Just wanted to toss something out there to those of you that use Little Giant ladders. One of the issues I have with my Little Giant ladder is leveling it on sloped surfaces. I have the leveler system they provide and do not like it as it takes too long to assemble to proper height with the wing nut and all. I personally really like the Louisville levelers that are posted in the thumbnail below that I use on all my extension ladders. Easy to adjust to level out a ladder and I have yet to have one fail me. They are also great for indoor use with the ease of adjustability.
YouTube video of the leveler system Little Giant provides for their ladders.
What I am thinking about doing is putting a Louisville ladder leveler on my two Little Giant ladders. I have taken my measurements and have found that it can be done. Have any of you guys ever used a leveling system for a Little Giant ladder other than the one they offer?
I’d rethink that idea Dwight! Louisville levelers are not made for the angle that the LG legs are splayed at. I advise against using any leveler not made for the ladder your using. You could void the guarantee of both the leveler and the ladder. Get one of the levelers made for LG’s and the LG standoff. Also get a set of Ladda Limpets from WCR. Should make your LG the most versatile tool in your arsenal.
I generally just use the little giant line for things like chandelier and other high things in the middle of nowhere! However I do use the Louisville Ladder levelers on my stack / build a ladder but I live in Louisville so that was a no brainer.
Hey Tony,
Where I would be putting the leveler assembly is on the inside side rail not the one that angles out. (there are two at the bottom of little giants) I’m not sure about the LG warranty but I know it would not void the leveler warranty or be unsafe with it because all that they require is for the assembly to be attached at precisely the same angle that the side rails are and flush with the surface they are attached to. I already have two of the LG standoffs and do not like them.
But that is why I posted this before I acted. I think I will contact LG and see what they say. I also have Limpets and while they work fine I am very attached to the ease of the Louisville levelers. Have you used them? They work with the touch of the foot and never need adjusting.
UPDATE: Just got off the phone with LG and you were right Tony. It would void the LG warranty. The guy said it could probably be safely done with how they are structured but that LG has specific product warranties that would be void by attaching a non LG certified mechanism. The guy at Industrial Ladder told me he has seen them on LG’s though, but doesn’t know how it worked out for those that have done it.
I’m not going to do anything that doesn’t have the blessing of the manufacturer of a product I buy whether I think it can be done or not.
I’ve seen your pivit tool Seth and I know you and Laczko are sold on it. I see it as another item I will be lugging from the truck. These Lousville levelers are very lightweight and adjust with relative ease and they plant firmly on a ladder stopper.
I dunno, perhaps my LG’s are fine just the way they are.
I hear ya. And everyone says that it’s just another thing to lug around. But you can just hang the Pivit Tool on your ladder when moving it and not have to make an extra trip.
I have been using the Gorilla brand name ladder the is very similar to Little Giant (purchased at Home Depot for $198.00 + Tax). If you put the two side by side, They are identical- just different colors. I have always questioned the safety of these ladders when they are folded out as straight “extention like” ladders. What gets me worrying is that the feet on these ladders are made of a hard plastic like material. Not much grip on a hardwood floor or ceramic tile surface.
When it comes to leg levelers and extention ladders, we use the Werner self adjusting leg levelers- Leveloc. The are a really sweet design and you can pretty much level yourself on a landscaping rock if you are brave enough (I dont recommend this BTW).
Yes, the hard plastic feet are a problem. A friend of mine fell when his slid out from under him on a wet tile floor.
As for the safety when folded straight, I have used my 21 footer straight at a 45 degree angle and it held up just fine.
I’ve used the Gorilla and still am using the LG. I personally think that Gorilla is far, far inferior the The Little Giant. The Giant’s feet are softer rubber and broader so safer in two ways. The Giant is beefier to me as well and every part is of higher quality.
[B][I]Why add more weight to your already heavy Little Giant? Get the Pivit Tool![/I][/B]
Seth, you didn’t look like a wimp when I met you!
Thanks Mark I always wondered about the Gorilla Ladder verses the LG.
My first ladder was a Gorilla because it was only $200 and very versitile.
I put a LevLok system on it and it worked fine. But it made a heavy ladder really really heavy. The Pivit Tool makes sense, to me.
I switched to a sectional ladder as soon as I could afford it, because they are light weight.
Kevin,
Same thing happen around here to a fellow window cleaner. Fell about 20’ from a little giant onto the ground. Had to have life flight take him to the local hospital. Some brain damage and loss of memory. I dont know that it was the ladders fault because of it. He was buffing out scratches and lost his balance is what I think happened. I personally hate using a ladder with out a stand off on it. Gets me away from the glass to work and spreads out the pressure to keep the ladder from sliding so much when you reach the top to work. Its just what I prefer. My guys hate using a ladder unless stabilizers are attached to it.
I stand corrected on the 26’ model. I own two LG 17’ models. My neighbor has a 26’ and I just measured the siderail separation at 31 inches and a ladder stopper is 24 inches wide. So I’m sure then the 22’ would probably not fit on a ladder stopper either. My 17’s fit great though.
