Alex,
Interesting post, but not correct.
Exel do not manufacture the E2, and it is made using a completely different manufacturing technique to that that exel uses. (Pultrusion)
They are a Glass fibre and Carbon Fibre mix. They have the stiffness of a carbon fibre pole without the full expense of pure Carbon...
These poles also have class beating stiffness...
nothing comes close for speed of use..
Interesting claims, (though a little vague) which I would be interested to see backed up by evidence. The only way to substantiate that would be to compare it with the other poles available.
This is a subject that I am particularly interested in, and I am currently studying in some depth.
I think your post illustrates a problem that faces the window cleaner at present. The difference between poles used to be reasonably straightforward, but now I think things are not quite so clear cut. There are now lots of brands of pole, many claiming to be the stiffest this or the lightest that. Really, how would a window cleaner know unless you got hold of them all and tested them side by side?
Similarly, if a company (and facelift are a prime example of this) produces a very good, stiff, lightweight pole, how can they demonstrate its superiority to others in the market place? They could say its a very stiff, lightweight pole, but then
everyone says that about their poles, regardless of whether its true or not.
Its also no help to compare the properties of the individual materials used in consturction, because the how much a pole bends is a function not only of the material properties, but also the grip of the clamps, the section diameters, closeness of the fit and other factors besides. The only way to do it is to look at the pole in its entirety.
I could tell you, for example, that Facelift's 45ft pole is stiffer and lighter than the unger carbontec and the exel universal. It is stiffer, but heavier than a 45ft Tucker pole. It is almost, but not quite as stiff as the original ergolite.
The only reason I can tell you that is because I have tested all of those poles side by side, and I'll be publishing the results.
Also, the "thinking" behind 6ft sections is nothing new. The Heath and Saftey laboratory made recommendations in its 2004 report that the clamps should be reachable from the ground. Since then, there have been poles available up to 45ft and even 60ft that fulfill this recommendation, including the Tucker and the original ergolite.
It has taken exel this long to finally produce a production pole that is 45ft using only 6ft sections. (Before that, the original ergolite was the only composte pole to reach 45ft with only 6ft sections, and was developed and manufactured by exel under a special order agreement.)
-Philip