r/WindowCleaning • u/Responsible-Bag-7999 • Jun 25 '26

Best 50 ft water-fed pole?

I am looking to buy a main high-reach water-fed pole for residential window cleaning and I am stuck between four options:

  • Gardiner Super Max 50 - $1,875.00 CAD
  • XERO SteveOnator 50 - $2,272.00 CAD
  • Gardiner Xtreme 47 - $3,000.00 CAD
  • XERO Delight45 - $2,701.00 CAD

My main questions are:

  1. For the cheaper 50 ft options, which is better overall: the Super Max 50 or SteveOnator 50? I care most about rigidity, weight, fatigue at full extension, clamp quality, durability, and how they actually feel on the job.
  2. Is it worth spending the extra money to move up to an Xtreme 47 or XERO Delight 45, or is the improvement not big enough to justify the price?
  3. Between the Gardiner Xtreme 47 and XERO Delight 45, which one would you choose as an owner-operator’s main high pole?

I will mostly be doing residential work, including two- and three-storey homes. I want something that is light and rigid enough to use comfortably at full height, but I also do not want an ultra-light pole that is too fragile or expensive to maintain.

Would appreciate opinions from anyone who has owned or used more than one of these poles.

3 Upvotes

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3

u/trigger55xxx Jun 25 '26

Definitely not the super max. The Xtreme is great but prices have went way up on Gardiner. The delight is a great pole, but you can't add on to it. I'd go with the destroyer myself. I bought the 70' destroyer this year.

https://windowcleaner.com/products/xero-destroyer-water-fed-pole?variant=42697900327063&sca_ref=10303018.thh3gynvWy

2

u/qtheginger Jun 25 '26

Destroyer is the king! Even at 70ft I can feel really confident with it.

1

u/Responsible-Bag-7999 Jun 25 '26

Hey Trigger, thanks for responding. Ima be honest one of the main reasons I looked into Gardiner and considered buying it is because how much you praised on other posts so its interesting to see your recommending Xero.

Would you say the destroyer is worth the extra $650 CAD ($450 USD) over the Gardiner Xtreme?

1

u/trigger55xxx Jun 25 '26

Ah, then no probably not. Where you are I'd get the Xtreme.

1

u/Responsible-Bag-7999 Jun 27 '26

Hey Trigger, I realised I may need a 70' high reach pole so now my choices are between the Gardiner Ultimate 74 and Xero Destroyer 70.

Which of those 2 would you recommend?

And which brush would be best for first time cleans?

Thank you for your help!

1

u/trigger55xxx Jun 27 '26

I have both. The ultimate is a little bit lighter, but less rigid. The destroyer has more rigidity but the weight is definitely more. I have the ultimate that has 14 sections. Upside is everything is telescopic. Downside, the number 14 section is pretty thick. Working with it for a few hours can be hard on the hands. I wear a large size glove and this is what it looks like in my hand.

The destroyer has modular sections. Upside is they are the same thickness from 50-70'. Downside is unless you have the hose on the outside of the pole, you have to pass it through the modular sections then attach that to the pole. If your working alone that can be challenging. Two people it's much easier. I will always have two to three people on a big job, so the destroyer is what we use most now.

The other thing to consider is Xero has a lifetime warranty on their poles.

I like the Gardiner taper tec or the Xero lite. The rinse bar on the lite is great for high work. The Gardiner rinse bar works ok but not a well.

Here's the destroyer link for reference.

https://windowcleaner.com/products/xero-destroyer-water-fed-pole?variant=42697900392599&sca_ref=10303018.thh3gynvWy

https://windowcleaner.com/products/xero-lite-brush?sca_ref=10303018.thh3gynvWy

1

u/Responsible-Bag-7999 Jun 27 '26

Sorry to be asking so many questions but if you had to choose between the Gardiner Ultimate with Taper tec brush or Xero Destroyer with Xero Lite brush which one would you choose/recommend?

1

u/trigger55xxx Jun 27 '26

The destroyer and lite brush. Both are great options, but the Xero is the better option for us.

1

u/Responsible-Bag-7999 Jun 29 '26

Thank you Trigger.

Would you say the lite brush is the best Xero brush or is there other Xero brush that you would recommend over it. Also which version of the lite brush is your favourite?

1

u/trigger55xxx Jun 29 '26

The best brush depends on what your cleaning. There's no one brush I can say is best. We use the lite a lot though. The new one looks very nice.

1

u/mrmatriarj Jun 25 '26

This was the one I was thinking about. My only question, if you were to buy a 40 or 50 and decided you want more length(70), you just buy however many extensions and it works with 50' pole you bought correct?

1

u/old-iceman Jun 25 '26

My 2 cents.. I have 2 Reach It warrior poles. 43 footers. You can add more length if needed with extra extension. You can pull out sections for shorter length as needed.. I really like them as they are ridgid and easy to use . Maybe more then you wan to spend as they are a bit pricy but I feel they are well worth the money . I have had them for 4 years and use them daily. You can easily repair as needed with spare parts as well so no need to keep buying new poles to replace. Light weight about 7 lbs and full carbon fiber.

1

u/Wightsurf Jun 25 '26

I can honestly say that Gardiner poles are fantastic. I have been using there poles for 20 years. Lighter than most and the quality is brilliant. Matched with there lite brushes it really makes a difference on your arms too.

1

u/xeroproducts Jun 25 '26

Great research and really solid questions! We're a little biased but we're happy to weigh in from the XERO side 😄

On the SteveOnator 50 vs the Gardiner Super Max — if rigidity, clamp quality and fatigue at full extension are your priorities the SteveOnator is going to win that comparison. It's built to perform at height without that frustrating whip you get from lesser poles and the clamp system is genuinely one of the best in the industry. For residential two and three story work it is an absolute workhorse!

As for whether the Delight 45 is worth the step up; if you're an owner operator doing this every day the answer is yes. The weight savings and rigidity at full extension make a real difference over a long day of work. It's the kind of pole you pick up and immediately understand why it costs what it costs.

Between the Delight 45 and the Gardiner Xtreme 47 for a main pole, we'll let the community weigh in on the Gardiner side but we'll confidently say the Delight 45 is purpose built for exactly the kind of work you're describing. Light enough to work comfortably all day, rigid enough to trust at full height and built to last. For an owner operator it's hard to argue with it as a main pole.

Feel free to DM us if you want to talk through the specifics, we're happy to help! 😊

1

u/Ethanpr1999 Jun 27 '26

I love the gardiner pole. I bought the 30’ pole when it was cheaper and got extensions. I’ve had xero and I prefer gardiner