when buying a used pole...

[pvjackex]

what are the things i need to check for before buying a used pole...

cracks, spike dmg... what else

[rainbowgirl28]

If there is any tape that is lower than the hand grip, peel it off and look for scratches underneath.

[Bruce Caldwell]

Here are a few things to look for when buying a used pole:


1. Look to see if the pole has been taped or gripped above the ring.
a. If so do not buy it, it may have been over stressed.

2. Make sure the rating and the engraved size are the same.

3. Check for scratches under the tape, in the grip area, and at the butt.


4. If the weight of the vaulter selling the pole is more than 10 lbs over the pole.

a.Make sure they did not use it when they were overweight.

5. Make sure the pole comes with the original tube.
a. To show they took care of the pole.

6. Measure the pole to make sure it has not been cut down.

[PVJunkie]

Here are a few things to look for when buying a used pole:

1. Look to see if the pole has been taped or gripped above the ring.
a. If so do not buy it, it may have been over stressed.[/size]

This is not true of a Gill pole. The ONLY reason you cannot grip the top of the pole is the way the NFHS rule is written. It says that the wt max must be above the grip limit line. Well if the grip limit line is the top of the pole...........where do you put the wt rating??

2. Make sure the rating and the engraved size are the same.

Good point.

3. Check for scratches under the tape, in the grip area, and at the butt.

Dont forget about Bruises!!

4. If the weight of the vaulter selling the pole is more than 10 lbs over the pole.

a.Make sure they did not use it when they were overweight.

What if your getting a good deal from someone NOT in high school who does NOT have to abide by the NFHS rules. Maybe they were gripping 2 feet down on a pole rated 10lbs under their wt. The inspection is the most improtant part of all of this!! Dont buy and "iffy pole".

5. Make sure the pole comes with the original tube.
a. To show they took care of the pole.

I would disagree with this one also. I dont know many people that have EVER kept the orig tube. Most use the black drainage tile w/or w/out a pole bag. It has no bearing on the condition of the pole. Or the amount of damage it has sustained in its life (unless they vaulted on it in the tube......).

6. Measure the pole to make sure it has not been cut down.

Awsome advice..........cutting a pole down changes EVERYTHING and you will have no idea what your getting.

[rainbowgirl28]

1. Look to see if the pole has been taped or gripped above the ring.
a. If so do not buy it, it may have been over stressed.[/size]

This is not true of a Gill pole. The ONLY reason you cannot grip the top of the pole is the way the NFHS rule is written. It says that the wt max must be above the grip limit line. Well if the grip limit line is the top of the pole...........where do you put the wt rating??

Well Gill puts their max handhold so high that it is hard to grip above it anyway. I tried doing that on an 11' Ms. Stic, back in the day... a couple jumps it slipped out of my top hand as I brought it up, so I stopped doing that

UCS has theirs a lot lower... but on all their poles made before 95, they did not have a max handhold thing. I don't think they changed the way they make their poles making it any less safe to grip closer to the top.

Having said that, if you are in high school, you need to abide by the NFHS rules, including gripping below the suggested max handhold.

I would disagree with this one also. I dont know many people that have EVER kept the orig tube. Most use the black drainage tile w/or w/out a pole bag. It has no bearing on the condition of the pole. Or the amount of damage it has sustained in its life (unless they vaulted on it in the tube......).

Yeah those cardboard tubes fall apart very quickly if you actually keep the pole in them, and travel with it. I am sure that if someone had one of those nice plastic ESSX tubes, they'd be a bit more inclined to hang on to it

[Decamouse]

The plastic tube concept is nice if you are taking only one or two poles - If you have four or five - or in my case two bags - twenty poles - it get unwieldie - ok all the poles are not for me - but for others at the meet - look for pole abuse -

[Oldcoach]

Since the subject of pole tubes was brought up,I would like to know what size of drainage tube (O.D.) will fit inside a Pacer Ms. Stic pole bag?

[Decamouse]

just ran to Menards and got some 6" a couple weeks ago -

[rainbowgirl28]

The plastic tube concept is nice if you are taking only one or two poles - If you have four or five - or in my case two bags - twenty poles - it get unwieldie - ok all the poles are not for me - but for others at the meet - look for pole abuse -

Yeah my pole tube has become a permanent fixture on top of my car. Actually it is tubes now. I am carting around some 15 footers and my tube is "only" 14'6".

[Bruce Caldwell]

ESSX wrote:
Here are a few things to look for when buying a used pole:

1. Look to see if the pole has been taped or gripped above the ring.
a. If so do not buy it, it may have been over stressed.[/size]

PVJUNKIE WROTE
This is not true of a Gill pole. The ONLY reason you cannot grip the top of the pole is the way the NFHS rule is written. It says that the wt max must be above the grip limit line. Well if the grip limit line is the top of the pole...........where do you put the wt rating??

Well again we disagree,
I might suggest you to check this one out, as the way that most poles are made the grip area is a one-foot area located just under the ring, which is there to keep the vaulter within the grip area. If a vaulter holds above this designated grip area they will be too far above the top of the sail tip reinforcement. IN most cases if the pole is built for optimum performance then holding above the grip area will over bend and over stress a pole. If for years even before the NFHS rule, manufacturers have stated not to hold above the designated grip area or the pole will not perform to its optimum performance!
I stand corrected if your company has a design that allows for a grip over the ring and if so maybe they should consider raising the ring as the rule allows the manufacturer to set the ring or the maximum grip on the pole?

[Bruce Caldwell]

Quote: by ESSX
4. If the weight of the vaulter selling the pole is more than 10 lbs over the pole.

a.Make sure they did not use it when they were overweight.

REPLY by PVJUNKIE
What if your getting a good deal from someone NOT in high school who does NOT have to abide by the NFHS rules. Maybe they were gripping 2 feet down on a pole rated 10lbs under their wt. The inspection is the most improtant part of all of this!! Dont buy and "iffy pole".

If pole for sale is a great pole, one that was made with the least amount of glass, one that is light weight and performs well. I do not recommend that a grip 2 foot down would be safe for a vaulter 10lbs over the rating of the pole. ANd such a practice in this senerio can over stress the pole.

AS I have stated before the pole is made with wraps of glass the more wraps or layers the thicker the wall based on the original mandrel size. If the vaulter weighs 10 lbs more holding 2 foot lower, they are placing 10lbs more weight on a shorter stick and one that has a wall thickness to accommodate less weight.

I will admit!
There is an exception to this, when the pole is a thicker wall pole one with 4-5 body wraps, one made with a more variable weight, then the pole will be able to accommodate a bigger range of weight. This pole would be heavier, it might also be smaller in diameter, and designed to bend low, as well as perform with more, diversity just like the training poles I invented in 1969.
You may be able to safely jump on this pole, however it is my opinion and based on my experience that holding below the designated optimum grip area will only yield a poor storing, and different recoiling pole, than what the pole was designed to provide. You will not be able to vault efficiently with this type of grip positioning. VAulting with a grip above the grip area and one below the grip area will casue you to develop poor technigue that may be very hard to break when you really start jumping closer to your potential.

[Bruce Caldwell]

Quote: essx wrote
5. Make sure the pole comes with the original tube.
a. To show they took care of the pole.

reply by PV junkie
I would disagree with this one also. I dont know many people that have EVER kept the orig tube. Most use the black drainage tile w/or w/out a pole bag. It has no bearing on the condition of the pole. Or the amount of damage it has sustained in its life (unless they vaulted on it in the tube......).

Yes you are correct once you get several poles it is better to store in a 6" to 8" plastic drainage pipe. But when one is selling you the pole , I think the fact that they have a nice tube for you to carry it home would boost my confidence on how well they respected the pole.
It is my opinion that the cost to protect the pole is less than the total pole cost by at leat 90%.

Based on how I see truck lines and airfreight treat the poles when they are on the way to us, yields me to feel better about one delivered in a plastic or very thick protective tube.