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  Ladder Link

Telescoping ladder ... fit in the back of my PT Cruiser. Best ladder I have found for this business.

I have two of the Telesteps ladders.  I use the wide steps version; but have the 23# one I use in place of doing a double pull.  It's light enough to carry up the ladder with me to gain access to higher slopes.  I also drive a Taurus. 

If you're using an extention ladder, I HIGHLY recommend the 'Walk Through' bdevice that you install on the top end of the ladder. It makes getting on and off the roof SO MUCH EASIER & SAFER!!! I cant tell you enough about how GREAT this device is. Check it out at
http://www.bigrocksupply.com/index....cts_id=851

You may also consider using a bike rack that installs into a hitch on your car.  Hitches can be installed for around $200.  Here's a LINK to the type of bike rack I use to tote two of my ladders.

One is long and heavy and the other is short and light.  One's a Werner from Lowes (very light) and the other is a Little Giant from HD (longer, but pretty heavy even with the wheels).

The rack I have can be folded down to allow for trunk access- I don't believe the link above takes you to a rack that can be folded down.  Other racks swing out or are stationary.

Good luck this year,

Jud

This tri-fold ladder has worked for me for over ten years. With the extension it will go to 16 foot long. Safety-wise, it's stable and it will get you onto almost any one story roof there is. You need to double pull a two story, but thats the best you can do when you want to toss it in the trunk of a Taurus. I've been on manyyyyyyyy a roof. Thats not a spelling error, its just alot of roofs! ha- Anyway, it's my two cents worth. Go to http://www.adjustersladder.com/ for the lowdown. When you get a two story that you can't double pull, you either need to consider using a pickup with a ladder rack or call a contractor to set an extension ladder for you. I would say that this ladder has gotten me onto at least 95% of my inspections.
Here is another note though.... the telesteps ladder noted above is nice when you need to get into an attic space from inside the house. I used a contractors' telestep inside a house once because he already had it set up, and what I liked about it was that it was adjustable step by step, rather than by four foot sections like mine. But what I didn't like was when I took it down it seemed like there was a real potential for a finger pinch as it collapses.
You guys with the telees find that to be the case too or was I just being a scaredie-cat weenie?
Best Regards- Jim

Jim
Just think of your telesteps ladder as you would a car door. I never had a finger pinched yet. Jim I have two sizes and I would not trade them for anything else. I have a Little Giant that rarely ever get used. The small one does work great for getting in attics as you said.

Gorilla ladders makes folding ladders that are almost identical to the Little Giant in several lengths, and with the same 300 pound rating as the Little Giant.  The cost is $150.00 to $200.00 less than the Little Giant, however.  The 18.5 foot version folds up to a little under 5 feet.  It's a great ladder.  However, I agree that it's just a bit heavy for use with every inspection. 

My favorite ladder for the shorter roofs is a 12 foot Krause ladder that folds up to three feet in length.  It's lightweight, locks with an audible click, and has a 300 pound rating.  So it's solid as can be.  Insureds often tell me I am welcome to leave it behind.  Unfortunately mine is now eight years old, has been used on thousands of  inspections, and Krause has gone out of business.  I can't replace it.  I heard that Krause sold the patent to another company when they went bankrupt, but have not found anything quite like it in the last couple years.  I've been looking for a backup.  If anyone has any information on a Krause-type folding ladder in a 12 or 16 foot size, I would be very interested.

I also used to have a 12' Krause ladder and never had a problem with it. I kept it in the trunk of a compact car. I had to give it up when I left the company for which I worked at the time.

If you own one, you may want to do a search as I remember there was a big recall on certain models of the Krause ladders several years ago. Something went wrong with the locking mechanism, if I recall correctly.

Jim:  You said "this tri-fold ladder", but we don't know what ladder you are talking about. Fill us in on that, OK?

Steve:  I hear you there... everytime I've pulled out my Little Giant (censors, please excluse that phrase), a lot of homeowners have said they would like me to leave my ladder behind.

Dave,

The problem with the locking mechanism on the Krause ladders was that, on some of the ladders, the locks remained locked and would not unlock to fold the ladder back up.  I had almost forgotten that.  I had originally bought one that had a faulty locking mechanism.  After about two days use I had to use a pair of pliers to unlock it.  I returned it and got another.  Same problem.  The third one has been the charm.  I've never had a problem with it.  That's probably why the company went bankrupt.  That, plus they were selling the 12' model for $100 and the 16' model for $150.  If people returned two out of three of them, that would also explain the difficulty with making a profit on a ladder that, when it works right, is incredibly convenient, lightweight, and portable.  I carried it around in the trunk of a rented Mustang on my first independent assignment.

There are four tri-fold ladders that I have seen that would fit your application. First of which is probably the best, but most exspensive ,is the little giant. ($220.00-$450.00 depending on length and weight rating) Found at littlegiantladder.com .They are 11' to 23'.
Second is the gorilla ladder, which the 13 foot can be found at Home Depot for $99.00, and the 17 foot can be bought at gorillaladders.net for $180.00-$250.00 depending on aluminum or fiberglass.
Third is Werner trifold ladders which can be found anywhere like Home Depot ($150.00-$250.00) Cosco also had a Werner 17' tri-fold ladder for $99.00.
Last is the Cosco tri-fold ladder made by Clime-tek. I am not sure on the cost, but I suspect it is under $150.00.
Just remember," YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR AND HOW MUCH IS YOUR SAFTEY WORTH"

Try here:

http://www.extendandclimb.com/

It's what I use, and I'm very pleased with it.

Cindy Jones

http://www.adjustercindy.com">

Personally, I would not use anything but the Little Giant.......I have a 22' one and it is now 6 years old and works like the day I bought it...

I have to agree with Joe and others who are touting the "Little Giant".  I've been using mine over five years.  The only problem I've had was one of the release knobs broke.  (I blamed it on my agressiveness.)  Tom purchased a new knob and it's still working like a champ - I've learned to be less agressive.  The weight is something I am comfortable with, and it is compact enough that I was able to fit it in the back of my Dodge Stealth RT for an assignment in Plano, TX.  The Stealth is not my first choice of adjuster vehicle, although it gets better gas mileage than either of our trucks, and at the very least, I was never late for an appointment.

Little Giant ladders for me. My wifes 16' has a production date of 1990 and has been from Calgary, Alberta to Florida. The weight of this one vs the 2004 16' is noticeably different. Much lighter than the '04. Not quite as sturdy, but like any other Little Giant will stand the test of time. We bought one of the Werner ladders and one of the locking pins came loose from the internal thread. Had to drill out the rivets to fix it. Heavier than the wife's LG also.

As with any metal ladder BE CAREFUL WHERE YOU SET IT UP. SEEMS THE POWER COMPANIES FROWN ON YOU MAKING CONTACT WITH THE POWER LINES. Seems to be a lose - lose situation.