Werner D1540-2 Ladder, 40-Foot

This is a ladder to end all ladders. This is something the Germans would have used to access their machine gun nests in France if only they had had enough aluminum. It was left in my back yard as per my request. It was flawless. It was without a scratch. This ladder is light as a feather and strong as hell, which is why I think the German Storm Troopers would have liked it too. Come to think of it, Werner is a German name isn't it? In August of 2022 I bought a 32 ft. 1AA aluminum extension ladder made by Werner. It cost $858.00 including shipping. It is so heavy I simply cannot pick it up. I rigged up some hoists (4:1) block and tackle to store it on the ceiling of my garage. (One block and tackle on each end). I was finally able to get it up there out of the way but I have not been able to use it because it is so heavy. While I was up there practicing my knot tying skills I noticed that there is a slight bow or curve to the rails of the base. This is exaggerated when you view it from the entire length of the rail, as if you were checking the straightness or lack thereof of an arrow. In the case of the ladder it appears as though the feet are sitting two inches or so to the right of where you would expect them to be. When the ladder is extended 14 feet that section will be sent off in a direction other than perpendicular with the ground or floor. This is not good unless you intend to get lots of practice free falling from 30 feet. OSHA regulations imply that any such "bowed" ladder must clearly be marked "Junk. To be Destroyed" when discovered at the factory or found through inspections on the job site. This is to keep idiots like me from thinking that a slight bow in the rails of a ladder is nothing to worry about. Apparently it is!

I bought this ladder so that I could clean the gutters on my house. They are high, and a 40 footer is required. The ladder is of great quality, very sturdy. It is heavy, and a bit of a challenge to carry around by myself, much-less to stand up against the house. Once it is vertical, it is tricky to move around to lean over, and care must be taken not to loose control. If would really be best to have several guys to manhandle this ladder, and should not be attempted by one person. I did use this ladder to cut a neighbor's tree, and it was very handy to be able to climb way up to get access to the top of the tree. Did I ever clean the gutters? No. The ladder was plain too heavy for me to use it. However, the ladder does come apart in 2 sections, and they can be used individually a bit more easily.So yes, it is a great ladder, and is an awesome choice if you need to get up 40 feet. But, if you don't need to go that high, a lighter smaller ladder would be a better choice.

I don't have much ladder experience, but when I bought a 2-storey house on the side of a hill I knew I was going to need something better than my 24', 225 pound ladder. I probably really need a 32'er, but I was intimidated when I looked at one, especially since I was going to be handling it mostly by myself. This 28'er turned out to be perfect, not too awkward to handle, but with a sturdy feel when you climb.With my experience now, I would recommend the 300 lb rating to anybody who is going to be doing much work on a ladder. I'm only a buck seventy five, but I much prefer the heft and stability of this ladder when doing something up there that takes some exertion or reaching. I also have a hold-out bar and adjustable legs on this unit, so any fear of heights I had is about gone when I'm using it.Surprisingly, even this ladder has a little bounce when maxxed out on the length, but if it's properly set up at least you feel secure while you're up there. Adjusting the height is a breeze, just stand it up and pull on the rope, with a nice, heavy KER-THUNK at each level. If you handle by yourself, it does take some strength in your rope hand, but you'll get the hang of it after a few times.

This is a great product. Very sturdy, good workmanship and long enough for my use. There were some reviews that talked about it arriving and looking as if it was used. Mine looked like it came off the factory assembly line. I solved an older, less weight hearing model that wobbled and forced too much for me. This one was ridged and much less wobbly when extended.

Sturdiness is excellent

Missing parts, manufacturer said item was not to be sold on Amazon, therefore no warantee

Werner makes a solid ladder. This 24' is the perfect size for a work truck and will get you on 90% of most residential buildings. You can break the ladder into two 12' sections.

(Added 06/26/09) I forgot to mention that when I received the ladder, it had a dent in one of the side rails. I placed the ladder on a flat surface, took a 1-1/4" pipe, placed it firmly against (and as squarely as possible) the dent and banged the other end with a short handled 5lb sledge hammer. Two hits and it was as good as new...Very happy with this product. Sturdy but light enough to be handled by one person, but having a helper is always safer. I like the properties of aluminum - lighter and stiffer than steel. I checked out fiberglass equivalents at local home centers but found them too bulky and too heavy. Always look out for live wires as the metal is an excellent/dangerous conductor. Keep harsh detergents/alkalis away.