about to purchase a 17' ladder (maybe 22', but you'll have to up-sale me on that).

any major features i cant live without if i go the 3/4 cost werner instead of the little giant?

am i foolish for even considering a telescoping ladder?

I was given a little giant 19 (maybe a 17). Neat concept but that thing was freaking heavy. Its a 2 man ladder for sure especially at full extension.

Oh yeah gave the LG back since it was pretty much unusable for what I wanted.

The LG is a neat concept as both an extension and step ladder, but its only so-so as either. Rungs are too skinny to stand on very long (as opposed to steps) and, at least with my fat ass, the knuckles seemed to have to much play when extended. Last time I used one for Christmas lights, I gave up after 15 minutes and got out a real extension ladder.

If you need a combo that's portable, LG works. If its for the home, get a real ladder.

[This message has been edited by underoosag (edited 11/18/2013 11:19a).]

I have the LG 17 and love it. Don't agree with the "two man ladder" or "knuckle issue" at all.

I can tote the thing around at full extension outside without issue and it basically folds in half for storage or inside use.

Ive used the Werner. It is heavier than the LG. It's not easy to move back and forth. I recently bought the 17' LG from costco. I recommend the LG over the Lowes and HD ones. I also have an 8' fiberglass. Had I gotten the LG before the fiberglass, I would probably get a 6' fiberglass for small jobs around the house

I have the LG 22. It is a little heavy but I am 61 years old and weigh just under 300lbs. I had no problems using it. Recently used it to get on top of my daughters 2 story to work on the water heater vent.
It is very safe and I recommend it.

Check Harbor Freight before you buy one.

does anyone have experience with telescoping ladders? I was thinking of getting one for the boyfriend for Christmas..

I have two (yes, two) of the Werner 22' MT MultiPurpose ladders.

Yes, it's heavy. But it's not that heavy -- if it's heavy enough to make you complain about it, you need to visit the gym some more. It's VERY stable. It's very good for serious work, even at full extension. And by serious, I mean that I've re-sided a house and done serious long-term work where I spent entire days up on this/these ladders. It's useful as a step-stool down lower, and it's useful as a super-long extension ladder that can reach the peak of my standard ranch house's gabled roofs.

I have two because I also have the scaffolding cross-piece, which I use when painting and doing other tasks where I don't want to move the ladder frequently and my hands will be busy with something else.

Personally, I buy for durability, which is why I have the metal ones. These are the ONLY two ladders I need -- the only other ladder-type thing I own is a step stool. Unlike Dad, who's got two fiberglass extension ladders and an array of metal or fiberglass stepladders.

I don't think I'd trust anything much lighter than the Werner MT ladders. I don't think I'd like the little plastic telescoping ones that fold down to nothing. I've seen "handymen" using them, but watching them wobble...

I have one of the Werner aluminum extension planks. They slot into (but don't latch, really -- I use a C clamp usually to keep it locked in place) the top few rungs of the ladder when the ladder's set up in it's A-style.

I suppose a 2x12 would work too, but this thing moves a lot less and is a lot more rigid for the length... it doesn't spring all over the place, and I don't feel like it'd be prone to snapping on me if I did overload it momentarily. It's also far more expensive. You can really only have one person up on it, though; my fiancée and I together weigh about 300 lbs -- my chubby butt being most of that -- and it noticeably sags if she has to climb up to hand me something.

http://us.wernerco.com/en/products/climbing-equipment/planks

Not a big fan of the telescoping types. The older ones were finger biters. Newer ones aren't as bad about catching fingers, but they are a pain to use, I think.

I use a Werner Little giant style ladder for my inspections. Cannot say anything but good things about it. Have used it everyday (well every inspection day) for 9 years now, with no issues but needing occasional lubrication. Noticed recently that few of the rivet are very slightly loose, so I will probably go ahead and replace it soon.

Cannot really see a reason to spend the extra on the little giant brand name.

FYI Lowe's has the Werner MP 17 on sale for $99 today, Home Depot has the Werner MP 22 for $125.

Max, I have that one and it is great for me. We have a 1 story house and it is great for just about everything. I think mine might be the 13' model. I use the A frame constantly. It is very stable. There are only two draw backs to it:

The feet are rounded and don't grip real well on tile. Had it slip out under an electrician while in extension going into my attic. Just make sure you tie to something if the floor is slick. I had it fully extended on concrete yesterday doing the Christmas lights and it was perfectly safe.

The other issue is the rungs are small and can hurt your feet after a while. We used it for painting inside our house and were barefoot on it for a while and it started to hurt. Put on some flip flops and it was fine.

Apparently he wants a deer lease ladder, so this is definitely not ideal for that. Back to the drawing board.

Picked up the MP 17 on sale at Lowe's and used it all day hanging Christmas lights. All I can say is I wish I had one of these earlier! Fantastic ladder, love being able to go from A frame to extension in no time.

I have the Werner MT-22 and really like it. It's not the lighest ladder in the world but it does the trick for short or tall work. It has a good wide base that feels really sturdy.