On 6 Nov 2006 12:28:26 -0800, "z" wrote:




Consumer Reports did a thing on ladders recently, kind of an
eye-opener. They don't have the safety margin you'd expect from other
semi-regulated products. As I always suspected, if you weigh 200 lbs

I suspected otherwise. I thought if it said 200, you could be 275!
Thanks for letting me know. I really mean that.

People may not like my remedy, but I went from 240 to 210 before I
borrowed the ladder. At 240, even if the ladder held, I would have
been hard to get myself up and down. I hit 184 this morning, and
have until February 1 or April 1 to get to 160. Then the hard part
comes which is not putting it on again. Even 184 (I'm 5'8" and 59
years old) is wonderful though. I have a little pot belly, but I feel
young again.

and you're on a 200 lb ladder, a good thump with your foot will buckle
some of them. Their advice was basically to get the highest rated one
you can find, no matter what you weigh.

Like you, I borrowed mine. I have nowhere indoors to store any ladder
over 7 foot. But I have decided that teenagers don't steal ladders
because they are only useful for work. Adults don't steal ladders
because they are hard to fence. Only people with houses would want to
steal a ladder, and none of my neighbors are (that kind of?) thief.

It does't look good underneath my backyard deck, but not so bad
either. And if it is stolen I will give my friend the choice of my
buying him a new one of the same brand, or my giving him the full
price of a new one. With friends, I don't believe in this
"depreciation" stuff. Even with strangers I don't think it is always
the right thing, but that's more complicated.