has to be joking. Everything wears out including the vehicles we drive. These poles are subjected to considerable wear and tear. Six years seems to me to be pretty good.  That pole looks clapped out.  I've just spent £540 on an Xtreme pole. If I get six years out of it I'll be well happy. I doubt I will though.

[Cookie]

Six years of use is pretty good IMO also. Is this your everyday pole?

[dazmond]

your having a laugh surely?

you ve easily had your moneys worth out of that pole.they dont last forever.ive spent over £2000 on poles,brushes and goosenecks in 7 years!

2 years max out of an xtreme pole and thats if your lucky mate.

My thoughts as well.  Has to be joking. Everything wears out including the vehicles we drive. These poles are subjected to considerable wear and tear. Six years seems to me to be pretty good.  That pole looks clapped out.  I've just spent £540 on an Xtreme pole. If I get six years out of it I'll be well happy. I doubt I will though.

[nathankaye]

Sometimes i miss the ease of traditional cleaning. A good pair of box ladders, pouches, bucket, squeegees, mop, sleeves, scrims and plenty of rubbers. Changed my rubbers each month and loe costs in replacing equipment or adding to it. End of a day, simply wash n dry scrims and the day is done.
Wfp, a little more work through course of a week and more running costs and not as cheap as replacing scrims. Yet the benefits out weigh the costs and lets face it, more tax reductions any way.
So replacing a pole within 5 yrs is more than worth it and youve certainly had your moneys worth out of it.  I switched over onto wfp just less than 2yrs ago and started with 2 poles (1 carbon and 1 hybrid (if only i knew better, wud have been 2 carbons). Im already considering adding another pole (yes carbon and yes gardiner, slx22 i think) this year.

[Smurf]

Not sure how long they are supposed to last , but my CLX 27 just snapped today. Number 3 section. For no reason, just moving over window to window then bang !!! It went.



Still on the original clamps too, not the updated ones. You'd think they'd last a bit longer as they are quite expensive. 2010 i purchased it, i do hope this is not going to be a reccuring thing with them. Luckily for me i had a hardly used CLX 18 that i was able to shoehorn into my CLX27 tubes to make good. So be wary that £200 odd quid you spent on a pole from them you may need to do that every 5 or 6 years or so.  They should be like pets......"for life."   

That's what you get when you buy cheap crap 
Just trim it down and glue on a clamp. That should save you buying another pole for a few more years 

[SeanK]

I told all you guys you cant beat a Brodex Hydra alloy, mines about six years old and is still like new.

One of these days I might even pluck up the courage to use it. lol.

[M & C Window Cleaning]

2 years max out of an xtreme pole and thats if your lucky mate.

That's what I'm expecting. If I get more I'll see it as a bonus. I've been using an SLX18 for the last two years but felt the need for a bit more length but without the extra weight. So far I'm liking the Xtreme 22 very much.

[Smurf]

I told all you guys you cant beat a Brodex Hydra alloy, mines about six years old and is still like new.

One of these days I might even pluck up the courage to use it. lol.

 

[G Griffin]

Mike (OP), you should have added a smiley at the end of your post.
Oh, you did.

[colin bird]

I've  used a clx 22  for my every day pole,I  used to get a year out of each pole,I now have a slx 22 for my every day pole,which I've had approx 18 months,the top two sections need to be replaced due to wear.

When I look at the amount of use and general wear and tear,and the money I have earnt using gardiners poles,in my opinion they are good value for money,and I don't have a problem,replacing sections or poles,nothing lasts forever,it is about maintaining your equipment enabling you to Work comfortably and maximise your earning potetial whilst cleaning.

Forgot to say your clx looks well past its sell by date,I wouldn't want my customers to see me cleaning there windows with it, just my opinion

[dazmond]

Sometimes i miss the ease of traditional cleaning. A good pair of box ladders, pouches, bucket, squeegees, mop, sleeves, scrims and plenty of rubbers. Changed my rubbers each month and loe costs in replacing equipment or adding to it. End of a day, simply wash n dry scrims and the day is done.
Wfp, a little more work through course of a week and more running costs and not as cheap as replacing scrims. Yet the benefits out weigh the costs and lets face it, more tax reductions any way.
So replacing a pole within 5 yrs is more than worth it and youve certainly had your moneys worth out of it.  I switched over onto wfp just less than 2yrs ago and started with 2 poles (1 carbon and 1 hybrid (if only i knew better, wud have been 2 carbons). Im already considering adding another pole (yes carbon and yes gardiner, slx22 i think) this year.

im certainly not missing trad!yes more expense but its only a few grand a year and (20k more earned a year compared to trad)

[dazmond]

i gave my clx 22 away years ago to my girlfriends window cleaner.the guy is STILL using it!

it must be at least 6 years old now!(mind you i think he only cleans tops wfp and works 2 days a week)

[Clever Forum Name]

Please send me your name and address if you feel hard done by. You can have a free pole.

[David Beecroft]

Please send me your name and address if you feel hard done by. You can have a free pole.

I've woken up feeling a bit unwell, can I have a new free pole, pretty pleeeeeese???

[Dave Willis]

Is that Poleland?

[jk999]

He's broke into gardiner s free pole everyone  lol 

[lal]

 I would love to get 6 years out of my SLX 25, but i doubt it very much 

[Soupy]

i gave my clx 22 away years ago to my girlfriends window cleaner.the guy is STILL using it!

Why on earth are you allowing your girlfriend to be serviced by another man's pole?

[pikeman]

Had the extreme 25 a few days. fantastic pole a pleasure to use. If I get 2 years out of it will be well happy. Less fatigue so can clean a couple extra house a day. Pays for itself.

[NWH]

If a pole lasted a year or in that poles case 6 months and it snapped I wouldn't be overly miffed,by then that 1 pole should have earnt you thousands. Compared to carpenters plumbers and electricians we spend pittance on equipment and in a lot of cases we earn a lot more money.

[CleanClear]

I thought that you would get a lot longer than 6 years out of one. I'm gonna spray it matt black i think and put it on Ebay as a SLX, that should enable me to afford a new CLX. Can't be doing with this all the time.

[trippyboy]

Blimey mate, how many grand did that pole earn you?

[Tosh]

It's a wind up.

[8weekly]

It's a wind up.

Spoilsport.

[Tosh]

Bugger orf, I'm baby-sitting. 

[CleanClear]

Believe it or not, i still been using that CLX27 up until this week. Just got a new SLX25, fitted a slick connect and a univalve. And of course an extreme brush. No words can describe it. Few hundred grammes on paper doesn't look much. If my maths is correct, and i might try it tomorrow, my CLX base section should also act as an extention for the SLX25. If it does great, if not then it doesn't matter i think i have two jobs where i have to get on my tiptoes. 

[Spruce]

Believe it or not, i still been using that CLX27 up until this week. Just got a new SLX25, fitted a slick connect and a univalve. And of course an extreme brush. No words can describe it. Few hundred grammes on paper doesn't look much. If my maths is correct, and i might try it tomorrow, my CLX base section should also act as an extention for the SLX25. If it does great, if not then it doesn't matter i think i have two jobs where i have to get on my tiptoes. 

So what did you do with that broken section? 

[Steve.a]

Buy a broom from Wilko take the brush off the end of it and use the wooden pole bit to fix it by sliding the broken pieces over the wooden pole, then wrap it with a few rolls of duck tape and voila, new pole.

[AuRavelling79]

Buy a broom from Wilko take the brush off the end of it and use the wooden pole bit to fix it by sliding the broken pieces over the wooden pole, then wrap it with a few rolls of duck tape and voila, new pole.

Years ago between using an aluminium Unger pole and going for a Gardiners SLX I used a carbon fishing pole in sections in a golf bag for about a year. Incredibly light but very fragile. However the sections tapered so when one cracked I sawed off the ends and rammed them together giving a shortened but usable pole!

Fun times.

[Jonny 87]

My extreme 22 is coming up to 2 years old and going strong. I don’t maintain it as much as I should either.

I’ve actually never replaced the stop tape. 

Wish I’d bought a 25 though. 25 suits my work a lot better.

I think this year I’m Going to go back to an 18 extreme and a 25 extreme.

I’ve got some days where an 18 does all
Day. Then others where I’ve got to get the 47 foot extreme out for some tricky dormas and velux that a 25 would reach. You live and learn.

Gardiners would have to do something really drastic for me to stop using their equipment. They are the best poles out in my opinion.

[AuRavelling79]

The Gardiners SLX and Extreme poles are excellent. When you add the customer service and the owner's unfailingly helpful, knowledgeable and polite attitude at all times it's a no-brainer for me when it comes to poles.

[robbo333]

My Extreme 22 does 99% of all my work.
I do have a couple of houses where I need an extra 4 foot, but I couldn't be bothered to pay for more extensions, so I just bought some cheap 6 foot step ladders. 

[Spruce]

Buy a broom from Wilko take the brush off the end of it and use the wooden pole bit to fix it by sliding the broken pieces over the wooden pole, then wrap it with a few rolls of duck tape and voila, new pole.

Years ago between using an aluminium Unger pole and going for a Gardiners SLX I used a carbon fishing pole in sections in a golf bag for about a year. Incredibly light but very fragile. However the sections tapered so when one cracked I sawed off the ends and rammed them together giving a shortened but usable pole!

Fun times.

That's exactly our route in carbon fiber poles.

I seem to think it was Jeff Brimble who started this but credit goes to our Tosh who gave us a step by step instruction manual of how to convert those fishing poles for us to follow on this forum. Ron Thompson Put Over poles for the pricely sum of £13.99 a set. With a converted Bentley brush they were so light. But I lost count of the number of times we left a disgarded section behind and had to go back for it. It got better when I left 2 sections joined together so it was easier to see if I had collected all the bits.

We still use our Unger Teleplus poles for high level squeegee and applicator work on a couple of internal jobs a year.

Its amazing how we can still look back on those early wfp days with a smile and a sense of achievement. We do call them the good old days but I definitely wouldn't want to go back to them.

[Spruce]

My Extreme 22 does 99% of all my work.
I do have a couple of houses where I need an extra 4 foot, but I couldn't be bothered to pay for more extensions, so I just bought some cheap 6 foot step ladders. 

I saw someone standing on the roof of his van once to reach a window from the street side. Disclaimer: I'm not recommending this is the right solution.

[dazmond]

My Extreme 22 does 99% of all my work.
I do have a couple of houses where I need an extra 4 foot, but I couldn't be bothered to pay for more extensions, so I just bought some cheap 6 foot step ladders. 

some right cheapskates on here!

.........so you balance yourself on a step ladder while poling these particular windows do you?you could easily fall and injure yourself and be off work for a while all to save around  £90?

i find a 25 ft pole the perfect size for most work,also i dont extend the sections fully when not needed to make the pole more rigid and to reduce wear....

[dazmond]

My Extreme 22 does 99% of all my work.
I do have a couple of houses where I need an extra 4 foot, but I couldn't be bothered to pay for more extensions, so I just bought some cheap 6 foot step ladders. 

I saw someone standing on the roof of his van once to reach a window from the street side. Disclaimer: I'm not recommending this is the right solution.

i remember that spruce.......

[Simon Trapani]

My Extreme 22 does 99% of all my work.
I do have a couple of houses where I need an extra 4 foot, but I couldn't be bothered to pay for more extensions, so I just bought some cheap 6 foot step ladders. 

some right cheapskates on here!

.........so you balance yourself on a step ladder while poling these particular windows do you?you could easily fall and injure yourself and be off work for a while all to save around  £90?

i find a 25 ft pole the perfect size for most work,also i dont extend the sections fully when not needed to make the pole more rigid and to reduce wear....

And you don't use trip hazard cones or have public liability cover for property worked on Dazmond! Pot & Kettle?

[robbo333]

My Extreme 22 does 99% of all my work.
I do have a couple of houses where I need an extra 4 foot, but I couldn't be bothered to pay for more extensions, so I just bought some cheap 6 foot step ladders. 

some right cheapskates on here!

.........so you balance yourself on a step ladder while poling these particular windows do you?you could easily fall and injure yourself and be off work for a while all to save around  £90?

i find a 25 ft pole the perfect size for most work,also i dont extend the sections fully when not needed to make the pole more rigid and to reduce wear....

I always wear a high vis vest and a hard hat (obviously only when i'm up the stepladder) and I also wear a pendant indicating my blood type (should there be a problem).  Also a little tip...I chew gum when i'm up a ladder. Put a bit under your foot when you've reached working height and this helps with grip. 

[robbo333]

My Extreme 22 does 99% of all my work.
I do have a couple of houses where I need an extra 4 foot, but I couldn't be bothered to pay for more extensions, so I just bought some cheap 6 foot step ladders. 

some right cheapskates on here!

.........so you balance yourself on a step ladder while poling these particular windows do you?you could easily fall and injure yourself and be off work for a while all to save around  £90?

i find a 25 ft pole the perfect size for most work,also i dont extend the sections fully when not needed to make the pole more rigid and to reduce wear....

Daz, I work exactly the same as you.
I never fully extend the sections on my Extreme 22. As you said, this makes the pole more rigid and also helps 'spread' the wear over the full length of the pole.
Only problem is, I find on some windows, i'm about 4 foot short and that's why I bought the stepladders. 

[dazmond]

My Extreme 22 does 99% of all my work.
I do have a couple of houses where I need an extra 4 foot, but I couldn't be bothered to pay for more extensions, so I just bought some cheap 6 foot step ladders. 

some right cheapskates on here!

.........so you balance yourself on a step ladder while poling these particular windows do you?you could easily fall and injure yourself and be off work for a while all to save around  £90?

i find a 25 ft pole the perfect size for most work,also i dont extend the sections fully when not needed to make the pole more rigid and to reduce wear....

And you don't use trip hazard cones or have public liability cover for property worked on Dazmond! Pot & Kettle?

trip hazard cones were just becoming  a pain,ive left a few on jobs  before now,i also had 2 people walk into the cones so i got rid of them!

i have got PLI but not for property being worked on...no need mate....

[Slacky]

Wow. I’m glad I had insurance for property being worked on. Because of 2 claims made against me in the last year I would’ve been 25K out of pocket if I hadn’t.

[P @ F]

Thats what you get for melting peoples connies 

[NWH]

This has got to be the most ridiculous thing I’ve heard,younprobably think cold water cleans as well as cold you fool

[p1w1]

This has got to be the most ridiculous thing I’ve heard,younprobably think cold water cleans as well as cold you fool

You should read your own post then, now they are dumb  ...I think you'll find he was referring to and incident with a pressure washer exhaust   

[dazmond]

Wow. I’m glad I had insurance for property being worked on. Because of 2 claims made against me in the last year I would’ve been 25K out of pocket if I hadn’t.

25 years window cleaning and the only thing ive ever broken is a few plant pots and roof tiles!

no chance of breaking roof tiles now as i dont climb on roofs anymore....

[KS Cleaning]

This has got to be the most ridiculous thing I’ve heard,younprobably think cold water cleans as well as cold you fool

I would hazard a guess that cold probably does clean as well as cold😂

[P @ F]

This has got to be the most ridiculous thing I’ve heard,younprobably think cold water cleans as well as cold you fool

You should read your own post then, now they are dumb  ...I think you'll find he was referring to and incident with a pressure washer exhaust 

I guess he never read that one did he 

[P @ F]

This has got to be the most ridiculous thing I’ve heard,younprobably think cold water cleans as well as cold you fool

I would hazard a guess that cold probably does clean as well as cold😂

Ah , but does hot clean as well as hot hot 

[Slacky]

Wow. I’m glad I had insurance for property being worked on. Because of 2 claims made against me in the last year I would’ve been 25K out of pocket if I hadn’t.

25 years window cleaning and the only thing ive ever broken is a few plant pots and roof tiles!

no chance of breaking roof tiles now as i dont climb on roofs anymore....

You might smash a pane of glass, a big pane of glass, or use an inappropriate chemical which isn't tolerated by part of the house's fabric. Its easy to do. I adopted an 'it wont happen to me' attitude, cost me a decent wedge of dosh.

[Window Cleaning Services]

  " Like to get your money's worth?"  as the advert says.....  I'm happy if my Gardiner poles lasts 2 years with everyday use and no maintenance cleans at all. 

[AuRavelling79]

Well I did some fettling of my old Extreme 47 over Xmas.

It's the old "stepped" model, over 5 years old  and as you might expect, the most wear is on the top sections and I managed to snap the very top section by letting it fall from being propped against a third floor window in the summer.

Being a 47 I just shortened the top section and carried on with it as a "45". Then just before Xmas the second section snapped while I was working between the rungs of a balcony and I pulled it too tightly to get to the glass.

But I had kept the snapped bit of the very top section and put it inside the second section and glued it up and sanded it and all is fine again.

My plan later in the year or maybe early 2020 is to replace my everyday extreme with a brand new one and use my present one to replace the top four sections of my 47 thus restoring it to its former glory and having non stepped sections for the top 20 feet.

[DeLuce]

Wish I’d bought a 25 though. 25 suits my work a lot better.

I think this year I’m Going to go back to an 18 extreme and a 25 extreme.

I’ve got some days where an 18 does all
Day. Then others where I’ve got to get the 47 foot extreme out for some tricky dormas and velux that a 25 would reach. You live and learn.

Gardiners would have to do something really drastic for me to stop using their equipment. They are the best poles out in my opinion.

That's my set up Jonny.
I've got the 18, which I use most of the time, then I've got the 25 (and extensions of necessary) for the more irregular higher stuff. It's a great combination.
Sometimes I've got a different, maybe softer brush on the 25, so if I've got a leaded job, I just switch pole, rather than change the brush over if using stiff (I've got hot system). I know it doesn't take long with Q-lock but I just find it less hassle sometimes.
When using the 18 Xtreme, it's like cleaning with a pencil 

[M & C Window Cleaning]

Well, my Xtreme 22 mentioned at the start of this thread is still going strong. Not had to replace any sections yet. There are clear signs of wear on sections 1 & 2 but they still look and feel pretty sturdy, and slight signs on the other sections, but when I consider the amount of work I've done with it and what it's earned me, I'm well happy.

As far as maintenance is concerned, I've probably taken it apart, cleaned and retaped seven or eight times in all. I've also lubed it several times with Gardiners dry film lubricant.

Overall, I absolutely love this pole and will definitely buy another when this one is done.