Little GiantLadder Systems 12022 Revolution Use, 22 Foot Multi-Purpose Ladder, Ft, Gray

Like many people, I have wanted a Little Giant ladder for many years. I recently purchased the model 22 Revolution XE. The ladder arrived a couple of days ago and I have already used it several times. Everything that the other positive reviewers have to say about this ladder is true, so feel free to read their positive comments about the versatility of this ladder, as I agree with most of those comments. The "rock locks" (as Little Giant calls them) are made of metal now, not plastic, and feel very well built and are easy to use. I am a young man (for now, anyway) and I am using the ladder for my home use, and I find it easy to move around and adjust. All in all, it is a great ladder.The main reason I only give the ladder four stars instead of five (edit: lowered to three stars, see below) is because when my ladder arrived, I was a bit disappointed to find that Little Giant is apparently now making at least some of their ladders in China, because that is where mine was made. I did not know this when I bought the ladder. For years, Little Giant advertised that their ladders were proudly made in USA. I did a little research online and it looks like LG quietly moved most or all of their manufacturing to China sometime in the last few years. I also see that company founder Hal Wing passed away earlier this year. That is too bad.LG has charged a price premium on their products and for many years companies like Werner have had their versions (some might say "rip offs") of the Little Giant ladder for sale at lower prices. I assumed part of this was because those companies products were made in China, while LG ladders were made in USA. I guess that is no longer the case, and it is a bit disappointing.Regardless, this is a very nice ladder. If you wish to support the company that pioneered this design, you will be pleased with a Little Giant. Additionally, the "rock locks" on the newer models such as this "Revolution XE" are very nice and easy to use. As far as I know, other brands haven't yet copied this lock design and I feel that the rock locks are evidence that Little Giant is still an innovative company that is continuously working to improve the design of their ladders. I am glad I bought it and I am happy with it. However, if you were interested in a "Made in USA" product like I was, and you dont care about the state of the art in hinge and lock design featured on the Revolution XE (again, it is a great design and works better than other brands), then you might as well consider the Werner or other Chinese made versions instead, since buying Little Giant no longer means buying a made in USA product.edit: I will also add that their online marketing materials are currently quite deceptive. After writing the above review, I called and spoke to a very nice Little Giant customer service person on the phone and she confirmed that some of their products are made in China. I told her that this needed to be disclosed on their website, and she let me know that their website, littlegiantladders.com (with an "s") does disclose this fact. I had been looking at littlegiantladder.com (no "s"). Apparently that is their official distributor's website, not their own website. Very confusing, because both websites look the same and their distibutor's website says nothing (that I could find) about their products being made in China. At the bottom of littlegiantladder.com it simply says "proudly designed engineered assembled in the USA" without referring to any of the products being made in China.Anyway, on their "real" website littlegiantladders.com, buried at the bottom of the product specifications page for the model 26 (not the model 22, which is the ladder I bought), the following disclaimer is printed: "*Due to a lack of domestic suppliers able to meet our strict requirements on the special alloy that is essential to this taller ladder, the Revolution XE M26 is not manufactured in the USA at this time." Again, this disclaimer currently only appears on the product specification page for the model 26, not the model 22.The whole situation is very confusing for customers. Perhaps in the near future they will revise their website, and also their distibutor's website, to clearly disclose which products are made in USA and which are made in China. As a result of what I feel are deceptive marketing and disclosure practices, I am lowering the product's score to three stars instead of four.If you don't care about any of this, the ladder is very nice.Buyer beware!

I bought both the Little Giant RevolutionXE Model 22 and Werner MT-22. Here's the good, the bad, and the ugly:THE BAD:*Expensive - I wouldn't have bought it even at $200. I would have go with Werner MT-22 for $114. You must be patient waiting for them to go on sale though.*Little Giant Revolution XE Model 22 weighs more than advertised spec. It's just a bit over 40 pounds instead of 38 pounds. This is due to upgraded ALL METAL Quad-Lock hinges and Rock locks. With wheels and trestle brackets, it went over 40 pounds. For Werner MT-22, its advertised spec weight is 47 pounds, but it's actual weight is 45ish.*The thin strips that are welded diagonally to the lowest/widest rungs and the legs make indentation to both sides of the legs. I personally think that these weaken the strength of the legs. I had other small ladder with similar thin strips welded to the legs and made an indentation. And guess what, that was where it broke and injured my wife. Fortunately, it was just bunch of bruises injury and her ribs and hip were not fractured. My wife is small and pettite.*Made in China.THE GOOD:*Quad-Lock hinges are all metal instead of orange plastic. They do give you a sense of safety.*Rock locks are a must when it comes to extending the ladder to its full length. They are also made of all metal instead of orange plastic. If you are small guy or not fit, you got to have this. I am a small guy but very fit. And I have real hard time extending Werner MT-22 to its full length. But with Rock locks from Little Giant, it made me want to return Werner MT-22.*RevolutionXE aluminum is 20% lighter. Trust me, no matter what brands you go with, you want the lightest if you are small guy, specially for 22' models when extending to its full length. I know the guys or ladies you've seen on TV made it look so light and easy. But I just think that the ladders they used are not the same one you are getting.*The rungs are welded to the legs. For Werner MT-22, they are double-riveted. Although both are very sturdy, I personally think that the welding is going to outlast the rivets. So, for as long as it gives me a sense of safety, I am in.*The wheels are a must if you are a small guy or not very fit. These ladders do feel heavier and awkward when carrying without the wheels. I have no problem carry 50 pound dumb bell with one hand.*The co-molded non-slip rubber feet are definitely well built when comparing to Werner MT-22. I do feel that they will outlast Werner's.*The tristle brackets essentially make it into 2 solid step ladders. With Werner, I would not use the other half as step ladder. It wobbles a bit but it works fine for scaffolding.THE UGLY:The Little Giant Revolution XE 22 model does have many advantages to similar model from Werner. However, there's huge price difference. At any day at normal price, you can get Werner MT-22 for $206 at just about any local stores that carry it. If you want Little Giant Revolution XE 22 model, you are looking at $339. Both are very sturdy built. If you are a big guy and well built, they weight difference may not be justified the price difference. But if you are small guy like me and you don't need this in a hurry, wait for it to go on sale. Then, it's definitely worth the price difference. I got mine for $179 for Little Giant Revolution XE Model 22 while the Werner MT-22 was only $114. Since I am a small guy, the weight difference, the Rock locks, and other advantages Little Giant has, it was well justified for the price difference.

I have the 22 model.As this ladder is expensive, I read many of the reviews before buying. It seemed some of the negative reviews were written by people that had not read the manual. I read it before buying. So I already new that you do not pull the two ladders section apart, and than use them as two step ladders. If you pull the two sections apart you have a pair of trellises to hold a long platform, not two ladders. I wish it were not true, but it is in the manual, so why complain that the two ladders are not stable or that they break when used apart? Others reviews have difficulty opening the ladder to full extension height. You are not supposed to do this with the ladder standing up, but down on the ground. Then you lift it as you would any large ladder (push one end against the wall and walk it up). It is a legitimate gripe that you cannot extend a section while the ladder is vertical (like a typical sectioned extension ladder with a rope and pulley). It is one reason I do not give it five stars, but it deserves more than one or two star? Also, of course it is a little heavy for a step ladder - the height and weights are listed right on the product page. As most of the negative reviews seem to be for "documented features", I bought it based on the good reviews. But it is true, it is heavy and not as versatile as one might hope.I'm Glad I bought it. I was very pleased with the ladder when it arrived.I also found that I did not suffer from the complaints of other negative reviewers. Some reviewers had serious issues with plastic parts, and shipping damage. Neither proved true for the product shipped to me. It arrived in days. The trellis braces (parts you put into the outer ladder parts when you pull it apart to make two trellises) that I received were not plastic (like some received), but very solid metal. The moving parts work smoothly, and I have the feeling things are secure - the quality feel gives me confidence compared to the Werner. (I had tried a similar Werner, and it was not as solid.) There was no shipping damage, but one reason for less then five stars is that it was shipped in a simply thin cardboard box that was ripped in two places. I think some would need to return a ladder due to shipping damage.Using this ladder in a "stair" well is the is the best. It is what drew my attention, and it works great.Again it is heavy, I knew that it would be heavy, but it is a negative point.(It pulled the ladder hanger off may wall.) My fault, but still something to consider is that a single purpose ladder is easy to carry and store, so read the specs.Really solid ladder.

I do not give five star ratings very often. To me, a five star rating means there is little or nothing you can do to make the product better for the price. This ladder not only deserves a five star rating but also deserves what is becoming my new rating of "Just Buy It." If you own a home this ladder is a must have.My only complaint about this ladder is that it is heavy. I knew that when I ordered it. It is heavier than my step and extension ladders that it replaces. However, it is rated for 100 pounds more than my other ladders which is good because I weigh a bit more than their 200 pound "limit." I find this ladder so useful around my house that I am even considering buying the smaller version which is about 10 pounds lighter just for indoors.I originally imagined writing a review alerting viewers that this is not a replacement for a standard step ladder because the Little Giant has the thin rails of an extension ladder which are hard to stand on for any length of time. I was prompted to write this review today because I noticed that, when in the step ladder configuration, the two thin rails line up making a very comfortable step. Even better, at the top of the ladder there are four rails lining up making a much stabler platform than you have with a step ladder. This is an excellent product. Thank you Little Giant for re-inventing the ladder.Update: The Little Giant could have saved the healthcare system $100,000. How you might ask? Well, I was trimming the dead wood from my Maple trees last Summer and the Little Giant that I purchased did not quite reach high enough so I pulled out my old extension ladder. I have to agree with my brothers that a traditional extension ladder is easier to "extend" in place than the Little Giant--you just pull on a rope. You have to lift the weight of the Little Giant extension to extend it into position (It would be pretty easy to add this functionality to the Little Giant, yourself). My house and trees are on a slope. My extension ladder has a straight base, not very stable on a slope. The Little Giant has a flared base and top for hugging the tree, much more stable on a slope (plus they have a extension you can add to one leg to level the ladder out). Well, I did not think to bring straps with me to fasten the ladder to the tree stem and the ladder slipped off the tree as I was descending. Five days in the hospital and two operations later, I now have a hundred thousand dollar wrist. If I had purchased the taller Little Giant then the accident probably would not have happened.

It took me a long time to choose this ladder. Wanted top quality in an adjustable ladder at a good price. Very happy with the purchase.Pros: it is exactly what the ads say, adaptable, sturdy, stable, and easy to use. Excellent workmanship.Cons: Price (it's not cheap), Weight (a weakling won't like the 22 ft ladder), rung depth.Regarding the price, I've heard from another LG owner that his son's knockoff is much lower quality; you'll get what you pay for.Regarding the weight, I'm fit and I have very little trouble with it. Watch the videos on how to manipulate the ladder and they help A LOT. My wife is 5'8" so she can lug it around, but anyone much shorter will be inclined to use the wheels. Keep in mind the weight is a factor of the height (22') and weight capacity (300lbs). Get a smaller version, and it will be lighter. Lastly, don't forget that the weight of the ladder adds to it's stability. I never feel unsafe on it.My complaint about the rung depth is a minor point. I typically used an A frame ladder (very deep rungs) and I don't spend a lot of time on an extension ladder, so I'm probably being a baby. If you're going to be standing on the ladder for a while, you may want to buy the work platform. For a simple up-and-down trip, it's fine. FYI, I've done some of that "standing work" (painting overhead) but I still haven't ordered the platform.I may also get the leveling leg, but I haven't needed it yet. The ladder included the brackets to convert to a scaffold, but I haven't used it yet.My neighbor has an older version, and I must say I like the hinge latches and extension latches on my Revolution much better than on his. They're more comfortable on the hands.Now I only have one ladder. The only weakness in this approach is for work less than 8 ft, it's like bringing a bazooka to a duel: the job will get done, but a smaller step ladder would do it easier. I may end up buying a cheap stepladder for that reason... or maybe not. :-)