Are you thinking about buying the high-priced "Little Giant Ladder?" If you are, then consider this:
1.
The infomercial you watched about this "Little Giant" ladder is totally filled with unsubstantiated claims and assertions.in addition, just because "know-it-all" Robin Hartl is on the commercial doesn't make the unfounded claims true either.
2.
Know that the "Little Giant Ladder Company" use tactics like telling you that "All other ladders are unsafe." That is a bold-face lie!
3.
The "Little Giant Ladder Company" was formed by a guy named Hal Wing. AKA "Wing Enterprises." This Wing guy met a German inventor of "a new kind of ladder." So, Wing started importing these ladders. Then, "because the word spread so fast, " Wing started to manufacture them himself.
4.
The "Little Giant" uses trickery to hock these high-priced ladders onto the general public that doesn't know about ladders in genersl. For example: On one of their infomercials they have a big fat man climb up the ladder a few feet. Yeah? So what? ALL Ladders come in different weight ratings.
5.
I've been a contractor for 23 years, and I have used ladders everyday with absolutely no problems whatsoever. Personally, I buy Werner ladders. And, because I care about the safety of my crew and myself, I always buy Type 1A, rated for up to 300 pounds, or Type 1AA, rated for up to 375 pounds. There are other lower weight ratings available such as Type 1, rated for 250 pounds, Type 2, rated for 225 pounds, and Type 3, rated for 200 pounds. I buy the upper rated ladders because they take a lot of abuse on the jobsite. Moreover, I buy them because I feel safe on them, and I know my crew is safe on them.
6.
Nonetheless, I was on a jobsite recently, actually two weeks ago as of this writing, where I was asked by another subcontractor friend to fix the wiring on an outside security camera. I had driven over with a friend in his car to the jobsite on our lunch break. As I stood there with my subcontractor friend, I could look up and see that in fact, the wiring was wrong. He asked me if I would re-wire it. I told him that it would only take a few minutes, and that I would re-wire it for him. The problem? I didn't have any ladders with me. He told me that he had recently bought a "Little Giant" ladder. And, that this ladder was in his van. He took it out of the van and brought it over.
As I stood there watching him unfold, mannipulate, twist this, pull that, snap this, etc, I had to ask him, "What the hell did you buy that thing for?"
He replied, "Well, it's supposed to be
convenient." "Convenient for what,?" I asked. At any rate, after he finally got this thing straightend out and extended, he put it against the wall. The first thing I asked, after looking at it was, "Is this thing safe?" He answered, "Well they say it is."
The wiring was not going to be a problem to fix. It would only take a few minutes. Let me tell you, that was the worst few minutes I've ever had on a ladder in my entire life. The rung spacing gets narrower the higher you climb. I could hardly fit my two feet on them. This ladder was shakey, and made lots of squeaking noises from all the adjusting knobs and whatever that make this piece of crap bend into all these different shapes.
I have never in my life felt so unsafe on a ladder before! The wiring job actually took twice as long as it should have because I was holding on for dear life. When I had finished wiring the camera, I was relieved to climb down off this "Little Giant" ladder. I just looked at my subcontractor friend and said, "If you can get a refund for this "Little Giant" ladder, I would be wasting no time asking for one."
7.
Buy ladders from reputable companies like Werner and Keller, they've been around a lot longer than this "Little Giant Ladder Company." Don't sacrifice your true safety on gizmo ladders like these "Little Giant" ladders. So what if they form different shapes? Who cares? So what if they can disassemble into "two step ladders." How much do these monkey-shine "Little Giant" ladders cost? How about over $400.00. What? Are you kidding?
You can buy two sturdy, safe Werner step-ladders for less than half of that.
8.
Another thing. Don't fool youself into believing that these "Little Giant" ladders are as easy to unfold and manipulate around as they try and make it look on the infomercials. They may show a "real contractor" on the infomercial that "only uses Little Giant ladders, " but don't forget, he's being paid to say that. Just like this big-mouth Robin Hartl is being paid to tell her lies about these "Little Giant" ladders. Isn't if funny to watch the "actors" on this infomercial bumbling around on traditional ladders? Then, with absolute effortless motion, the seventy something year old lady can "whip" this "Little Giant" ladder around like a broomstick? The liars at the "Little Giant Ladder Company" must really believe that viewers are stupid and gullible.
9.
What about time? Do you really have time to dicking around with these "Little Giant" ladders? Twist this, twist that, pull this, pull that, snap this, snap that, blah blah blah?
How about this? Buy a regular safe ladder and just pick it up. Set it where you need it, and use it. No problem.
10.
Final thoughts. I know that everyone is not going to agree with me. That's ok. That's the American way. I just want you to know that as a contractor, I don't have time to butt around with these "Little Giant" ladders that require so much time and effort to make into all these little shapes that they yak about. If I have to work on something on the second floor, I just simply grab a Werner ladder for the size I need. I lean it against the building, and do my work in less time that it takes you to unfold, lock this, snap that, do this, do that, you get the picture. Finally, as a homeowner too, I have have several Werner and Keller ladders in our garage. Oh, I almost forgot: As per the "Little Giant" ladder infomercial, "just look at all the space they take." "Oh really,?" How about just buying some hooks and mounting them on the garage walls? I did. They don't take up any more space in the garage just as your dishes, cups, and glasses do in you kitchen cabinets do. As a matter of fact, I have a two foot, four foot, six foot, and eight foot step ladder in my garage. All four of these sturdy, safe Werner ladders cost far less than one of the outrageously priced "Little Giant" ladders. Finally, do yourself a favor: Don't listen to the lying mumbo-jumbo from "know-it-all big-mouths like Robin Hartl." Don't let their deceptive lies fool you. Regular, traditional straight, and step-ladders made from Reputable Ladder Dealers like Werner and Keller are SAFE and RELIABLE.in closing, remember the show "Hometime?" How many times have you seen them using this "Little Giant" ladder on their programs? How many times have you seen any other contractor on that program use a "Little Giant?" Or, how about "This Old House?" How many episodes have you seen where ANY of the contractors use one of these "Little Giant" ladders? I bet NONE. There's a reason for that.
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