Zarges is a company that is into aluminum manufacturing in a big way. When you see those shiny containers at the airport about to be loaded into the plane, the chances are they are Zarges.
As well as cases and containers, Zarges also makes many of the steps and platforms you see in industry, and they make ladders for the building trade. Picking one ladder to review out of their range is a difficult job.
There is no one ladder that represents what they do so reviewing this Z500 is a bit of a token gesture. If it doesn’t quite suit your requirements then a quick look in the Zarges catalogue will show you what else they do.
A few years ago I tested the Skymaster, which is an incredible bit of kit. This ladder is more down to earth than that but, as I pointed out in my ladder safety piece a while back, deaths from relatively low-level ladders are surprisingly common.
The most common reason is that it is easy to topple when you climb high on a step ladder. Those innocent topples that might lay you up for a few weeks with a broken ankle can be a lot more serious if you hit your head.
A ladder such as this one has a top section to hang on to. It also gives you something to steady your body against, and you have a little tool tray at the very top.
When you look at the construction, with the box section stiles and generous treads, you can see that it is a superior build to many of the lighter weight ladders on the market.
There is a downside, however – that slightly heavier weight has to be carried, but, once you put it in postion, that extra bit of weight is no bad thing.
The other thing I really like about this ladder is the full length closed hinge. The pin fills the gap in such a way that there is no way to nip your fingers. I have had a few too many nips and bites from ladders over the years, so it is good to see that Zarges is looking after us.
The pity is that most people won’t have a chance to try before you buy because there are very few outlets that have a large selection of ladders and platforms on display for you to try, and if they did they would probably be so paranoid about people falling off that you would not be able to climb them.
But if you will take a recommendation on a sturdy ladder from someone who has tried a good many then you have it for Zarges.