Tripod
ladders are the standard design for use in orchards; sometimes known as fruit
picking or orchard ladders they use three legs for added stability on soft
ground (it being easier to attain balance with three legs than four) and are
tapered at the top to allow access into even the tightest crowns.  With a wide flared base these are incredibly
stable ladders and have been used for decades in commercial and domestic
orchards alike.

The world’s
tallest tripod ladder, as certified by The Guinness Book of Records, stood in a
cherry orchard in Summerland, California. 
Commissioned by Dwayne Dickinson in 1997, it was measured in 2000 and
stood over 30 feet high (9.19 metres). 
This incredible ladder wasn’t built to be used for real at the Dickinson
family P.Y.O. fruit farm, but was intended to be a visitor attraction and a
talking point, being visible rising through the trees from a fair distance
away.  The big red ladder certainly was a
draw for visitors and it was scaled by a few daring pickers (although Mike Dickinson
doesn’t like people to climb it due to the immense height).

At nearly
230kg the ladder had never moved since it was installed as it is far too heavy
to move safely.  Unfortunately, after
twenty five years in the elements the ladder had been badly affected and was
rotten, collapsing before the cherry picking season.  Mike intends to rebuild the ladder according
to the original blueprints, so that the famous orchard with the big red ladder
can continue to draw visitors from far and wide.  They hope to have the replacement ready for
the 2023 season, and in the meantime we don’t know the whereabouts of the
interim record holder.

The tallest
tripod ladder we carry is the Hendon 16 tread professional tripod ladder which
has a deployed height of 4.64 metres – around half the height of the novelty
ladder in the Dickinson’s orchard.  At
just 21kg it is very light so can easily be transported around a garden or
orchard, and the telescopic third leg allows for fine tuning of the position,
providing stability on uneven ground, across steps and layers, and even over
small walls.  The rungs are doubled,
providing an incredibly stable standing surface, while the clawed feet grip
securely into soft ground or gravel – on this Hendon tripod ladder you’ll feel
as secure as possible for fruit picking, hedge trimming, pruning and many more
outdoor jobs.

If you have a
small orchard we have a range of budget fruit picking tripods which are ideal
for casual, seasonal use.  Although they
don’t have all the bells and whistles of the Hendon range, they are perfect for
picking apples, cherries, plums and pears on a domestic scale, and because they
won’t break the bank; you can afford to invest in this specialist equipment to
keep you safe.  While step ladders
certainly have their place, they are much harder to balance on uneven ground
and they are not designed to spread the load on soft surfaces.

If you’re
planning a holiday to California next year, make sure to check out the orchard
with the big red ladder in Summerland and get some amazing pictures of you
attempting to climb it (for the sake of safety we wouldn’t recommend going up
more than 5 or 6 rungs).  If you have an
orchard you need to harvest this year, or a long list of outdoor tasks we have
the right ladders for you, though the only records we’re beating is price and
convenience.