Big question for y’all! I don’t allow the purchase of aluminum ladders on campus unless it’s for the painters. But seeing as I’m not working with electrical do I really need fiberglass? Will the weight difference be noticeable? The small price difference doesn’t bother me and I’m not worried about what one will last longer. What do you run and why?
Yes. I have a 32’ aluminum and a 32’ fiberglass. The aluminum I can hang from the rafter hooks by myself. The fiberglass I cannot. It feels like 50 lbs difference.
That’s sucks.
What happens is we end up with aluminum ladders hidden across campus and people end up using them to change lightbulbs or other electrical related tasks. It’s best we just not have them. I’m weeding out wooden ladders as money allows.
I’m just getting a 24 footer. But I’m leaning to aluminum for the weight. Do you feel like we have an electrical risk in our industry? I mean obviously I have seen an electrical risk first hand washing houses. But is it enough that you all don’t work off aluminum?
I have a 24ft werner, so glad i didnt get a fiberglass. Some of the roofs i clean you have to move the ladder a lot and the weight wears me down, plus climbing up and down.
For me a 24ft is not enough height, i really need a 28 or 32.
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Fiberglass ladders were designed for work around power lines and transformers. If you’re near one and it slides toward the lines you’re going to grab a line instinctively to keep from falling. If you grab a line or stick a finger in a light socket or working in a junction box and you’re not using tag out, lock out systems a fiberglass ladder isn’t going to magically save you if you become energized.
Same with pressure washing. You could be on one corner of the house and you over spray onto a line with cracked insulation the only difference between a fiberglass ladder and aluminum ladder is that you worked harder to get the fiberglass ladder there.
The ladder pictured above on the rack is 1 section out of a 32 footer. It seems just a bit long for my truck and I don’t know that I need that tall. Maybe I should look at a 28?
I have a 24’ ladder that never comes off the truck because we always end up needing the 32’ for something.
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That’s not completely true. Energy has to find ground, if you are on fiberglass you are useless to a positive charge and it will seek elsewhere. You can still get hit under the right conditions,but aluminum will seal that fate.
Climb up a fiberglass ladder and grab a live wire. Report back.
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I have a 28’ fiberglass and a 28’ aluminum, I find myself pulling the aluminum one off the truck way more than the fiberglass. It’s second nature to look for power lines. Depending on how much you have to move it and reset, it’s nice to have the weight savings.
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You can hold a hot leg all day! As long as you are ONLY touching the hot leg and nothing that would provide a ground.
Right, but work from any ladder without a tag out lock out in a junction box and trust a wire nut not fall off the neutral if you bump it to toss you across the room.
The only truly safe way to work on electrical is with it off. The ladder cant do that for you.
No it is simply mitigating the risk slightly. I agree with what you are saying! I know the stars can line up on any ladder. I’m just curious what everyone thinks if it is worth the work of hauling the extra weight for that small gain in electrical safety.
And I have no intention of doing electrical. Just for washing…
I know. 
My vote is for no.
No on the fiberglass?
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You got it.
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I had a ladder rack on my truck and hated it Trying to get the 24 off with the trailer + hitch was a pain and awkward. Found a welder and had him make me ladder rack for the trailer, and love it. Easier to get the ladders off plus i dont have to load up as much stuff in the morning.
