Ladder feet

[Posh]

The feet on my ladder are shot.

Anyone know where I can get a spare set.

Before you all rush the ones I am looking for are the ones that fit on the bar that goes on the bottom of your ladder to stop it tilting each side. They slide on on a bit of plastic & the bar sits out a couple of feet each way on yer ladder.

I've looked everywhere.

 

[RiceRocket]

Could try contacting BPS about them

 

[TolishAPurd]

Yep, BPS sell them, but I remember them being quite expensive for what they are.

 

[boarcity]

dont buy rubber feet . there is a reason why ladders are never fitted with rubber feet when new-because rubber has zero grip on damp dusty or wet surfaces

iv noticed a few aftermarket firms selling cut-to-fit rubber feet-these should be banned

 

[Tuffers]

dont buy rubber feet . there is a reason why ladders are never fitted with rubber feet when new-because rubber has zero grip on damp dusty or wet surfaces
iv noticed a few aftermarket firms selling cut-to-fit rubber feet-these should be banned

I always thought the rubber gave better grip than the hard plastic feet. I felt more confident with rubber too.

 

[boarcity]

i used to think that too . its a common misconception. on a bone dry surface they are excellent . but it must be bone dry or .... this can happen>

then i had a bad fall when using a laddermat (rubber) , it let me down when i needed it ,on a damp October morning.

but WHY did the rubber mats let slip on me ? - i then looked online ,read everything i could about rubber as a safety grip surface trying to find the answer - found out rubber has No grip if the ground is wet,damp ,or dusty .

however - plastic feet being rock hard,dig thru dampness somewhat , if you get my drift

 

[windowsurfer]

Boarcity what do you think of this type of feet? http://www.midlandladders.com/products/Double_2_5m_8ft2_Trade_Light_Industrial_Ladder-5-7.html any good?

 

[boarcity]

personally-i think they are bad news. because in the UK the ground is often damp- even in high summer,at 9 a.m. theres dampness/dew call it what you will.

after my ladder fall i posted about it on the clean it up forum [to warn others] and several came forward to say they had near misses after rubber mats or rubber feet let slip on them. how many who have died after rubber let slip on them we will never know. as i said , people THINK rubber is a good safety edge,especially if the ground is dodgy ,but its not

i now always use spikes fitted to my ladders and trust them. iv used them on ice and snow so i know first hand

 

[windowsurfer]

Thanks boarcity:thumbsup:, maybe spikes are best then, I fell down with those trim to size rubber ladder feet as old ones were worn into metal, plus patio was slimy and had to put ladder out a fair bit due to a double step. Feel the pain still in my shin:gush:, so dont want to repeat it. I also have ladder mats, which are rubber. Got a friend who really trusts them on decking, says their great.

 

[boarcity]

so your rubber feet let slip on you? thats further proof . the trouble is in this trade we often work on our lonesome, nobody is there to foot the ladder,so we look for/buy anything that might give us extra safety- we put our trust in the makers of safety products.

i actually got in touch with the maker of my rubber laddermats ,to tell him/warn him . he then tried to buy me off with gifts ,then got all superior on me, and mailed me the safety tests he had paid to have done on his product- i noted none were done on damp or wet or smooth ground,only perfect surfaces.

his laddermats are sold everywhere now, how he can sleep at night i dont know , cos someone will trust them and fall for sure because they trusted them one damp morning

 

[boarcity]

i think the maker /seller of cut to size rubber feet is the same as the laddermat guy

 

[windowsurfer]

Thank you for sharing your research, if it saves a life, then you can sleep soundly and as you say alot of us work alone, so are at the mercy of safety claims of so called safety products when trying to choose what safety device would save our lives from you know what

The thought of spikes sound good on grass to me, but sounds scary on smooth concrete, as only a point of metal in contact with the ground, Im amazed that it doesnt slip. But proof is in the pudding I suppose and they work for you, I would have to put protectors on them when transporting ladders with spikes as would take my eye out with them

 

[boarcity]

i fitted spikes after reading good reports from old timers on the forums .this was after my fall so obviously i was very extra focussed [and in pain] determined on finding a solution .

spikes work well on concrete . i wouldnt trust them on quarry tile paths or any other perfectly smooth surface such as flags . but they grip well in the wet , dirt,damp which is how it is a lot of the time isnt it . i make sure my spikes have a relatively sharp edge by drawing a file across it every time i notice it burring over , praps every 6 months . that sharp edge catches in the smallest of groove in the surface . i find that theres always a handy groove/edge/dip to set a spike in ,where flags join etc

 

[cheapncheerful]

and of course...not saying your heavy boar.....there is a lot of weight on such a small area and so it would take some shifting...

one think i have learnt....wet rubber dont grip at all on fibreglass roofs....ouch....and daft idiot here had to try again...luck was on my side that day.../emoticons/smile.png

 

[boarcity]

one comparison i can make to prove the grip of metal spikes is when you drag a piece of metal garden furniture ,table or chair/ over a concrete floor. the furniture never drags/slip easily do they . thats because the metal feet are digging in .

 

[boarcity]

its an interesting thread , if it saves just 1 lad its worth it . why damp rubber doesnt grip , i dont know why cos car tyres grip in all weathers dont they , but we surely know it doesnt in our industry situation

 

[Smurf]

The only thing I trust for a ladder safety device is an ankalad but trad cleaners don't use them for some strange reason.

 

[boarcity]

probably because there just isnt the time cos you are putting up a ladder every 2 minutes whatever you use has got to be quick and instant. i was going to buy one of those ladderm8trix , looks good. but i didnt buy cos i just knew itd never get used because too awkward to lug around allday

 

[Smurf]

To be honest I’m surprised that no one has come up with a trad ladder stabiliser device that is fixed to a ladder that takes second to deploy.

 

[tench0771]

i use the wcw foot the ladder for trad wrk quick an easy to set up an no bother to carry around or have in the van here is a pic of it in action on slipry painted stone covered in soapy water

 

[tench0771]

also nce an compact in bk of van