Extension ladder

Aluminum or fiberglass extension ladder

  • Aluminum

    Votes: 15 65.2%

  • Fiberglass

    Votes: 8 34.8%
  • Total voters
    23
drkelly

drkelly

Dipstick who put two vehicles on jack stands
Joined
Mar 21, 2005
Location
Oak Ridge/Stokesdale, NC
I need an extension ladder for general use around the house. Should I go with aluminum or fiberglass?
 
I'm always wiring shit on ladders around the house, so fiberglass. Other than that, choose based on weight rating and duty grade. Either material will work fine. Aluminum is usually lighter for a given rating.
 
Unless you plan on working around power lines all the time go aluminum. Lighter and lasts forever hanging on the outside of the garage.

When working around power, just put the feet of the ladder into a pair of rubber boots!
 
What kind of height? That could make a difference.
Years ago I got a 6' green fiberglass ladder from HD on a black Friday special. I've probably had that thing over every square inch of the house. Love how light it is. Cheap and effective.
It seems trivial, but the tray at the top has a big ring that is the diameter of a paint can w/ an inner circle the diameter of a 1 qt can, and 2 little divets that are the perfect for holding screws etc or small tools and a couple little hooks off the side that are great for hanging pieces of wire, string, etc off of.
That has been super useful, probably of more concern than the question of fiberglass vs AL.
 
RatLabGuy said:
What kind of height? That could make a difference.
Years ago I got a 6' green fiberglass ladder from HD on a black Friday special. I've probably had that thing over every square inch of the house. Love how light it is. Cheap and effective.
It seems trivial, but the tray at the top has a big ring that is the diameter of a paint can w/ an inner circle the diameter of a 1 qt can, and 2 little divets that are the perfect for holding screws etc or small tools and a couple little hooks off the side that are great for hanging pieces of wire, string, etc off of.
That has been super useful, probably of more concern than the question of fiberglass vs AL.
Click to expand...

I'm thinking 16' or 20'. Probably just 16'.

I've got a similar 6' aluminum step ladder with the nice tray like you mentioned.
 
Aluminum unless you like doing electrical and don't like to turn circuits off. Btw don't work on live circuits unless you know what you are doing anyway. If you don't know how to turn off power to it, do everyone a favor and call an electrician. He's cheaper than a ambulance i bet. And the deductible on home owners.
 
Not sure if it will work for you, but a Little Giant ladder is the bomb for around the house.
 
Aluminum for two reasons! Lighter and last longer. I use 32' aluminum everyday and can toss it around like a rag doll, with fiberglass 32' I look like a baby deer balancing a telephone pole in the air!
 
I will not be doing electrical work.
 
x10 on the Little Giant being great unless you want to get really high up. Got one in the M/H.

I got 2 extension ladders, iirc they are 32's. Both fiberglass. Not as young as I used to be, so ought to trade one for an aluminum. Aluminum is a bit lighter as said. F/G is non conductive....when dry. Get the heaviest rating you can manage....takes a lot of the flex and bounce out of it.

As to electrical work, remember, at some point you will be painting or repairing something right near the electric peckerhead.
 
Fiberglass ladders can be broken/cracked by sharp blows, degrade in sunlight and are heavy.

I used to work with a guy who had a 40' fiberglass and it was unbelievably heavy.

The aluminum 40' I have to mess with occasionally these days is much more manageable.

Lowes has 20' Werners for like $129, can't beat em. Very light and will last forever.
 
GotWood said:
Not sure if it will work for you, but a Little Giant ladder is the bomb for around the house.
Click to expand...
There is this. I don't have one... and have borrowed a buddy's many times.
Only reason I haven't bought one is b/c he has it and I'd rather let him borrow my truck occasionally in trade than spend my own money ;-)
 
I stepped in a deep hole hidden in high grass carrying a 28' fiberglass ladder on my shoulder years ago and almost broke my neck :handed: If it was an aluminum ladder I probly could of chucked it .
 
And I'd get one about 20-22 ft even if you don't need it. I carried 7 bundles of roofing up a cheap sixteen foot ladder and I almost started wondering when I got towards the middle if the thing was going to fold and it was set properly. And I'm only about 155. Bundle of shingles is probably seventy pounds. it was a little sketchy but it didn't fold. It was at full extension though.

Back doing construction, we had a forty foot aluminum ladder.. can't imagine how heavy the fiberglass one was. No way would I ever attempt to set a 40' myself. 32' was my manageable limit. Aluminum of course. Little giants are pretty slick and usable. Heck, set up another stepladder and add a walk board. Instant scaffold.
 
FWIW, just looked at ladders on Lowes...

24 foot 300-lb type 1A -- Aluminum weights 45#, F/G weighs 52#.

BTW, Methheads can't sell fiberglass.

(Edit, typo in weight)
 
Fiberglass all the way.

If it's to heavy for ya, you're all just a bunch of pansies.
 
I use a 32' fiberglass ladder almost daily at work and if you know how to carry a extension ladder it's no big deal. If stored out of the elements fiberglass will last you a lifetime. You never know when you might get around power lines and it's better to be safe than dead.
 
I have a 32' fiberglass and aluminum. I swear the fiberglass one weighs twice what the aluminum one weighs. I don't even use the fiberglass one anymore. I might as well get rid of it. That damn thing is heavy!
 
Like everyone else that likes aluminum said..... they last forever. I've had mine for at least 20 years.... used it Monday to blow out my gutters before the rain. I had a fiberglass "A" frame that didn't fare so well. Both stored outside, both same brand, Werner.
 
rockcity said:
I swear the fiberglass one weighs twice what the aluminum one weighs.
Click to expand...

What's the load capacity on the aluminum one? If you have a 300# fiberglass one and a 200# aluminum one, the AL one probably weighs half as much.

I'd go with a glass 24 footer. A 16ft ladder isn't long enough to do much of anything.
 
shawn said:
What's the load capacity on the aluminum one? If you have a 300# fiberglass one and a 200# aluminum one, the AL one probably weighs half as much.

I'd go with a glass 24 footer. A 16ft ladder isn't long enough to do much of anything.
Click to expand...

I'm a fat ass so I have to get the fat boy ladders
 
kaiser715 said:
FWIW, just looked at ladders on Lowes...

24 foot 300-lb type 1A -- Aluminum weights 45#, F/G weighs 52#.

BTW, Methheads can't sell fiberglass.

(Edit, typo in weight)
Click to expand...
45 vs 52 might not sound huge but that's > 15% heavier.

And - I totally missed earlier that this was about extension ladders o_O
 
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