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I have been using the 17ft COSCO (copy of Little Giant) from Wally World for the past 2 or 3 years and will not use another.  Unless it's a genuine Little Giant, of course.

Trouble free, heavy enough to be stable, light enough to carry to and from, etc

I have a Telesteps that stays in the trailer where it belongs.  It partially collapsed on me once and I haven't been on it since.

I recognize this as an older topic but i see so many people supporting the Little Giant and singing its praise that i feel obligated to step in and ask ... has anyone ever had a problem with those things ? the reason i ask is : several years ago before ever getting into this line of work i saw one that had a rung actually snap off ! it seems if i remember correctly the steps are actually set in a plastic retainer and riveted to the frame / uprights with a single rivet . that seems to be a critical faux pau to me . Also when i was out on deployment i saw many of them strapped to roofs and hanging out of trucks and so forth but never saw any actually being used and had heard several people tell tale of problems or weakness' in them . I personally see / saw the value of its general design and ideaology , hence why i bought the Werner counterpart to them . I have owned and used Werner ladders for the better part of my life and have never had a single gripe or complaint . When comparing my 2 versions of the LG made by Werner ( 23 foot and 16 foot ) i can clearly see a ( what i would call ) superior build quality . examples are ... the rungs are actually fully strung across from 1 rail to the next and are compressed then double riveted to each rail . the rungs seem to be flatter and fatter as well . Also the pivots are fully enclosed and have a positive loccking feature with simple smack it in to unlock feature which is quik easy and painless . it is also fully constructed of Aluminum and uses a wider base end making it very sturdy and secure when set into position . these ladders were not cheap exactly but again , you do get what you pay for . any thoughts on this or is there some recent modification or design change to the LG's ? I know i've seen recent info-mercials taunting wheels and nice lil' add ons an such but it seemed to be essentially the same ladder i recall seeing prior .

Jeff, I have used the Little Giant for 14 years and have never had one problem with it. I inspect it thoroughly every year and find it holding up well. I guess failures can occur for numerous reasons. My wife has her own LG and would have nothing else. Each to their own, I guess. Perhaps someone exceeded the weight limitations on their LG and the rung snapped, that is very possible, but difficult to know.

Skippy.,
All told, I have used a LG for probably 17 years without a problem.......

I bought my first LG in 1981, 13'. I found a 17' in 1984 at a garage sale and I still use them today. I now have a 26' I bought this year on ebay. It is not built as well as my older LG ladders but it supports my lithe 275 lbs very well. Repair parts are readily available. I have replaced the feet and plastic rung covers twice. The rivets only hold the adjustment pins and have nothing to do with the rungs themselves. i have also looked at the Werner ladders and they look well built and are approx $100.00 cheaper. I still will only use LG due to its longevity and consistent quality

Russ,

Lithe......I think that ship has long since sailed!!!

LOL

Joe, that ship sunk!!!!

Yeah, for me too Russ...thankfully I was still dockside.......

You were not looking at a Little Giant, they are not made that way. The steps are not retained by plastic or rivet.

I have owned a LG for 8 years, and had to buy a similar Werner folding ladder when I flew out to a site and didn't bring my own.  I agree the Werner is a good ladder, and for the money it is a good choice.  But there is nothing wrong with the Little Giant.

Earlier in this thread people were talking about 12' ladders, and my first ladder was only 12' and would fold in the back of my little car.  But I found too many single story houses on raised foundation where a 12' would barely extend past the eve, and OSHA wants 3' beyond the eve so you can steady yourself when getting on and off the ladder.

I carry 3 ladders now, the LG which often comes in very handy getting into an attic access panel in tight closet ceiling, a 16' Werner and 24' Werner with adjustable legs (Equalizer).