[cottonbud10]

this might sound like i,m answering my own question,but it seems that all my domestic poles that i use only seem to last about 4-5 months before they start to wear on the shafts and not clamping tight,causing the brush head to move about.The poles i use at the moment are 18ft extendable, come from cleaningspot, and cost about £80,it,s always the first part of the pole that wears first,so at the moment i have 2 poles in the garage that can,t be interchanged.Am i answering my own question buy buying a pole at that price,if so what would be the best pole for normal everyday use,this is the problem that when you  start wfp,you get you first bit of kit and seem to stick with it,not sure about what is realy best or better....many thanks for your time....cottonbud10

[d s windowcleaning]

cheap pole is the harris take a look at groundhogs topic , what you can do with your extender poles is give them a couple of coats of engine laquer which you can get from most motor spares shops .

[Paul Coleman]

this might sound like i,m answering my own question,but it seems that all my domestic poles that i use only seem to last about 4-5 months before they start to wear on the shafts and not clamping tight,causing the brush head to move about.The poles i use at the moment are 18ft extendable, come from cleaningspot, and cost about £80,it,s always the first part of the pole that wears first,so at the moment i have 2 poles in the garage that can,t be interchanged.Am i answering my own question buy buying a pole at that price,if so what would be the best pole for normal everyday use,this is the problem that when you  start wfp,you get you first bit of kit and seem to stick with it,not sure about what is realy best or better....many thanks for your time....cottonbud10

If that's the pole I think it is, yes they do wear out quickly.  There doesn't seem to be much room for the clamps to tighten.  My first one of those lasted about nine months and the second one broke ater three.  I could probably cobble together one pole from the two when I have time, to carry as a "get out of jail" pole.
I certainly haven't tried all poles but a reasonable compromise at that height for usability and weight seems to be the Ionics 18ft multipole.  I know it's pricier (about £140) but I needed to collect a pole in a hurry and picked that one up.  I can't speak for its durability but I have been using one for about 3 months and so far, I've only had to nip the clamp slightly.  There's loads of play left on it so hopefully it will last.  It feels like it would take some abuse too but I don't swear at it much.
It is heavier than the pole I believe you've been using but early impressions are that it will last.  It seems much better now that they've stopped using that daft brush that goes curly after a while.
There may well be better out there but I can only speak for what I've tried.

[cottonbud10]

thanks shinner,it may be that spending a little bit more saves in the long run,to be honest i would rather learn from other peoples expence....cheeky bu**er are,nt  i...

[WCE]

I do think you get what you pay for with poles I know someone who bought a job lot of the extenders and 3 of them split inside 12 months Good pole for the short term long term no.

[windowwashers]

I snapped/cracked one in 5 months, before that the brush was turning ect, pain in the back side but for the price it does not really matter, I would be interested to know how long the carbon poles last on domestic houses day in day out. As for the cheap pole they do a job and they make a lot more money than they cost so in business terms they are an asset.

Ian

[Paul Coleman]

thanks shinner,it may be that spending a little bit more saves in the long run,to be honest i would rather learn from other peoples expence....cheeky bu**er are,nt  i...

Something I weould like to add about the multipoles.  Makes me wonder if Ionics have actually been listening to their customers.  The jets seem a bit smaller so it's easier to get a reasonable squirt if your battery is running down a bit.  Also, with the 2 x 2fr multipole that I just bought, I notice that there is a fair bit more pole hose.  With the previous one I had, it was just the right length to keep battering the plastic fitting on the ground (the one at the end of the hosereel).  No problem if you're using an EZ snap but a pain in the rear if using plastic hozelock style.

[Rob_B]

I still have a powerpole thats 4 years old now used daily.

You can repair them easily when the clamps stop tightning, by removing the clamp, taking about half inch off the pole and replace the clamp again.

[Paul Coleman]

I still have a powerpole thats 4 years old now used daily.

You can repair them easily when the clamps stop tightning, by removing the clamp, taking about half inch off the pole and replace the clamp again.

Yes they are excellent poles for durability and not a huge effort to repair too - so long as you don't mind the sections marginally shorter each time.  I still use my powerpoles for certain types of work but lean towards slightly lighter poles for daily use.  Mind you, I was using a 24 footer for my regular pole.

[Kevin R]

I had the same issues, in the end I bought a prolong Aluminum from Brodex 25ft (its .6 of a kg heavier than the Hybrid xtel 24ft) has a three year guarantee. It cost £299 but so far so good, I really like it.