[geefree]

Hi

Having been working with a D.I.Y modular fishing pole for  3 or 4 weeks now,

i have decided to go back to my X-TEL Pole.

I enjoy working with the fishing pole as it is really light. and i will keep it in the van and use it every so often, or as a back up/spare pole.

But this morning, i arrived at my first job , and took my e-tel staright out of the van without thinking,... pulled the hose out , released  a clamp......connected and started washing....

and i realised how simple that was  to start the job, compared to a fishing pole...

Downsides in my opinions are :


its a little tiresome taking all the pieces out of the van.... even if split in two... they end up in 3 or 4 pieces before i get them to the windows

then putting them together before starting....

dropping sections, and adding sections is a bit of a nusiance.

then dismantling it and putting it in the van, sorting out the extra visible hose...

on top of winding the microbore in... which also wraps itself around the pole hose (as there is a lot more of it hanging around your feet).

Pole hose is on the outside, which is a pain if you release it accidentally whilst doing a window over a con roof, as i did... and it wrapped around the finnal.. thingy...

i keep treading on the bits of pole hanging around... not broken any but i have come very close.

Those are my downsides,

As today , i took my normal pole out.... was working within a minute of pulling up....

Nothing simpler than pole out, release clamp.. wash.


for downstairs.... pole in... clamp shut... wash.

So , i will Thank Tosh for introducing this diy pole to me,.... dont get me wrong.. its super light... and you do work quicker as i said in other posts.

But that is the only advantage... apart from the price... and as its a lot of messing about using it , it balances up timewise.

so all in all, i prefer the simple, pole out ..work..... method which my normal pole gives me.

For the price of it,  its great and i will use it as a spare pole or use it for a change,

but for every day work .. when you are rushing, its not for me.

Cheers

Gary.

[s.w.c]

i found this some time ago i only use my modular on higher work otherwise i went back to the simple xtel too it made life so simple

[Alex Gardiner]

I have always advocated telescopic poles for domestic work. I keep my modular pole use for high level and repetitive commercial work.

[Tosh]

Gazza,

That was a good honest post, I'm prepared to give you a refund as I said I would.  My e-mail address is toshisba@yahoo.co.uk; email me and we'll sort it out.

[geefree]

Gazza,

That was a good honest post, I'm prepared to give you a refund as I said I would.  My e-mail address is toshisba@yahoo.co.uk; email me and we'll sort it out.

No Tosh,

I like having a cheap pole which i can keep as a spare... i really do.

and i will make another one, longer or buy a modular for the high stuff, as they are so light

so , as i said , i am glad you introduced me to it...

and i am happy with it as a spare pole, or for the odd job here and there,

Thanks for standing by your offer of a refund, but i dont think you deserve to appear to have lost a bet... as i am pleased i have it, and grateful to you for showing me how to make a pole for under £40.

Cheers Tosh.

[paulscotney]

I have followed Tosh's instructions and have been using Zensorflex  for 2 weeks. I like it apart from as it gets colder,   pole tubing gets more "tangly" etc. What is a good light non bendy tubing.

Also bought a Gangster  and F16.  All good.

Thanks,
 Paul

[paulscotney]

Mean hose not tubing

[paulscotney]

Is Algarde the best

[Jeff Brimble]

I like it. Doesnt go stiff in the cold.

[Wayne Thomas]

I like my DIY modular pole for speed and lightness on jobs where it is of benefit over a telescopic mainly because of the lightness. It's not suited to every domestic job as some jobs are quicker with a telescopic.
As a chronic arthritic sufferer, a very lightweight pole is a godsend on days when my joints are aggravating and fortunately allows me to work whilst in a lot of pain even if using modulars are slower at times on some jobs.
I am always trying to balance a juggling decision between telescopic and modular poles because of speed of work or lightness of poles in accordance with type of work and condition of my arthritic joints so I am very familiar with the pros and cons of both poles.
With my DIY poles I fit a Pure Freedom water flow tap connection on the 1st section & 4 & 5 th sections of my pole so that I have both hands free to hold pole and find wrapping the hose around the modular pole the simplest way of keeping the loose hose out of harms way to avoid snagging it on every unwanted obstacle.
Nothing in life is simple and I've tailored poles, brushes to aid my work living with a permanent illness.
DIY poles or ready made telescopic poles......the choice is down to each individual because we all work differently.

[matt]

interesting post

ive said it before though

you can glue them together in pairs, thus you have the bottom 2 poles as 1, then the next 2 poles as 1, then the short section with the brush on it

next, use coloured electrical tape as the "stops" , each joint has a different colour

you then just put them together, its VERY quick

i find it quicker than using the unger tele poles

i guess we are all different though, fair enough

[Moderator David@stives]

Whats the saying

"Familiarity breeds contempt"

"love the one your with"

"wherever i lay my hat"

i think we are happy with what we are using , when we pick up something else, it seems good at first, a bit like getting a new girlfriend.
When we start finding the flaws we want a new one, then after a while, we think "well the first one wasnt that bad anyway"

[Andrew McCann]

I have always advocated telescopic poles for domestic work. I keep my modular pole use for high level and repetitive commercial work.

I agree wholeheartedly with Alex here.

For general run of the mill domestic work the Extel telescopic is ideal. It is light and easy to use and collapses down to a very short length so it can be used easily on ground floor work as well as 1st floor and will fit in almost any vehicle.

Andrew

[dai]

I too have the senzorflex, but prefer the Harris for every day domestics, and it's a lot more rigid and not much heaviour.

[Elginn]

Extel telescopic all the way, every day.

I do have a modular pole but I only use it for commercial stuff, to much fannying around on domestics for modulars.

[L.Doubtfire - The Blade Runner]

What principle do the locking clamps work on the X-Tel? Are they pull
Down lever type? If so,with plenty of use and wear do they stand up oaky.
I find with both the Unger Tele-Plus and Harris the locking cones soon
Wear and after a short time the sections start to `spin`thru`not gripping etc.
Thanks for replies.

[matt]

is this Extel or X-tel some new designed pole than, as the last time i used a X-tel, it certainly wasnt in the same lightness class as the Z-flex, infact i would say it was heavy compared to it

[Alex Gardiner]

What principle do the locking clamps work on the X-Tel? Are they pull
Down lever type? If so,with plenty of use and wear do they stand up oaky.
I find with both the Unger Tele-Plus and Harris the locking cones soon
Wear and after a short time the sections start to `spin`thru`not gripping etc.
Thanks for replies.

They are pull down lever clamps but they do have a fairly good adjustment range (via Philips screw).  I always view these cheap fibre glass poles as consumable items.  They are very easy to use, light and relatively inexpensive but are not built for longevity. You can expect to get between 6-12 months from say a 17ft X-Tel used for 90% of your work.  Some get far longer from them but this is usually down to how clean they keep the pole and pole hose.