I've been juggling things around to see if I can get the right pole for me out of existing bits and bobs. I don't believe any manufacturer can make the "perfect" pole because what is near perfect for one person is not right for another person. I think Gardiner's have come closer than anyone else to making the perfect pole though.
Anyway, I have adapted a few little things to see how I get on.
1) I have started using the SLX with the pole hose on the outside to reduce grit levels inside the pole. At first this felt awkward and I managed to pop the pole hose off the plastic Y piece near the brush. This can be a pain as it's such a tight fit and I even needed to heat the pole hose to get it back on properly. However, I have now found a better way. I simply use slightly larger pole hose which is available in B and Q. It's the size that Omnipole tend to use. Result is that I get a very tight fit and I don't keep popping it off.
2) I have stuck with hoselock style fittings though I know that many haven't. Because of this, I now find that the best way for me to connect pole hose to hoselock fitting on the reel is by using one of those newish black fittings by Ionics. A bit steep at £5.95 but much better IMO for two reasons. (1) due to the shape of them they don't get caught up as easily (as the ad says). (2) This is the best bit IMO. You can just push them into the pole hose. They can also be removed easily but only when you want them to be removed. No need to mess about with O-rings.
3) Today, I finally got around to putting Gardiner's white, bristled, splayed brush on the end. What an absolute treasure to work with. Everything is so much easier with it. The splayed shape of the bristles means that there is less messing about changing pole angles - particularly important on ground floor work where space is tight. This brush is in a different league to anything I've used before - even other ones supplied by Gardiner's.
Using the pole hose on the outside seems to be a trade off. OK, there is excess hose flapping around and more care is needed to ensure that the pole hose doesn't wrap around stuff. It's also a good idea not to keep treading on it and pulling it off the Y piece
(more difficult to do since I started using slightly larger pole hose that allowed me to push it on further).
I think it's good to pic 'n' mix and experiment a bit. By doing so, I am now working a bit more efficiently. Of course, this may not be appropriate for some as we all do things a bit differently. If this helps someone else then I'm pleased.
How would you feel about using the next size up in pole hose as standard Alex? Or have you tried that and not found it suitable for some reason?