James , you sound just like me mate , you like to see what you are getting , i am in plymouth and have the clx 27 , prior to that i had a 24 foot hybrid extel , both very good but i do rate the gardiner pole as top in terms of money , but plymouth is a fair way to drive to feel a pole , i am lucky as Alex is 40 miles one way and Varitech is 40 miles the other , i can feel the goods rather easily !
Dont wish to sway you , but you will not go wrong with a clx 27 , also purchase the butt caps for the next 2 sections down and you can break your pole down as you require , the slx i cannot comment on as stupidly i never remember to sample when i go down , its more rigid and lighter and i am in no doubt better , but if you only use your scaffold pole at the mo then the clx is your best bet by far , get the dual trim medium mixed bristle brush and that will set you up for easier life from the outset , Alex knows as he still goes on the tools , only 1 day a week though , bone idle git that he is
Rich