Are Ettore Poles BAD Quality?

Ok so let me begin this with a little context and background… I haven’t used an Ettore pole in 2 YEARS. On my first day of training 2 years ago, on my very first pulldown, I broke the tip clean off. It was literally brand new, fresh from our local shop. Since then, I have not attempted to use the Ettore pole (the orange standard one) out of fear that it will just break within a week.
FYI - I use the Ettore Back Flip and Unger OPTI LOC 3-section. I have never had any issues with Unger tips breaking or even cracking. But… I’ve always wished that I could snap my Back Flip onto my pole. After a while, my Back Flip t-bar becomes loose on the Unger pole and will often pop off if I come down onto a ledge with even just a tiny amount of effort. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been pelted in the head by my falling mop lol. So… I would LIKE to give the Ettore pole another shot with the updated Back Flip that snaps onto their tips, but not if it comes at the expense of pole-durability.

Your opinion? Thank you!

Yeah, I gave up on their poles. The moerman one was my favorite.

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I have 2 professional grade Unger Opti-loc (Green) poles. I usually have to replace the tip yearly due to wear. The little plastic nibs inside wear thin and the pole tip spins. The pole tip is like $5 and is a wearable item. The poles are 5 years old or more and I have repaired the stones and collars once each throughout their life. I think that is reasonable per the usage. I also have 3 or 4 of the cheap HD Unger blue poles. They are in-expensive and last about three months worth of route work. They are non-repairable and the issue that I have is the collar wears quickly and wont hold pole in position. They get lost, damaged, left at the jobsite etc…not by me but by the crew… I also have an Ettore Backflip and use it on the Unger pole. Sometimes it doesn’t wedge all the way down but hasn’t been a problem that I couldn’t get 'r done.

I know that the upper section of the Ettore REACH poles are knurled which helps hold the collar tight. I like this part of it. The Ettore also has a repairable tip and the snap is metal whereas the Unger is plastic. I like the Ettore cobweb duster and how it snaps on the pole tip. The Ettore Cobweb lasts longer than others in my experience. Ettore makes a cheap pole sold at Lowe’s and they also make a non-repairable pole but years ago I did not have trouble with the professional REACH pole.

Not sure if this helps but let us know what you do and how it works. Thanks

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Just go carbon fiber.

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@DanTheWindowMan I would love to give the Xero Trad Pole a try. It’s just so much money :tired_face: lol.

@JaredAI I still haven’t tried any Moerman products yet but I’d like to someday! Do you think they make a pole as durable as the OPTI LOC?

@M_Lewis WOW. 5 years is a great lifespan for those poles. You must take very good care of them haha that makes me feel like I’m too hard on them because I usually have to replace a section every few months or so due to slight bowing (I probably use it fully extended more often than I should).
I’ll see how cheap the Ettore pole is at Home Depot and if it’s low enough maybe I’ll go ahead and give it another shot. Thanks for letting me know that I can find it there!

Cheap poles bend really easily, another reason to switch to carbon fiber, they never bend. Might end up being cheaper in the long run for you.

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Yeah, I’ve used the optiloc and ettore poles. The moerman isn’t as tough feeling as the unger one, but it just feels good to me. And I like the tip better than unger because it fits the ettore handles better.

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Alan, these are great questions, we have always used the Ettore poles, I like that they are somewhat skinny and light the vertical grooves that give it more stability, I have had the occasional mop fall also, it is not pleasant.
We are still using our original long poles 7 to 9 years old, have replaced the tips a few times from normal wear and tear.
We use the Unger 4’ aluminum pole with red tips from Lawton Brothers. Why? Because they get beat up more and my guys walk off and leave them on a job 2 or 3 times a year.
All of us have asked these very questions and will continue to ask questions. Thanks for starting the topic.

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Green German made Unger poles are subject to corrosion from daily use, I’ve returned a 4 day use Optilock 12’ due to corrosion on the alluminum and that bad boy cost me 76.00 USD with tax. My 8’ Sorbo California Dream pole never ever did that in the 4 years i’ve owned it, and that one was also about 70 USD, aside from other negative squibs on the Sorbo, I feel it is a better pole and made for window cleaning in its practical use and has less flex than the Ettore.

The flex on the Unger is ok, still prefer the Xero Micro but that is apples to oranges.

Ettore are good value for the use you get out of them. Only problems I’ve had with my Ettore 8’ was the collars seizing on the aluminum, but never any corrosion, unlike the Unger Optilock.The Ettore flex is substantial in use, and at times greater, keep that in mind, but cost substanially less than either the Unger or the Sorbo.

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@JaredAI @Gorgon632 thanks for the replies, maybe I’ll go take a look at Moerman and Sorbo poles tomorrow at my local shop and see how they fell and fit my back flip :v: I appreciate all the feedback and opinions from everybody!

@BillR 9 years dang. Y’all must really be gentle with the poles lol.

Oh, I didn’t mention, we use felt lined pole holders …LOL,
Actually, I should provide more detail. The poles are stored out of the weather in our van or in the garage, occasionally they ride in the back of an F150, I have noticed they do take a beating riding in the PU! We also avoid staking equipment on the poles so they don’t warp.
We have discovered if you leave the poles exposed to weather, condensation will accumulate inside and cause them to oxidize. We use our poles primarily for interior work. Much of our exterior pole work is now done with WFP Reach-It. Have you seen the Window Weapon - its an awesome brush/scrubber with overhead spray. I understand some guys are using the carbon poles w/squeegee, we have kept our systems separate.

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Guys,
Think “investment” rather than cost.

If you are replacing poles and sections at a lower cost but frequently, is it really cheaper?

A CF pole will last you many years.

Divide your cost by how many months it will last.
I bet the CF actually costs less over the life of pole vs Aluminum.

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Preach!

I have broken many of those tips off. I switched to carbon fiber trad poles last year and it’s like night and day. Yes they are expensive but it’s an investment in yourself. You can buy a 20-30 footer and that can do any job you will come upon because they can be broken down to as short as 4 foot.

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@WindowCleaningMan @TheWindowCleanse thanks for replies. Quick question… Have y’all tried using the carbon fiber pole with the Ettore tip? If so, do you still have issues with the tip breaking or does the tip being on the cf pole make a difference in it’s durability? If that even makes sense lol.
Just curious cause I’d love to try that cf pole some day!

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Not sure, I use the green Unger tip. Never had one break.

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the Ettore tips are what I use, no issues.
https://windowcleaner.com/xero-pole-trad-adapter?pt=9G

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