gotta be honest mate i dont think these poles are up to as much as people think, tho my old slx 18 was brill couldnt fault it but the extreme pole iv got not the new one thats come out the previous is absolute crap 3 sections completly broke all at once cleaning a 3rd story window fair doose to gardiners tho they replaced the sections for me but just 6 months or so later and i fear its gunna go soon its gone really thin very quick the sections slide down and i have to tighten them all the time and its those new clamps to. when im cleaning its making a cranking noise. im going to order a clx 18 and retire it for 3 story only. the clx 18 is a brilliant pole faultless
Hi Dean
The pole that Duncan has is an SLX not the Xtreme that you now have.
The Super-Lite Xtreme poles are a very different pole to your original SLX pole. The Xtreme is a lightweight and rigid pole option offering more user convenience than our original Super-Lite Modular pole. They are also more robust than the Super-Lite modular poles. However they are still a thin wall ultra-lightweight carbon fibre pole. This does give excellent weight to length ratios along with excellent rigidity compared with standard carbon fibre poles. It does mean however that they are not as robust or wear resistant as standard telescopic carbon fibre poles such as the SLX and Super-Max range of poles.
This means that in practical use they do need to be looked after and maintained to a far higher standard than their cheaper siblings. As stated in the pole user guide (see below), we recommend the following cleaning and maintenance schedule.
Cleaning Schedule:
1. Keep the pole as clean as possible at all times. Wiping the pole hose after each use will reduce the amount of dirt entering the pole. A wipe with a cloth as you are coiling the hose away is sufficient.
2. Hose the pole down once a week or after working in gritty or sandy environments. To do this, either hose up from the base of the pole with all clamps open or undo clamp bolts until loose and slide sections apart to clean between the sections.
Servicing Schedule:
1. In addition to the above schedule we would recommend fully taking apart the pole every 2-3 months to clean and service. Undoing the clamps bolts until loose will allow the sections to slide apart.
2. Whilst apart, clean and dry all sections and check and replace, if needed, the stop-indicator tape and the wrap of tape at the base of each section.
3. Additionally, a spray of dry-film PTFE spray over the overlap area will improve the life of the pole. DO NOT USE OIL-BASED LUBRICANTS SUCH AS WD-40 or GT-85
If the above is meticulously followed then the Xtreme poles can have a good lifespan. However if it is not followed and the poles build up abrasive dirt between the sections, these poles can wear in as little as 6 or 7 months in regular daily use with the most used sections wearing the fastest.
Another factor is that this is your main pole used which means 100% of the wear and abrasion is on this lightweight pole. Many users of such poles have a couple of different sizes which spreads the wear across the poles. Your section broke after a year of use which is not unheard of with an Xtreme pole that is an only pole in everyday use. The other 2 sections only broke when the pole then fell following the first section breaking. Of course an SLX pole with heavier thicker wall section would last many times longer if maintained according to the instructions - it would not be as easy to use though.
Another point that needs careful attention as mentioned in the pole user guide, is the joint stop indicator tape and the base wrap of tape - this needs to be checked and if needed replaced (in both positions) every 2-3 months. If not replaced when worn then the carbon on carbon wear will accelerate in the internal wearing on the sections. The tape may seem fairly low-tech, but it does provide excellent internal abrasion resistance.
I hope that above has helped explain the difference between the two poles and their life expectancy.