Step stool from HF.
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TheMeanGreen
New member
No, but I have the one from Home Depot, it’s bigger than the one from Harbor Freight and skookum as frig. I am very pleased with the platform from Home Depot, and worth the $20+ over the HF.
I actually picked up two of them one sale when I was down in Carlisle.
Originally got them for working on my car in the garage when it`s up on the quicklift but when I bought a new Kia Sorento and went to wash the roof/windshield I instantly realized that on my Blazer ZR2 I could stand on the running boards and then step to front and rear tires to wash everything... on the Sorento I can`t, so out came one of these and it works perfectly. Light and small to move around, just the right height to reach everything.
I`ve also got one of the larger HD style ones I use in the house for painting etc but It`s a little too high for the cars, at least for me
M
PS You will need to tighten (a couple of hits with the hammer) the two rivets that hold the lock pieces to get them to stay in place a little better when dragging it around
Originally got them for working on my car in the garage when it`s up on the quicklift but when I bought a new Kia Sorento and went to wash the roof/windshield I instantly realized that on my Blazer ZR2 I could stand on the running boards and then step to front and rear tires to wash everything... on the Sorento I can`t, so out came one of these and it works perfectly. Light and small to move around, just the right height to reach everything.
I`ve also got one of the larger HD style ones I use in the house for painting etc but It`s a little too high for the cars, at least for me
M
PS You will need to tighten (a couple of hits with the hammer) the two rivets that hold the lock pieces to get them to stay in place a little better when dragging it around
Stokdgs
dansautodetailing.com
Whatever metal step or bench you get, please dont forget to put something on the top edge of it that faces the paintwork, so you dont accidently scratch the paintwork with it while you are up on it, and then it slides around, etc...
I imagine a good piece of thick rubber foam that is used to insulate a/c pipes or water pipes, cut in half and then attached to the edge would probably be the ultimate way to prevent damaging the paint, or at least a thick towel over the entire step that hangs down over that edge..
Dan F
Mary B
New member
I have the HF folding step platform.
It is convenient. My only gripe is when I`m on it, I tend to kick the car sometimes.
Other than that, folds easy, lightweight, not too tall, makes a nice portable table too.
It is convenient. My only gripe is when I`m on it, I tend to kick the car sometimes.
Other than that, folds easy, lightweight, not too tall, makes a nice portable table too.
PA DETAILER
DETAILED TODAY?
I have this one from Lowes I believe. Gets me to the roof of the Xterra to wash it etc...
jatleson
New member
Interesting to read the different opinions on heights of the platforms/stools.
I have it and the Gorilla platforms (I think) from HD. I had the HF first, it is sturdy. My issues are 1. it is just a stool, not a platform and 2 - not high enough. I`m not the tallest guy and need all the help I can get for SUV roofs. When on sale the platforms from Lowes and HD are not that much more than the HF and much more versitle.
I have it and the Gorilla platforms (I think) from HD. I had the HF first, it is sturdy. My issues are 1. it is just a stool, not a platform and 2 - not high enough. I`m not the tallest guy and need all the help I can get for SUV roofs. When on sale the platforms from Lowes and HD are not that much more than the HF and much more versitle.
Eliot Ness
Active member
I also have the HF platform (or large stool) and while it is sturdy enough, it doesn`t fold down very small.
SGM2008
New member
I also have the HF platform (or large stool) and while it is sturdy enough, it doesn`t fold down very small.
I have this one as well and I hate it, the bench (at least mine) squeaks to no end when you`re standing on it!
Mary B
New member
Yeah !! No kidding !! And when you don`t lock in both legs, it becomes an unexpected slide
Mine is about 20" high and has an intermediate step on the folding legs to be able to step up to the platform, which is great for "vertically challenged" (AKA short) people or "mature" (AKA, older) legs, rather than having make one BIG step to get to the platform. It is also about 30" inches long, which is great for doing SUV roof tops, but I still need to move it once to be able to get to both the front or rear section.
Five safety tips:
1) ALWAYS lock BOTH legs with the locking tabs on the sides. There is a tendency when using the platform to reach like the middle of the front window on a truck or SUV to clean it quickly NOT to lock the legs. As Mary B states, it can quickly become a slide and the impending fall can be serious, not to mention maybe scratching your vehicle.
2) Look at adding anti-slip tape to the platform. Skate board shops sell this adhesive-backed sandpaper-like tape in larger sheets that may be prevent a fall or slip off the platform. Wet shoes and aluminum platforms are a recipe for disaster.
3) I agree with Stokdgs: add some type of foam to the corners or at least file/sand the sharp corners and use duct tape on them to prevent accidental scratches.
4) Look at your feet before moving on a platform. It`s too easy to step off a platform when concentrating on polishing a roof. You just need to be aware and cognitive of your relative footing location on it. It`s just a practice I`ve tried to follow and it does take some discipline to do it on regular basis.
5) Don`t try to overreach at the end; Get off and move the platform to a more ergonomically-safe reaching position. Back strains, while not a physically dangerous as falls, can be just as debilitating to a detailer.
I know some of you have two platforms and use them in tandem to go across large, long roofs of SUVs or vans. Stepping across that gap needs some visual attention.
Five safety tips:
1) ALWAYS lock BOTH legs with the locking tabs on the sides. There is a tendency when using the platform to reach like the middle of the front window on a truck or SUV to clean it quickly NOT to lock the legs. As Mary B states, it can quickly become a slide and the impending fall can be serious, not to mention maybe scratching your vehicle.
2) Look at adding anti-slip tape to the platform. Skate board shops sell this adhesive-backed sandpaper-like tape in larger sheets that may be prevent a fall or slip off the platform. Wet shoes and aluminum platforms are a recipe for disaster.
3) I agree with Stokdgs: add some type of foam to the corners or at least file/sand the sharp corners and use duct tape on them to prevent accidental scratches.
4) Look at your feet before moving on a platform. It`s too easy to step off a platform when concentrating on polishing a roof. You just need to be aware and cognitive of your relative footing location on it. It`s just a practice I`ve tried to follow and it does take some discipline to do it on regular basis.
5) Don`t try to overreach at the end; Get off and move the platform to a more ergonomically-safe reaching position. Back strains, while not a physically dangerous as falls, can be just as debilitating to a detailer.
I know some of you have two platforms and use them in tandem to go across large, long roofs of SUVs or vans. Stepping across that gap needs some visual attention.
Accumulator
Well-known member
Regulars here (or at least Old Timers) know that I use a bunch (five..) of work platforms by Bauer and Warner that are apparently now NA. So OK, easy for me to talk since I have what I like and maybe you can`t buy `em But anyhow...
I don`t see how people use ladders, or small steps/platforms to do roofs. No way I could do decent work that way, couldn`t even begin to do a proper inspection (let alone correction) as I basically have to get the same perspective that I use on a hood/trunk lid. Even washing requires the right approach/working angle to avoid marring or other mistakes and I`m not gonna reposition stuff countless times, I want to just walk around the vehicle (on the platforms) washing/etc. the roof the same way I do the rest of it.
Lonnie- Thanks for mentioning the Friction Media for those top surfaces, saved me a lot of typing
Not hating on the small ones *for the right applications*, I use small step stools to do the windshield of the Crown Vic (just stand in the door opening to do the Tahoe).
But anyhow...I don`t see how people use ladders, or small steps/platforms to do roofs. No way I could do decent work that way, couldn`t even begin to do a proper inspection (let alone correction) as I basically have to get the same perspective that I use on a hood/trunk lid. Even washing requires the right approach/working angle to avoid marring or other mistakes and I`m not gonna reposition stuff countless times, I want to just walk around the vehicle (on the platforms) washing/etc. the roof the same way I do the rest of it.
Lonnie- Thanks for mentioning the Friction Media for those top surfaces, saved me a lot of typing
Not hating on the small ones *for the right applications*, I use small step stools to do the windshield of the Crown Vic (just stand in the door opening to do the Tahoe).
GearHead_1
Long Time Member
I have several of the Werner Platforms. I think they’re about 18” tall and retail for $50 - $60. If you watch the sales around Black Friday and heading towards Christmas most of the retail boxes offer these for $25 - $30. There are several other brands that look very much the same and I can’t tell you that Werner is a superior product but they’re nice enough. I literally use these every wash.
Accumulator
Well-known member
GearHead_1- As best I can tell, those Werners are kinda like the baby brothers of the ones I have.
FYI:
The cost of personal injury litigation ( IE; law suites from falls) is factored into the initial manufacturer`s retail price for a ladder (or platform). It is estimated that 33% of that price is for litigation and/or self-insured compensation payouts due to falls. Accidents are just that: poor human judgment (or stupidity). Very few are from equipment failures, and if they are, chances are it is from "misuse" by the operator (like a 275 pound person carrying up a 75 pound bundle of shingles on 300-pound rated ladder.)
One other safety tip is when working on uneven ground or soft ground, like a lawn or dirt area, be careful what you choose to prop up the legs or side supports with to level the ladder or platform. I prefer LARGE, flat rocks rather than wood, but then again, I live in an area of the Niagara Escarpment where such limestone rocks are prevalent (ask any farmer in Northeast Wisconsin and the "rockfests" they have each spring in their fields picking stones. You`d SWEAR there are infinite underground reserves of them that "float" (heave up) to the top when the 3-to-6 feet of ground frost "comes out" (melts) each spring. Hey, they do not call Lambeau Field in Green Bay, WI "The Frozen Tundra" for nothing`!!)
The cost of personal injury litigation ( IE; law suites from falls) is factored into the initial manufacturer`s retail price for a ladder (or platform). It is estimated that 33% of that price is for litigation and/or self-insured compensation payouts due to falls. Accidents are just that: poor human judgment (or stupidity). Very few are from equipment failures, and if they are, chances are it is from "misuse" by the operator (like a 275 pound person carrying up a 75 pound bundle of shingles on 300-pound rated ladder.)
One other safety tip is when working on uneven ground or soft ground, like a lawn or dirt area, be careful what you choose to prop up the legs or side supports with to level the ladder or platform. I prefer LARGE, flat rocks rather than wood, but then again, I live in an area of the Niagara Escarpment where such limestone rocks are prevalent (ask any farmer in Northeast Wisconsin and the "rockfests" they have each spring in their fields picking stones. You`d SWEAR there are infinite underground reserves of them that "float" (heave up) to the top when the 3-to-6 feet of ground frost "comes out" (melts) each spring. Hey, they do not call Lambeau Field in Green Bay, WI "The Frozen Tundra" for nothing`!!)
tropicsteve
New member
I have the hf one, werner platorms, but the one I use the most is a werner folding step stool, https://www.lowes.com/pd/Werner-2-Step-250-lbs-Capacity-Black-Steel-Foldable-Step-Stool/1000208561 . hd, very well made, good size top platform, easy to move around, and I like the extra bend on the top rail that allows you to get closer without bending over as much and remain balanced. use it on every detail.
Mary B
New member
Regulars here (or at least Old Timers) know that I use a bunch (five..) of work platforms by Bauer and Warner that are apparently now NA. So OK, easy for me to talk since I have what I like and maybe you can`t buy `em
I don`t see how people use ladders, or small steps/platforms to do roofs. No way I could do decent work that way, couldn`t even begin to do a proper inspection (let alone correction) as I basically have to get the same perspective that I use on a hood/trunk lid. Even washing requires the right approach/working angle to avoid marring or other mistakes and I`m not gonna reposition stuff countless times, I want to just walk around the vehicle (on the platforms) washing/etc. the roof the same way I do the rest of it.
Lonnie- Thanks for mentioning the Friction Media for those top surfaces, saved me a lot of typing
Not hating on the small ones *for the right applications*, I use small step stools to do the windshield of the Crown Vic (just stand in the door opening to do the Tahoe).
Accumulator
Could you please elaborate on this..??
It sounds like you position platforms around the vehicle, stepping from one to the other as you go ??
Accumulator
Well-known member
Accumulator
Could you please elaborate on this..??
It sounds like you position platforms around the vehicle, stepping from one to the other as you go ??
Yes, that`s exactly what I do.
Hey, what do you know, they`re available again! Link: 20900 Fold-N-Go Work Platform
I got mine a lot cheaper by going to the regional Bauer place and buying four of them (to go with my single Werner that`s almost identical but better/lighter/just as strong).
I don`t really need the fifth one since selling the YukonXLD, but it was handy while I had that thing.
Nowadays I position two on each side of the Tahoe and yes I step from one to the other (carefully). I`ll sometimes do the same with the Crown Vic although I can get by with just one per side unless doing inspection/correction (OK, I could get by then too, but I don`t).
There`s simply *ZERO* way I could do justice to the top of a tall vehicle without them and there`s even *less* chance of Yours Truly trying to make due with alternatives that I consider unsafe. I`ve known far too many people whose lives were altered, or even ended, by falling down for one reason or another and I won`t throw my life away over a detail. And FWIW, I`m a pretty agile guy who knows how to fall correctly, about the last person my age you`d ever expect to even think about such accidents.