Raising an extension ladder

[bigtiller]

When I was 15 I watched my dad place a 36' ladder in the bed of a pickup. He climbed to the end of the ladder and rested his knees on the wall of the barn and painted the dairy barn roof overhang with a paint brush taped to a long broom handle.

Heights didn't bother him. He was a tinner and followed the iron workers on a lot of jobs around the country.

 

[CobyRupert]

Just did this today to work on a metal roof. Felt very stable and safe even though it looks like a real rig job. No other good way to get up to the ridge in this case.

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Get some ladder hooks. Hang ladder off roof ridge. Use another ladder to get up to roof ladder.

 

[MoKelly]

Just did this today to work on a metal roof. Felt very stable and safe even though it looks like a real rig job. No other good way to get up to the ridge in this case.

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That looks scary.

I would have started to panic looking g down to take that picture!!!

Then again, I do not like heights.

MoKelly

 

[grsthegreat]

Just did this today to work on a metal roof. Felt very stable and safe even though it looks like a real rig job. No other good way to get up to the ridge in this case.

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Glad this worked for you. But if the bucket dropped you would have ended up bent over a tractor bucket.

 

[two_bit_score]

By the way, I used a couple timbers to brace under the bucket to avoid leak down. My loader will drop 1-2" after about 20 minutes, which isn't bad, but I didn't want to be worrying about that while up there on the roof.

Looks worse in the first picture than in the second.

 

[L353963]

Has anyone ever used the bucket of their tractor or the bed of a pickup to lift an extension ladder to reach higher? Is this one of those things that's not exactly safe but people do it anyway?

I need to change out a light fixture at the peak of my barn. It's about 24 feet up and my ladder won't reach high enough. I've rented a portable man lift before but wanted to avoid doing that.

Tractors are great things but they are not great for everything. Your idea sounds very risky. Make sure your health ins is paid up. How about a telescoping pole with an end that will grasp light bulb. Available on internet and home centers

 

[oosik]

1996 - the bulb on my yard light burned out - needed replacement. My 20 foot ladder wasn't tall enough. I thought about the ladder in the tractor bucket trick. I borrowed a 30 foot extension ladder and left the tractor in its carport stall. The bulb on my yard light better last until after I croak. I'm not about to climb a 30 foot extension ladder again. Maybe I could get the electric co-op to stop by when they are out this way with one of their boom trucks.

 

[grsthegreat]

My tallest extension ladder is 28’. If that isn’t tall enough, I rent a scissor lift or boom lift.
as I got older, working on a 28’ ladder got less enjoyable. I was real happy when LED barn peak lights came out. About 1/3rd the weight of those stupid HPS barn lights that came in 4 pieces. The new lights are 1 piece with wire box cover.

 

[Diggin It]

Just did this today to work on a metal roof. Felt very stable and safe even though it looks like a real rig job. No other good way to get up to the ridge in this case.

There, you have the weight of the ladder on the roof and are just using the bucket to foot it. Not the same as I understand the OP to be asking about where it seems the ladder would be supported only by the bucket and leaned against a wall.

My tallest extension ladder is 28’.
as I got older, working on a 28’ ladder got less enjoyable.

Much, MUCH less. I have a 28' aluminum. I hate it. I think I've used it three times in twenty years. I'm not sure I'll ever use it again.

 

[ChuckT]

We needed to take out a large front yard tree and rental 3 sections of scaffolding. Worked the trick!
So that's what I'd do for any high work. I just can't bring myself to trust extension ladders.