[wizclean]

I am also dissapointed to hear the price of the spare sections for the slx r so expensive. However i have invested in the superlite modular for all high work and the 18ft slx for everything else. I also had problems with clamps which as many have said was dealt with impeccably. The pole does wear, but if i manage to get 1 yr for 200 quid for a light rigid pole then that is much better than 100 quid for a unger gf pole that starts spinning after 4 months or so in my opion.

[davids3511]

Just to set teh record straight, I think Alex is far and away the best supplier, with the best customer service and products. I love the SLX, I think it is a great pole and will, albeit grudgingly, pay whay I need to for the sections. My point is a very narrow one, not intended to reflect on any other part of the Gardiner road show.

However, my one gripe is that I think Alex knows we will stump up rather than buy another whole new pole, a point MB seems to be missing again and again, and I think this is a pity. I know Alex runs a business and needs to pay for the yacht but it does destroy some of the goodwill I have towards Gardiners when I feel he has taken advantage of the situation.

I now know is naive and I will adjust my expectations accordingly as I will the advise I give to others. I know of at least two SLX poles sold on my advise to friends without reservation about Gardiners. Now though I would still recomment the pole but point out that they will have your eyes out if you need a spare section.

[davids3511]

I agree with Matt, Alex wasn't holding a gun to your head to buy it.
If your unhappy with it, SELL IT! and buy another pole.
I have the SLX-25 and I have not had a problem with the clamps or wear and tear.


Matt

That's great for you Matt, wait until you have to fork out £300.00 for 3 sections when an 18ft is only £200.00.

[Window Washers]

Has anyone tried the first section of a harris pole on the slx ? that would be £15 if it fitted

[Sapphire Window Cleaning]

If and when it comes to it I would pay for it, the 18ft pole sections are shorter, but then if that was true (£300 for top 3 sections) I would buy another SLX-25 then I would have some spare sections.

I have spent alot more than that last year, and for how much we take from window cleaning £300 for equipment really isnt something to worry about.

People on here will buy a 4040 RO and then moan about the price of the replacement membrane. we are all in business, running costs come with the territory of having a business.

It would cost more to replace the wing mirror on a ferrari than of a ford mondeo wouldn't it, we buy the SLX for our personal comfort, otherwise we would all be using extels, so the SLX really is a


Matt

[Spruce]

The selling price of an item in spares is always going to be more than the selling price of the complete item.

A few years ago a car would cost about 27 times more in parts than the price in the showroom.

The price of a Bosch drilling machine would probably cost you 3 to 5 times as much in parts when compared to the price being sold in retail outlets.

You need to consider the whole sales and service picture of their business and their stock holding to maintain that service level. The cost to hold spares to service your product is an investment that is costly as it ties up capital. In the power tool service industry overseas we found that 20% of our stock holding (value wise) accounted for 80% of our sales. But we still had to keep the other slow moving items to provide an acceptable service level. It would be very interesting to know what % stock Gardiners have got that is slow moving, or that hasn't sold at all.

I bet Alex has priced his SLX poles very competitively when compared to other poles of a similar spec on the market. I have never owned a Facelift CF pole but the SLX was a lot cheaper than the equivalant Facelift and I am very happy with my choice. My son also likes his SLX. Was it worth 5 Unger Teleplus poles it replaced - an outstanding Yes.

You bought the 'printer' for virtually nothing, but they will make a profit when they sell you the replacement 'ink'.

If Gardiners didn't make a profit, they won't be here to serve you.

Spruce

[JSMC]

complaining about prices yet will happily charge 12-15 quid for 30 mins work clenaing a house. Ye couldn't mark some peoples necks with a blowtorch on here ff's

[MoemGorod]

The selling price of an item in spares is always going to be more than the selling price of the complete item.

A few years ago a car would cost about 27 times more in parts than the price in the showroom.

The price of a Bosch drilling machine would probably cost you 3 to 5 times as much in parts when compared to the price being sold in retail outlets.

You need to consider the whole sales and service picture of their business and their stock holding to maintain that service level. The cost to hold spares to service your product is an investment that is costly as it ties up capital. In the power tool service industry overseas we found that 20% of our stock holding (value wise) accounted for 80% of our sales. But we still had to keep the other slow moving items to provide an acceptable service level. It would be very interesting to know what % stock Gardiners have got that is slow moving, or that hasn't sold at all.

I bet Alex has priced his SLX poles very competitively when compared to other poles of a similar spec on the market. I have never owned a Facelift CF pole but the SLX was a lot cheaper than the equivalant Facelift and I am very happy with my choice. My son also likes his SLX. Was it worth 5 Unger Teleplus poles it replaced - an outstanding Yes.

You bought the 'printer' for virtually nothing, but they will make a profit when they sell you the replacement 'ink'.

If Gardiners didn't make a profit, they won't be here to serve you.

Spruce

Wel done, mate. I wanted to post this kind of explanation, but it was not good idea with my not perfect English. Thank you Spruce very much.

Best regards,

Vadim

[Clive McDonald]

not withstanding the spares mark up being an accountancy fact, david 3511 is now making a very good case.
I still think there probably is a mistake- i may be wrong.

The only way you'll know for sure is to email Alex/Kirsty.

One strong point you have is that you are not buying one section- where possibly spruce's economics apply- but three sections.

[JSMC]

it's called business. look at the price of razor blades for yer razor

[♠Winp®oClean♠]

The selling price of an item in spares is always going to be more than the selling price of the complete item.

A few years ago a car would cost about 27 times more in parts than the price in the showroom.

The price of a Bosch drilling machine would probably cost you 3 to 5 times as much in parts when compared to the price being sold in retail outlets.

You need to consider the whole sales and service picture of their business and their stock holding to maintain that service level. The cost to hold spares to service your product is an investment that is costly as it ties up capital. In the power tool service industry overseas we found that 20% of our stock holding (value wise) accounted for 80% of our sales. But we still had to keep the other slow moving items to provide an acceptable service level. It would be very interesting to know what % stock Gardiners have got that is slow moving, or that hasn't sold at all.

I bet Alex has priced his SLX poles very competitively when compared to other poles of a similar spec on the market. I have never owned a Facelift CF pole but the SLX was a lot cheaper than the equivalant Facelift and I am very happy with my choice. My son also likes his SLX. Was it worth 5 Unger Teleplus poles it replaced - an outstanding Yes.

You bought the 'printer' for virtually nothing, but they will make a profit when they sell you the replacement 'ink'.

If Gardiners didn't make a profit, they won't be here to serve you.

Spruce

Well said mate, very true. that'll be Ewan up all night trying to counter that one! 

[AuRavelling79]

So davids3511, what did Alex say?

[mark dew]

I bought an sl2 extension before xmas and it cost £70. 
I wanted a slx but held back until the issues were sorted. From the start it was very much a work in progress, due to complaints and fixes that had to be done.
I'm shocked at the price and davids point about 3 sections costing £300 is a good one.
It has sorta shot down my argument now. I was going to say that with all the problems and the time spent sorting out the fixes, i would have believed that the slx wasn't a good earner at all. And alex has increased the price the claw some cash back.

[Ian_Giles]

I very much doubt that Alex will come on here to give a breakdown on costs and reasons for the price of the replacement sections, but if David were to ring him to express his shock at the cost of the said replacement sections then he may well get a general explanation.

How many on here have cleaned a house only for the customer to express shock at how fast they were done, and maybe to assume you must be earning £xxx per hour!
When that has happened to me I generally make some glib little comment and laugh it off, but to turn around and give them a full explanation about why charge what I do (overheads, downtime, no holiday pay, days off due to bad weather, time lost travelling between accounts and so on and so on) would only have them thinking I was spinning them a cock and bull story.
They will by and large have no real understanding.
Ditto us with regards to the complexities of running a business such as the manufacture and supply of the equipment we need to run our own businesses.

I too would be very interested to know why the cost of replacing pole sections are so shockingly expensive.

In fact simply having read this thread stops me in my tracks with regards to purchasing an SLX.
I've been mulling over whether to go for an SLX or just get another SL2, I love the SL2, when things go wrong, ie, pole section snaps or gets wedged, I can butcher it about and repair it myself, and so far my current one has lasted around two years and still going strong.
It's my telescopic cheapo that needs replacing, and as there are times when the telescopic pole is more advantageous than the modular I was thinking of biting the bullet and going for the SLX....

I very much doubt that Gardiners are ripping anyone off, but whether they are or not, for me the cost of those replacement sections is a worry, as it seems that wear and tear does mean they will need replacing at some point.

Ian

[Sapphire Window Cleaning]

Ian, I think it maybe a one off price, the resean behind my thinking is, Alex has recently struggled stocking the SLX-22 and SLX-25 and that to sell the top 3 sections to a customer would mean splitting a complete pole (which he is struggling to have in stock).



Matt

[Sunshine/Cleaning]

Maybe the price of the whole unit is too cheap, maybe everyone that bought one as a genuine bargain.

[geefree]

Maybe this topic, given the poularity of it, and going by the amount of people reading it.....may just have put some people off getting the slx.... if the parts are so costly,

in the long run, it may be more cost affective to buy a couple of X-tels.,

I have never tried an slx pole, and this thread is certainly not encouraging me to ever buy one.

[Roy Harding]

It was not long ago that you would be talking £1000 plus for a carbon pole.

Lets face it many claim to earn vast amounts of monney a day, so even if you had to replace the pole every year its still less than a days pay.

Roy

[Sapphire Window Cleaning]

It was not long ago that you would be talking £1000 plus for a carbon pole.

Lets face it many claim to earn vast amounts of monney a day, so even if you had to replace the pole every year its still less than a days pay.

Roy

Well said 




The SLX is a Luxury!

[Sapphire Window Cleaning]

I have seen taxis that are BMW's and Mercedes (not very practical). they are working tools but they are also a luxury.