We are almost at harvest season, we can see a lot of fruit developing and ripening on the trees already, and while windfall apples are all well and good they keep better when picked directly from the tree.  What sort of ladder do you need for fruit picking, and why?

On paper three legs may seem less stable than 4, but out in the field four legged ladders are actually less stable, because they are trying to spread the load and cope with uneven ground over more points.  Three legged ladders are much better at coping with uneven ground as there is one less leg to level out.  Milking stools, also with three legs, are built that way to be easier to level on cobbles and other uneven surfaces in milking parlours.

Fruit picking tripods are one of the oldest styles of traditional ladder; we are a nation of fruit-tree growers with apples being a huge crop in the UK.  They were developed to cope with orchard ground and to allow fruit pickers to get right to the heart of the tree, without damaging any branches and compromising next year's crop – necessity is the mother of invention.

For the casual domestic user with a few apple trees our budget tripod ladders are perfect.  They're ideal for occasional use and come in a range of sizes for all types of tree.  These ladders are easy to store in a garage or shed and although they might only be used once or twice a year, they are a good investment for homeowners who want to enjoy their fruit tree produce without damaging the tree.  They can also be useful for pruning and crown-thinning, so even out of harvest season these ladders provide unrivalled access for tree maintenance.

For people with more than a couple of fruit trees, there are sturdier versions with a flared base for extra stability.  These tripod ladders are ideal for orchards where the ground is uneven around the base of the trees and provide that security needed when a whole day might be spent up and down the ladder picking apples, plums or pears.

Tripod ladders, because of their stability on uneven ground, are also used by professional gardeners for all manner of garden jobs.  The tripod design allows the front leg to be positioned very close to, or even in a large bush to get you as close as possible to the work area without compromising on safety.  Traditional step ladders are not suitable for these jobs as the two front legs, often joined by a stabilising bar, can't get into the shrubbery so the user is left several feet away from the work area.  Professional tripod ladders are also great for gardening because they can span shorter shrubs, low walls and other garden features with ease, while also taking advantage of the three-legged stability on uneven ground.

We also have adjustable tripod ladders which offer a lot of adaptability to uneven or sloping ground or across steps and multi-level patios.  The front leg is adjustable in 150mm increments for a superior range of adjustability, while the two rear legs are independently adjustable in 500mm increments, so each leg can be set to right height for the landscape.  The feet have a unique claw design which grips soft ground like no other ladder foot, but rubber feet are available if you need to use the ladder on hard ground – these rubber shoes provide the best grip for hard surfaces like bricks or concrete.

Whether you're a professional landscape gardener looking for the best all round ladders for garden work, or a casual user with a couple of fruit trees to harvest we have the best selection of tripod garden ladders, all with free next day delivery to mainland UK addresses.