Telesteps – Original and Best Independent Review by Peter Brett
Telesteps is a quality brand name that has been recognised for the ingenious use of the telescopic principle of its carefully developed range of ladders. However, one of the complications of being a brand leader is that you have to keep up the pace of refinement and development. New materials, techniques and user applications can be the spur to bring innovative products to market. Most people in the know would acknowledge that Telesteps has managed to do all of the above and its products remain desirable and high quality, with ever more innovations in the pipeline. Telesteps has a huge range of highly successful “working at height” products on the market. I was loaned a few of them to “have a play” with and reacquaint myself with just how good they are, and just how convenient they can be to mainly professional trades.
As I see it, the key features of a Telesteps ladder (for example) are:- 1) It is light and therefore portable. 2) Telescopic action means it will fit into a compact car boot easily. 3) It is incredibly easy and safe to use – stable in use, and you won’t get your fingers trapped when you telescope it down.
4) It is a very green product in the sense that every component can be replaced if it gets damaged, so it has a potentially very long working life. All repairs are guaranteed and carried out in the UK at Telestep’s own registered facility.
5) Intelligent design features mean that the basic ladder can be added to, which suits a variety of different trades and applications – so in some sense it is future-proofed.
But enough of the chat, time to be doing some climbing.
The first ladder I tried was the straightforward basic Black Line (i.e. Trade Rated) Telescopic Ladder. This particular one gives a working height of about 4.4 metres from a fully extended length of 3.3 metres, but longer versions are available. It weighs a mere 10.7 Kgs, has ten treads, each with a comfortable 65mm tread width.
For many users, this ladder would be enough to cope with many working height issues. I once saw a Metropolitan WPC striding down Oxford Street with one. She then set it up against a first floor window, and with the help of a colleague, entered the building. I didn’t stay to find out what happened, but clearly the ability to carry a ladder down a crowded city street without causing mayhem is a huge plus. Try doing that with a non-telescopic ladder!
The fully extended ladder does flex a bit as you climb – it is designed to do so, and is no more scary than the flex that usually occurs in conventional ladders. By adding the innovative top support stand-off, carry bag and safety feet, lots more functionality is added. The top support can be used on corners and on flat surfaces and changing modes literally takes seconds. The safety feet not only provide incredible grip at the bottom of the ladder, but are easily adjustable to suit steps and variable terrain, so that the ladder will always stand safe and stable in use. Bringing the ladder down is simple and safe – just pull the release rings under the second to last tread and feed the ladder down rung by rung. Your fingers are in no danger here as there are no sudden slips or unexpected closures. This gives a great feeling of confidence, ease and safety and is a skill that takes very little time to learn. I tried the Black Line telescopic Combi Ladder next. This too is available in a number of height variations up to 3metres. This Telesteps ladder is aimed at trades mainly working indoors where floor variations are not as extreme
as outdoors. Opened out, it forms and asymmetric A-Shape. The advantage of the Combi ladder is that it can be extended by the user to suit the situation and working height required. Accordingly, each rung has its own red release levers to make adjustment easy.
There is also an ingenious carry handle included in the kit. This clips round the bottom tubes of the ladder so it can literally be carried like a suitcase from one job to the next. As an add on, a work tray can be added to the top of the ladder to hold the pots of paint, pliers, tools etc that are needed for the jobs this ladder was designed for. I am well acquainted with various designs of work platforms because I tend to use them regularly for the small works I do – professionally and domestically. What I look for is stability, light weight and ease of use. The Black Line Telescopic Work Platform has these and added ingenuity as well. By opening the work platform out, locking it, then placing it on its feet, the telescopic legs can be extended on each side to give three working heights up to a maximum of 2.08 metres. The wide feet give stability and the folded platform can be easily carried with the carry handle because the whole unit weighs only 17.4 Kgs. My experience of Telesteps products really underlines how well-made and well- designed they are. Yes, you may pay more for a Telesteps ladder than for a copy, but it is a case of “you get what you pay for.” And don’t get me started on the Telesteps loft ladder- now that is design genius! I am told that even more innovative Telesteps products are due to be launched soon – so keep your eyes open.
Reply No. 207 telephone 01444 440188 ToolBUSINESS+HIRE 15
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