Clean It Up
UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: Richard Shepherd on December 14, 2012, 04:50:55 pm
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As above,
Does anyone use them??
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Not used one but have played with one. I like them some better features on them that makes the better than other poles out there.
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there is one in the training van, love the clamps
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there is one in the training van, love the clamps
Yer they are great! No more blood blisters lol
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Yes just bought one recently, all i have to say is watch out Alex Gardiner, because this pole will be the future pole. Clamps are the best clamps , pole is nice and light and overall its the best pole i have had so far.
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I agree the clamps are great.
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Yes just bought one recently, all i have to say is watch out Alex Gardiner, because this pole will be the future pole. Clamps are the best clamps , pole is nice and light and overall its the best pole i have had so far.
Not as rigid or light as an SL-X let alone an Xtreme. In my opinion, the clamps are still too big and not lateral.
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handled one and not happy with it, too heavy,
its a rip off they claim to be 100 percent carbon fibre but they have a fibreglass base section
4 section 18ft pole when 1 section is fibreglass that means your only getting a 75 percent carbon fibre pole
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I think the fact that it is only 75% carbon is reflected in the price , But will be buying an SLX before end of tax year ;D ;D . Mike
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handled one and not happy with it, too heavy,
its a rip off they claim to be 100 percent carbon fibre but they have a fibreglass base section
4 section 18ft pole when 1 section is fibreglass that means your only getting a 75 percent carbon fibre pole
I'm sure the reason given for the fiber glass base was to do with protecting you, the user, against electrical shock if you accidently touched power lines.
If this is the case, I would be quite happy not to have the base in CF as well, as CF is a conductor of electricity.
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I think the only real risk is a lightning storm, but you'd have to be pretty crazy to work in that weather. Powerlines in domestic areas are I believe all shielded?
I'm sure the SL-X has a thin fibreglass coating on the base section to give some prevention against shock. But Alex would have to confirm this.
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I think the only real risk is a lightning storm, but you'd have to be pretty crazy to work in that weather. Powerlines in domestic areas are I believe all shielded?
they are, but how many houses have you cleaned that outside lights! some houses also have electric cables going from house to shed/garage in the air to,
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I think the only real risk is a lightning storm, but you'd have to be pretty crazy to work in that weather. Powerlines in domestic areas are I believe all shielded?
they are, but how many houses have you cleaned that outside lights! some houses also have electric cables going from house to shed/garage in the air to,
Not sure what the question is, but I'm always cleaning very close to outside lights, and have done so for years. I actually clean the outside of them of a few. They have to be shielded against the harshest of weather by law. Quite a few of my customers have electric cables going to sheds, they are all insulated.
I never knock against them, because I don't like my pole getting snagged.
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I do the fish and chip shop and the flat above. The electric cables are 1.3m from the house and are not shielded. This is confirmed by the national grid. I have requested the chippy owner put a request in for the cables to be taken down and run under the pavement.
Here is a copy of my email.
Dear Sir/Madam,
I see from the website that the Northern Power Grid offers a temporary shrouding service for properties that are situated near to overhead power supply cables to enable building maintenance to be carried out safely. I have also noted that some shrouding that has been done appears to have been fitted permanently as it has been there for a long time, but I can’t see any reference to this service on your website.
The reason for me query is that I am ‘contracted’ to regularly clean the windows of Boosebeck Fish and Chips and the residential property above the shop. This property is situated 29 Queen Street, Boosbeck TS12 3AE which is on the corner of Queen Street and High Street, Boosbeck.
Although it’s not possible for me to measure the exact distance the overhead supply cables are from the building, a measurement at pavement level is approx 1.3 m (1300mm).
I’m obviously very aware of the dangers of working near these supply cables and would appreciate if you could please put some permanent shrouding on these cables to enable me the clean the 3 windows on the 2nd floor safely.
I thank you in advance and look forward to a positive reply.
Their reply
Hi
Thank you for your email. I can confirm that we don’t provide shrouding on a permanent basis. Shrouding is only a temporary protection measure, and it is the property owner’s or contractor’s responsibility to notify us when their works are completed so that we can arrange for it to be removed. However, if the property owner intends to have work carried out near these overhead lines regularly, they can either request a Service Alteration job to have the lines relocated or a diversion to have them put underground. Please visit our website or call our customer service centre on 0845 070 7172 for more information.
I hope this clarifies the situation. However, if you have any queries, please don’t hesitate to contact us again. Thank you.
Kind regards,
Northern Powergrid Shrouding Team
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power cables are the least of your worries working up the beck spruce!!! lol
got a lot of good mates up there. didnt realise they had electricity there yet. top house still uses candles.
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power cables are the least of your worries working up the beck spruce!!! lol
got a lot of good mates up there. didnt realise they had electricity there yet. top house still uses candles.
I'm learning to adjust ;D
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I think the only real risk is a lightning storm, but you'd have to be pretty crazy to work in that weather. Powerlines in domestic areas are I believe all shielded?
they are, but how many houses have you cleaned that outside lights! some houses also have electric cables going from house to shed/garage in the air to,
Not sure what the question is, but I'm always cleaning very close to outside lights, and have done so for years. I actually clean the outside of them of a few. They have to be shielded against the harshest of weather by law. Quite a few of my customers have electric cables going to sheds, they are all insulated.
I never knock against them, because I don't like my pole getting snagged.
Yes they should be shielded, but not everyone does it, some just cable clip the wire against the walls and cable tie them to wire to them,
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Yes just bought one recently, all i have to say is watch out Alex Gardiner, because this pole will be the future pole. Clamps are the best clamps , pole is nice and light and overall its the best pole i have had so far.
Not as rigid or light as an SL-X let alone an Xtreme. In my opinion, the clamps are still too big and not lateral.
Tim, have you actually used one side by side? As this seems contrary to want we have seen.
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handled one and not happy with it, too heavy,
its a rip off they claim to be 100 percent carbon fibre but they have a fibreglass base section
4 section 18ft pole when 1 section is fibreglass that means your only getting a 75 percent carbon fibre pole
Scrimble, would be interested in seeing what too heavy is in relation to? We've looked at everything out there and would say this wasn't the case at all, but value opinions all the same.
A fibreglass base is pretty much the norm for all water fed poles for protection purposes.
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Don`t worry Foxy we are only talking not buying its Christmas take a break.I am sure every one knows how good your poles we have heard a lot about them.They are good poles, Rome was not built in a day. ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
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handled one and not happy with it, too heavy,
its a rip off they claim to be 100 percent carbon fibre but they have a fibreglass base section
4 section 18ft pole when 1 section is fibreglass that means your only getting a 75 percent carbon fibre pole
Scrimble, would be interested in seeing what too heavy is in relation to? We've looked at everything out there and would say this wasn't the case at all, but value opinions all the same.
A fibreglass base is pretty much the norm for all water fed poles for protection purposes.
its got a fibreglass base section when it is marketed as a full carbon fibre pole? very misleading and if i had of ordered and received one i would of been fuming when i found out.
comparing it to my slx18 and slx-18 xtreme it feels heavy, i dont beleive its for protection purposes for one second, my slx doesnt have a fibreglass section, it is down to 1 thing and that is it makes the pole cheaper to produce
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Scrimble,
Unfortunately, the SLX is not a 100% carbon pole either, the base section has fiberglass content as do the Phoenix. Do you feel you have been misleaded?
Also weight wise the SLX 18 and Phoenix X 18 are pretty much identical. The Phoenix might actually be lighter.
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Scrimble,
Unfortunately, the SLX is not a 100% carbon pole either, the base section has fiberglass content as do the Phoenix. Do you feel you have been misleaded?
Also weight wise the SLX 18 and Phoenix X 18 are pretty much identical. The Phoenix might actually be lighter.
For accuracy sake the Phoenix 'full carbon poles' have a complete fibre glass base section on each pole. The SLX & Super-Max 'full carbon poles' have carbon fibre base sections with a very thin insulative layer (about 0.20mm) applied as a final wrap on top of the carbon section - therefore this is not 'as' the Phoenix is, as the Phoenix has a 100% fibre glass handle section.
There is no 'misleading' with this as the website clearly states:
100% Carbon content on extending sections
Insulated handle surface
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I think you have a Alert cookies somewhere,Alex ;D
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So let me get this straight - the current SLX's have a carbon fibre base section but a different material on top to insulate. What is that insulating material?
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So let me get this straight - the current SLX's have a carbon fibre base section but a different material on top to insulate. What is that insulating material?
We use a finely woven fibre glass layer to provide insulation. Good old fibre glass is still one of the best/lightest insulators out there.
Ceramic if viable would work as well, but is not quite as insulative as glass and the weight would not be so good!
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Looks like its all going to start again ;D ;D
My advice to Phoenix connections would be to avoid comparing to the Gardiner range,especially when the shiny weave finish starts wearing at the predicted rate.
I have no problems with any pole in the market place unless i`m being told i should buy it because its implied its better than the one i have.I don`t believe this(Phoenix better than an SL-X) will prove to be the case,nor is there a financial incentive or a customer service track record to be made aware of.
So its a buy and try and that becomes a leap of faith and means dismissing every ounce of common sense i`ve slowly been able to muster over nearly 50 years.
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Scrimble,
Unfortunately, the SLX is not a 100% carbon pole either, the base section has fiberglass content as do the Phoenix. Do you feel you have been misleaded?
Also weight wise the SLX 18 and Phoenix X 18 are pretty much identical. The Phoenix might actually be lighter.
For accuracy sake the Phoenix 'full carbon poles' have a complete fibre glass base section on each pole. The SLX & Super-Max 'full carbon poles' have carbon fibre base sections with a very thin insulative layer (about 0.20mm) applied as a final wrap on top of the carbon section - therefore this is not 'as' the Phoenix is, as the Phoenix has a 100% fibre glass handle section.
There is no 'misleading' with this as the website clearly states:
100% Carbon content on extending sections
Insulated handle surface
Alex, I simply stated the SLX has glass fibre content in the base section as you have admitted. I've pointed out to scrimble that his SLX is not 100% carbon as he seems to think it is
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Stephen - I think there is a huge difference between 0.2mm layer of fibre-glass coating on an otherwise carbon section and a 100% fibre glass bottom section.
I should know - my very old but working SLX30 plus 5ft extension has a solid fibreglass bottom section. My later SLX's have fully carbon (but coated) bottom sections and my extreme has carbon extensions (coated I guess?)
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I was thinking the same thing as Gold. No offence, but if you were to remove the fibreglass parts of both poles, on the Phoenix you would have no bottom section at all. With the SLX you would have a full pole including the bottom section but it would be 0.2mm more slender. That's quite a difference.
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I could see what you are saying if there was a negative aspect to having the glass base on the Phoenix, but there isn't. Weight/performance/rigidity wise it has no real adverse effects and fully holds its own against anything/everything out there.
We have full carbon bases but having glassfibre adds hardly any thing to the pole at this length and gives full insulation to boot.
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I could see what you are saying if there was a negative aspect to having the glass base on the Phoenix, but there isn't. Weight/performance/rigidity wise it has no real adverse effects and fully holds its own against anything/everything out there.
We have full carbon bases but having glassfibre adds hardly any thing to the pole at this length and gives full insulation to boot.
So why not make the price cheaper to reflect the fact that it has a FG base, after all FG poles are dirt cheap, then it would make buying one more appealing ???
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Lee , I was just asking myself the very same Question .
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I could see what you are saying if there was a negative aspect to having the glass base on the Phoenix, but there isn't. Weight/performance/rigidity wise it has no real adverse effects and fully holds its own against anything/everything out there.
We have full carbon bases but having glassfibre adds hardly any thing to the pole at this length and gives full insulation to boot.
So why not make the price cheaper to reflect the fact that it has a FG base, after all FG poles are dirt cheap, then it would make buying one more appealing ???
Not going to answer my question then Stephen, even though you are online ???
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No not online always, browser maybe.
As for the question. We've all ready made the price as low as possible and factored everything in, we use a very high quality carbon (not all carbon is the same, especially true in WFP) that's why we can use a glass base with no downsides and be able to go toe to toe with anything out there.
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Scrimble,
Unfortunately, the SLX is not a 100% carbon pole either, the base section has fiberglass content as do the Phoenix. Do you feel you have been misleaded?
Also weight wise the SLX 18 and Phoenix X 18 are pretty much identical. The Phoenix might actually be lighter.
Thatsd
Foxman, big difference between having a full fibreglass handle and a full carbon handle with some insulating layer on top. Quite misleading. :)
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If the weight and rigidity are the same whats the big deal. Personally I think that I would prefer the full fibre glass base section for safety reasons. I say this because if the outer coating on the slx got damaged it would no longer be insulated. For the record all our poles are Gardiner poles at the moment. I will buy a phoenix in the near future and believe its in everybodys interest to have a choice of manufacturers.
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No not online always, browser maybe.
As for the question. We've all ready made the price as low as possible and factored everything in, we use a very high quality carbon (not all carbon is the same, especially true in WFP) that's why we can use a glass base with no downsides and be able to go toe to toe with anything out there.
Hi Stephen
Just wondering if the problems with the necks and clamps have been sorted yet as i was thinking of trying one out after crimbo?
Danny
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Scrimble,
Unfortunately, the SLX is not a 100% carbon pole either, the base section has fiberglass content as do the Phoenix. Do you feel you have been misleaded?
Also weight wise the SLX 18 and Phoenix X 18 are pretty much identical. The Phoenix might actually be lighter.
Thatsd
Foxman, big difference between having a full fibreglass handle and a full carbon handle with some insulating layer on top. Quite misleading. :)
Tim, its not a big difference at all. That's the point. All the spec's are the equivalent if not better, yet it should be the other way round...
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No not online always, browser maybe.
As for the question. We've all ready made the price as low as possible and factored everything in, we use a very high quality carbon (not all carbon is the same, especially true in WFP) that's why we can use a glass base with no downsides and be able to go toe to toe with anything out there.
Hi Stephen
Just wondering if the problems with the necks and clamps have been sorted yet as i was thinking of trying one out after crimbo?
Danny
Danny,
The only issues with necks/clamps we have had is a very small percentage, first runs, where the material was a little too brittle. We've changed that and have further developed the design to make it stronger than ever. Our aim is to constantly develop the range to perfection, the feedback has been amazing and customers seeing the design advantages over what is available immediately.
Have you had a chance to use the poles? What do you think?
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Scrimble,
Unfortunately, the SLX is not a 100% carbon pole either, the base section has fiberglass content as do the Phoenix. Do you feel you have been misleaded?
Also weight wise the SLX 18 and Phoenix X 18 are pretty much identical. The Phoenix might actually be lighter.
Thatsd
Foxman, big difference between having a full fibreglass handle and a full carbon handle with some insulating layer on top. Quite misleading. :)
Tim, its not a big difference at all. That's the point. All the spec's are the equivalent if not better, yet it should be the other way round...
We will have to agree to disagree then. :)
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G&M said,
''If the weight and rigidity are the same whats the big deal.''
I agree.
If someone came up with a pole that was
more rigid,
lighter,
warmer,
stronger,
quicker,
better clamping,
than anything else
but shock wasn't made of carbon fibre
and even more shock wasn't made by Gardiner's
I'd be tempted to try it.
By the way I have an SLX22 and am very happy with it and Gardiner Pole Systems.
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Are these poles clamps lateral(i hate them) they catch on things too easily and rotate on the pole and thus finish up on opposite sides to each other on the pole.Also are they glued on(another waste of time).
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I think the only way to know if the Phoenix is better or not than Gardiners poles is to actually buy one and take it to work. Until enough people do this and post we are none the wiser IMO.
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It seems it's more Phoenix Nights than Phoenix pole!! ;D