ive got the 25ft extreme and the extreme extensions to take it to 44ft.
Ive had my 25ft for nearly two years and in the time ive had to replace the end tape twice and change one clamp as it came loose.
Ive drop my pole multiple times ever week. Yes its very scratched but it has never broken. In my opinion it is not fragile at all, i give it a right battering!
The way that I justify the extra 300 quid or whatever compared to the slx is over the two years ive had it, that £150 extra a year. Just over a tenner a month. The lightness of the pole leaves you with far more energy and far less neck/shoulder/back/arm strain.
So in a month the amount of more work you can get done, and the injuries you avoid, its well well well worth the £10 a month.
No one needs a mercedes van, or an ionic system, but you do need to use the lightest pole. Its THE most important thing in this job