Little Giant Ladders, Revolution, M17, 17 ft, Multi-Position Ladder, Aluminum, Type 1A, 300 lbs weight rating (12017)

This review is for the 26 foot model, 12026 that I purchased about a year ago. For many years I lived with a 20 foot aluminum extension ladder and a 6 foot step ladder and everything was fine. Then we moved to a new house with gutters off the second floor and a number of cathedral ceilings inside and my quiver of ladders didn't cut it anymore.I'll provide some details on my thought process at how I arrived at buying this ladder as it may help others trying to make the same decision. I spent a lot of time reading reviews and going back and forth between getting a taller extension ladder or one of these multi-position ladders. The extension ladder has the advantages of being lower cost and lighter, but that would only solve my gutter problem outside. It wouldn't help me paint the high walls of the cathedraled area along the stairs or change light bulbs in the center. It also would be so long that I would have trouble storing it in the garage. So, I decided I wanted a multi-position ladder. The need to reach the gutters in the back of the house that are about 2 1/2 floors up drove me to the tallest models- the 26 footers. Unfortunately, these are also the heaviest ladders. This little Giant model is the lightest of the 26 footers which was a key consideration for me. I was willing to pay a premium to shave 5 or so lbs off compared to the classic model. It doesn't sound like a lot but I figured it could make a big difference in the usability of the ladder.I ordered an Amazon warehouse deals ladder that had some package damage but was otherwise new and saved a bit on the cost. When it arrived, the ladder felt heavy- I'm glad it didn't have one that was 5 lbs heavier. The wheels on it help with dragging it around, though it is too wide to maneuver through doorways while rolling it so I have to pick it up and go though sideways. The videos online show the infomercial guy swinging the ladder around and adjusting it like nothing. I am nowhere near as proficient as that. Maybe it is easier on a smaller, lighter model the use in the demo. Still, it is not complicated to work. The adjustment mechanisms feel very rugged. You do have to be careful where you place your hands when adjusting. There are places where you could catch your finger between a rung and a support bar.For A-frame usage, this ladder is great. It is very sturdy. Using it on a staircase while painting walls was no problem and supported me and my wife with ease. Using it to reach my second floor roof is still a struggle. I'm a 40 year old male 5'10" and 180lbs- pretty average. My wife is smaller and lighter. I don't think we could lift the ladder up to the roof with it fully extended. It is too long- we would not have the leverage to lift it up to vertical. So we had to do it the dangerous way. We extended the top section all the way but left the bottom collapsed. We could lift it to vertical like that and then we released the latches and pushed the ladder up to extend the bottom section like an extension ladder. I should point out this is a very dangerous operation as you have to lift from the rungs and risk getting your fingers or hands caught between the rungs and the supports that go across the back. It takes a bit of muscle to lift the ladder that way as well. Dangerous as it was, it worked and we could fully extend the ladder and didn't lose any fingers. Once it is vertical and fully extended I am able to manage it by myself and move it along the house. Taking it down was just the opposite. We collapsed the bottom section while the ladder was vertical to make it short enough that we could manage laying it down to horizontal. Maybe there is a better way of doing this? Use a pole to push the fully extended ladder up to vertical or use a rope? Please add a comment if you have a good method!While up on the ladder with it fully extended I got a bit of bouncing and flexing. It is disconcerting at first, but you quickly learn that the ladder is plenty strong despite the flexing. It didn't bother me after that. The wide stance at the bottom helps make sure you moment of inertia stays within ladders stability range. It never felt like it wanted to tip sideways.The footbeds on the rungs are fairly comfortable and have ridges for grip. Beware of slipperiness in snow and wet, though. When clearing snow off my roof last Winter I noticed the rungs got a little slippery when they got some snow build up on them and my shoes.The small size of the ladder when fully collapsed was one of the key selling points for me. It stands vertically in my garage taking up little more space than the 6 foot step ladder.All in all, I am glad I bought this ladder despite struggling with its weight at times and am very glad I didn't get a less expensive/heavier model. If you need to reach a tall roof often, I'd recommend getting an extension ladder instead. If you need an all around ladder that should last a long, long, time and only on rare occasions need to extend it to its full length I recommend this ladder.

The 12017, owned since May 2012, was a good choice for my specific needs. It is light, and lays flat in the back of my vehicle with one seat down and the tailgate closed. Fully extended, it lands above my second story windows. It feels solid when standing on it as a type 1A (300 pound) should.It is 14 rungs extended and 4 rungs stored (rungs are 12 inches on center). This wide range is possible because of the center hinge, and because the sections may be extended until only one rung is doubled (overlapped).The extension locks are easy to use. To release, one squeezes the bottom of the rocking lock lever toward the ladder rail until a ball detent retains the withdrawn lock pin against a spring. The ball detent is just right to hold against the spring, but weak enough to be released by smacking the top of the lever with one's palm. The end of the lock pin is beveled such that one can release the ball detent, then slide the rails until the rungs align enough for the lock pin to spring home. I usually align first, then smack, to reduce wear by the end of the hard steel lock pin rubbing on the aluminum inner ladder rail. I see no plastic parts in the extension locks.The design of the center hinge lock is even better because one does not have to smack it after releasing. One simply squeezes the knob toward the ladder rail until retained, then open or close the ladder until the lock pins spring home at the next lock angle (folded, step, or extension). The only plastic parts in the center hinge area are spacers riveted between aluminum plates.One of the compromises chosen to keep the weight low, and the storage size small, is lower rung tread depth. The treads are about 1-3/8 inches deep with hard edges. Standing on these in running shoes gets old faster than standing on my big 36 foot type 1A Werner which has rungs about 1-3/4 inches deep with rounded edges (but weighs 80 pounds). In the lower configurations, the 12017 has more rungs that are doubled by the overlap. The two rungs together give a tread depth of about 3-1/2 inches. One can stand on these all day.I peeled most of the vinyl stickers off, then waxed the rails with car wax. This allows easier adjusting, and reduces the risk of pinching one's fingers by lowering "stiction".If you're still reading, you're probably looking at the Werner MT-17 too. At the time of purchase, I cared about these 12017 advantages:1. Rung tread depth is about 1/4 inch more. This doesn't sound like much but one can feel it.2. Weight is about 6.2 pounds less. (I weighed both with a force gauge accurate to 0.1 pound.) It's obvious when one picks them up.3. The extension locks make using the ladder easier.In summary, the 12017 is a good choice if one wants compact storage and low weight in a good design that is well built. It's a 31.4 pound type 1A that goes from 4 to 14 rungs. It's just light enough that I'll grab it for step ladder use.