Clean It Up
UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: Captain Scarlet on February 16, 2008, 08:50:18 pm
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OK, most people know that Unger have brought out a pole, "identical" to the xtel but more costly from some manufacturers ( both made by xtel with same clamps, size sections ) but different in colour. Well my 2 x 17ft Xtels have just been replaced with 2 x Unger 17ft, and guess what, there not identical, the Unger is quite alot stiffer, infact its now not far off straight at horizontal with a vikan brush!!!!! Luke
Xtel:(http://www.reachandclean.co.uk/acatalog/gxtel2.jpg)
Unger:(http://www.soapnational.co.uk/acatalog/UNGERPOLE.gif)
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how much and where from fella
tony
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How much did you pay Luke and what brush did they come with.
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The Window Cleaning Warehouse:
http://www.windowcleaningwarehouse.co.uk/shop/products/poles-accessories-2.html
They now stock the Ungers instead of the Xtels, I cant remember the prices though, but its less than the xtel now from them!!! Luke
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I also have the new Unger ( Vikan! ) green flocked brush, but using the monos still, its very unlike the Vikan flocked or monos, its quite different infact! The bristles are shorter by about 3-4mm and seem very abbrasive but equally as splaying, Luke
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I have the green pole a 27ft pole i fort it was the xtell hybird pole didnt relise i was buying and unger!! :-\ which is fine but thats not what it said on there website.
which why i was confused wen i recived it sposedly be with a vikin brush but has unger all over it and its green not red.
but... i have not had any other pole so dont no which is best
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OK, most people know that Unger have brought out a pole, "identical" to the xtel but more costly from some manufacturers ( both made by xtel with same clamps, size sections ) but different in colour. Well my 2 x 17ft Xtels have just been replaced with 2 x Unger 17ft, and guess what, there not identical, the Unger is quite alot stiffer, infact its now not far off straight at horizontal with a vikan brush!!!!! Luke
Xtel:(http://www.reachandclean.co.uk/acatalog/gxtel2.jpg)
Unger:(http://www.soapnational.co.uk/acatalog/UNGERPOLE.gif)
Hi Luke
The reason for this is that you had some of the very early X-Tels which were not quite as stiff as they are now. More recently they have strengthened and stiffened the fibre glass in the whole of their range. If you held one of the latest 17ft X-Tels against the Unger you would find them identical.
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I had considered that, I like the green though!! Have you used the brush Alex? Its splays much more square than the vikan, Luke Luke
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I had considered that, I like the green though!! Have you used the brush Alex? Its splays much more square than the vikan, Luke Luke
Funnily enough our first range of Universal poles was a very similar green. Some people loved it, others hated it!
(http://www.gardinerpolesystems.co.uk/acatalog/clampssections.jpg)
(http://www.gardinerpolesystems.co.uk/acatalog/exelpoleupright.jpg)
I haven't used the brush as, like all Vikan brushes, it's far too heavy for my personal taste.
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Alex, what about the clamps, were they improved? They seem like a harder plastic?? Dont know if thats true though, Luke
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Not intentionally. However, we have noticed from that manufacturer that the quality of their plastics can vary from batch to batch. We have noticed though that far less clamp handles get broken on the X-Tel range than used to on the Universal and Extender ranges.
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Thats interesting, Luke
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Alex, do you have a date for the new brush, Luke
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Nope. Still turning the cogs but the end is very near in sight.
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Ive got a really akward job coming up in March ( Anti Pigeon things at 50ft!!! ) so wanted/need the new brush to make sure of a good job!!!! Luke
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I have the green pole a 27ft pole i fort it was the xtell hybird pole didnt relise i was buying and unger!! :-\ which is fine but thats not what it said on there website.
which why i was confused wen i recived it sposedly be with a vikin brush but has unger all over it and its green not red.
but... i have not had any other pole so dont no which is best
they are the same poles, but green. If the pole is a hybrid all bar the bottom section then you should see a weave in the pole material. if that makes sense.
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sorry just read that last post, and it does read at all right.
here goes mk II, lol.
they are the same poles, with subtle differences and are green in color. If the pole is a hybrid, all bar the bottom section will be made out of a fiberglass and carbonfibre mix, and you should see a weave in the pole material.
hope that makes more sense.
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ey are the same poles, but green. If the pole is a hybrid all bar the bottom section then you should see a weave in the pole material. if that makes sense.
its in the back of me van il have a look 2morra ;D
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The Unger Xtel seem the better poles simply for the reason pole itself hasn't been butchered to get the hose through. This give the pole extra strength others on the market.
Yes we have been using this 'hose-through' method for about 2 years on all of our poles whether they are X-Tel, Universal, Predator or Facelift, it took that long for someone like Unger to copy our hose-through method. :) All good ideas get copied in the end.
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Who ever jetted those brushes wants shooting, he may as well have just put one jet in the middle! ::)
Tony
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Not common enough apparently, as we have been the only ones using this method for two years, until Unger joined us in this method. I'm sure that Unger is well aware of our product range and our website. If they are not then they really have a very blinkered approach to WFP products. Even Ionics checks our website out.
Comparing a Super-Lite to an Unger Carbon-Tec is like comparing a bamboo to a plank of two by four. Both are long and straight, but there the similarity ends. Each of them have their strong points but as to being a similar idea, anyone who has used them both will see that this is not the case. I did not have the experience of using a Carbon-Tec until some time after the first Super-Lite had been in use for quite a while. If it had been the other way around it would have probably put me off going down the modular route entirely. Not due to build quality, because the Unger is very well built, just down to weight and ease of use.
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I'd trust any of Alex's poles over Unger's rubbish any day. ;)
Very cheap products, but at high prices, just like their nasty plastic squeegees. :-X
Great for kids though...
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No i can assure you Unger little about your product range and website as most of their development comes from Europe and US. I wouldn't compare them to Ionics, Ionics are hardly a big company in a global sense and everyone knows how paraniod they are about their brand. On that note why did you remove your findings on the Ionic poles? If everything is accurate how can they insist you take it down? Did they do they legal threat thing? How would they stand if the Which report got involved!!? ;D
Well you know about it and you and Unger are fairly friendly ;D
As it says on our website, the statistical information regarding Ionics poles has been removed at their request. Whilst the information was completely accurate, it did not portray their products in the light that they obviously wanted them portrayed, hence they requested that we remove the information and reminded us of their success in litigation! I must admit this made me laugh as they would just be wasting their time, but, as it was not my intention to wind them up, I did remove the figures. I don't think this has done them any favours though, as everyone now knows that they don't want these statistics to be seen.
I always like to give credit where it's due though and Ionics conduct themselves in a very businesslike way. They have a very good approach to in-house production and development and market a very successful product. Their pole range seems to be of high quality and does the job it was designed to do although they are way too heavy for my personal use.
Obviously, our firm has a different approach to many other firms when it comes to products and product development but then that just adds to a bit of variety in the market place. It would be really boring if we all produced exactly the same products, marketed them and developed customer relations in exactly the same way - just like it would be boring if you didn't come on the Forum and give me a hard time ;). I actually look forward to your posts, they make me grin. ;D
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Its all a bit of fun really! Ps how's the state side thing going?
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Alex Gardiner, how's the thermal hose issue?
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Its all a bit of fun really! Ps how's the state side thing going?
Were getting there, product liability has been the biggest issue as most underwriters really do not like the US litigation culture. We felt that this had to be sorted out first (at an eye-watering expense!) as we had been advised that if we tried to sell even the smallest product in the US without it we could rapidly come un-stuck.
Alex Gardiner, how's the thermal hose issue?
I can get you 8mm ID Thermal hose in blue in 20m, 40m or 100 metres for £1.42 per metre. This can be ordered off the shelf in Blue.
The reason that I haven't got back to you though is that they are still working on a yellow super-PVC formula in 8mm ID, this will be more suitable in my opinion. I will be giving them a call tomorrow now that you have reminded me. :)
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Who ever jetted those brushes wants shooting, he may as well have just put one jet in the middle! ::)
Tony
I agree Tony, and why do they put the jets in the centre of the bristles instead of near the top. The nearer the bristles are to the top, the less chance of leaving anything on the glass when rinsing on.
And one more why, Why do the drill the holes for the jets at 90 degrees to top of the brush, why don't they drill the holes at the same angle as that of the surrounding bristles? The water would then run in the direction that the bristles are pointing, and you wouldn't have to remove so many of them.
That's the advantage of DIY, you can improve on existing design.
I often wonder if the guys that design WFP brushes ever get to use one day in day out. Dai
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I would rate gardiners above unger.
I'm waiting for them to come up with their idea of a hot water system.
When my hybrid wears out I'll get an slx.
They just know what their talking about cos they use the stuff.
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It is possible to design stuff whilst having hardly any knowledge. There is such a thing as talent and aptitude. A fresh pair of eyes is no bad thing. Hopefully Alex has got this as well as being an experienced user.
As you know I'm just reading Dysons book. He says of the barrowball that builders didn't think it an advance because they didn't care about ruts in peoples lawns, or catching door jams.
The usable closed length of a pole seems fairly obvious and you'd have thought they'd have arrived at it sooner than they did.
I want a motorised reel because I am convinced this is a major advance. As no one else is doing it I am having to.
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While Alex is around....
Alex when will you have the 30meters of microbore back in stock? currently says out of stock on your site.
Could you let me know thanks
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I would rate gardiners above unger.
I would rate Lidl above them. ;D
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Well you know about it and you and Unger are fairly friendly ;D
As it says on our website, the statistical information regarding Ionics poles has been removed at their request. Whilst the information was completely accurate, it did not portray their products in the light that they obviously wanted them portrayed, hence they requested that we remove the information and reminded us of their success in litigation! I must admit this made me laugh as they would just be wasting their time, but, as it was not my intention to wind them up, I did remove the figures. I don't think this has done them any favours though, as everyone now knows that they don't want these statistics to be seen.
That is double dutch from Ionics, was it not them that pinched your ideas and then published them in PWC. So why not threaten them back with pinching your registered pole findings ;D
So that also means Brodex can now have them for litigation ;)
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I know who i'd trust, & who i'd buy a pole from. go's without saying realy, the man who does PROPER- REAL WORLD R&D, or the one who sits back in his chair with a rather big head on him! no brainer ;)
What some have. others cannot buy.
Tony
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I hope you are not calling me an armchair general mac mac, or a fantasy fooball pole designer?
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While Alex is around....
Alex when will you have the 30meters of microbore back in stock? currently says out of stock on your site.
Could you let me know thanks
Oooops-It is in stock!!
Clerical error, it is now back as available on the website :)
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Its all a bit of fun really! Ps how's the state side thing going?
Were getting there, product liability has been the biggest issue as most underwriters really do not like the US litigation culture. We felt that this had to be sorted out first (at an eye-watering expense!) as we had been advised that if we tried to sell even the smallest product in the US without it we could rapidly come un-stuck.
Alex Gardiner, how's the thermal hose issue?
I can get you 8mm ID Thermal hose in blue in 20m, 40m or 100 metres for £1.42 per metre. This can be ordered off the shelf in Blue.
The reason that I haven't got back to you though is that they are still working on a yellow super-PVC formula in 8mm ID, this will be more suitable in my opinion. I will be giving them a call tomorrow now that you have reminded me. :)
Hi Alex,
If it's going to be summer before the yellow thermal hose is available I'll have 100m of blue for now as I need another hosereel of minibore so it might as well be thermal hose. Better blue than wait for summer to arrive. If it's going to be a couple of weeks, I'll wait for yellow.
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Oooops-It is in stock!!
Clerical error, it is now back as available on the website
cool!
Thanks for that