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UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: concept on June 27, 2009, 08:43:31 pm

Title: harris pole alternative?
Post by: concept on June 27, 2009, 08:43:31 pm
what non-homemade alternatives are there to the harris pole?

like the weight and feel of the harris, however, feels too "homemade" for my liking.

whats a professional alternative?
Title: Re: harris pole alternative?
Post by: Steve CM on June 27, 2009, 08:53:11 pm
harris poles are v.good concept. thats all we use now as chuck away poles. for the amount of money they are i don't think they can be beaten!
Title: Re: harris pole alternative?
Post by: concept on June 27, 2009, 08:56:05 pm
today i used mine and the screw worked loose, fortunately i was at a relatives so managed to borrow his drill, and whacked a bolt through it to keep it all steady, could have been embarrassing if it was at a customers.

still, mended and worked well through the rest of the day!  ;D

just wondered if there was a reasonably priced, decent alternative.
Title: Re: harris pole alternative?
Post by: GWCS on June 27, 2009, 08:56:44 pm
harris poles are v.good concept. thats all we use now as chuck away poles. for the amount of money they are i don't think they can be beaten!

Just bought one today looks and feels very study for the price!

@ concept - Are you looking to use a wfp brush or a general applicator on the end?
Title: Re: harris pole alternative?
Post by: concept on June 27, 2009, 08:57:40 pm
wfp  8)
Title: Re: harris pole alternative?
Post by: Steve CM on June 27, 2009, 08:59:26 pm
i think we have gone through about 10 or so and not once has the screw worked loose. in fact its taken me ages if i want to get the screw top out to use on a new pole. maybe your not converting it right?
Title: Re: harris pole alternative?
Post by: concept on June 27, 2009, 09:01:39 pm
i think we have gone through about 10 or so and not once has the screw worked loose. in fact its taken me ages if i want to get the screw top out to use on a new pole. maybe your not converting it right?

well....i watched ians video aaaaaallllllll the way through ;) honest!  ;D













if you count looking at the 1st 5 seconds to see what parts you need and fast forwarding all the way to the complete pole as watching it all the way through?!  8)
Title: Re: harris pole alternative?
Post by: Steve CM on June 27, 2009, 09:05:15 pm
i think we have gone through about 10 or so and not once has the screw worked loose. in fact its taken me ages if i want to get the screw top out to use on a new pole. maybe your not converting it right?

well....i watched ians video aaaaaallllllll the way through ;) honest!  ;D

ian said they wobble. he don't convert the the same way i do  ;) not once have we had that issue













if you count looking at the 1st 5 seconds to see what parts you need and fast forwarding all the way to the complete pole as watching it all the way through?!  8)
Title: Re: harris pole alternative?
Post by: mileslake on June 27, 2009, 09:07:07 pm
They are great but I find them far too heavy.  Fishing poles are much better for me. I use a gangster for houses and a F16 plus extra base sections if necessary for very high.
Title: Re: harris pole alternative?
Post by: Steve CM on June 27, 2009, 09:08:44 pm
heavy? are your arms made from matchsticks?  ;D when i bought my first system i had a 30ft streamline glass fibre pole. I still have it today. Its bomb proof but you need to be arnie to use it at even 2 storys!! ;D harris poles are light as anything
Title: Re: harris pole alternative?
Post by: concept on June 27, 2009, 09:10:15 pm
deffo not too heavy like, maybe i am too used to my caber tho  8)
Title: Re: harris pole alternative?
Post by: Steve CM on June 27, 2009, 09:12:03 pm
if i were to work on my own i would probably go for something like the sl-x but as my equipment gets treated with no respect the harris poles will do just fine ;)
Title: Re: harris pole alternative?
Post by: concept on June 27, 2009, 09:16:44 pm
you dont pay the boys enough then!

either that, or dont threaten them enough!
 ;)
Title: Re: harris pole alternative?
Post by: Steve CM on June 27, 2009, 09:20:12 pm
i pay the boys hansom mate. 8) you have to look at things in a different light when its employing. Its all damage limitation
Title: Re: harris pole alternative?
Post by: concept on June 27, 2009, 09:33:47 pm
maybe i should come work for you!

Title: Re: harris pole alternative?
Post by: Steve CM on June 27, 2009, 09:34:39 pm
all booked out mate sorry. no room in the inn ;D ;D
Title: Re: harris pole alternative?
Post by: Window Washers on June 27, 2009, 10:34:42 pm
Pretty darn nice inn I must say  ;D
Title: Re: harris pole alternative?
Post by: concept on June 27, 2009, 10:42:01 pm
Pretty darn nice bin I must say  ;D
:o
Title: Re: harris pole alternative?
Post by: matt on June 27, 2009, 11:28:17 pm
heavy? are your arms made from matchsticks?  ;D when i bought my first system i had a 30ft streamline glass fibre pole. I still have it today. Its bomb proof but you need to be arnie to use it at even 2 storys!! ;D harris poles are light as anything

having asked the question on here and getting a few e.mails about it

its heavy compared to fishing poles, which i think just about sums the fishing pole up
Title: Re: harris pole alternative?
Post by: concept on June 27, 2009, 11:41:45 pm
if the fishing poles are good enough, why dont you make them and take them to market?

as an alternative to whats out there, there are a lot of us, i am sure, that dont want to pay full whack for a pole from the usual suspects, but would happily pay for something as good if not better, but not have to make it ourselves.

i have read a lot of your posts with interest matt, and i am surprised you aren't sitting back on a beach somewhere, posting us from your iphone....as you've clearly got an eye for the alternatives out there, you come across as a bit of a diy pioneer, maybe you are missing a trick?!
Title: Re: harris pole alternative?
Post by: elite mike on June 27, 2009, 11:44:44 pm
if the fishing poles are good enough, why dont you make them and take them to market?

as an alternative to whats out there, there are a lot of us, i am sure, that dont want to pay full whack for a pole from the usual suspects, but would happily pay for something as good if not better, but not have to make it ourselves.

i have read a lot of your posts with interest matt, and i am surprised you aren't sitting back on a beach somewhere, posting us from your iphone....as you've clearly got an eye for the alternatives out there, you come across as a bit of a diy pioneer, maybe you are missing a trick?!

you were not jonah in a previous life ,

by any chance  ::)
Title: Re: harris pole alternative?
Post by: Steve CM on June 28, 2009, 08:29:07 am
heavy? are your arms made from matchsticks?  ;D when i bought my first system i had a 30ft streamline glass fibre pole. I still have it today. Its bomb proof but you need to be arnie to use it at even 2 storys!! ;D harris poles are light as anything

having asked the question on here and getting a few e.mails about it

its heavy compared to fishing poles, which i think just about sums the fishing pole up

are we a forum of men or mice?! ;D the poles of old used to make your arms and shoulders ache if you wern't used to it. on the rare occassions i go out after using one of the harris i doesn't feel like i've been to the gym after. the old multipoles used to give me aches and pains. The other thing i presume with a fishing pole is that they wouldn't be to durable? the harris poles get a good kicking and none of the sections have ever broke. my sl2 is brittle and i've gone through four sections since i bought it. I'm guessing the fishing pole is on the same lines or am i missing something?
Title: Re: harris pole alternative?
Post by: Steve CM on June 28, 2009, 08:29:55 am
there are a lot of us, i am sure, that dont want to pay full whack for a pole from the usual suspects

we can tell your scottish! ;D
Title: Re: harris pole alternative?
Post by: concept on June 28, 2009, 08:50:11 am
if the fishing poles are good enough, why dont you make them and take them to market?

as an alternative to whats out there, there are a lot of us, i am sure, that dont want to pay full whack for a pole from the usual suspects, but would happily pay for something as good if not better, but not have to make it ourselves.

i have read a lot of your posts with interest matt, and i am surprised you aren't sitting back on a beach somewhere, posting us from your iphone....as you've clearly got an eye for the alternatives out there, you come across as a bit of a diy pioneer, maybe you are missing a trick?!
you were not jonah in a previous life ,

by any chance  ::)

??
Title: Re: harris pole alternative?
Post by: elite mike on June 28, 2009, 09:03:08 am
 ;D ;D

lets say you remind me of someone ;)

no offense
Title: Re: harris pole alternative?
Post by: matt on June 28, 2009, 06:50:41 pm
heavy? are your arms made from matchsticks?  ;D when i bought my first system i had a 30ft streamline glass fibre pole. I still have it today. Its bomb proof but you need to be arnie to use it at even 2 storys!! ;D harris poles are light as anything

having asked the question on here and getting a few e.mails about it

its heavy compared to fishing poles, which i think just about sums the fishing pole up

are we a forum of men or mice?! ;D the poles of old used to make your arms and shoulders ache if you wern't used to it. on the rare occassions i go out after using one of the harris i doesn't feel like i've been to the gym after. the old multipoles used to give me aches and pains. The other thing i presume with a fishing pole is that they wouldn't be to durable? the harris poles get a good kicking and none of the sections have ever broke. my sl2 is brittle and i've gone through four sections since i bought it. I'm guessing the fishing pole is on the same lines or am i missing something?

i would like to think i come under the " man " category  ;D

BUT

i used the unger ali 3 X 2M pole for years, it was fairly heavy, still lighter than them silly heavy CF poles ( i really didnt get the reason why people used them, as the cleantech own brand ali pole was under 30 quid )

its all about lightness for me, i dont get home with arms aching, i dont have niggley pains ( apart from my hernia )
Title: Re: harris pole alternative?
Post by: pjulk on June 29, 2009, 03:17:08 pm
The cleantech pole is an alternative to the harris or an unger telepole.

But they are dearer than the harris and i dont find them any better.

I like the harris poles and compared to my powerpole which kills my arms now when i use it they are light as a feather.

I wont be changing to any other pole.

I did convert an old shakespear fishing pole about a year ago and could not get used to it so threw it in the shed which i now busted anyway as my lad run it over with his motorcross bike.

I like the harris cheap and chearful but does an excellent job and does not splinter like fibreglass poles.

And if i bust a pole i can pop to B&Q and an hour later i will be back at work.

I always have 2 harris poles in my van anyway so it does not matter if i bust one.
Title: Re: harris pole alternative?
Post by: Tosh on June 29, 2009, 11:41:37 pm
if the fishing poles are good enough, why dont you make them and take them to market?


Alex Gardiner already has.  Where have you been?  The Superlight 1 was a Maver fishing pole; in fact the manufacturing label of 'Maver' was actually on the pole!

Since then, it's been upgraded and has Alex's sticker on it.
Title: Re: harris pole alternative?
Post by: Alex Gardiner on June 30, 2009, 07:56:51 am
if the fishing poles are good enough, why dont you make them and take them to market?


Alex Gardiner already has.  Where have you been?  The Superlight 1 was a Maver fishing pole; in fact the manufacturing label of 'Maver' was actually on the pole!

Since then, it's been upgraded and has Alex's sticker on it.

Fishing poles are great for personal use but I would not recommend anyone trying to retail them as window cleaning poles unless they are prepared to replace sections and take the hit financially.  As Tosh says the SL1 was a modified Maver pole but the minute I had designed the SL2, we withdrew the SL1 from the market, even though this left us with no product to sell for a few months until the SL2 was ready.
Title: Re: harris pole alternative?
Post by: Tosh on June 30, 2009, 08:54:15 am
Sorry Alex.

My Gangster fishing pole didn't last too long even though I didn't use it much and the final nail in it's coffin was when I left two sections of it at a job and can't remember where.

But my Zensorflex (a bargin at £20) is still being used and abused; it's class. 
Title: Re: harris pole alternative?
Post by: concept on July 07, 2009, 04:58:40 pm
had my fill of these harris poles already, whats a ready made non-diy alternative chaps?
Title: Re: harris pole alternative?
Post by: gary999 on July 07, 2009, 05:54:17 pm
my harris poles last me about 6 months a bargain at £15
Title: Re: harris pole alternative?
Post by: elite mike on July 07, 2009, 06:04:54 pm
my harris poles last me about 6 months a bargain at £15

got to agree  :) i think they are pretty sturdy

and will stand up to a lot of abuse  8)
Title: Re: harris pole alternative?
Post by: Steve CM on July 07, 2009, 06:29:51 pm
i find they have lasted as long as any other budget pole on the market, and about a fifth of the price
Title: Re: harris pole alternative?
Post by: mileslake on July 07, 2009, 11:54:54 pm
My gangster is at least 9 months old. It is wearing a bit but for £65 who cares. I have a zensorflex for back up (they are solid as Tosh says)  and my F16 is great for bigger jobs. I have a couple of Harris Poles which I thought were great at first. but no longer use due to the weight. Fascia and soffit cleaning are a breeze with an  f pole.  I have no wish to be Jeff capes so fishing poles are great.