[EZclean]

are the new clamps different from the mkii, I've had a mkii for some time and the clamps are perfect.

and its not shiny anymore, but it isn't wearing too bad, can't see why it wont last another 12-18 months, so 2yrs out of a £400 pole is pretty good, get gets a lot of use. is the mkiii a step back from the mkii

next time your over in halifax, could i come and have a play with your pole for 10mins 

i wanna see one in the flesh and make my own mind up. i might save the penny's then in time for the mk10 

[pingu]

I suppose what a pole is worth is subjective and there are many variables but my MK1 SL-X required to be serviced within 6months(excellent customer service and turnaround)...and my round is 8 weekly and I only work 6.5 weeks out of that and the odd week is only 3 days...so as can be seen I have a relaxed round.

Add to that the amount of time I had to keep tightening the clamps with a allen key the time and frustration of the pole collasping/spinning and the amount of time spent 'cutt'n and shut'n' the pole as the pole walls were wearing at such a rate I was doing this weekly.

So that pole to me was not worth anywhere near the price I paid for it in terms of hassle but it did enable me to earn a healthy amount of money and the wear and tear on my body was way less than would have been with a heavier pole.

I am observing the MKIII pole in use and will post my opinions here about it.

So far..2 clamp sections have come loose ...very little signs of bonding agent.
and very obvious signs of wear on sections 1 & 2 ....aprox 10mm wide and running length ways. I have to wonder which is the weaker part..the carbon fibre or the plastic clamp unit?..what is being sacificed to what?

But having said this...I would never go back to a g/f pole and I do find the SL-X in day to day use a very light, flexible and strong pole and the brushes are really good.

The SL-X is the best that is currently available but if something better come along I would try that...as I feel the SL-X is very much a product in testing.

It cannot be all things to all men but 'wear' does appear to me an issue...but then again some people have used there SL-X and state they have had no issues regarding wear. If that is the case I either am mis-using my pole to an alarming extent or I keep buying 'pups'.

I now wash and clean the pole out every Sunday...when the pole is put back in the van I run the pole hose through a rag to remove debris and during the week if I feel the pole needs it...I wash it through...so I am trying to keep it grit free.

Cheers
Dave

[pingu]

Just to answer Winp®oClean..my MK1 SL-X did wear and this was more than comestic i.e the sheen being worn away...

The inner walls would wear away which when the clamp was removed would be noticeibly thinner and at times would have worn away to such an extent that the complete sections of wall structure would be missing..this wear was not just limited to that immediate area on 3 occassions the very fabric had worn and cracks could be found in the pole wall that followed the weave of the c/f down the pole.

I found tapping the tube walls near the clamp with my finger nail you could hear the difference between good c/f and worn c/f.

Cheers
Dave.

[EZclean]

i should be over there aswell weds if i get everything done tues so that'd be great

[dd]

Pingu

To reduce pole wear I find the most effective thing is to wipe the pole hose after each job, or even after each time you extend the pole. This stops grit being transferred to pole sections. It is the amount of grit on the pole sections that really accelerate the wear in my experience.

I have been doing this with a 17ft xtel pole used daily for the majority of my work, and after 6 months have not needed to adjust any of the clamps. It really only takes seconds each time, but in total could add around 5 minutes to your working day.

[pingu]

dd I have already said that I do run the pole hose through a rag each time I collaspe the pole down but to suggest doing this to each pole section every time one is extedened or dropped is not even funny.

If a pole cannot deal with that then in my humble opinion it is not fit for purpose.

Cheers
Dave.

[Pole 2 Pole]

Pingu.........Do ya think the answer may be in the size of the hole in the base cap??? I've noticed that it is a whole lot bigger than what was in my extel.....hence more grit going up into the pole. I cleaned my pole the other sunday........first job monday, i got sand on the hose. The damn thing seized up on me. Had to give the whole pole a break down and a flush thru on the job. It done the trick, but like ya say, not ideal.  :

[ftp]

I'm with Pingu on all points. Excellent pole but there always seems to be issues somewhere with it. I can only conclude that Alex's test team are far too gentle with their prototypes because mine have both worn like Pingus. My clamps haven't come off (because I put them on) but mine is wearing pretty quick.
Pointless running Gardiners down imho because if you don't like the pole what else is there that's any better?
Nothing as far as I'm aware.

[windowswashed]

Facelift pole is the nearest quality pole, pricey, fatter and heavier but value in the long run.

[ftp]

Like you said, fatter, longer sections, less rigid and more money. Probably a very good pole but still not good enough for me to want one.

[Clive McDonald]

What a lot of ungratefull ignoranouses, no wonder people have breakdowns. Answer one question honestly, if you could turn back time, not have the pole, but keep your money, would you?

If the answer is no shutup.You got the best of this deal, we all did.

[pingu]

2 years...I think would be reasonable but the trouble is that it is not that poles simply stop working...the wear that is common causes hassel way before a pole needs to be taken out of service.

I would prefer to use a pole for 2 years and then for every section to snap in half the very next day rather than to have to nurse a pole for months on end.

To Slumpbuster:
Ungratefull...where did that come from? I will not answer your question as it does not prove/dis-prove anything.

Cheers
Dave.

[Clive McDonald]

Sorry pingu probably a bit harsh and not your fault, just a bit concerned about the guys stress levels.And that's probably none of my business either.

[pingu]

No offence taken..this forum can be a little 'sporty' at times....cheers Dave

[traps7]

I thought the mk iii was gonna have replacement sections available. Any news on this?

[Alex Gardiner]

I thought the mk iii was gonna have replacement sections available. Any news on this?

They are not on the website yet.  They can be ordered via a phone call to the Office (01726 66400).

[traps7]

That makes me feel a lot better because my first two sections are going a bit smooth on my 25' SLX.
Even weighing up the few teething problems its had if i could go back i would still buy this pole again. Every time.
And it does save me time because there's windows i can reach now that i couldn't with my old whippy fibre glass and had to go get my ladder.

Top pole and top customer service. Whenever i need something now my first stop is Gardiners.

I know that sounds like an arse lick but it's true.

[Pole 2 Pole]

What an arse lick 

[Pole 2 Pole]

On a more serious note.................Alex....have you considered the possibilty of having some kinda "brush" inside the end cap. Personally i think that would work wonders in keeping debris out of the pole. Well 90% of it anyways. It'd be interesting to hear your thoughts on that.

[Alex Gardiner]

On a more serious note.................Alex....have you considered the possibilty of having some kinda "brush" inside the end cap. Personally i think that would work wonders in keeping debris out of the pole. Well 90% of it anyways. It'd be interesting to hear your thoughts on that.

We have seriously considered this but as pointed out above it would hinder the hose coming back out as you close the pole down.  I am working on a couple of other ideas at the moment which are slightly novel but may help solve the dirt on pole hose problem.