Xtend and Climb telescoping ladders?
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builderbob
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Seth I have an older telescoping ladder. It's great! Stores away so compact. I don't know what the weight ratings are but I don't weigh much more than a well fed toddler so I usually don't pay heed!
mouppe
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The horror stories are associated with the cheapos that you can find on ebay. I bought a Metaltech telescopic ladder and it is fantastic. Strong, stable, light. I use it to get into the attic, outside, everywhere.
Buy a good one and don't regret your choice.
http://www.metaltech.co/products/12-telescopic-ladder-2/
Buy a good one and don't regret your choice.
http://www.metaltech.co/products/12-telescopic-ladder-2/
jmbfestool
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They are good but I never use mine though more
For inspection than working on.
For inspection than working on.
I have no experience using any telescoping ladders. The pic in the above mentioned add would scare me from purchasing one.
It just looks flimsey to me. One responder indicated he uses his for inspection only, not for working off of. I am thinking he is on the money.
I have had my Little Giant ladder that folds down to 4-1/2 feet, opens to 8-1/2 feet and can extend to 17 feet (much larger models available).
It is a little heavy for its size, but with a widened section at top & bottom, it is the safest ladder i have ever worked from. And the most durable.
It fits into the bed of my pickup truck >>> crosswise
It just looks flimsey to me. One responder indicated he uses his for inspection only, not for working off of. I am thinking he is on the money.
I have had my Little Giant ladder that folds down to 4-1/2 feet, opens to 8-1/2 feet and can extend to 17 feet (much larger models available).
It is a little heavy for its size, but with a widened section at top & bottom, it is the safest ladder i have ever worked from. And the most durable.
It fits into the bed of my pickup truck >>> crosswise
Sparktrician
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I'm with Tinker on the Little Giant. I'm on my second, having acquired the first one over 30 years ago. My son now has my first one and loves it as I did. Home Despot started selling Chinese knock-offs a few years ago, but quit selling them when the welds began to fail in huge numbers and they started getting sued. I've never heard of a Little Giant ladder failing.
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Yeah, I have been looking at the LG too. My main thought on the telescoping was to get the most compact ladder possible for those quick use ' oh, I need to put a screw in up there' type of things. The fact that it would take little space in my truck or could even go in the back seat is tempting. But they do seem narrow and , at least in appearance' light duty. I have a full range of step ladder sizes, but the LG looks pretty useful.
Seth
Seth
one company I worked with had LG ladders. While they can do almost everything, they don't do it well. If your doing any sort of work that required folding up and moving several times a day they are very heavy, and a pain in the behind to use.
They might be great for handyman type work, so you not having to transport 4 ladders around. I think your far better off with a 4 and 6 foot fiberglass ladders and a small 16 foot extension ladder
They might be great for handyman type work, so you not having to transport 4 ladders around. I think your far better off with a 4 and 6 foot fiberglass ladders and a small 16 foot extension ladder
builderbob said:
Weighing in at about 250lbs I have to pay close heed and look for stuff rated at 300+. LG has been good when I need the flexibility but my mainstays are Werners with my favorite go-to being a 7' Werner fiberglass rated at 300lbs. 7' is a great height around here with 8' ceilings being quite common, low enough to manuever without banging the ceiling and high enough to step into the attic. Also the holster top accessories are quite handy. Lowes sells the 7' werners online.
Jeff Zanin
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Another vote for LG - I have had good success with the 22'. Yes it is heavy but I can move it myself which is important because I usually work alone, it is much easier to move and use than my 12' fiberglass stepladder.
I am a big guy and would not trust the telescoping ladders to hold me plus any tools or materials, even for "inspection".
Jeff
I am a big guy and would not trust the telescoping ladders to hold me plus any tools or materials, even for "inspection".
Jeff
Sparktrician
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SRSemenza said:
As others have pointed out, the LGs are a tad unwieldy, but they certainly are sturdy, and for me, that's worth the hassle. I just don't need anything that will possibly go hinky on me when I'm atop it. While I'm OK with flying lessons, I need to get a bunch better with the landings, especially when I have tools and sharp objects hanging off me.
[scared]
Holzhacker
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I have the 12' xtend & climb, 300lb OSHA rated unit. It is very good and sturdy. I like it, I use it, but I definitely do not trust it fully. A friend had an older one and the difference due to age and wear was a bit worrying. We compared his and mine once on a jobsite shortly after I got mine.
I don't like these ladders but they are very handy to have and keep me from having to drive the truck lots of times.
As others have mentioned, the horror stories usually revolve around the cheapo knockoffs or the light duty versions.
I suggest you watch your fingers when collapsing.
Better to extend from the bottom up when not fully extending even though extending from the top up is easier.
I don't like these ladders but they are very handy to have and keep me from having to drive the truck lots of times.
As others have mentioned, the horror stories usually revolve around the cheapo knockoffs or the light duty versions.
I suggest you watch your fingers when collapsing.
Better to extend from the bottom up when not fully extending even though extending from the top up is easier.
jmbfestool
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SRSemenza said:
That's why I bought mine but some reason I don't seem to get a time where i just need to pop up my telescoping ladders because most time my steps are high enough or I have scaffold setup etc.
So after owning them for more than 4years+ I have only used them once. So I now don't carry them in my van and yes I have had a couple of times I could of used them but I didn't have them in my van but it didn't mater I made do.
So would I buy them again? No! But that's not because they are crap just not for me.
I use my little big ladders but they are bloody heavy!
My most used are my 3rung zarger steps and and 6rung zargers steps
Jmb
Saskataper
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My wife uses a telesteps ladder all the time for inspecting roofs for hail damage and they are perfect for that, but they aren't that tough.
I have a waku folding ladder that I got from my dad that's at least 20 years old and has no issues. Like Festool it's German and expensive, when I looked into buying one it was $500 for the one I have which is 4'-7' as a step and 15' extended. It's light and sturdy and easy to fold and extend.
http://www.wakuladders.com/proda.htm
I have a waku folding ladder that I got from my dad that's at least 20 years old and has no issues. Like Festool it's German and expensive, when I looked into buying one it was $500 for the one I have which is 4'-7' as a step and 15' extended. It's light and sturdy and easy to fold and extend.
http://www.wakuladders.com/proda.htm
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I have Werner step 2' - 12' . I really like the various ladder top attachments - buckets, hooks etc. The more I look at the telescoping ladders the less "comfortable" they look. Too bad the 12' length in a 3' space would be nice. Maybe I will just stick with hauling whatever length step ladder I need, and I see a LG (or Waku) in the future. That offset capability for stairs would be great.
On the subject of ladders...... anyone trying one of the new (newer?) Werner three section extensions ?
3 Section Ladder
Seth
On the subject of ladders...... anyone trying one of the new (newer?) Werner three section extensions ?
3 Section Ladder
Seth
i cant reconment the littlegiant ladders enough.
i was on a job a few months ago. we were insulation an attic in a big house that had 4 different small roofs. the man i was working for just measured one section through a very small crawl through gap in the wall . he saw there was a manhole into the attic but rever went looking for it downstairs.
anyway we went to get up to finish that section only to be greated with the manhole way out over a set of stairs. ther wasnt enough room for an extention ladder and it wasnt flat enough for an normal a frame ladder.
he was in a panic and wanted to go home to get some scafolding. that would have turned a 2 hour job into at least a 1 day job.
LG to the rescue. i set it up and way we went. that feature on stairs has easily paid for the ladder.
if you have a need for different ladder types than the LG ladder is the way to go.
i was on a job a few months ago. we were insulation an attic in a big house that had 4 different small roofs. the man i was working for just measured one section through a very small crawl through gap in the wall . he saw there was a manhole into the attic but rever went looking for it downstairs.
anyway we went to get up to finish that section only to be greated with the manhole way out over a set of stairs. ther wasnt enough room for an extention ladder and it wasnt flat enough for an normal a frame ladder.
he was in a panic and wanted to go home to get some scafolding. that would have turned a 2 hour job into at least a 1 day job.
LG to the rescue. i set it up and way we went. that feature on stairs has easily paid for the ladder.
if you have a need for different ladder types than the LG ladder is the way to go.
