I need to do occasional stepladder work - trimming trees and my
neighbour's laurel, plus cleaning the caravan roof and seasonally
draping Christmas lights. My existing stepladder is not really
high enough, and stability can also be marginal.

I am wondering if it is time, as a precautionary investment to
reduce the risk of injury, to get something better.

The Rolls Royce solution might be something like the 10 ft
version of this:
https://www.niwaki.com/store/niwaki-tripod-ladder/

Are they as good as claimed?

Is there a better value alternative?

I would have to store it outdoors - any suggestions for chaining
it up securely?

Chris
--
Chris J Dixon Nottingham UK


Plant amazing Acers.

On 21/02/17 14:41, Chris J Dixon wrote:
I need to do occasional stepladder work - trimming trees and my
neighbour's laurel, plus cleaning the caravan roof and seasonally
draping Christmas lights. My existing stepladder is not really
high enough, and stability can also be marginal.

I am wondering if it is time, as a precautionary investment to
reduce the risk of injury, to get something better.

The Rolls Royce solution might be something like the 10 ft
version of this:
https://www.niwaki.com/store/niwaki-tripod-ladder/

Are they as good as claimed?

Is there a better value alternative?

I would have to store it outdoors - any suggestions for chaining
it up securely?

Chris

Get an ordinary ladder and fit a stabiliser:
http://www.ladderstore.com/ladder-ac...sers-feet.html

Use a good-quality bicycle chain through several rungs to a secure wall
fixture.

--

Jeff

In article ,
Chris J Dixon wrote:
I need to do occasional stepladder work - trimming trees and my
neighbour's laurel, plus cleaning the caravan roof and seasonally
draping Christmas lights. My existing stepladder is not really
high enough, and stability can also be marginal.

I am wondering if it is time, as a precautionary investment to
reduce the risk of injury, to get something better.

The Rolls Royce solution might be something like the 10 ft
version of this:
https://www.niwaki.com/store/niwaki-tripod-ladder/

Are they as good as claimed?

Anything like that used in a garden is only going to be as stable as the
ground it's on.

--
*Why is the word abbreviation so long?

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

In article ,
Chris J Dixon wrote:
I need to do occasional stepladder work - trimming trees and my
neighbour's laurel, plus cleaning the caravan roof and seasonally
draping Christmas lights. My existing stepladder is not really
high enough, and stability can also be marginal.

I am wondering if it is time, as a precautionary investment to
reduce the risk of injury, to get something better.

The Rolls Royce solution might be something like the 10 ft
version of this:
https://www.niwaki.com/store/niwaki-tripod-ladder/

A tripod ladder is a bad idea, as they are a lot less stable than
a corresponding quadrupod one. We bought an industrial-grade one
from Mackays at 150 quid (versus 50 quid for the 'domestic') and
have not regretted it.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

On 21/02/17 15:30, Nick Maclaren wrote:
In article ,
Chris J Dixon wrote:
I need to do occasional stepladder work - trimming trees and my
neighbour's laurel, plus cleaning the caravan roof and seasonally
draping Christmas lights. My existing stepladder is not really
high enough, and stability can also be marginal.

I am wondering if it is time, as a precautionary investment to
reduce the risk of injury, to get something better.

The Rolls Royce solution might be something like the 10 ft
version of this:
https://www.niwaki.com/store/niwaki-tripod-ladder/

A tripod ladder is a bad idea, as they are a lot less stable than
a corresponding quadrupod one. We bought an industrial-grade one
from Mackays at 150 quid (versus 50 quid for the 'domestic') and
have not regretted it.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.


Can you explain why tree surgeons almost always have a tripod ladder?

They have a very wide area of footing and 3 legs is inherently stable on
unplanar ground.

In article ,
Jeff Layman wrote:

Use a good-quality bicycle chain through several rungs to a secure wall
fixture.

ITYM "bicycle lock"? (might be a U-lock, might be a loop. might be a
chain...)

J.

Chris J Dixon formulated on Tuesday :
I would have to store it outdoors - any suggestions for chaining
it up securely?

I have several alloy ladders to store, I fitted home made welded heavy
angle brackets bolted through from my workshop wall. The middle of the
three brackets is hinged allowing a padlock to lock them all up in one.

The back of my workshop is not over looked, so the ladders are well out
of sight of prying eyes. Smaller step ladders fit neatly out of the
way, in the roof of my hut.

I cannot comment on the actual tripod ladder, I have never used one.

On 21/02/17 16:49, Another John wrote:
In article ,
Jeff Layman wrote:

Use a good-quality bicycle chain through several rungs to a secure wall
fixture.

ITYM "bicycle lock"? (might be a U-lock, might be a loop. might be a
chain...)

J.

Quite right. I meant to put cable or chain lock. :-(

--

Jeff

In article ,
Tim Watts wrote:

Can you explain why tree surgeons almost always have a tripod ladder?

Tripod ladders are easier to get closer to trees.

They have a very wide area of footing and 3 legs is inherently stable on
unplanar ground.

You're missing the point. For a given leg separation, the distance
from the centre (at ground level) to the closest point outside the
triangle is much less than it is for the quadrilateral. Therefore,
the ladder will fall over for a much lower imbalance in the weight
or sideways force.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

On Tue, 21 Feb 2017 15:36:38 +0000, Tim Watts wrote:

On 21/02/17 15:30, Nick Maclaren wrote:
In article ,
Chris J Dixon wrote:


The Rolls Royce solution might be something like the 10 ft version of
this: https://www.niwaki.com/store/niwaki-tripod-ladder/

A tripod ladder is a bad idea, as they are a lot less stable than a
corresponding quadrupod one. We bought an industrial-grade one from


Can you explain why tree surgeons almost always have a tripod ladder?

They have a very wide area of footing and 3 legs is inherently stable on
unplanar ground.

Bit like the old milking stools really - far more stable with three legs
than with 4 as they cope with uneven ground far better.

On 21/02/2017 14:41, Chris J Dixon wrote:
I need to do occasional stepladder work - trimming trees and my
neighbour's laurel, plus cleaning the caravan roof and seasonally
draping Christmas lights. My existing stepladder is not really
high enough, and stability can also be marginal.

I am wondering if it is time, as a precautionary investment to
reduce the risk of injury, to get something better.

The Rolls Royce solution might be something like the 10 ft
version of this:
https://www.niwaki.com/store/niwaki-tripod-ladder/

Are they as good as claimed?

Is there a better value alternative?

I would have to store it outdoors - any suggestions for chaining
it up securely?

Chris

You may also like to look at:

https://www.frjonesandson.co.uk/prod...ripod-ladders/

I have no connection other than having been a very satisfied customer
for a chainsaw and a couple of other bits of stuff over a number of years.

Pete.

Nick Maclaren wrote:

You're missing the point. For a given leg separation, the distance
from the centre (at ground level) to the closest point outside the
triangle is much less than it is for the quadrilateral. Therefore,
the ladder will fall over for a much lower imbalance in the weight
or sideways force.

Isn't the whole point that the design under consideration doesn't
have the same leg separation as a conventional ladder. For
instance, the 3 m ladder is 1.45 m wide at the base.

https://www.niwaki.com/store/niwaki-tripod-ladder/

Chris
--
Chris J Dixon Nottingham UK


Plant amazing Acers.

On 21/02/17 17:19, Nick Maclaren wrote:
In article ,
Tim Watts wrote:

Can you explain why tree surgeons almost always have a tripod ladder?

Tripod ladders are easier to get closer to trees.

They have a very wide area of footing and 3 legs is inherently stable on
unplanar ground.

You're missing the point. For a given leg separation, the distance
from the centre (at ground level) to the closest point outside the
triangle is much less than it is for the quadrilateral. Therefore,
the ladder will fall over for a much lower imbalance in the weight
or sideways force.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.


However, the tripod ladder leg spacings are MUCH larger than 4 legged
ladders - and a 4 legged ladder would be very unstable on non planar ground.

So tripods of a suitable size seem like a win to me for that particular
purpose.

On 21/02/2017 17:19, Nick Maclaren wrote:
You're missing the point. For a given leg separation, the distance
from the centre (at ground level) to the closest point outside the
triangle is much less than it is for the quadrilateral. Therefore,
the ladder will fall over for a much lower imbalance in the weight
or sideways force.

You're missing the point. Unlike a floor in a house a garden isn't a
flat plane. Which means that one leg of a 4 legged ladder is always off
the ground.

And that means it is _less_ stable than a properly designed three legged
one, as it rocks between the two stable configurations...

I have a step ladder with bars across the base of each step. It's great
indoors. Outdoors I have to fiddle around for ages so it doesn't rock,
sometime putting bricks under it

Andy

In article ,
Chris J Dixon wrote:

You're missing the point. For a given leg separation, the distance
from the centre (at ground level) to the closest point outside the
triangle is much less than it is for the quadrilateral. Therefore,
the ladder will fall over for a much lower imbalance in the weight
or sideways force.

Isn't the whole point that the design under consideration doesn't
have the same leg separation as a conventional ladder. For
instance, the 3 m ladder is 1.45 m wide at the base.

https://www.niwaki.com/store/niwaki-tripod-ladder/

Ah. That would be enough, PROVIDED that the single leg is at a shallow
enough angle. Most step ladders have the non-step legs more vertical
than the other ones, which means the CoG is closer to them - and, if
there is a single one, that leads to instability. From the picture,
that looks the case.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.