Stressing out!

CMarie started this discussion · 8/3/2011

So I have finally saved up enough money to buy a pole, and had decided on the x-pole xpert....except I have been reading that alot of people have been having problems with them latley! I need my pole to be removable, and can not drill any holes, so xpole seemed like the way to go. But I have been reading on these fourms that alot of you are having problems with the x joints getting stuck, stripping the threading, etc. Should I not even waste my money? Would platinum stages be a better choice? It took me quite a while to save up the money, being a single mother going to school money is tight. I would be soo super sad if I bought one and it messed up right off the bat. :( Thanks for any input! I cant wait to get my pole, I just want to make the right choice :)

35 replies

TinyDancer04 · 8/3/2011
I have a new xpert and haven't had any problems with it... Yet. I haven't heard the best reviews about platinum stages .. Xpole really does have great customer service. Where in the world are you? If your in oz I would recommend the pussycat pole :)
Pisces Poler · 8/3/2011
I would not recommend xpole! I've had one and have had a million things go wrong with it in less than 6 months. I am currently waiting on xpole to replace faulty parts and as soon as they get here I'm putting it on eBay so I can get money to get a pussycat pole. I assume since you are looking at platinum stages, you are in the US? I'd look at Lil Mynx poles if I was you :)
chemgoddess1 · 8/3/2011
No pole is perfect. You really need to make a list of important factors (portability, finish, height) and then make a decision based on that. I am a little dismayed at some of the issues that I have been hearing about XPole but I will also note that we ahve 8 X Stages where I teach and I have a fairly new XPole at home. I will not say that I have had no issues but I will also state that any issue that I have had has been dealt with immediately.
Charley · 8/3/2011
I have owned personally 5 platinum stages poles and 3 x-poles...I can honestly say no pole is perfect but I've had much better luck with X-pole vs.Platinum Stages...with PS their multi piece poles rarely ever fit together - for that reason alone I would stay away from them. If you need a multipiece pole - go x-pole.
chemgoddess1 · 8/3/2011
Charley, do you know if they (PS) are still having issues with their multipiece pole? I know they were a few years back but someone was just asking me last night and I honestly do not know anyone who has purchased one lately.
Charley · 8/3/2011
They were having mega issues up to a 6 or 7 months ago with multi piece poles :( We had a client who went through SEVERAL extensions on her pole before she could errect it. I think PS makes a great removable one piece pole but their multipiece poles are not reliable in quality. If it has to be a multipiece then I highly recommend the x-pole and yes x-joints can be a pain but I've had my x-pert up since october and haven't had a problem with x-joints turning, the studio however has and all the poles need to be taken down and fixed.
Charley · 8/3/2011
When it comes to x-joints - take your time putting them together and follow the directions - I think this is why I haven't had a problem with mine, I took the time to be sure I was doing it correctly and tightening the joint evenly.
BACE16 · 8/3/2011
Agreeing with Charley. Also noting the instructions also say to take the Xpole down every so often. I did not and my Xjoints will not unscrew at all. I have a 1 piece Xpole now haha. I do not blame them, its was my own butt not following instructions. The 1 time I called support (unrelated issue when I was still under waranty) they were ok. I loved my Lil Mynx 1 piece and never had a problem with it, but it needs a hole in the ceiling. Can't do that where I live now. I haven't seen Lil Mynx portable (multiple pieces/no holes to drill) come up in the forum debates much, never owned one, might be worth looking into.
chemgoddess1 · 8/3/2011
Lil Mynx portable is worthless. The only way it is decent is if you screw the piece into the ceiling. There have been discussions about it fairly recently.
Dancing Paws · 8/3/2011
I have a LM portable. I cannot use it since my ceilings are smooth and ceiling plate slips when I try to spin, but someone me that they have a cottage cheese ceiling and the plate does not slip for them. Honestly though, it is best to just screw the darn thing into the ceiling, but I can't cuz I rent an apartment, so it gets to look pretty until I get a house... I have had joint issues with my xpert but it has not been so bad that I will never use it. I tighten the joints everytime I practice and I have been fine. I had faulty parts originally, which they replaced. Mine is a 50mm TG. It is working well. Do not over tighten it to the ceiling. Once it it tight to the ceiling and does not budge, do not tighten it more. I am curious if the brass pole is less likely to have joint problems. They said the pole walls are thicker do to the pole being solid brass, so maybe that would be a good option??
CMarie · 8/3/2011
Thanks so much for the replies! I am in the US. I was actually just looking at the Lil' Mynx poles, and that might work since it is just one screw. I could easily cover that when it is time to take it out. It is important to me to be able to easily remove it when it is not in use, and it seems like it would be hard to take the xpole down and put it back up every time I want to use it. From the looks of it Lil' Mynx would be better for that. I also want it to have the spin option, and was hoping to have it be portable. But portability is not as important as the first two. I was looking at the portable Lil' Mynx but it does not look like it has a spin option, and you ssaid it slpis...no reason to have it if its going to slip on me when it isnt screwed in...I have a little more research to do, but you guys definitley helped me out. Thanks so much!
Dancing Paws · 8/4/2011
The portable pole does not spin.
CMarie · 8/4/2011
Ok thanks :)
Charley · 8/4/2011
LM poles are fine and they have a rotator option which is more money. The benefit is if you don't mind having a one piece pole, it's pretty easy to get up and down. The downside is when I had my LM up that large screw actually ate through my stud and when I took it down I was not able to put it back up :( If you are going with a solid one piece pole/rotator go with a PS one piece and just pressure mount it under the beam - even easier than the LM and you don't have to worry about that screw causing a mess in your beams. *After I took my LM down and noticed the damage, I found out that several other people had the same problem...these ARE good poles but only if you can secure the bottom as well. I work at a studio that uses the LM's this way and they are rock solid, but that means they are also permanant.
amy · 8/4/2011
charley, i saw it posted a while back on the SV forum that when someone called LM to complain about that issue (screw eating through the stud) that the response that htey got was that that kind of damage only happens when you tighten the pole (screw the black sleeve up) when the pole is in place. to keep it from happening you are supposed to take it down, screw the sleeve up, and put it back up. it makes sense to me... rotating the sleeve while it's applying pressure up to the ceiling would absolutely cause the screw to move in place. we use LM poles at my studio because they go up and down in seconds, and we have it set up so that we have little pieces of wood 2x4 screwed up on the ceiling over the ceiling stud, and then the LM screw is screwed directly into the wood. it works really well and is super stable, and you don't have to worry about the ceiling getting damanged that way.
polegypsy · 8/4/2011
i have the old school x-pole with the curve dome on top and i love it, its a 1 year and 8 months old i have had no problems with it, knock on wood, lol my dome is a lil pushed in but that's cause i am so anal on it being up tight, that i tend to over tighten, lol oh and one of my tools broke, now i use a screw driver as a tightening rod, lol
polediva55 · 8/5/2011
I'm in the UK and have a TG xpert, the gold has faded on the top section of the pole and the xjoint kept twisting, however I contacted xpole and they are sending me the replacement parts asap. Can't fault their customer service and the pole is great, really sturdy and the spinny option is excellent
MaliciousMynx · 8/5/2011
I have the new 50mm TG xpert for 5 months now and so far nothing has happened to it. No fading and no problems with the x-joints. I really took my time installing it and watched the videos and followed the instructions carefully. My friend and I use my pole simulataneously two times a week and then I practice it on it through out the week and haven't had any problems. I had to get an extension for my pole because my ceiling is 9ft and 2inches and their customer service was super friendly and they were fast shipping it. It's sturdy and I love my pole. I hope that helps.
hookedonpole · 8/5/2011
I had a stainless steel Lil Mynx for 2 years, although I did struggle with it being slippery, it served me well during that time. However, when I got into things that required more grip (aside from sweaty hands) I had to replace it. Another thing I didn't like about lil mynx (unless they've done something about it since), due to my ceiling height, we had to use the extension that is at the top of the pole. That extension part of the pole is NOT usable for poling, so I had to adjust when learning aerial invert and caterpillar climb, and could not pole climb higher. They need to have a cover for that section like xpole does. I've had a 50mm titan gold for almost a year and love it. I haven't had any problems with fading or joints. Husband and I check it regularly. I'm hoping to get a 45mm titan gold as soon as I can. I'm temporarily practicing on a 45mm chrome and it's working out well, but I think I still want another tita gold, hmmm I understand the decision making for this purchase, I went through the same thing, believe me! It was hard.
CMarie · 8/7/2011
Thanks for all the input guys! Right now one of my main priorities is how easily it goes up and down, because I am living with my parents. They dont like the idea of a "stripper pole" being in their house (haha), but agreed if I could only put it up when I want to practice and take it down when I am done. So how long does it take you to put up your x-poles? Would it be too much of a hassle to put it up and take it down all the time? Also my ceiling is 10 ft, so I would be needing an extention. I will have to look into that also.
Dancing Paws · 8/7/2011
You would definitely need an extension for the pole. I personally think it would be a pain to deal with an x pole. I think your best bet would be to get a lilmynx pro pole and use the permanent ceiling mount. It does not spin, but being a beginner, spin mode is not going to be a big deal. The pro pole can be taken don in 1 second, taken apart into two pieces in another second and hidden under your bed. BAM you are done! to put it up: slide the tubes together in one second, put it up and BAM you are done! Technically you can get a 1 piece pole, but I am guessing you want to hide the pole. You can talk to Randy if you need thf pole to be higher than 10 ft also. The x pole will be such a pain to hide with a 10 foot ceiling. You will have to take apart at least 2 or more joints, remove the dome and base, etc. Installation and takedown takes much longer, so if it will be going up and down frequently, x pole is not as ideal as a lil mynx.
Dancing Paws · 8/7/2011
If you really do want a spinner get a spinner 1 piece and lay if against a wall that is long enough, and cover it. I am 100% positive that a lilmynx will be easier for you to deal with for putting up and take down. It takes me several minutes to put my x pole up, plus you have to constantly check that the joints are tight.
CMarie · 8/8/2011
Thank you so much Sensualscimitar. That was what I was wondering about. I am kind of a beginner. I have taken pole classes up to the advanced levels, but after looking at all the moves taught on studio veena, I feel like I havent learned much at all! Haha. But I had been wanting the spinning option for later on. I would rather pay the extra now then have to buy a whole new pole later on :) But yes, it would be convinient to be able to break down the pole into two pieces. That would be much easier to store. A one piece shouldnt be a problem though. As long as it can be taken down and stashed in a corner or something :) So it looks like I will be going with a Lil' Mynx after all! I am so excited! :)
Dancing Paws · 8/8/2011
By the time you move out of your parents house, you will probably want a new pole anyways, and there may be different poles on the market by then that have a spin option and are way better. By then, you will probably be ready for spin mode practice. I never use my spin mode for training purposes. Everything on Veena's lessons are on static poles. A lot of girls eventually invest in a second (or third pole). Just think of the lil mynx static as your start up pole to get you going while you are stuck with the parents. Once you are on your own you can get whatever you darn well please (unless you have to deal with landlords like me.)
LizzyLiz810 · 8/9/2011
I have permanent platinum stages poles and love them. For at home, they have a semi pressured pole. I would go with that, because they have the easiest spin mechanism.

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