Werner MT-17 telescoping-ladders, 17-Foot, Aluminum

I had an old 6ft fiberglass step ladder that fell apart so it was time for an upgrade. Like many other reviewers I have seen the Little Giant Ladder and was interested, but no way I'm paying that much money for a ladder! I chose the the MT-17 because it was tall enough to cover my needs. I like the versatility of the MT-17 and how well it stores. It is a little bit heavy, but if you are buying a multi-ladder like this you are most likely a DIY-er who can handle it. Definitely don't buy it for Grandma if she needs a step stool! The ladder is very sturdy and easy to operate if you have it set at the right height already. However, watch your fingers when extended the ladder! Fully extending it is a little awkward because of the overall length and weight, but thats what you get with any multi-ladder. The one thing I miss about a normal step ladder is the top shelf portion to hold tools or supplies. You can purchase the Werner AC24 Multipurpose Project Tray but who wants to spend even more money?! Overall its a very good ladder at a fraction of the price of a Little Giant and it gets the job done. Amazon almost always has a better price over Lowes and Home Depot too! Overall I would say the only drawbacks of this ladder are the weight and difficulty of extension. However, I would highly recommend it to someone looking to cover just about all of their bases in the ladder category.

Only reason I don't give it a 5 is the "main" hinge in the middle isn't as solidly unmoving as I would wish when using the ladder in full extension mode. But other than that, it is awesome. I used to have a metal multi-ladder of the type that had three hinge points, so it folded up into four parts, each 4 feet long. You could then unfold the "outer" two to make a normal 8 foot ladder, and unfold the middle one then for a single 16" ladder. Problem with that was uneven surfaces... I had some things in a stairway to hang, and using the other ladder, I had no choice but to use it as a straight ladder at full extension since there was no way to have both bottoms on something. So I had to have the "feet" up in the air and use it as a single leaning ladder. But with the length, there were a few spots I couldn't get at because it was too long from the middle landing, and no way to use it anywhere but the top, bottom, or middle landing as there was not enough room to get the ladder facing the wall anywhere else on the stairs. So I had only a few things hung on the walls in strategic points because of that weakness. Enter this new one. I had the one side compressed to it's shortest setting, the other one extended to a longer setting, and was on the stairs just fine, able to reach any point I couldn't reach before. When I had to get to the very top, I fully extended it and was able to reach the higher points as well (cathedral ceiling in the room this open stair goes to the basement, so have several points of high walls to use if I can reach). The other one was a pain having these same pivot points this has in the middle. They were a lot more stiff to get unlocked, and because of the locations, always had to fight gravity to take pressure off of one of the sides when initially unfolding it. This one was a dream compared to that. That particular hinge in the top of this one is easy to use because for me at least it's always going to be in a vertical position when I use it, not laying on its side like the other ended up. And the extensions for each side are just a breeze, the large retaining pieces come right out and go back in without any effort other than lining up the holes. Very easy to do with one hand while using the other to adjust the ladder to get the holes to line up. They lock solidly, no worries with it coming out. Steps were comfortable even for me in socks yesterday using it for half an hour or so, and feel solidly put on. There was no feeling of wiggle or looseness anywhere except when I was in full extension mode and up about half way, and there was a little play in the central hinge. Not enough to feel any danger, just enough for me to not like it as much as I would have were it more solid. I picked this up on a gold box deal so it was a fantastic value, but would've paid their normal discounted price for it happily a while ago had I known how much better it was than the one it's replacing. Being able to so quickly and easily set it up for an uneven surface like stairs make it worth the price.

After my first use of the ladder I could not be happier with the performance. I used many different angles and it worked well. My initial fear was that I would end up like Clark Griswold and once up at the highest point have the ladder come sliding down but that was not the case (this time). It was very sturdy and did not wobble when climbing. I did mark up my walls a little with the feet but that is to be expected without wrapping the feet in towels. I will make sure to do so next time. I would recommend for home use both inside and out. I had at it's highest height to do some work in my great room and it did not disappoint. For the price it is an extremely versatile and well made ladder. Shipped complete with no assembly required as well which is a big plus.

Why did I purchase The Werner 17' ladder from Amazon? I bought the ladder because I didn't have a way to get a full size ladder home from a store that is 30 miles away! I ordered through Amazon and had it shipped directly to my front door in a couple of days for FREE! In addition to the free shipping, I saved over $40 dollars by not buying at the "big-box" store, and I saved the gas money going back and forth! This ladder is compact enough to fit in all but the smallest cars, either in the back seat or trunk. Oh, and by the way, this is really a great ladder! The weight is manageable, it's compact, it converts to scaffolding, and it is extremely stable when up on top. The only bad thing is that the ladder is made of aluminum and will blacken your hands if handled a lot. My advice is to wear a pair of thin gloves while using the ladder. This would also aid in safety if the ladder is out in the blazing sun for a while, and it's also a good idea for protection when adjusting the ladder. All in all, the Werner 17' ladder in my opinion, is an outstanding value for the price. I would by again, but I'll probably die of old age, before this sturdy ladder does! Werner MT-17 300-Pound Duty Rating Telescoping Multi-Ladder, 17-Foot JB