Clean It Up
UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: petski2 on January 16, 2009, 10:32:38 am
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Hey all,does anyone have an ally pole and if so would a 30ft be easy to handle :)
I know they arent as light as carbon and roughly same as fibre but as i said in another post im just fed up of fibre glass poles wearing out.I just want a workhorse that wont wear,but I dont want one thats going to be too heavy for every day use.
PS..a lot of our work is 3 storey so it needs to be 30ft.
Cheers
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From my experience of using Unger, 30ft in constant use may give you RSI problems, use c/f which is lighter.
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Thanks for that Jeff.
However as I said its more an issue of longevity of pole than anything else as there are 2 of us and we trad downstairs we can share the pole work.
So my post should really have stated I would probably be using pole max 2 hours a day.
Thanks again
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Thanks Matt :)
PS.the pages won,t fully load for me for some reason.They get halfway then stop so only half of the pics are visible ???
Pete
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Petski; I second Matt's link. DIY lightweight poles are extremely easy to do; a top bit of kit; dirt cheap too.
It's rare that something so cost effective is this good.
Try it.
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Thanks Matt :)
PS.the pages won,t fully load for me for some reason.They get halfway then stop so only half of the pics are visible ???
Pete
just hit REFRESH on your browser, the other pics will load, its a free host i use and they are poor
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Wow I think ill give it a go guys :)
Thanks
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http://diywfpole.webs.com/
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Petski,
I think Matt and Jeff are great, but sometimes their posts seem to overcomplicate DIYing a pole.
Get yourself a Ron Thompson Zensorflex and a Gangster; you won't go far wrong if you want to reach 30 foot. Use the Zensorflex for your routine domestic work and the Gangster for your higher work.
Don't mess about with expanding foam; it's pointless; but do tape up the sections of your poles so they can't slide too deeply inside one another. And this problem isn't just experienced with DIY poles either; lightweight off-the-shelf modular poles suffer with the same problem.
Also get one of these from Emporium: it saves any fannying about:
http://www.emporiumpoles.co.uk/?plasticextendertube_
It just slides over the end of the fishing pole and you attach your gooseneck onto it.
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Thanks for that Jeff.
However as I said its more an issue of longevity of pole than anything else as there are 2 of us and we trad downstairs we can share the pole work.
So my post should really have stated I would probably be using pole max 2 hours a day.
Thanks again
Maximum two hours a day should be OK so long as you don't keep trying to use it at silly angles. I used a 24 ft ali pole as my normal pole and used it at angles it wasn't meant for. I got (temporary) shoulder and elbow problems. This was resolved by switching to much lighter poles. Don't want to put you off because ali certainly has its place. I still use mine for certain types of work and it performs well on that work. I just wouldn't want to use it all day every day.
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do you get the 5m zensorflex, how much of it would you lose? these are only bout £11. have i seen the right 1?
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do you get the 5m zensorflex, how much of it would you lose? these are only bout £11. have i seen the right 1?
Very probably, I think I paid £20 for mine though, including P & P.
Have you got a link?
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do you get the 5m zensorflex, how much of it would you lose? these are only bout £11. have i seen the right 1?
11 quid is a very good price
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Petski,
I think Matt and Jeff are great, but sometimes their posts seem to overcomplicate DIYing a pole.
Get yourself a Ron Thompson Zensorflex and a Gangster; you won't go far wrong if you want to reach 30 foot. Use the Zensorflex for your routine domestic work and the Gangster for your higher work.
Don't mess about with expanding foam; it's pointless; but do tape up the sections of your poles so they can't slide too deeply inside one another. And this problem isn't just experienced with DIY poles either; lightweight off-the-shelf modular poles suffer with the same problem.
Also get one of these from Emporium: it saves any fannying about:
http://www.emporiumpoles.co.uk/?plasticextendertube_
It just slides over the end of the fishing pole and you attach your gooseneck onto it.
tosh how much it pP&P from emporimpoles ? ? ? just for 1 of them end things
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About £8 quid I think; tops.
It'll last years also.
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About £8 quid I think; tops.
It'll last years also.
what 8 quid postage ? ? ? or 8 quid with the end thing included ? ? ? ?
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http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Ron-Thompson-Zensorflex-5m-Tele-Pole_W0QQitemZ170264920766QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_SportingGoods_FishingAcces_RL?hash=item170264920766&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1301%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318
its on ebay, 6quid with a fiver p&p, is this the 1?
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That's the one; if the e-bayer looks decent buy yourself a bargin!
I've ended up with a 15 foot lightweight pole with that; but you need to get yourself the Emporium attachement that will fit over the section of fishing pole; so that you can attach the gooseneck and brush onto.
I've a link to all this; but Matt's DIY site is a corking place to start.
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ok cheers, i think ill get 1 as a back up. i havent used modular before, all my poles are telescopic, so best startin with a small 1 like that to see if i like them
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Have a look at the Gazza's DIY challenge thing... in the old post I've just ressurected.
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ok cheers, i think ill get 1 as a back up. i havent used modular before, all my poles are telescopic, so best startin with a small 1 like that to see if i like them
hi monim
after using the modular poles like matts and tosh,s
you wont want to use any thing else, takes a bit of getting used to , but great ;D
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hiya, yeh ive just ordered the zensorflex now, not the 1 off that link tho, i noticed that was 5m, ive ordered an 8m one. ive bin wfp about a yr now n only used telescopic, but this wil give me somethin to do 1 wkend now, ha.
tosh ive checked the other post, cheers. im gona sort 1 of those out.
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ive bin wfp about a yr now n only used telescopic, but this wil give me somethin to do 1 wkend now, ha.
tosh ive checked the other post, cheers. im gona sort 1 of those out.
That'll be a fiver!
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I bought a fishing pole and I have to agree with most of the earlier comments, but I prefer the flexibility of a telescopic pole. Open the clamp, push it up or drop it down and close the clamp again and instantly alter the length.
I have an 18 ft prolong, I've had it well over a year and I'm probably the most careless window cleaner when it comes to looking after my kit.
So far I've had to adjust the top clamp three times and the bottom one once. There's still plenty of adjustment left and although the pole is starting to look a bit battered, there's none of the wear that you get with GF or even CF poles. I don't expect to have to replace it for at least a couple of years yet, and I use it every day for 95% of my work.
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Right thats it my mind is made up ;D
Im gonna get an ali pole 18ft to use for all our standard 2 storey work.
Im also gonna go down the modular fishing pole route for the 3 storey work.
Thanks for all the help guys :)
Pete
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No you want the 8 metre put over pole, not the 5 metre...
you dont want a 10 foot pole!
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I bought a fishing pole and I have to agree with most of the earlier comments, but I prefer the flexibility of a telescopic pole. Open the clamp, push it up or drop it down and close the clamp again and instantly alter the length.
I hear what you're saying, and I've used a telescopic pole; but a short modular is just as easy.
For example, if you've got your pole at full reach but have a low 1st floor window; just pop off the bottom section and you're at the right height. Next you may have a window a bit higher; just slip the bottom section back on again and you're there!
It's not rocket science!
With the Zensorflex you can adjust the pole size in three-foot increments. I agree though; there are occasions when a 1.5 foot increment would be good; but the pole is light, so it's not a major trauma if you have to work with your hands above your shoulders for the odd window.
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Petski,
Get a Zensorflex first, before you waste your money on an alluminium pole; trust me.
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Got one of these Energie poles coming soon, it's supposed to be identical to the Zensorflex - we'll see.
http://grandeslam.co.uk/acatalog/Poles.html bottom of the page.
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Got one of these Energie poles coming soon, it's supposed to be identical to the Zensorflex - we'll see.
http://grandeslam.co.uk/acatalog/Poles.html bottom of the page.
the Margin Master 9.5.m Pole looks ok at £59.99
Jeff B has mentioned the Margin poles in the past ( i think )
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That's full carbon too. Good value for carbon.
Think Margin poles are a type of fishing pole - think they are for yanking big carp from fairly close in (margins - amongst the reeds)
I don't know a lot about fishing, all i know is that it's a big jerk on one end waiting for a little jerk on the other. :D
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I have a 30 foot tucker. Don't use it that much but when I do flats it gets a full days use and I don't find it heavy at all.
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That's full carbon too. Good value for carbon.
Think Margin poles are a type of fishing pole - think they are for yanking big carp from fairly close in (margins - amongst the reeds)
I don't know a lot about fishing, all i know is that it's a big jerk on one end waiting for a little jerk on the other. :D
You dont get full carbon for £19, -£190 maybe. I suggest its glass fibre, one advantage of Glass is you dont get splinters. There are many fishing poles out there after much trial and error I found the Zensor/Reload(now Gangster) and F16, The M16 is also a stronger pole than the F16 but more expensive, SWC has his prefered pole. Ideally you want one that takes parrallel extension sections for going higher.
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Jeff look at the link - not the £19 one but the £59 one - it says full carbon. It's not particularly long though.
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Ok will do, sorry.
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When you get it look at the colour, it should be black. If its a greyer shade its got some composite mix in it which makes it slightly cheaper and stronger but not stiffer. Good for you trying alternatives ! ;)
The browning margin master is no more and also a bit short but you could get and extension section for it. http://www.polecompare.com/index.php?categoryid=8&Search=Code&High=1874_751&PoleId=60&Detail=Details
Margin poles have the right attributes for our use as a wfp, the earlier fishing poles were thicker and better for our use but the fishermen are going a different way to us and now demmand even thinner and lighter/stiffer poles which are becoming ever more expensive.