[Erithwc]

what a big heavy beast but i will do the job for now   

once I have got more high work i will be able to justify getting a slx I love my slx 25 so nice and light 

[brianbarber]

You could have ordered separate extensions to add to the slx.....


Mr B

[wpclean]

I have been using the very same pole for a while now, and none of the important bits have fallen off, and I have more powerful shoulders as a bonus !

[Gav Camm lammy 283]

put it in the bin n ring alex gardiner

[wpclean]

put it in the bin n ring alex gardiner

Why would you bin a pole that is bullet proof ?  Brodex are rubbish at after sales, but I have been using their poles all day  for years now and I havnt needed a spare part yet ! 
All this talk about about saving a few grammes on brush heads and poles is pure sales promotion  :

[Gav Camm lammy 283]

wudnt buy it in the first place la
only buy the best
n i consider gardiners poles to be the best 
if my opinion doesnt agree wiv ya then
you continue to use brodex
i'll spend my hard earned with a company i know
to deliver on time n who i trust
n who strive to be at the fore front of window cleaning 

[Ian Rochester]

I'm going to stand up for Brodex as we've been using their poles for several years now.  I agree the Hydra isn't the lightest pole (not the heaviest either) but they are bullet proof and come with a 3 year warranty.

Previously we've used various glass fibre and carbon fibre poles and whilst they were light they were also very expensive and wore out in a matter of months.

The only things we have needed to replace on the Brodex poles is a few clamp connectors (£2 each) which we've broken off and we've also worn out a couple of brush heads (£6.60 each), Brodex have supplied replacements the next day delivery.

We have 3 Brodex Hydra poles in each van, 9ft, 18 or 25 and 36, the guys have never complained about the weight of them and we are using them constantly from 8-4 every day, the main pole being the 18 or 25.

We also have 45 and 60ft Carbon Fibre poles and I agree weight becomes an issue when working at that height.

I've never used one of Alex's SLX poles and am sure they are cracking poles, but for us the robustness and price are the key factors.

Price comparison:

Brodex 36ft Hydra Alloy c/w 10" Sill brush and gooseneck - £99+vat (£120)

Gardiners SLX 35ft c/w sill brush - £418.50 +vat (£500)

At the end of the day it's a stick for getting water and a brush onto a window, weight only becomes a factor when you are working constantly a high levels, for day to day houses a few grams makes little difference.

But that's only my opinion and it's not intended to start an argument about who is best, Gardiners is probably best and lightest, Brodex is cheapest and most robust   

[Halfadaylee]

put it in the bin n ring alex gardiner

Why would you bin a pole that is bullet proof ?  Brodex are rubbish at after sales, but I have been using their poles all day  for years now and I havnt needed a spare part yet ! 
All this talk about about saving a few grammes on brush heads and poles is pure sales promotion  :

But how would you know?

[♠Winp®oClean♠]

I'm going to stand up for Brodex as we've been using their poles for several years now.  I agree the Hydra isn't the lightest pole (not the heaviest either) but they are bullet proof and come with a 3 year warranty.

Previously we've used various glass fibre and carbon fibre poles and whilst they were light they were also very expensive and wore out in a matter of months.

The only things we have needed to replace on the Brodex poles is a few clamp connectors (£2 each) which we've broken off and we've also worn out a couple of brush heads (£6.60 each), Brodex have supplied replacements the next day delivery.

We have 3 Brodex Hydra poles in each van, 9ft, 18 or 25 and 36, the guys have never complained about the weight of them and we are using them constantly from 8-4 every day, the main pole being the 18 or 25.

We also have 45 and 60ft Carbon Fibre poles and I agree weight becomes an issue when working at that height.

I've never used one of Alex's SLX poles and am sure they are cracking poles, but for us the robustness and price are the key factors.

Price comparison:

Brodex 36ft Hydra Alloy c/w 10" Sill brush and gooseneck - £99+vat (£120)

Gardiners SLX 35ft c/w sill brush - £418.50 +vat (£500)

At the end of the day it's a stick for getting water and a brush onto a window, weight only becomes a factor when you are working constantly a high levels, for day to day houses a few grams makes little difference.

But that's only my opinion and it's not intended to start an argument about who is best, Gardiners is probably best and lightest, Brodex is cheapest and most robust   

Your guys haven't complained for one reason- because they know no better!!

Give them an SLX & I guarantee you Ian, they wont want to use the brodex poles ever again!

I'm a little surprised by your view/attitude on this, I can only assume you spend too much time in the office these days & have lost touch with working a pole every day?

The financial difference in investment is minuscule to what you would gain from different poles!

[Ian Rochester]

Your guys haven't complained for one reason- because they know no better!!

Give them an SLX & I guarantee you Ian, they wont want to use the brodex poles ever again!

I'm a little surprised by your view/attitude on this, I can only assume you spend too much time in the office these days & have lost touch with working a pole every day?

The financial difference in investment is minuscule to what you would gain from different poles!

They do actually know the difference, if you'd read the post fully, we've used other carbon fibre poles in the past and have carbon fibre poles that we still use, however up to 25ft the weight is not an issue, yes the 36ft is noticeably heavier, however it is only used on odd occasions so this is not really an issue.

I do still get out on the windows and cover for holidays/absences so I don't think I've "lost touch" with working with a pole.  I'm actually out on Monday as a team of 4  doing a property that is cleaned on a twice a year basis for £1200+vat, we'll be using the 60' CF, 45' CF, 2 x 36' Hydras as well as smaller poles and ladders.  I'll let you know after that if the poles are too heavy for my little arms. 

The financial difference for a sole trader may be miniscule (though I don't think a 400% price difference on anything is "miniscule".  However times that by three vans, three poles in a van, with an average life on a CF pole of around 6 months (SLX may well be different/longer I don't know) as opposed to 3+ years and the difference is not so miniscule.  It would cost us around £3000 to kit out the vans with SLX poles as opposed to around £700 for Brodex Hydra's.  A £2,300 difference 

In no way am I knocking Alex's poles, I've handled them and others at the shows and they are super poles, they are just not for us running a commercial business where even with the best will, employees who have targets to hit will not treat the equipment like you do as a sole trader.

I get a bit vexed when I read comments like "throw it in the bin", if people don't want to use a particular supplier then that's fine, sing the merits of your chosen supplier by all means but don't do it by trying to smash the reputation of others.

Choice and the freedom to choose are what keeps competition going.

We will be looking for a new 60' pole in the New Year and I may well be coming to Alex to look at his deals on the Supermax, as well as the Brodex Carbon Light and the Ionics Swift.

[♠Winp®oClean♠]

My first slx, used & abused every day lasted almost 4 years.

I understand what you say about staff, I suppose you have to look at it from a different angle.

A £400 investment for me is viewed as "minuscule" as it provided almost 4 years of the best technology available & so I gained all the benefits of that for all that time! BARGAIN!!!!!

[Hinty]

I used to use Brodex, and have now changed over to Gardiner CLX.

With my 2 employees it has been an expense, and as a small company we could do without it.

That said, the expense is not the only consideration.

With the lighter poles, we can work faster, and for longer - so even if you were able to earn only £10 more per day, that is £50 per week, £1300 over 6 months - so it is well worth it, even if you do need to change the pole every 6 months.

[Alex Gardiner]

I have often directed clients of ours towards Brodex for Aluminium Poles. Usually this is for cases when longevity of the pole sections is of primary concern - perhaps for their employees etc. Whilst Aluminium can wear and the tubes can deform, the tubes surface will outlast that of a carbon fibre pole. For some clients the ability to resist employee 'abuse' and lack of cleaning maintenance is a very high priority. Carbon-Fibre is still a relatively exotic material and has amazing properties, but does need treating as such.

Having said that we supply poles to many Commercial firms who have many employees who believe that the increase in productivity is worth the extra expense. It is good that there is a choice for the end-user.

[Ian Rochester]

Well said 

[Londoner]

I have one and its a big heavy bugger  but it does the job brilliantly and is saving me the cost of gym membership.  However, don't ever drop one or let it fall over, they don't bounce.

[Ian Rochester]

My first slx, used & abused every day lasted almost 4 years.

I understand what you say about staff, I suppose you have to look at it from a different angle.

A £400 investment for me is viewed as "minuscule" as it provided almost 4 years of the best technology available & so I gained all the benefits of that for all that time! BARGAIN!!!!!

Got to agree, if we could get 4 years out of them then I would certainly consider them, is this the norm for the SLX or an exception?  Alex what sort of life are your customers getting from their SLX's with 5 day a week use, 40+ properties a day?

[Robin Ray]

The 18ft or 22ft CLX is an ideal replacement for the hydra aluminium in a commercial setting. It will probably not last as long but it is relatively cheep and is so light in comparison your employees will get through more work and feel much better at the end of the week. (ready for more work!)

I don't think any of the older carbon or glass poles can be compared to the newer generation of poles, to be honist the hydra poles are probably lighter and more ridged than most of them. The slx is another kettle of fish though.

[AuRavelling79]

My SLX30 is now 4 and a half years old - my SLX22 is 2 and a half years old. I work with one employee I replaced the clamps for the first time on the SLX30 in October.

[Alex Gardiner]

My first slx, used & abused every day lasted almost 4 years.

I understand what you say about staff, I suppose you have to look at it from a different angle.

A £400 investment for me is viewed as "minuscule" as it provided almost 4 years of the best technology available & so I gained all the benefits of that for all that time! BARGAIN!!!!!

Got to agree, if we could get 4 years out of them then I would certainly consider them, is this the norm for the SLX or an exception?  Alex what sort of life are your customers getting from their SLX's with 5 day a week use, 40+ properties a day?

Hi Ian

Drop me an email on alex@agardiner.co.uk and I can put you in touch with some other commercial outfits that employ so that they can tell you their experience.

[Moderator David@stives]

I have 10 clx poles and 2 slx, bought them all over the last few years and they are still in daily use, even the very first version of the clx, I think i had one of the very first ones made.

We have also had about 10 Excel in that time, and they are all in the skip now