When I was a kid, my dad helped me “conquer” my fear of heights by taking me on antenna jobs with him. We’d climb multi-story buildings and mount rigid pipe for VHF and UHF antennas. Big fun for a pre-teen, but it got me used to being up high. When I first laid eyes on the Werner PD6210-4C fiberglass podium ladder it was at the 2016 World of Concrete. The ladder stood out to me immediately for two reasons: One, it stood over 12 feet tall and had a podium stand. Two, it had casters. This is an impressive Type IA ladder that seems perfect for a myriad of tasks on or around the commercial jobsite.
The Case for a Podium Ladder
Podiums ladders let you work with far more comfort—and without fear of falling off the top. I don’t know about you, but when I’m on a ladder, I like to feel safe. This Werner ladder series can be purchased with or without factory-installed casters to give you mobility on commercial job sites where you’re installing lighting, electrical conduit, HVAC ducts, or even doing some elevated painting. After waiting far too long (in my opinion) we finally requested one to review.
The Werner PD6210-4C Type IA fiberglass podium ladder is more like a giant 12 ft stepladder—at least in terms of the reach you get. This is all due to the design of the ladder, and the fact that you can stand atop the podium platform. It’s perfect for any situation where you’d normally need a scaffold or even a small lift to do extended work. As for ease of use, moving a wheeled podium ladder is infinitely easier to maneuver than more expensive options. The platform on the Werner PD6210-4C fiberglass podium ladder is oversized and lets you work easily without losing your balance. Unlike a stepladder, the Werner PD Series podium ladders give you something to hold onto and/or lean against when you’re standing on that OSHA-approved top step.
Werner PD6210-4C Fiberglass Podium Ladder Features
The folding side bracing on this Werner ladder is aluminum, and there is a full line of aluminum rear horizontal cross braces that eliminate sway and twist as you climb. As far as 12 foot tall ladders are concerned, this one is pretty stable.
At the top of the Werner fiberglass podium ladder is a yellow plastic guard rail which also has containers and holes for storing and retrieving tools and/or accessories. We were easily able to insert a couple of nut drivers and hang a Makita XDT09M impact driver via its included the belt hook. The integrated magnet held onto some fasteners for us, and the large tray has ample room for storing just about any other small items.
It’s a tall ladder, but some of its advantages appear at the bottom. For the models without casters, the feet are well-protected and should last a good long time while providing excellent protection from drift and slip. Our model came with rugged stainless steel ball-bearing casters, and they immediately compress when you step on the ladder. This means you never need to apply a brake to keep the ladder from moving during use—it settles down like a normal podium ladder as soon as you step on it.
When you move the ladder, the action is smooth, and our impression is that the quality of the casters should allow them to hold up well over extended use. Another benefit of the spring system is that you get some shock absorption when you roll over small items that may be lying around the shop. You’re not going to “bunny hop” a 2 x 4, but but if there are small cables or extension cords lying around, you can safely navigate the podium ladder right over them.
Werner PD6210-4C Fiberglass Podium Ladder Features
- Spring-mounted casters
- Lock-top guard rail
- Dimensions: 144 x 3 x 38-3/8 in.
- Traction-Tred steps
- Oversized foot pad
- Load capacity: 300 pounds
Using the Werner Podium Ladder
We had a remaining piece of drip edge trim to put up at the roof of our PTR Shop. This involved using the impact driver to drive the self-tapping sheet metal screws which seat and seal themselves. We brought along a cordless driver, a handful of screws, an extra bit or two, and a nut driver to the top of our ladder. At that height we were standing higher than our 12 x 14 Clopay 3720 commercial garage doors.
We also used the Werner podium ladder to store some items on a suspended shelving storage area within our shop. The podium ladder gave us plenty of standing area for safely loading and unloading heavy boxes of material from the suspended shelving.
Conclusion
The Werner podium ladders start at around $160 for a 3 foot model, but our 10-foot Werner PD6210-4C fiberglass podium ladder with casters runs around $530. That’s not a small chunk of change, but it’s worth it for the security you get when working for longer periods of time at height. You can also save that money very quickly if you manage to avoid an injury or trip to the emergency room due to not using the right tool or not adhering to OSHA approved fall protection guidelines.
