Ben - My SLX 25 has got to be 18 months old. It's used daily and is the pole I use for 95% of the jobs I do. It's been an excellent tool. Some may complain about the clamps, but since they altered how they glued them on and changed the barrell nuts (ahhhh) they've been fine.
The top 2" of each of the top two sections wears disproportionately fast, but this is the nature of the way I use the pole mixed with the fact its carbon fibre - CF seems fairly soft. It's no bother to fix new clamps on after sawing off a couple of inches from each section.
I'm interested in the engine lacquer - more details please.
As I said i've been absent for a while, what's this about a SLX ll...?
Halfords supply it - I use GUNK Engine Laquer. I have just put a couple of thin coats on and then let it dry hard before assembling the pole. I would be scared to make the coats too thick. I think that the engine laquer suggestion started with Alex Gardiner.
If you get a run, then leave it until it gets dry and sand it off with some fine water paper.
Laquering the pole will reduce the carbon black hands, but won't stop it all together. It will reduce the dust that comes from the outside where the clamps rub on the tube where the majority of the wear comes from, but you won't stop the dust coming from wear from inside the tube.
The last SLX that I got just over a year ago is definitely better than the earlier units we've got.
What confuses me about the carbon dust is why my CLX doesn't give me black hands. I know the outside of each section is fibre glass, but the inside is carbon fibre. So as each section slides against the other, the outer fibreglass section must rub on the inside carbon section.
Alex has tempting us with a new model SLX. See his website. He has had a pole sale that has reduced his 'old' stocks. He is a master of creating and maintaining expectation.