Multi-use Ladders

[how hard can this be?]

I'd like to know opinions on the COSTCO multi-use ladder that is sold at Sam's Wholesale. I need both an extension and a step ladder and cannot pay the price of the more expensive multi use ladder and don't have room in my vehicle to carry long ladders.
I just need it for minor home repairs, cleaning rain gutters, etc.

Terry

[ABP]

I can not say about that product, I can say however from experience I have fell off cheap ladders twice, once was from about 11 feet up, fell and broke both my wrists, my foot, and had to have my upper teeh sergicly removed as they broke at the gumline from impact, and about 4 days ago again I was using a cheep ladder and fell from about 24 feet up, this time no damage, just sore as the devil though. My advice is this, I had more damage done from falling a short distance, guess it depends on how you land. PLEASE consider this, is the savings on buying something cheep going to save you enough money to cover your medical expenses should you fall? Probably not. I do not trust gimics or cheap anymore. I would look into it before you make a purchase. I can almost bet a lot of people on this site will say the same thing when it comes to safty. I would make sure that what ever you buy is OSHA approved and not recomended by 3 out of 4 homeowners!

[how hard can this be?]

Thanks for the info. Safety is my concern about that particular ladder because it's packaged where it's impossible to examine it closely. The only reason I've considered it is because my car is too short to carry an extension ladder or a 7 ft ladder, both of which I need. I don't have enough work to justify a $400 multi use ladder.
I may have to trade in my vehicle for a small truck or van.
I'll check for OSHA on the label; maybe I can find that info on the Internet. I could always take it back to Sam's if I get it home and find it's not sturdy.

Talk about broken limbs, I broke my ankle 5 years back, just standing in my yard, walking backwards. I was looking up, hosing down my rain gutters and my foot became wedged in between some large rocks bordering a flower bed. Needless to say, I got rid of the rocks and don't walk backwards without looking anymore.

[dkpbxman]

I picked up a "Gorilla" ladder from Home Depot for $100. It has all the features of the "Little Giant" you see on late night TV commercials at about 1/3 the price.
I've only had it a few months but I've used it a lot with no complaints.
It is metal so you have to be careful around wires but it does "lock" at various positions and seems very sturdy.
At least for what I use it for. (getting up and down from the roof, various homeowner stuff, etc.)

[how hard can this be?]

O boy! Now I'm up for a shopping trip. I went to another forum and found the same question on multi use ladders, and names of one or two other ladders to look into.

I'm off to see the Wizard. I'll let y'all know.

[DonnaP]

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6143211239509733241&q=qvc%2Bladder

[how hard can this be?]

Thanks for the video from QVC, Donna. Over $200 is still a bit hefty; not for the product, but for my pocket book vs the amount of use I expect to get out of it.

I went to look at the GORILLA multi-functional ladder at Home Depot last night; $200. A bit heavy, but it's a lot of ladder, and not near as heavy as the 10' wooden ladder that I used to use. Fifteeen or so years ago I had no problem working with that kind of weight.
Now, one of the steel platform ladders I see being wheeled around Home Depot are the only thing I'd feel comfortably safe on.

I'm going to try out one of the Costco ladders from Sam's, if they still have the

[X Y Scaling]

Keep us posted

Interesting. i just came from Sam's Club and thought of you when I noticed the Cosco folding ladder. Let us know what you think of it. Sam's operates on a much lower markup than Lowes and Home Depot. Of course the trade off is less help and much less selection.
See ya, Tom.

[how hard can this be?]

Multi-use Ladders

Right after my last posting I bought the Cosco multi-use ladder at Sam's for $100. I thought it was really heavy when I was loading it on a cart in the store, but went ahead and bought it anyway. It is made of airplane weight metal.

I laid the ladder on the ground, as per instructions, to move it up to a different height, and the thingamjig (hinge or whatever) that pulls out to allow the ladder to move up and down to different heights, stuck. So I finally stood the ladder up to get it to work and it suddenly sprung free and the inside ladder slammed down on my wrist, catching it in a vise grip. While struggling with it I had failed to notice that I'd stuck my wrist in harms way. Had I not had been wearing a wrist watch, I'd have had a broken wrist. It scared the devil out of me (well almost; that's a lot of devil to scare).

I have to say that this ladder looks to be extremely well put together, probably a great tool for muscle bound men or women, and if I were twenty years younger I'd love it. Now I just find it heavy and cumbersome and I don't want to deal with it. I prefer the weight and ease of ordinary aluminum step and extension ladders.

I'm fixing to take the COSCO back to Sam's.