Telescoping Ladders. Are they any good? (NGC)

[bigbikerrick]

Hello Folks, I am in the market for an extension ladder, for general house maintenance stuff. I think about a 16'-20' ladder would meet my needs. I started looking online to see what was available, and noticed they make some ladders that telescope , and seem to pack up into a much smaller package than the regular sliding 2 or 3 section ladders. Have any of you guys used this type of ladder?  I had never seen one before, im wondering if its a worthwhile thing, or just kinda "gimmicky" ,and not real useful  as an actual ladder...
opinions/recomendations/advice appreciated.
Thanks Rick.                           

[jackson]

We bought a telescoping ladder around nine years ago and have used it numerous times with no problems.  The only thing that has worn on it was the rubber feet which I replaced last summer for around $20-something dollars.  They're easy to store since they take up such little space and it works well for cleaning the gutters on our home.
*The brand that we own is a "Telesteps"

[Vince in Milwaukee]

Rick , I have a little Giant telescoping ladder , and while it will store in a small space , it is heavy , awkward to use , and the rungs are small and not very comfortable to stand on . Pricey also . Having spent hours on ladders over the last 25 years , would not recommend that brand . Give me a regular old Werner .

  Dusty

Believe I saw an info commercial in the middle of the night for one of these.  According to the manufacturer, it's the greatest thing since sliced bread.  Amazing as to what an actual owner has to say. 

[LeRoy]

I recently bought the 17' version of the Little Giant folding ladder. In doing so, I got rid of a 6' aluminum step ladder and a 20' aluminum extension ladder. The little giant folds up and hangs on the garage wall in less vertical space and no more footprint space than the step ladder. It is an excellent product, well made, secure in use and very versatile. It's much more secure feeling than either other ladder although it won't reach the ultimate height of the old extension ladder. That's OK, though. I never liked being up at the maximum extension. Now, if something calls for that much distance off the ground, I hire it done.

The Little Giant isn't cheap, but I bought it at Costco at a more attractive price than usualand they threw in several useful accessories. I'd do it again. The only downside is that it's a good deal heavier than a simple step ladder so you have more weight to lug around to the work site. On the other hand, I fit the whole thing in the trunk of my Beetle (2014 model) with only the back seat folded.

There are other, similar products. Harbor Freight sells one a lot cheaper. I'm just not sure I'd trust what I got at that price. Might as well buy American in this case.

[bigbikerrick]

Rick , I have a little Giant telescoping ladder , and while it will store in a small space , it is heavy , awkward to use , and the rungs are small and not very comfortable to stand on . Pricey also . Having spent hours on ladders over the last 25 years , would not recommend that brand . Give me a regular old Werner .

  Dusty

That was one of my concerns, Dusty. in the pics, the rungs where your feet go, looked small, without much of a flat surface.
I know in my case, that would cause leg pain pretty quick.
Thank you, Sir!
Rick.

[rodekyll]

My sister gave me one of those folding 'system' ladders that can be stand-alone or extension/leaning and goes up to 18-20'.  It's been handy -- not too heavy but feels substantial.  We've used it with plywood as a loading ramp, too.

[bigbikerrick]

I will have to stop by Costco and check out that little Giant you recommend LeRoy, if it fits in a beetle, I guess it may even fit in the trunk of my Camry. How long is it approximately fully extended? Oh and how much $$?
Thanks Rick.

[redrider]

My uncle died because of one of the aforementioned brands folded itself while he was changing security lights. Check for lawsuit history and caveat emptor.

[rodekyll]

Unless he was misusing it, the aforementioned brand isn't the one I have.  Mine has positive locks to keep it in whatever mode I've chosen.  The only way for it to fold up on you is if you don't set the locking pins.

[bigbikerrick]

My uncle died because of one of the aforementioned brands folded itself while he was changing security lights. Check for lawsuit history and caveat emptor.

Yikes, Thats terrible!  Was he a big guy? I  wondered if those folding types may no be good for us heavyweights.
Rick.

[LeRoy]

I will have to stop by Costco and check out that little Giant you recommend LeRoy, if it fits in a beetle, I guess it may even fit in the trunk of my Camry. How long is it approximately fully extended? Oh and how much $$?
Thanks Rick.

Mine is this model but it came with a pack of accessories as well.

http://www.costco.com/Little-Giant-MegaMax-17%27-Ladder-wAir-Deck--.product.100111832.html

[blackcat]

Werner fiberglass ladder for me. Add the aluminum arms at the top and it is quite stable for most situations.

[BigDave in PA]

Werner fiberglass ladder for me. Add the aluminum arms at the top and it is quite stable for most situations.

+1 not to mention that fiberglass is safer around electrical wires.

[Markcarovilli]

I recently bought the 17' version of the Little Giant folding ladder. In doing so, I got rid of a 6' aluminum step ladder and a 20' aluminum extension ladder. The little giant folds up and hangs on the garage wall in less vertical space and no more footprint space than the step ladder. It is an excellent product, well made, secure in use and very versatile. It's much more secure feeling than either other ladder although it won't reach the ultimate height of the old extension ladder. That's OK, though. I never liked being up at the maximum extension. Now, if something calls for that much distance off the ground, I hire it done.

The Little Giant isn't cheap, but I bought it at Costco at a more attractive price than usualand they threw in several useful accessories. I'd do it again. The only downside is that it's a good deal heavier than a simple step ladder so you have more weight to lug around to the work site. On the other hand, I fit the whole thing in the trunk of my Beetle (2014 model) with only the back seat folded.

There are other, similar products. Harbor Freight sells one a lot cheaper. I'm just not sure I'd trust what I got at that price. Might as well buy American in this case.

I agree with Leroy and not go with HF. I have same one as Leroy and it is easy to use and works well, not too heavy. I also have the next larger size and it is pretty heavy to rustle with. The 17 footer is really nice...

Mark

[V7Record]

I've had a 22' Little Giant for years.  It can be split into 2 shorter ladders if you want.
It's heavy as others noted but only about 6' when folded.
They make a foot leveler attachment (to make 1 leg longer) which allowed me to paint up to my eaves on the sloped side yard.
I also have the movable paint tray/platform that is strong enough to stand on.
Don't know that I'd trust the cheap reproductions but this is a good ladder.

[delrod]

Werner makes a LG copy. I have used one for years, heavy as hell but solid as a rock and I tip the scales north of 250lbs. Also as Dusty said a VERY effective way to pinch or break fingers.

[John Ulrich]

This is the one I think of when you say telescoping.

http://t.staples.com/XtendClimbA-105-Aluminum-Home-Series-Telescoping-Ladder/product_20003527?cid=PS:GooglePLAs:20003527&ci_src=17588969&ci_sku=20003527&KPID=20003527&kpid=20003527&gclid=CLmN06W4_sMCFUM1aQodw5AAyA

[jackson]

This is the one I think of when you say telescoping.

http://t.staples.com/XtendClimbA-105-Aluminum-Home-Series-Telescoping-Ladder/product_20003527?cid=PS:GooglePLAs:20003527&ci_src=17588969&ci_sku=20003527&KPID=20003527&kpid=20003527&gclid=CLmN06W4_sMCFUM1aQodw5AAyA

Yeah; me too.  The one that we have is this type from a company named, Telesteps.

[Aaron D.]

We have a telescoping and the folding type. The telescoper is quite compact, but after some years it can be reluctant to shrink. It froze on me this weekend, I could not get it to collapse.

The folder we have is very secure. But like any ladder, if you misuse it you may get hurt.

[Sasquatch Jim]

  For the superstitious, it is bad luck to have a ladder telescope while you are at the top.
  For the non superstitious it is merely painful.

[Johncolleary]

I have had one for 5 years and I love it the only thing is to look at the load rating.  I bought one as a gift for a friend of mine and he exceeds the load rating.

[GuzziPilot]

Werner's. Multi-purpose ladder is quite similar to the Little Giant.  Ive owned one last 10 years, and though a bit on the stout side has always served me well.  Fits in my truck, in a garage, shed or even small closet.  It tolerates rain, but have learned to keep the locking pins oiled, and always double check those pins!  The two extension end can be removed and with the included hinges will make two smaller step ladders.......for all kinds of uses.

http://tinyurl.com/k532jra

Lee

[rodekyll]

I have had one for 5 years and I love it the only thing is to look at the load rating.  I bought one as a gift for a friend of mine and he exceeds the load rating.

That sounds like something a wife would do on purpose . . .    :D

[pyoungbl]

With a house built in 1910 we have high ceilings and lots of maintenance issues.  As a result I am the proud owner of a whole stable of ladders, everything from 6' Warner to 34' extension.  I think I have six in all.  In addition I have a Little Giant.  The LG is my go to for so many tasks that I could get rid of a couple of the fiberglass Warners.  As an example, painting a staircase...the LG can be extended to different lengths on the legs so you are stable on a staircase.  The same ladder, when folded flat, gets me to some lower gutters.  Best of all, the LG is absolutely rock solid. I dread being on top of a rickety ladder!  At my age that can be fatal.  Yes, the LG is heavy.  I think the more recent models are lighter than my 20 year old one, still heavier than the light duty ones I see at Lowes.  In my mind a ladder is like a critical tool, worth spending more money to get a really good one.

Peter Y.

[bedevil]

I own several ladders including a 32 foot Werner aluminum extension ladder, a 6 foot step ladder and the Little Giant sold by Costco that many here have referenced.  If you are only going to own one ladder and want something that can do multiple things the Little Giant works well. Yes, its very heavy, but its also solid as a rock. They make an accessory called a work platform that attaches to the rungs and makes it very easy to stand on. I bought one for my ladder and it really helps. They make a lot of other wiz-bang accessories that can make using the ladder more convenient and the Costco version came prepackaged with a few of them. But....it's a pain to haul out, set up and move around when you have a job where a much lighter 6 or 8 foot step ladder would suffice. And it won't get up as high as a 28 or 32 foot extension ladder. I bought mine for a vacation home where I wanted a single ladder for multiple purposes and it really fits the bill for that.

[boatdetective]

I have a very early Kraus folder and I'm an idiot for not throwing it away. It's heavy, awkward, and has come undone on me in the past.

Little giant has a very nice locking mechanism. Howeverm the hinge plates on the current versions (saw one at Costco just last week) are NOT what they used to be. They definitely have thinned them out.  Dusty makes an excellent point- the rung width is half of a normal rung and the differene is noticeable RE fatigue. Folders used as a step ladder are fine. However, fully extended I would not trust them.

RE Werner fglass ladders- a friend of mine is messed up because the end of the pultruded fiberglass split open- this was a huge law suit with the company. If you go glass- make sure they have well made end caps.

[Rough Edge racing]

 My job had me a ladders a lot in all kinds of situations. I used a quality telescoping ladder once or twice just because it was handy.....After years of handling traditional extension ladders, the tele ladder felt awkward. It was hard to carry and move because of it's design. But a homeowner using it a few times a year might like features....

[Rough Edge racing]

Good point on the fiberglass model Jonathon . The rung width may not matter overly much to someone not spending hours a day on a ladder , but the narrow or old style round ones just kill me after about 20 minutes .

  Dusty

  I assume you have on shank sole work boots and perched on the balls of your feet ? ;)