Clean It Up
UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: Peter Fogwill on June 25, 2013, 01:58:35 pm
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Just wondering what everyone's thoughts were on a modular pole that screws together as opposed to clamps. The advantages are no clamps to fail or wear out, and only using the sections you need for any given height. Would it make any difference if the feed hose is on the inside and easily fed through each section?
Comments most welcome below.
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To be honest Peter I find telescopic poles the easiest to use.
Modular poles are a faff because of all the sections you have to carry and make sure you don't leave laying around. Telescopic poles do away with all that and are more convenient.
And to be honest if using a modular pole aren't the current push-in tapered section modular poles better than screw-in sections?
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I have a sl modular pole.lovely pole but only use for commercial blocks.
Too much hassle for residential imho.
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I have a sl modular pole.lovely pole but only use for commercial blocks.
Too much hassle for residential imho.
agree, if you were to use the pole for an hour or two on large commercials i could understand but small residentials
more hassel
Any way stop faffing with this idea and get the water stop device to market
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I have a sl modular pole.lovely pole but only use for commercial blocks.
Too much hassle for residential imho.
agree, if you were to use the pole for an hour or two on large commercials i could understand but small residentials
more hassel
Any way stop faffing with this idea and get the water stop device to market
+1
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Didn't Unger try this? Look what happened to that monstrosity of an epic fail!! ;D ;D
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I have a sl modular pole.lovely pole but only use for commercial blocks.
Too much hassle for residential imho.
Even if it was only 3 sections and you were only taking one or two sections away most if the time to reach the bottoms? What if it was as easy to join the poles as it was to put an angle joint on?
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I have a sl modular pole.lovely pole but only use for commercial blocks.
Too much hassle for residential imho.
agree, if you were to use the pole for an hour or two on large commercials i could understand but small residentials
more hassel
Any way stop faffing with this idea and get the water stop device to market
It's out of my hands at the moment. I have done my bit designed the thing and paid for the tooling, now its just a case of waiting on the tooling being finished.
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Didn't Unger try this? Look what happened to that monstrosity of an epic fail!! ;D ;D
Was Unger's a screw in type? TBH Unger wouldn't know a good WFP tool if it jumped up and whacked them in the face.
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Just wondering what everyone's thoughts were on a modular pole that screws together as opposed to clamps. The advantages are no clamps to fail or wear out, and only using the sections you need for any given height. Would it make any difference if the feed hose is on the inside and easily fed through each section?
Comments most welcome below.
how big are the sections?
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Just wondering what everyone's thoughts were on a modular pole that screws together as opposed to clamps. The advantages are no clamps to fail or wear out, and only using the sections you need for any given height. Would it make any difference if the feed hose is on the inside and easily fed through each section?
Comments most welcome below.
how big are the sections?
They could be any size, but I would think 5 foot would be a good size?
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I have a sl modular pole.lovely pole but only use for commercial blocks.
Too much hassle for residential imho.
Even if it was only 3 sections and you were only taking one or two sections away most if the time to reach the bottoms? What if it was as easy to join the poles as it was to put an angle joint on?
I would rather use telescopic sl modular is lovely and light and takes seconds to change sections etc but prefer telescopic on residential work.
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I suppose if you could make it as rigid as an xtreme and as light for a fraction of the price I might consider trying one out but telescopics are so versatile these days that I can't really see me going back to modular.
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self lubricating clamps are the future!!!!!!!!!
OHHHHH Gardiners already are!!!!!!!
Seriously, forget about poles, Gardiners have it all sewn up. IMO
Screw together, modular, are all things of the past.
;D
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self lubricating clamps are the future!!!!!!!!!
OHHHHH Gardiners already are!!!!!!!
Seriously, forget about poles, Gardiners have it all sewn up. IMO
Screw together, modular, are all things of the past.
;D
I would say no clamps are the future.
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I'd rather chew my own arm off and beat myself with the soggy end than use a modular pole on domestics ;D
I sometimes drop it a few inches while I'm still cleaning the window if it makes it easier.
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Didn't Unger try this? Look what happened to that monstrosity of an epic fail!! ;D ;D
Was Unger's a screw in type? TBH Unger wouldn't know a good WFP tool if it jumped up and whacked them in the face.
Did'nt you use Unger alloy poles to sell with your trolley system so they can't be that bad!
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Although sl modular is very light and very rigid i would only use for high work plus the sections are very expensive.
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Didn't Unger try this? Look what happened to that monstrosity of an epic fail!! ;D ;D
Was Unger's a screw in type? TBH Unger wouldn't know a good WFP tool if it jumped up and whacked them in the face.
Did'nt you use Unger alloy poles to sell with your trolley system so they can't be that bad!
Correct that was a window cleaning pole that I took on at the time because of the very limited poles available. Unger never marketed them as a water fed pole, I think I was the only one who did. Unger's window cleaning equipment is very good and does the job, they are in my opinion not up with water fed pole equipment yet. I am not saying Unger water fed pole equipment is bad, I am just saying they don't really know good WFP equipment when they see it.
It always takes larger companies longer to bring new products along than smaller companies, and not necessary better. With window cleaning changing over to WFP it is like a new business for a large window cleaning tool manufacturer because all the equipment has changed, and they are at a great disadvantage. Even if someone goes along and offers them a great new tool they may not necessary see the advantage of it, or if they do they would rather go with their own inferior product to save sharing the spoils. The large companies are also more disadvantaged now with people like me being able to easily source supplies direct from China, our profit margins can be lower than large companies who need to go through various outlets, with everyone needing a share of the profits. They really need to get in touch with what's happening down at ground level. They really need to get the right people involved to move their products forward, but like with most large companies they want to keep as much of the profits in house as possible.
I remember years ago a large window cleaning tool manufacturer having an open day where various water fed pole window cleaners and suppliers were invited to a brainstorming event, which nothing valuable came out of it. I was left out BTW. The next event was scheduled and one of the suppliers in Scotland who is no longer in business told them he though it beneficial for them if I was included, as I had a few unique ideas at the time, but again I was ignored. They knew at that time I would have had to get something out of it had I been involved, and they obviously wanted to get by without anyone outside the company benefiting. They would much rather get feedback from people who at that time hadn't a clue what a good water fed pole brush was never mind anything else.
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Didn't Unger try this? Look what happened to that monstrosity of an epic fail!! ;D ;D
Was Unger's a screw in type? TBH Unger wouldn't know a good WFP tool if it jumped up and whacked them in the face.
Did'nt you use Unger alloy poles to sell with your trolley system so they can't be that bad!
Correct that was a window cleaning pole that I took on at the time because of the very limited poles available. Unger never marketed them as a water fed pole, I think I was the only one who did. Unger's window cleaning equipment is very good and does the job, they are in my opinion not up with water fed pole equipment yet. I am not saying Unger water fed pole equipment is bad, I am just saying they don't really know good WFP equipment when they see it.
It always takes larger companies longer to bring new products along than smaller companies, and not necessary better. With window cleaning changing over to WFP it is like a new business for a large window cleaning tool manufacturer because all the equipment has changed, and they are at a great disadvantage. Even if someone goes along and offers them a great new tool they may not necessary see the advantage of it, or if they do they would rather go with their own inferior product to save sharing the spoils. The large companies are also more disadvantaged now with people like me being able to easily source supplies direct from China, our profit margins can be lower than large companies who need to go through various outlets, with everyone needing a share of the profits. They really need to get in touch with what's happening down at ground level. They really need to get the right people involved to move their products forward, but like with most large companies they want to keep as much of the profits in house as possible.
I remember years ago a large window cleaning tool manufacturer having an open day where various water fed pole window cleaners and suppliers were invited to a brainstorming event, which nothing valuable came out of it. I was left out BTW. The next event was scheduled and one of the suppliers in Scotland who is no longer in business told them he though it beneficial for them if I was included, as I had a few unique ideas at the time, but again I was ignored. They knew at that time I would have had to get something out of it had I been involved, and they obviously wanted to get by without anyone outside the company benefiting. They would much rather get feedback from people who at that time hadn't a clue what a good water fed pole brush was never mind anything else.
Agree with most of that.
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So do you consider Gardiners to be a small or large company?
They seem to be a fair size these days to me, exporting to America etc but are the fastest evolving company around. They never stand still for five minutes. They make a groundbreaking pole then improve on it continuously.
The other companies Ionics, Brodex and even Facelift seem so slow in comparison - probably because they don't listen to the bottom of the pile ie. us.
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So do you consider Gardiners to be a small or large company?
They seem to be a fair size these days to me, exporting to America etc but are the fastest evolving company around. They never stand still for five minutes. They make a groundbreaking pole then improve on it continuously.
The other companies Ionics, Brodex and even Facelift seem so slow in comparison - probably because they don't listen to the bottom of the pile ie. us.
Pretty small compared to some I should think, but growing all the time. Alex has the advantage where he actually uses the tools he produces himself. He knows when he is onto something good because it works well for him. The big companies I refer to rely on a R&D department that probably have never cleaned a window in their lives except for maybe a demonstration window set up somewhere.
Then if it gets to the next stage and the non window cleaners are happy it then goes out to some window cleaners that because they got a freebe wouldn't dare to give their true feelings on the product. Obviously all companies are not the same but this has been my personal experience with at least two in the past.
Another story. Many years ago I was at one of the large companies warehouse showing them a new tool I had and while I was there they gave me a new rubber they said was great, to try out. A couple of weeks later they asked how I got on with it and I had a bit of a laugh thinking they can't be serious, they were serious and were really disgusted when I told them exactly what I thought of it. No point beating about the bush, they gave me something to get my opinion on it, and I gave them it. Dear knows what sort of rubbish others who gave them feedback were telling them.
Alex is growing because he knows a good product when he sees one, and can try it out personally himself before any major decisions are made, and not relying on an R&D department that still thinks a window is better cleaned with a squeegee.