Little Giant Velocity 22' Multi-Purpose Ladder

OK, so here’s the good, the bad, and the ugly on this ladder. The Velocity Multi-use Ladder, by Little Giant, is a nice ladder. It is delivered to you assembled and is fairly compact when not in use – a little under 6 feet – which I find remarkable. It is heavy, but not cumbersome. Some people have complained that this ladder is too heavy. If you have it in its storage position/height, and compare it to a 6 or 8 foot step ladder, well yes, this is very heavy. But keep in mind it is really a multi-use and opens up a great deal. So, overall, this is not a heavy ladder at about 39 pounds. It does have two wheels on one side so it can be rolled around rather than carried, for the most part.As far as capacity, the Velocity meets the 300 pound IA rating, and feels sturdy when you are on it (I am a man, about 220 pounds). The ladder is about 27 ½” at the base, which helps steady it. The feet have a plastic surround and rubber grips on them, so the ladder tends to stay put. Like many ladders, most of the rungs are narrow, except where the inner and outer ladders line up during A-frame use.This ladder is advertised as a 22 foot ladder. Keep in mind how manufacturers measure ladders: while this says it is 22 feet, it is actually about 19 feet tip to tip. You will find the same of a Werner or other maker’s multi-use ladders.As far as the uses. This ladder may be used five ways:1. A Frame Step ladder.2. Staircase ladder (adjust leg heights on each side to different heights.3. 90 degree ladder, so you can move closer to a wall as you ascend the ladder.4. Extension ladder.5. Scaffolding (NOTE: Little Giant should not advertise this ladder as ready to use 5 ways. You CANNOT use it to scaffold unless you buy additional parts (trestles).I have several ceiling heights in my home, conventional 8’, an 11’, a 12’, and a 14.5’ vaulted ceiling. In the past I had to use 2 or 3 ladders when I needed to do work near the ceiling. Now, I just take out this one ladder for most jobs. The way it works is by use of what Little Giant calls Rock Locks, or Lock Tabs. These allow you to release the Rock Locks, raise the ladder to the preferred height, and lock the Rock Locks back into place. This is easy to do, but you have to be careful to hold the part of the ladder, the inner ladder, especially when lowering the ladder back down to an lower height. When lowering, you support the ladder, release the Rock Locks one at a time, then, still holding the inner ladder that adjusts, slowly lower it.The other component used to lock/adjust the Velocity is what Little Giant calls Palm Buttons. You push these in when you want to change the ladder’s shape – go from storage to A-frame, or to extension mode, etc. They are basically locks at the ladder’s hinge point.I really like using this as an adjustable step ladder. You can use it in various heights from 5’ to 9’. As far as use as an extension ladder, it works well, but like any ladder, you need a little muscle to raise it, working in one fluid motion, or you need to lay it out on the lawn or driveway to extend it. Extension heights range from 11’ to 19’.So….PROs:• Very flexible in its uses.• Not cumbersome, despite its weight.• Well thought-out design (with one notable exception), with Rock Locks, Palm Buttons, Feet, wheels.• Easy to adjust “on the fly”, especially when adjusting heights a s step ladder.• Lifetime warranty.CONs:• Misadvertised as having the ability to perform scaffolding work. You MUST buy not only a work platform, but also the trestle themselves. That’s not ready-to-use as a scaffold system, by any means.• Price point: On sale this is a good deal. But the day in, day out price is much higher than the comparable Werner.• For a more petite person, the weight may be a concern.• Questionable customer service: contacted customer support about the trestle issue, never even got a courtesy reply. Makes me wonder what will happen if I need them to cover their product under warranty.Over all, if you do not need this for scaffolding, it is a nice ladder and can help free up some space in your garage. It is well made, has numerous uses and configurations, and is simple enough to use.I rated it a 3. It is probably a 4 based on its general usage, but due to advertising scaffolding and then making you buy extra parts to use it for…..scaffolding….that’s nonsense. Plus I never heard back from their customer support. To be a 5, the price has to be a little better and they need to include the scaffolding part – or just stop advertising it as such. NOTE: I have seen some later advertisements where they now note the need for additional parts.