Clean It Up
UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: Count Phil on June 28, 2007, 04:28:19 pm
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I just went back to the fishing pole after a stint with the tucker.
I'd forgotten just how little effort is needed. I can not state this clearly enough:
Get a Superlight!
Either make your own or just buy one from gardiners. It is zero effort. You actually come home feeling like you haven't been to work!
Just bought the addis broom head for it. All you superlight users, I reckon you should try it, its a good brush!
I mean it. Zero effort. (at least it feels like that when you're used to any other pole).
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I don't use anything else - not even my extender (and thats only twelve feet) ;)
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I tried loads of these asda/tesco/co-op brushes and to be honest they are second rate for window cleaning, apart from only lasting me a few weeks I was fed up of loosing bristles in the joints of upvc windows and then -upstairs-
not being able to get them out again so black bristles on white upvc looking like pubic hairs sticking out from the frame ;D
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I have to agree with P Bowan. I spent all day working with a 40ft Super-Lite and it really was not that difficult. I came home to do an evaluation session on a brand new 35 ft Ionics Ergolite2 and a Facelift 35 ft and I have to say it felt like I was working with a scaffolding pole by comparison.
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35 ergolites from Ionics are d**ned heavy by comparison to anything, BUT they do give added scrubability on the glass due to their weight. I can't believe i used one for so long until I got an 18' glass fibre jobbie.
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what the cost of homemade superlight 18ft and a bought one
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A Reload will get you a lot higher than 18ft and is £49.
For 18ft there are even cheaper options.
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Whats a Reload?
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Stupidly cheap carbon fishing pole that goes to three floors easily and stretches over conservatory roofs no problem.
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35 ergolites from Ionics are d**ned heavy by comparison to anything, BUT they do give added scrubability on the glass due to their weight. I can't believe i used one for so long until I got an 18' glass fibre jobbie.
No more ionics for me!
Hi Tim ;D
How did I guess that was you? ::)
Cheers,
Ian
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i feel like i really need to sort mine out
im still using the unger 3 X 2M pole ( haha )
and after 3 good days work i feel really knackered and worn out
looks like i will sort it out rather soon ;)
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I'm still confused as to Gardiners upcoming modular superlites, will they be converted fishing poles? or will they be built from scratch for window cleaning?
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matt, hurry up then you can sort out mine ;D
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Please can someone direct me to a site that lists/shows a 'superlight' and a 'reload' so that I can see what everyone is talking about.
Thanks
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Please can someone direct me to a site that lists/shows a 'superlight' and a 'reload' so that I can see what everyone is talking about.
Thanks
check out the DIY site, Jeff B has given all the info needed
<------------- e.mail me for a link
or check out Jeff B's post on here, at the bottom of all his posts he has a link to the post in question
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Matt - Thanks - Mike
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either let me know your username here OR post it in the "account activation" section on the DIY forum and I'll sort out your access
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Mike, a Superlight is an adapted Maver fishing pole that was being sold by Alex of Gardinerpoles, they were supplied to whatever length you required complete with pipe, gooseneck, and all fittings it was around the £600 mark with vat and delivery.for thirty five feet. The Thompson Reload is an inferior although very worthy fishing pole that people like Jeff have discovered will do the same job for around £50 without any fittings, obviously not as high quality as the Maver but very usable and light. An even cheaper way is using a fibreglass Thompson Zensorflex pole at around £20 Both poles can be combined to make a longer pole. These are modular poles so no clamps and with the pipe on the outside so a little different to work with. Rather fragile but so easy when compared to telescopic glass poles.
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Matt.
My 'user name' is 'Mike 108' or Mike Siddall or Michael Siddall.
It all gets very confusing with different sites having different criteria for user names or passwords (and often being unable to have your first choice because someone else already has it)
I really need a picture/details/price of a RELOAD pole and details of where to buy it.
Thanks
Mike
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Davew - Thanks - Mike
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Matt.
My 'user name' is 'Mike 108' or Mike Siddall or Michael Siddall.
It all gets very confusing with different sites having different criteria for user names or passwords (and often being unable to have your first choice because someone else already has it)
I really need a picture/details/price of a RELOAD pole and details of where to buy it.
Thanks
Mike
Mike your now active to use the site :)
look out for the post FEATHERLITES Merry Christmas on the DIY forum
thats the pos you need :)
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Cheshire fishing were selling the Reload up to a few weeks ago ......can't see it on their website anymore though. ???
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Hi Mike108
If you visit our site, under the system information pages and videos link you will find a section entitled 'videos'. This has a couple of videos of the previous generation Super-Lite. As Dave pointed out, these were modified Maver poles. We have a new Super-Lite coming out at the end of July which is purposed designed by us. The new pole is equally suitable for heavy duty ground level work as it is for very lightweight 45 ft work. We hope to be able to offer this in a package that will appeal to all DIYers starting at about £330 for a 35ft pole. We will also be selling it as a full package for those that want to be able to work straight off the shelf
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thanks Alex, I heard you are a bro
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It doesn't matter so much as what they are as how light they are! Get a fishing pole and find a bit thick enough to take a gooseneck and presto! Mines shimano.
You do have teething problems and stuff, so next time I'll just buy a gardiners one. what's a few hundred quid when you can save so much energy. I meant what I said - zero effort. It really is the most incredible feel after you're used to normal ones. Pick up your downstairs pole, go on! Its lighter than that gauranteed!!!
If you do want a cheap one (just as good) do a search on this sight for my instructions or go to the diy sight for different ways of doing it.
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quote from window tools forum about Alan, a man in scotland who does the maver fishing superlite, he is now making his own pole, it is made by a company for him for the wfp industry, it is only 1.2kg compare to the 1.6kg of the maver, it also has protection at bases of sections etc etc
" guys Alan at Angler emporium after talking to several window cleaners and seeing what they where using caught onto the idea of the superlite pole, realised it was a maver pole with the taper section added on.So he went about getting this pole and selling it to window cleaners as the ultralite pole at basically near half the price of other suppliers.Realising that the pole could be improved and the availability of the pole would be limited as the mavers are made in china and shipped over to the uk.Alan was slightly concerned with this as when the poles ran out in the uk, you would be left with an obsolete pole.With his connections in the fishing trade he went about having the design taken to Japan, who worked on the strength of the pole for the wfp market.
The designs were then sent the new Mandrel for a new pole made .This Mandrel then came back, and we now have a stronger lighter pole manufactured in the uk for wfp and can be around for as long as 25 years.I can see new heights being reached with these poles as the manufacturers can have the poles reinforced to what ever strenghth you want at a fraction of cost to sending it away to specialists.
The pole is now out on tests as a prototype and Alan gave me one to try out.Compared to the original Mavers pole, this pole at 40 feet is 1.2kg compared to 1.6kg of the maver
the edges are fitted with protector caps to protect the edges.These caps are fitted and each section can still be fitted with the protectors in place.I found this to be a great idea as when you had the maver pole at 30 feet and you came down to 24 feet and took a section off, if the pole hit the ground then the edges got damaged.With the new edge protectors the edges are always kept protected with a 2 inch overlap hitting the ground instead of the pole edge.At the insert edge an insert edge protector has been fitted to also protect the edge from damage in transit.
After using the pole and comparing it with the mavers I found that the sections when pulling apart did not get as tight as the maver, maybe this is down to the smoother surface i dont know.
On severaL occasions on the maver I found they got quite tight and needed 2 men to pull them apart, did not find this once on this pole.
I need to compliment Alan for his perfection to details in sorting out a good pole even better and at the price of £399 including 30 metres of hose,Brush and small gooseneck, i think he is onto a winner at a price that suits most window cleaners.
He has now looked into what we are using on a daily basis like brodex poles, extender poles,facelift poles and unger poles, and cannnot believe the condition or weight of poles that suppliers are putting out to window cleaners, and even more the cost of them.
His new projects are light 18ft and 24ft poles, as light as carbon fibre but in fibre glass
as stiff as carbon but in fibre glass, and all fitted with quality clamps for extending the poles, but they will not be at rediculous prices as suppliers have sold in the past, but at fair prices for a fair well made product to an industry of mostly one man businesses looking to get into wfp at a reasonable cost.Alan is working on the website and you will be able to see these poles soon but only after he has tested them and he knows in his own mind that he is giving quality and value for money.
He said he would like to thank Jeff Brimble whom I told him gave the inspiration in bringing fishing poles into the industry, and Jeff if you know where I am coming from, imagine the 5 bottom sections of the zensoflex that you use with clamps fitted, obvious it will not be this pole, but you understand the stiffness and lightness of the poles that are coming, with probably duraflex clamps and decent base caps.I recon they will be in par with any facelift pole at a lot less cash to the man in the street.
If anyone wants to talk to Alan he is on
Anglers Emporium
01698283903"
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Mike and others. Sad news- Cheshire Fishing have sold out of the Ron Thompson Reload :'(
2 months ago I found an alternative as an insurance, just need to make some inquirys. ( Note fishing poles go out of production very quickly once a batch has been sold, they then bring in another newer must have model, its the way the system works)
As Luke has pointed out Alan has invested in a new ultra light pole that wont go out of date, is designed for waterfed pole work and is very well priced in the market place. He has a few trial poles out and has sent me one down for consultation, evaluation and report,... which I should recieve tomorrow if its better in any way than an F16, as an independent I shall say so.
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tell us about it as soon as you have used it!!
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is ther a thread with pictures to show the end of the pole where the brush goes on, cos as an angler I know how thin the pole is at the end. Also what length pole do you buy for the equivelent of 24'
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This forum cannot take immage shack pics.
You usually discard the top 3 metres and start with the No4/5 section. To get 24ft depends on the make and taper but a 10m margin pole should be ok. If you are a fisherman then you may think the poles are not strong enough but in use vertically they are.
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I use number three section on my 11.5 metre pole. That makes it twenty seven feet exactly.
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Had a quick look on ebay and the Thompson Zensorflex pole is still around for those who want a shorter, stronger everyday pole.
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do you use the normal match style poles or do you use the carp poles, and what brushes do you use cos the vikans are a little heavy me thinks
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I'm going to have to get one. I used all five sections of the unger teleplus last thursday, I'm a big bloke, but it's bloody hard work using 5 sections. Dai
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You use any house broom, sold at tesco etc, they have the same thread as a vikan. They feel rubbish, but when you use them, the're actually very good at getting dirt off. cheap too. Just use any pole.
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I think you want a carp pole designed for bigger fish "margin poles , hit and hold and commercial fishery poles" are the terms to look for.
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The one I use is th Map F16 commercial fishery pole , its 16m originaly but cut down to suit it goes to 42' then you can add extra sections for the extra hieght you need
I also just added one of Gardiners goosenecks and a supalite brush, I had to cut down the No4 section by about a foot or so, cant remember exactly how much
Chris
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Dont you have to put these poles together at each new job? That must be a bit of a drag? Also how hard is it to convert a fishing pole into a wfp? is it a simple task much diy involved?
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Dont you have to put these poles together at each new job? That must be a bit of a drag? Also how hard is it to convert a fishing pole into a wfp? is it a simple task much diy involved?
Yes you have to put it together at each and every job, you wouldnt get a 40' pole in te back of the van
No its not a drag, I can assemble it just as quick as I could raise my old 40' pole
& converting a fishing pole is easy you really only need to cut the top section to suit the gooseneck that you have
Chris
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Our new Super-Lite2 is going on sale at the end of July. We will be offering a base version that will be ideal for DIY'ers, it will cut out the hassle of cutting sections and mix and matching different poles. It will have special top section that will allow any standard gooseneck to simply screw on, also the first 5ft section will be almost unbreakable whilst still being very light, meaning that it will be possible to put pressure on low level work and even get away with shutting windows with the pole. But it will still be very competitive in price compared to getting your own fishing pole and modifying it.
We will also offer a more complete off the shelf kit for those who want zero hassle.
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If you do convert one, I made the end around the gooseneck about 4 times thicker using the bits I cut of. Like I said, do a search under this sight, i explained in detail how to do it. Or just buy one.
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Alex, this 1 is a bit out of context but, when are the 34ft xtel arriving, also i notice that you now have it as 31ft insted of 34ft can you clarifie that plz, thx. ::)
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Hi Need-a-cleaner,
All of the poles arrived this week from Finland, but not the largest size Glass fibre ones! So we are still awaiting the 31ft glass fibre Xtel. We think that it will be about 3 weeks before we have this size back in.
Why has the length changed?
The first batch of Glass fibre Xtel's had the longest length of 34ft but the factory has re-jigged the sizes all round and the longest glass fibre is now a 31ft (31' 4" actual, not measured from hip as many pole retailers quote!).
In the hybrid size we have a 31ft (31' 4" actual) and also a 34ft (34' 6" actual).
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Hi Need-a-cleaner,
All of the poles arrived this week from Finland, but not the largest size Glass fibre ones! So we are still awaiting the 31ft glass fibre Xtel. We think that it will be about 3 weeks before we have this size back in.
Why has the length changed?
The first batch of Glass fibre Xtel's had the longest length of 34ft but the factory has re-jigged the sizes all round and the longest glass fibre is now a 31ft (31' 4" actual, not measured from hip as many pole retailers quote!).
In the hybrid size we have a 31ft (31' 4" actual) and also a 34ft (34' 6" actual).
Is the price going to reflect the lost in lengh or will still be the same? ;D
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Price to us is the same, so............... :)
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You should complained that you are actualy paying the same/more for less ;D