Specs don't lie. Go with Gardiner poles. People buy them because they are the best, and you get the best customer service.
How much do you think you can earn with a pole? I've been using my Mark 1 SL-X for over 4 years now. Do the maths. You get what you pay for in life. I would pay a lot more then £100 just to get the better pole, which the SL-X, or Xtreme easily is.