When it comes to choosing the right brand of ladder for your roofing company, there are quite a few options.
This year, Roofing Insights CEO Dmitry Lipinskiy and Bob Hoel, the owner of Hoel Roofing & Remodeling, teamed up to review the newest version of the Xtend & Climb ladder.
Before we get into a few details concerning the Xtend & Climb ladder, it should be noted that throughout the years, Lipinskiy has been unwavering in his support of the Xtend & Climb.
“I’ve been testing ladders for the last five years. Back in 2018, I purchased $2,000 worth of ladders because at the time, I found out that the Xtend & Climb ladders were the best,”
Lipinskiy says.
“I then bought ten of those ladders for my roofing business. Since then, I’ve been paying close attention to what other roofers are saying about telescopic ladders because we have a lot of bad ladders on the market. For example, people have been sending me pictures of cheap Chinese ladders that have failed them.”
For the latest Xtend & Climb review, Lipinskiy and Hoel decided to take a look at their 16.5-foot ladder.
This version of the Xtend & Climb ladder can hold up to 250 pounds worth of weight, but some reports have indicated that the ladder can hold up to 330 pounds of weight.
*Disclaimer: before getting on any ladder, please check to ensure that the ladder you’re using is safe to operate.
While the Xtend & Climb can sufficiently support most roofers and their tools, it should be noted that the ladder is designed for roof inspections rather than roofing jobs.
Also, ideally a ladder extends three feet above the roofline of a home, so in some cases the Xtend & Climb may be too short of a ladder because it comes in at 16.5 feet.
If you’re a roofing contractor who is looking for a taller ladder, many manufacturers sell ladders that are up to twenty feet long, but the price tag for these types of ladders is hefty.
“They make telescopic ladders that reach up to twenty feet, but it will cost you over $1,000 and I don’t know if you’re going to feel safe using them,” adds Lipinskiy.
While the 16.5-foot version of the Xtend & Climb is not perfect, it still is a fantastic ladder for roofing contractors.
“The steps are the widest you are going to find on the telescopic ladder market because other ladders are going to have very tiny steps,”
says Lipinskiy.
“The number one injury on ladders is actually breaking the steps or slipping because most ladder steps are super thin.”
For Bob Hoel of Hoel Roofing & Remodeling, he too finds many things to like about the Xtend & Climb ladder.
“The Xtend & Climb felt secure. I was impressed that it wasn’t as flimsy as I was afraid it was going to be. Before, I wouldn’t have bought an Xtend & Climb because they were so flimsy, but this version is much better,” Hoel says.
As far as price is concerned, the Xtend & Climb is not cheap.
Lipinskiy says that the current market price for the esteemed ladder is $430, and while that number may deter some roofing companies from buying it, choosing a cheaper option is not recommended.
“I’ve tested ladders from China that are in the $200 range, and those manufacturers compromised on safety,” says Lipinskiy.
“A cheaper ladder is usually much lighter in weight and much flimsier.”
Also, some ladders have a tendency to pinch fingers when they are being disassembled, but the Xtend & Climb does not suffer from this issue.
“Telesteps (Xtend & Climb’s competition) does not have pins in their ladders, so their ladders will literally go up and down with one pin, but you have to extend it all the way up and all the way down every single time,” says Lipinskiy, who then offers another endorsement of the Xtend & Climb ladder.
“Like I said, I’ve been watching what roofers are saying and I have been reviewing ladders for the last five years. In that span, I’ve purchased ten ladders and not a single one of them either broke or failed.”
That’s quite the endorsement from one of the most popular figures in the roofing industry.
“I know it sounds cheesy, but I trust my life with this ladder. That’s saying something because there are a lot of other ladders on Amazon that don’t give me the same sense of security,”
Lipinskiy says.
“If you’re looking to buy a telescopic ladder on Amazon, this is the ladder to buy.”
Contractors:
What is the best telescopic ladder to buy for your roofing company?
Let us know your opinion in the comments section below!
