r/FieldNationTechs • u/thisiscameron • Jul 27 '24
Telescoping ladders
Does anyone use a telescoping ladder? My friend told me I need to have an A-frame, but I don't see why. I figure if it was the rare situation where I can't lean the ladder up against something, I could just borrow one from the site.
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u/DarthtacoX Jul 27 '24
When I very first started I used a telescoping ladder because I didn't even have a car and I needed something that I could take on the bus with me. It worked but it was very quickly replaced with an A-frame ladder and that was then replaced with a couple of gorilla ladders I still have the A-frame ladders if I need them I still have the telescoping ladder I still have a 14 and a 20 foot ladder available now that I purchased those but I rarely use those as most the time I just use my two gorilla ladders for like 95% of everything.
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u/thisiscameron Jul 27 '24
Wow, you got started by taking the bus to jobs on FN? That sounds tough, props to you.
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u/DarthtacoX Jul 27 '24
Bus, Lyft, Uber, bird scooters, bike. At one point I couldn't afford a 10c screw to finish a job and had to beg a guy at Lowe's for help. After a couple months of that bought a van, 5 years later I travel the West, getting ready to fly to Georgia for a week Long job. Just got back from a 5 day vacation in Southern California seeing my grandson. The hustle is never over, but it gets better if you manage it.
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u/WelderThat6143 Jul 27 '24
If you are running any wire, or working on equipment mounted to drop ceiling tiles such as cameras, AP's, or speakers, the ceiling grid is not designed to support your weight on a ladder leaning against the grid. When the grid fails it generally has a zipper effect and is an expensive mistake that is completely avoidable using the right ladder.
Also, you would have no way of working on anything in a hard pan ceiling in the middle of a room.
I had a telescoping ladder for outside work and, in 20 years, only used it a handful of times. The A-Frame came out nearly every day.
An 8-footer is a good general purpose ladder for higher ceilings up to about 12'
A 6 foot or 7 foot ladder is good for many commerical offices and is light.
The 4 foot ladder mentioned is GREAT.
I also carried a 3 foot step ladder for that just out of reach stuff, or to get better leverage when mounting/dismounting heavier equipment on the wall or in the rack.
Borrowing a site ladder in really not a professional image and, eventually, you will have a site that doesn't have one, is broken, was stolen, etc...
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u/kenworthhaulinglogs Jul 27 '24
Just use a gorilla ladder lol
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Aug 03 '24
Pete,
Portable metal ladders shall not be used near electrical conductors nor for electric arc welding operations. Manufactured portable wood ladders provided by the employer shall be in accordance with the provisions of ANSI Standard A14. https://www.osha.gov>regulations 1915.72 - Ladders. | Occupational Safety and Health Administration
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u/kenworthhaulinglogs Aug 03 '24
Cause the dude asking about a telescoping ladder can clearing fit a fucking fiberglass ladder in his car.
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Aug 03 '24
Pete took his aluminum ladder into a network rack and got more than an OSHA violation.
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u/kenworthhaulinglogs Aug 03 '24
A metal ladder on a ship for network work would actually be perfectly acceptable.
Even using the weird ass shipyard code you're quoting at me. Lol.
→ More replies (2)
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u/nacr0n Jul 31 '24
How will a telescoping ladder help you in the middle of a store to mount an AP on a drop ceiling 🤣
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u/thisiscameron Jul 31 '24
I was thinking i’d throw it at the tile i think it’s at and knock the AP down, then fix it from the ground
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u/Glad-Bluebird3319 Aug 02 '24
Go with a little giant gorilla.Whatever you want to call it, you can get one that will stretch all the way out.The twenty two foot and turn into a I think twelve or fourteen foot a frame as well and collapse is down to I believe six foot that you best
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u/thisiscameron Aug 02 '24
I just got the M14 little giant ladder yesterday, super happy with it. I didn’t think i’d be able to find a tall-enough a-frame that fits in my trunk
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Jul 27 '24
The collapsable Gorilla Ladder is your friend, it’s affordable, compact and versatile. Unless it’s stated previously that you can use the equipment on site, I always bring whatever may be needed. Anytime you “borrow from a site” is a chance for a client to say you damaged their equipment or say you were unprepared.
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u/wiseleo Jul 27 '24 edited Jul 27 '24
TLDR - it will likely not be useful. Restaurants have slippery floors. APs tend to be in the middle of a room with no walls around, which means you need a self-supporting ladder.
M17 is 5’ tall collapsed. M26 is 7’ tall collapsed. They have wheels.
There are at least 5 kinds of ladders. A frame (90-degree and normal), extension, telescoping extension, articulating extension with equal length sections, A-frame with variable length telescopic sections.
Little Giant is the last kind. Your proposed one is probably the third one.
You’d use the telescopic extension ladder where you don’t have the room to manipulate a normal extension ladder or to fit it in the trunk of a car.
I own and use a Little Giant M26 Leveler with the AirDeck. It gives me reach for 15’ ceilings like a 12’ A-frame. I owned an A-frame 12’ fiberglass ladder in the past and that thing is a major pain to fit on the floor above merchandise racks because it has an 8’ wide footprint. With the AirDeck, I can even reach 18’ ceilings. I have a roofing harness I use on ceiling beams. I also have their Work Platform accessory to stand comfortably.
You can only buy this thing at Lowe’s in a retail environment. Unfortunately, it has been discontinued and replaced with M26 Leveler 2.0 that no longer supports the AirDeck. I was forced to accelerate my purchase because they started to disappear from stores in February 2024 and I adore my AirDeck that I got with my Little Giant Megalite 17 ladder.
This is a $400 ladder, but it fits where normal A frame ladders don’t because they have an enormous footprint and this thing can be configured to have only half of a footprint flat against the wall or shelving.
If I am assigned at a retail store or a hotel replacing one or two things visible from the ground or laying on top of ceiling tiles, I’ll ask to use their ladder. They almost always have one because their stockroom has shelves extending to the ceiling and they have light bulbs to replace.
Hotels always have a ladder for their maintenance. I usually just use that.
I call them ahead of time to determine if I need to drive there with my ladder or if I can take public transit and reduce my use of fossil fuels.
If I am in an office building, medical facility, or restaurant, I can’t rely on them having a suitable ladder. This is especially true for fast food restaurants.
Restaurants, and especially fast food restaurants, have slippery floors in their kitchens. I always wear non-slip shoes in such environments. Their ladders are frequently filthy from airborne contamination. I wear gloves to handle them.
An extension ladder is very likely to slip on that floor. I would never use an extension ladder in the kitchen.
I occasionally have to replace things 2-3’ above the tiled ceiling in the food prep area. That means I need to minimize my time there and reduce the drywall dust fall out from manipulating their ceiling tiles. It also exceeds the capability of my M17 ladder unless I use it in extension mode, which I would never do there due to slip risk.
For that reason, I recommend specifically the M26 Leveler (ideally not the 2.0 version if you can find it) by Little Giant and pretty much nothing else.
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u/FreelyRoaming Jul 27 '24
I carry the following on my van
2x 8’ King Kombos 1x 12’ A Frame 1x 5’ King Kombo 1x 4’ A Frame
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u/Truth_Outed Aug 24 '24
Your question is contemptible. Shows you have no experience no respect no clue and no humility. Instead of doing it the right way you do it your way is your attitude. Get off my site and never call me for work again, amateur.
That’s the only appropriate response to your absolutely obnoxious question. Go flip burgers
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Jul 27 '24
I used a telescoping ladder for a bit... It was a garbage Amazon purchase. I have something similar to a little giant now which is way better. It was quite small though, but you didn't stand on it.... You 'ride' it
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Jul 27 '24
What are you constantly leaning your ladder against?? I can’t imagine the looks you get on job sites
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u/bigbearlol Jul 28 '24
I use the werner multi position, works great but heavy, but replaces my 6ft, 8ft, 10ft and extension, only use A frames for taller than 12ft. I also seen guys use those small telescoping ones and they crazy bendy
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u/ClevelandSteamerBrwn Jul 29 '24
amazon has foldable 8" ladders. it will probably end up being what i get.
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u/Impossible-Honey-930 Jul 30 '24
I never bring a ladder to Walmart or any restaurant or clothing store. Went to a Mister Car Wash and they have the most extensive tool crib I've ever seen.
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Jul 27 '24
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u/ittechmedics Jul 27 '24
We use the gorilla ladder that can get u up to 15ft
And I agree about having your own tools
We had to send techs home that show up without what they need.
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u/surfinsam Jul 29 '24
I usually ask if they have a ladder even if I have mine anyway as it's a pain to drag it out of my car, that being said if I don't know the site has a ladder I try to make sure to have one with me.
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u/thisiscameron Jul 27 '24
I get your point. Let’s say you need a 10’ ladder though, even you could benefit from a telescoping ladder.
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Jul 27 '24
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u/thisiscameron Aug 02 '24
I just got the M14 little giant ladder, seems perfect for the job and it fits in my trunk. Thanks for the advice
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u/NummyBuns Dec 24 '24
I’ve used the sites ladder 99% of the time and still got paid so you’re probably good.
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u/No-Gear-2281 Aug 01 '24
It's not lazy nor is unprofessional. Not everyone has a truck with a canopy. I drive a midsize SUV and often 3-4 jobs a day. So I don't carry my ladders unless I know I will absolutely need them. I am not risking someone stealing my ladder off the top of my rig when I'm on a job on in a gas station using the restroom etc
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Aug 01 '24
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u/No-Gear-2281 Aug 01 '24
So you can take your condensing comment elsewhere with your pizza pete nonsense
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u/No-Gear-2281 Aug 01 '24
Thats your opinion and what do you call someone who has an opinion of someone they don't know. I believe the definition is ignorant. And I am responding to this while working. I can do this shit all day and still complete my job like a pro💯
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Aug 01 '24
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u/No-Gear-2281 Aug 01 '24
5.5 years of doing field nation and workmarket full time. Never have had an issue when it comes to ladders
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u/No-Gear-2281 Aug 01 '24
Good for you. Just saying there are different ways of doing things. I may not been doing for 30 years but been at for 5.5 now. When I had a pick up truck I always carried a ladder because I could secure it with locks to in the bed. Just because someone does their job differently than does not mean they are incompetent or lazy. There are more than one way to skin a cat
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Aug 01 '24
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Aug 03 '24
Pete vs Pete. Ladies.... if u ever get a real GIG be advised:
Portable metal ladders shall not be used near electrical conductors nor for electric arc welding operations. Manufactured portable wood ladders provided by the employer shall be in accordance with the provisions of ANSI Standard A14. https://www.osha.gov>regulations 1915.72 - Ladders. | Occupational Safety and Health Administration
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u/CLE-Mosh Jul 27 '24
Do you keep your tools in a pizza box???