Any Little Giant Ladder Owners Out There?

M

Mike Goetzke

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Jul 12, 2008
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1,133
For a few upcoming projects I purchased a Little Giant articulating ladder. I purchased the 22 ft model and wondering if I should have gotten the 26 ft. I read many contractors felt the 26' is too heavy to move about and prefer the 22'. I'm not young anymore and the 22' is a bit heavy but now wondering if the additional 12# for the 26' would make a big difference.

(I will mostly use this ladder in it's a-frame and offset for stairs as I already have a 24' extension ladder.)

Thanks
Mike
 
I have several and am 66yrs old with health issues. If the 22' is at the edge of comfortable you would not like moving the 26ft around for sure. I have a 22' personal ladder and the 26' work ladder which I don't use anymore because of the weight issue.

Jack
 
I have the 22'which is adequate for my suburban bungalow.  I can manage it but glad I don't need anything longer.
 
Claimdude said:
I have several and am 66yrs old with health issues. If the 22' is at the edge of comfortable you would not like moving the 26ft around for sure. I have a 22' personal ladder and the 26' work ladder which I don't use anymore because of the weight issue.

Jack
Click to expand...

Thanks for all the replies.

Jack - this is what I saw on the internet that the additional weight of the 26' puts you in the uncomfortable zone.
 
I have the 17' and the 22'. I very rarely use the 22' in favor of the 17'.  I've found that while erecting the 22' is do-able alone, it's far easier to erect the 17' alone.  Extending that logic, I'd be in really deep kimchi if I tried to erect the extended 26' by myself.  I'd point out that although the 26' is only 12# heavier, it's really difficult to erect it fully extended by yourself without assistance. 
 
I have owned Little Giant ladders since 1992. They are the only ladders I used in my remodel business.
I have all the sizes, including a 26. I added the 26 about 3 years ago to change bulbs in my pole barn. I do use it a couple of time a year to clean gutters on a garage, in the step ladder mode. It is very heavy & about all I can handle in step ladder mode.
 
I have the 17 footer. I use it for pruning trees and shrubs. By the time I tote it all around the yards, I'm about tuckered out. And I am only 39. I know I am 39 because I have been 39 for 52 years.

I think it is the safest ladder I have ever used, but it is really heavy.
Tinker
 
I have the Little Giant MegaLite 17 from Costco. The price sure has gone up from when I purchased it on sale for, IIRC, $109 or maybe $119. Love it. A-frame out in the middle of the garage? No problem. Extension mode to get on the roof? No problem. We're in a single story house, so no giant reach needed. Other than that, it's worked for everything I've needed.
https://www.costco.com/little-giant...h-tip-%26-glide-wheels.product.100487758.html
 
Mike Goetzke said:
For a few upcoming projects I purchased a Little Giant articulating ladder. I purchased the 22 ft model and wondering if I should have gotten the 26 ft. I read many contractors felt the 26' is too heavy to move about and prefer the 22'. I'm not young anymore and the 22' is a bit heavy but now wondering if the additional 12# for the 26' would make a big difference.

(I will mostly use this ladder in it's a-frame and offset for stairs as I already have a 24' extension ladder.)

Thanks
Mike
Click to expand...
Mike, i had the exact same dilemma about 7 years ago when i was looking to buy the little giant. After all the research.. i decided in favor of the 22' with ratcheting legs. It is at the upper limit of a normal  persons ability to handle. I am glad i did not go bigger..or smaller. 22' in my opinion is the sweet spot. I have a bad back.. but can still handle the weight of 22' going up a flight of stairs. Hope this helps.
 
I just went on line to look at the Little Giant ladders, the Werner ladders and the Gorilla ladders.

I looked at the 26 footers and all were within 1 pound of each other.  They all carry the same ratings and are all rated for 375 pound capacity.

Little Giant appears to have invented that class of ladders.

Little Giant and Gorilla are both owned Wing Industries.  Different divisions of the same company.  Wing claims to the the largest ladder company in the USA.  Wing started in 1970 by Hal Wing.

Werner is privately held and is the oldest of the bunch being in the ladder business since 1922.

I have no idea how you choose among the three brands.
 
I have the 26 and the 17. It is possible to set up the 26 by yourself but you will want to think it through. If it starts leaning too far over you won’t be able to muscle back. I also have Werner ladders and I’m not always comfortable on them. They may be just as safe but the give and flex enough to keep me from really trusting them. The Little Giant feel totally solid even on rough or uneven surfaces.
 
I have the 22' and 26' Werner. Essentially the same ladders.
I have the 26' because sometimes I actually need it. I don't need it often but when I do, I'm glad I have it. Its still better than hauling one of my 26' or 32' fiberglass extension ladders. For the most part the 22' is enough. If I didn't have a 26' I would only buy one when the need arises.
 
I believe mine is the 22 foot; I use it for access to a loft above the garage, pending a more permanent solution. This ladder is remarkable for its steadiness (in the A-frame position). I'm tempted to get the 17 foot at CostCo so I have another steady ladder that's easier to move.
 
Years  ago, I used my 40 foot extension ladder to clean gutters on one of my customers roof. I use a neiboring contractor to assist me.
We took three men to set it up. once we set it up, two of us tied ropes to the mid section to steady the ladder. The contractor climbed the ladder (he had not been 39 fr as long as I had been). Once he reached as far as could reach with the blower, he climbed back to the ground and worked together to move the ladder.

One year, the lady did not call me to clean her gutters. When i was mowing her lawn, I asked her if she wanted us to clean her gutters.

She told me, "your are not going to like what I tell you". She told me that her husband and father in law are going to clean the gutters.

I shugged my shoulders and replied, "There is plenty of work. I don't need to be cleaning gutters"

She replied, "Aren't you going to say any more?"

"Well. I have an idea. You should first go your library."

"What can i do there?"

"Go to the shelf that has books on 'How to Live as Widow'"

She must have took my advise. 3 months later, she got a divorce and they sold the house.

Tinker

 
Tinker said:
"Go to the shelf that has books on 'How to Live as Widow'"

She must have took my advise. 3 months later, she got a divorce and they sold the house.

Tinker
Click to expand...

HA!  That pretty much worked for me (in reverse).  I divorced a wife that turned out being the Queen of Naggers.  Life got a whole bunch of better and I no longer was under the gun to clean the gutters every other month.  [big grin]
 
No one can tell you whether the extra weight will make a difference for YOU, it is strictly personal. The only way to find out is to attach some extra weight to your 22 footer, carry it around and decide.
 
I've owned a Little Giant M26 (model 10126) since 1995.

It's a heavy beast. There is no configuration of it that has a 26 foot dimension. Each "leg" is about 6 feet. As a step ladder I think it's considered an 11 footer. As an extension ladder it's a lot harder to extend/retract.

I got it so I wouldn't have to buy multiple ladders. The adjust for staircase feature I've maybe used twice in a quarter century. After a couple of years of owning it, I wished I had bought separate ladders. Now that I'm old, I probably will switch to fiberglass ladders, although my wife thinks I should switch to hiring younger people to climb ladders for me. Smart woman.

I noticed that Little Giant makes a 22 version in fiberglass, but that's not big enough for my purposes.
 
I have 2 of the M22 versions of the Little Giant. I find them just tolerable for weight and did not get the 26 for that reason.

I use them with a scaffold plank, that is why I have 2 of them. I have owned a lot of stepladders and this is the one I feel the safest on.

It is worth watching the videos the manufacturer has on YouTube to get tips on setting them up. Once you get used to them, they are easy to set up.

I have the wheels on the M22 and do use them on occasion if going a distance, but don't find it too tough to carry.
 
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