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I bought a Werner specialty ladder so I can have access to at least two stories but yet have the ability to fold it up and put it in my car however, after I bought the ladder I was disappointed that it was made in China.
I'm a little concerned about the quality now, what are the odds of one of the steps breaking if I'm using the ladder normally?
I'm looking now to buy a Little Giant ladder as they were the first to pioneer this type of fold up ladder and it seems to be safer as they do some kind of zig zag weld to hold the steps in place however I have now found that even though Little Giant boast all the American hoopla the individual parts are made in China but it assembles the ladder over here; also, they replaced the human welders with robotic ones to make more ladders faster.
So whats the deal? Are these ladders safe even though everything is now made in China?
No ladder is "Safe" once you have both feet off the ground. Even on the first step.
Those fold up have one basic flaw. My neighbor has one, shakey deal.
They all are too narrow a beam / width for the fully entended height. The base is the about same width as the rest of the ladder. Pretty risky stuff for any ladder if you try to over climb it. It doesn't even have to break to get you hurt. Looks so much better on TV than it is in real life. Way over priced too. Just too unstable in real applications. If you lean out to the side just a tad, it wants to roll over in place.
Watch the weight ratings. I bought one and found out it is rated for 250 ppouonds. I weigh 216 so I cannot bring much up the latter int he way of tools or paint.
Most of these fold up ladders have a bolt on stabilizer bar for the base. buy it and use it. They are too narrow.
I have used the little giant ladders and I found them very sturdy, but I think that they are insanley expensive. The folding ladders are no where near as sturdy as a good standard ladder.
The best ladder that i have ever used is a fiberglass one that the power company left at our house. I lugger 100 pounds up that ladder with no indication of a load problem. It is lightweight, but it certianly feels very sturdy.
Ladder ratings:
Type III = 200 lbs. (red)
Type II = 225 lbs. (green)
Type I = 250 lbs. (blue)
Type IA = 300 lbs. (orange)
Type IAA = 375 lbs. (yellow)
These are the standard ANSI ratings, these ratings are not based on the material inwhich they are made- however, some rated ladders may only come in a particular material.
Last edited by K'ledgeBldr; 06-05-2009 at 01:59 PM..
Location: Visitation between Wal-Mart & Home Depot
8,309 posts, read 38,770,610 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by K'ledgeBldr
Ladder ratings:
Type III = 200 lbs.
Type II = 225 lbs.
Type I = 250 lbs.
Type IA = 300 lbs.
Type IAA = 375 lbs.
These are the stand ANSI ratings, these ratings are not based on the material inwhich they are made- however, some rated ladders may only come in a particular material.
I guess I just don't have the physique for ladder work...
I have the Werner ladder described. I have never had any real problems with it. My only issue is that it is very heavy IMO. I actually bought another ladder because it was difficult for me to manuever the weight.
I researched the Werner and Little Giant, among others, others extensively. I finally decided on this own. It's so lightweight that I'm amazed at how steady it is.
I have two Little Giants, one is 17' and the other is 22'. The bottom is wider than the rest, so it is very stable.
I have had one almost twenty years and use it almost daily in my inspection business.
If I was only going to use a ladder once or twice a year, I would probably buy a copy of the Little Giant. But I use mine every day, and I felt the cost was justified.
About two years into owning my first Little Giant, the clip on the main release fell out. I called the company and they sent replacement parts overnight to me - NO CHARGE. Try to get that kind of service from an import, or from Home Depot or Sams. It must have been a fluke, because it has given me almost 18 years of faultless service since.
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No ladder is safe........
