Little Giant’s new King Kombo is not quite a stepladder, not quite an extension ladder—and certainly not quite a gadget. It is a 3-in-1 combination ladder that drew a lot of people in from the aisles of the International Builders’ Show. What seemed to attract the most attention to this green bad boy was its rotating wall pad. This pad enables you to lean the unit on a flat wall or, with a twist, on an outside corner or on a single stud. For framers, the biggest draw was its ability to be used as both a stepladder (for working overhead in the field of a joist span, for example) or for leaning it like an extension ladder to skedaddle down the wall installing hardware; one ladder serves two masters.
There are three models: 5-to-8 foot ($140), 6-to-10 foot ($160), and 8-to-14 foot (just introduced; pricing unavailable). The ladder is fiberglass, of course, and Little Giant says it’s cost competitive with an ordinary stepladder while doing more. It’s rated at 375 pounds and meets or exceeds OSHA and ANSI Type 1AA standards in all configurations. So whether you’re climbing up a stepladder to cut out window sheathing or leaning it up to access an attic before the stairs are in, or standing it on an outside corner, one ladder gets it done. kingkombo.com
