Ladder Accessories

The manufacturer of this ladder claims that it will work on any ladder, however after purchasing it, I quickly discovered it will not work more than a couple of feet off of the floor on my Telesteps 10ES ladder due to the oval shape of the vertical ladder beams and how the Sidekick's bracket was designed -- it simply cannot close far enough to solidly attach to the ladder on any of the higher rungs.Also, as others have pointed out, after it is securely tightened against a ladder, removing it usually just results in the knob unscrewing from the long threaded rod. It does include a jam nut, but in this situation, that really doesn't work that well. The manufacturer should have used a knob with a set screw so that it can solidly attach to the rod. And due to the inside of the bracket just being a metal surface (instead of covered with some type of rubber pad, you have to tighten it excessively to prevent it from sliding.On the positive side, It does appear to be a very solid metal construction that should last a long time.Personally, If i choose to keep it instead of sending it back, I will have to upgrade it myself with a new more securely-attached knob and some thick adhesive rubber padding for the brackets so that it fits my ladder and doesn't scratch it up.

Overall, i'm very satisfied with the product. Had to paint shutters on a 2 story home and the attachment was helpful holding a 6 inch paint tray. I think the paint tray can use some improvements to make it better. I had an issue with the tightening knob. To keep the tray from slipping, I must have over tightened the knob causing it to slip off and strip off the end. I fixed it by applying JB Weld to the inside of the knob to fix the stripped threads. This time I was more careful not to over tighten again. It would also be good to have a spring loaded locking pin in place once the angle adjustment of the tray set. Maybe overkill, but if the tray is accidentally bumped up, it could dislodge off one or both pins that hold it in place. This product was very helpful overall.

I do not like complaining about some ones invention who may have put their heart into it but this thing is certainly not for any sort of a professional painter tool collection it is heavy as heck it is dangerous it easily pops out of place with the slightest bump and could fall down and kill someone if hit in the head it is very heavy and awkward to carry up and down a ladder along with going up and down with paint and brush after you hook this thing up we spent more time removing it and replacing it and up and down with paint it was crazy but I did give it a good 2 day chance with my guys it should have come with much better instructions or even a youtube link I feel bad about this but maybe it will help the maker improve it to aluminum or hard abs plastic or similar and not such a loose connection from box to clamp

When I received this I thought it was a very well made product. I put it on the ladder and tightened it onto the uprights. When I went to move it, the black handle unscrewed from the bolt. Screwed it back on, tightened the nut and tried unscrewing again. NOPE. Had to use pliers on the screw threads to get it to loosen. Emailed company and no responses.

I thought this would be a great gift for my hubby to hold his drills etc while he worked on the side of the house. He's very handy so I believe him when he says he couldn't get the mounting bracket to work on his extension ladder. I read other reviews that said it claims to work on all ladders but they couldn't get it to work either. Maybe a version needs to be created to work for these types of ladders as I'm sure there's a market for them.

I have a Franklin Ladder, but it did not come with a tray for paint or to set tools on. Fortunately, Amazon had what I needed. Ladders that have trays are at best a temporary holding place items. Sidekick gives you a solid tray with sides so a drill, hand tools or paint can won't fall to the ground. It's well made, but I drilled a hole then added a hand tight bolt so my knee doesn't kick it off. I also added a nut to the long bolt to make sure it doesn't come loose.I think it's perfect for what I needed.

Simple to use. Came in handy when painting the eves for me! Very sturdy and well built. I personally did not bother using the bolts at the bottom to "secure" the gallon paint can since I felt the shelf was plenty enough sufficient. Plus the Sidekick is a bit heavy, so trying to move the ladder with a full paint can on shelf is a bit difficult due to weight, so I would remove paint can from Sidekick each time I went down the ladder knowing I was going to move it. Anyway, this invention is great, and I'm glad I spoiled myself and bought it. In hindsight, it is a NEEDED accessory for painting!

I'm grateful we bought it for painting the house trim project. It worked great all all different heights of ladders, weird angles, you name it. I felt safe having supplies up there to reach the caulk, trim, paint up there. I don't know if I'll ever use it again but I am so glad I bought it.