Little Giant King Kombo Offers Lightweight, Highly Functional Design
The new Little Giant King Kombo packs 3 ladder styles into 1 lightweight design. They claim it’s the first of its kind and there’s little room for argument there. But is just a gimmick or did Little Giant make a giant step forward to expand what a dual-purpose ladder can be?
Pros
- 3-in-1 design: A-frame, extension, and leaning ladder
- Built-in V-bar grips for corners, studs, and poles
- Type 1AA with 375 load rating
- Hi-viz green fiberglass rails make for a lightweight design (24 pounds)
- Ground Cue bar gives you an audible click when you reach the bottom step
- Excellent value compared to what you get from Werner in a similar price range
Cons
- Highest A-frame standing height won’t let you reach volume ceilings away from the walls
Capacity and Sizes
All of the Little Giant King Kombo models carry IAA ratings for 375 pounds. There will be multiple heights with the full line launching by the end of June.
- Professional: 5-8′ available now, 6-10′ available now, 8-14′ available June 2019
- Industrial: 6-10′ available now, 8-14′ available June 2019
- Technical: 6-10′ available April 2019, 8-14′ available June 2019
Our Industrial 6-10 model weighs just 24 pounds with its fiberglass rails. I’ve been knocking out a ton of projects on my to-do list all over the house. With so many little things to do, the lighter weight makes moving from one project to the next a lot easier. It’s also that much easier to put in the truck and move from site to site.
If there’s a trade-off here, it’s in reach. With a max standing height of 3’9″ on the 6-10 (5’8″ on the 8-14), most of us can’t reach the top of a volume ceiling. You can still use the extension to work around the walls with your feet at 6’9″ (10’7″ on the 8-14), but the center of those rooms are out of reach.
Little Giant King Kombo Ladder Features
3 Ladders in 1
The Little Giant King Kombo 3-in-1 Extension Ladder is useable in 3 positions. Collapsed, you can lean it against a wall. Push the orange button on either side to swing the legs apart and they’ll pop back into place to give you an A-frame ladder.
Push them in again and keep swinging the legs around to get an extension ladder.
One of the things I really like about the design is that it’s simple in the way it swings and locks. There are no sliding parts that become potential pinch points.
We’re using the 6-10 Industrial model, so it’s a 6′ A-frame ladder and a 10′ extension ladder.
Ground Cue Bottom Rung Step
On the bottom rung, there’s an orange piece that gives an audible click when you step on it. It’s loud enough that it might annoy your wife while she’s trying to read, but it’s really helpful for letting you know you’re on the last step on the way down.
I’ve been using the ladder for more than a month with no issues so far, but I’m curious how this moving, clacking part will hold up over a longer period of time.
V-Bar
Near the top step is a wall pad that helps protect finished surfaces when you use it as a leaning ladder. Flip that 180º and the V-bar presents itself. The design allows you to securely lean on inside or outside corners, studs, or poles.
There’s a second V-bar on the extension side for the same purpose.
It’s something that you might not realize you want until you use it. Standard practice is to set your ladder up on one side of a corner and turn into to do the work. The V-bar lets you work straight on like you do on any other work surface and a feature I really like.
Stud-Friendly Design
When you’re using the ladder as an A-frame, the back side is narrow enough to fit between 16″ studs. Of course, you can always use the V-bar and lean into one of the studs, but you have the security of all four feet on the ground this way.
Additional Features
- Heavy-duty, field replaceable feet
- Replaceable wall pad feet
- Rail shields
- Shock-absorbing braces
- Flared sides improve stability
- Hi-viz green is easier for coworkers and drivers to see onsite
- Fiberglass has a compound to resist weather and UV rays
Do You Want the Industrial, Technical, or Professional Model?
The model we’re reviewing is the Little Giant King Combo Industrial. The only difference between it and the Technical is that the Technical gets swivel feet and the Industrial’s are fixed.
Moving down to the Professional model, you lose a few features. You don’t get:
- Ground Cue
- Field replaceable feet/swivel feet
- V-Bar
- Extension Stud Grab
- Rail shields
- Shock-absorbing braces
Little Giant King Kombo Pricing
Each style and size differs in price (no shock there). You can pay anywhere from $248 to over $450 depending upon whether you get the Industrial. Pro Aluminum, Pro Fiberglass, or Technical models.
Note: many online retailers have a special handling charge for ladders.
Little Giant claims this is the only 3-in-1 ladder like this, so they don’t have much direct competition. Werner’s DP6206 is similar in size with an A-frame extension combo for around $200. However, it’s only a Type 1A (300 pounds) and doesn’t have anything like the V-bar. For a bit more, you get all the bells and whistles of the Industrial model, which is a pretty sweet deal for that little of a price bump.
The Bottom Line
The Little Giant King Kombo’s lightweight 3-in-1 design with its V-bar grips for corners and studs makes this a fantastic go-to ladder for Pros and DIYers. Pros and some DIYers still need a larger A-frame ladder to cover work on volume ceilings and extension ladder access above 10-1/2′. The ladder meets or exceeds OSHA and ANSI standards in all three positions, so there’s no issue if it comes into question.
Little Giant King Kombo 6-10 Industrial Specifications
- Positions: Lean, A-frame, and extension
- Duty Rating: Type IAA, 375 lbs
- A-Frame Height: 6 ft (3 ft, 9 in max standing height)
- Extension Height: 10 ft (6 ft, 9 in max standing height)
- Storage Dimensions: 73 in x 24.5 in x 6.5 in
- Rail Material: Fiberglass
- Weight: 24 lbs
- Warranty: 1 year
