Clean It Up
UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: Plankton on July 21, 2015, 12:33:20 am
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Since around January I've been using a 30l vac and aluminium poles with a car mirror ::)roll for viewing with a final check from the ladders.
I have recently partially upgraded and now using a 48l vac, 2x carbon poles from Polarbrite, 10m hose, WiFi cam with a phone as the viewer.
What a pain in the arse it was today!
Now I don't have the attachment for the phone/pole so I was looking up at the gutter then down at the screen backwards and forwards with the pole, my brain was disoriented and that track from The Shamen - Ebenezer started playing in my head! Two hour job took three.
I've now watched the recording and I can see the mistakes I new I was making, but more clearly.
The new carbon poles are huge and I'm glad I bought them from Polarbrite as they look and feel like good quality. I was using an aluminium pole as the base section and will be ordering another couple of carbon poles in August.
Like others I choose the cautious route into gutter vac's with a cheap setup. With shed load of time spent looking at upgrades I couldn't have timed it better as this has been my busiest month ever for enquiries.
And I've now got a crazy idea for a gutter cleaning video. 'Got any Veras'.... Lovely :)
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I know exactly what you mean, I have messed about with ali poles, and cheap vacs, and it was hard work ! Now with the latest pwerful vac- http://spinaclean.com/industrial-gutter-cleaning-machines.asp
and carbon fibre it has given me a new lease of life, and the work ( even the high stuff is a doddle.
We can do nearly a dozen cleans in a day now, and i actively seek out the work now as its such a good money earner.
Using a Gopro camera gives you a lot more confidence too, as you can show the customer the finished job ;D
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I'm still using a set of original Omni ali guttervac poles no probs. ...carbon guttervac poles are for girls if you ask me and would not last me 5 mins the way I throw my stuff about ;D
I even found out a gopro is darn tuff too as one fell off me guttervac pole when the clamp broke 20ft up and landed on concrete but still worked. ;D
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Out of interest who using so say carbon pole has had them break/split using them?
I know skyvac poles have a bad rep for breaking but what about other so say carbon guttervac poles?
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Out of interest who using so say carbon pole has had them break/split using them?
I know skyvac poles have a bad rep for breaking but what about other so say carbon guttervac poles?
Smurf the ones we use are from www.carbonfibretubes.co.uk
They are very strong as they are not 100% carbon, they are mixed which helps with the strength ! Only issue is they can stick together if you are not meticulous with cleaning them after use.
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Out of interest who using so say carbon pole has had them break/split using them?
I know skyvac poles have a bad rep for breaking but what about other so say carbon guttervac poles?
Don't say that you'll take the shine off my day! I certainly won't be throwing them around like the Ali's, they shall be kept for any temps if needed. As they don't respect equipment that isn't there's.
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Sounds interesting...Could you provide the exact details on the poles you got from them please as they list a few.
Out of interest who using so say carbon pole has had them break/split using them?
I know skyvac poles have a bad rep for breaking but what about other so say carbon guttervac poles?
Smurf the ones we use are from www.carbonfibretubes.co.uk
They are very strong as they are not 100% carbon, they are mixed which helps with the strength ! Only issue is they can stick together if you are not meticulous with cleaning them after use.
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Hello Alan,
Thank you for your enquiry.
We do not make complete gutter cleaning poles with hoses/goosenecks etc, we only make the raw tubing. We make a modular tube that we sell a lot of for this application and it is Ø50mm x 2 metre long. The top of this pole is very slightly tapered and the bottom is very slightly flared such that the tubes can slot together end-to-end.
The price of this is:
CFT-MOD2 : £59.20/section (2m) ex. VAT
MOQ : 5 sections
Delivery : £18.00 ex. VAT
Lead time : stocked.
Let me know your thoughts on this.
Thanks
Simon Brackwell
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I never went with them as the MOQ was 5. I only wanted two poles to see what the quality was like as anything other than Gardiner poles don't get much of a review or at least I've not seen anything good. Gutter cleaning systems never bothered they're arse getting back to my and the photos online are terrible so I could only assume they are roughly made.
I'm glad to be away from the spinning poles which was a complete pain in the arse.
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Thanks but it doesn’t mention what each section is made from nor weight. Looking on the site it is also does not state the weight nor composition of each modular pole. Did you also find that out too?
Hello Alan,
Thank you for your enquiry.
We do not make complete gutter cleaning poles with hoses/goosenecks etc, we only make the raw tubing. We make a modular tube that we sell a lot of for this application and it is Ø50mm x 2 metre long. The top of this pole is very slightly tapered and the bottom is very slightly flared such that the tubes can slot together end-to-end.
The price of this is:
CFT-MOD2 : £59.20/section (2m) ex. VAT
MOQ : 5 sections
Delivery : £18.00 ex. VAT
Lead time : stocked.
Let me know your thoughts on this.
Thanks
Simon Brackwell
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Same as Smurf I use alloy poles( put the extra money into the vac ) and don't see what the problem is, plus a mirror more
than does the job for me, I don't have time to faff about with cameras and videos.
But then 99% of my work is 2 story so if I was going higher then I might have to rethink.
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Another thing, why is the MOQ 5 when they are in stock. Your paying £18.00+vat for delivery regardless.
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I'm sure you could have haggled the price down as you do ;D
Anyway Samson what did you go for from that site in the end and what do you think of them?
Another thing, why is the MOQ 5 when they are in stock. Your paying £18.00+vat for delivery regardless.
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Best thing I ever brought was a gopro which has made jobs so much easier and is a brilliant sales tool too with an lcd touch screen fitted. Fook messing about with mirrors now as I broke so many to have a lifetime of bad luck ;D
I got a gopro for a specific job as was a bit doddgy height wise for ladders that paid for itself and more some on that one job,
Same as Smurf I use alloy poles( put the extra money into the vac ) and don't see what the problem is, plus a mirror more
than does the job for me, I don't have time to faff about with cameras and videos.
But then 99% of my work is 2 story so if I was going higher then I might have to rethink.
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I'm sure you could have haggled the price down as you do ;D
Anyway Samson what did you go for from that site in the end and what do you think of them?
Another thing, why is the MOQ 5 when they are in stock. Your paying £18.00+vat for delivery regardless.
Sorry Smurf not sure what you are asking . . . .the poles or the system ?
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Thanks but it doesn’t mention what each section is made from nor weight. Looking on the site it is also does not state the weight nor composition of each modular pole. Did you also find that out too?
Hello Alan,
Thank you for your enquiry.
We do not make complete gutter cleaning poles with hoses/goosenecks etc, we only make the raw tubing. We make a modular tube that we sell a lot of for this application and it is Ø50mm x 2 metre long. The top of this pole is very slightly tapered and the bottom is very slightly flared such that the tubes can slot together end-to-end.
The price of this is:
CFT-MOD2 : £59.20/section (2m) ex. VAT
MOQ : 5 sections
Delivery : £18.00 ex. VAT
Lead time : stocked.
Let me know your thoughts on this.
Thanks
Simon Brackwell
I had mentioned on another post that I had phoned them to ask and there reply was something like 'Oh yes 100% carbon or they wouldn't be at such a high price and they are around 400-500g'
I would need to get the fishing scales out to measure them but as I said they look and feel good. They are 2 metres long as opposed to Ali's at 1.6m and although I'm using an aluminium pole as a base section it makes a big difference considering I would need 4 Ali's for the same job.
SeanK is right with regard to spending more on a vac as you would be reducing the time spent so less fatigue if you had good access to the gutter.
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I wish I had bought the Skyvac two years ago, best machine on the market, and makes mincemeat of any gutter no matter how many trees growing out !
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Gardiners Super lite Gutter poles - look no further. Why people use a decent WFP then switch to either an ally/poor quality Carbon fibre for vac work i'll never understand. ???
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Durability issuse and price maybe ::)roll
That's why alex gardiner does not get involved himself directly selling them as he knows that carbon poles are not best suited to the abuse when they get used for gutter clearing.
It all started many moons ago when ppl started buying his modular pole base sections then he soon twigged what they were being used for ;D
Gardiners Super lite Gutter poles - look no further. Why people use a decent WFP then switch to either an ally/poor quality Carbon fibre for vac work i'll never understand. ???
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Durability issuse and price maybe ::)roll
That's why alex gardiner does not get involved himself directly selling them as he knows that carbon poles are not best suited to the abuse when they get used for gutter clearing.
It all started many moons ago when ppl started buying his modular pole base sections then he soon twigged what they were being used for ;D
can't speak for Alex but we have been using his poles for 2 years now. They have been in use for about 2 full days a month and still in perfect working order. I've also used less quality crbon poles that are 10 times heavier, poles sticking together when dismantling, and are as rough as sandpaper. Regards cost, most are buying Gardiners WFP and don't mind paying when they know they are getting the best so i don't see why you would consider a cheaper, heavier, less quality vac pole.
Gardiners Super lite Gutter poles - look no further. Why people use a decent WFP then switch to either an ally/poor quality Carbon fibre for vac work i'll never understand. ???
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You may find that they are not 100% carbon as far as I'm aware Alex has added a certain amount of fibreglass to each section to reduce the risk of electrocution.
Still they are one of the best user rated guttervac poles you can buy.
Durability issuse and price maybe ::)roll
That's why alex gardiner does not get involved himself directly selling them as he knows that carbon poles are not best suited to the abuse when they get used for gutter clearing.
It all started many moons ago when ppl started buying his modular pole base sections then he soon twigged what they were being used for ;D
can't speak for Alex but we have been using his poles for 2 years now. They have been in use for about 2 full days a month and still in perfect working order. I've also used less quality crbon poles that are 10 times heavier, poles sticking together when dismantling, and are as rough as sandpaper. Regards cost, most are buying Gardiners WFP and don't mind paying when they know they are getting the best so i don't see why you would consider a cheaper, heavier, less quality vac pole.
Gardiners Super lite Gutter poles - look no further. Why people use a decent WFP then switch to either an ally/poor quality Carbon fibre for vac work i'll never understand. ???
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Been using my carbon SL2 base sections for years no problem - apart from hating gutter cleaning these days.
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I tend to hate gutter clearing too as some jobs can be pigs to do but the reward is very good if priced well.
Nice to know you are still using SL2 base sections ;)
Been using my carbon SL2 base sections for years no problem - apart from hating gutter cleaning these days.