I went shopping for a 6 ft. stepladder today. The two big box hardware stores I went to each had the exact same type two ladders for the exact same price. Each was a Werner fiberglass ladder, one was $58 and one was $79. I could not tell the difference by looking at them, or reading the information available, and the clerk had no idea (said he thought the difference was about $21. What is likely to be the difference?
Typically, the difference in price point will be load rating in a ladder, since building a ladder to support more weight costs more to manufacture. I’m surprised that you weren’t able to see any information to help you differentiate between the different ladders, since Werner uses very clear and easy to understand signs on the ladders sold in big box retailers, and they’re color-coded to correspond their weight limit. Here are the grades of ladders you’re like to find at the average home center:
Type 2 - green fiberglass - 225 pound load rating
Type 1 - blue fiberglass - 250 pound load rating
Type 1A - orange fiberglass - 300 pound load rating
Type 1AA - yellow fiberglass - 375 pound load rating
Are you sure they were both type II? I looked at the websites of “two big box stores” and saw two Werner fiberglass 6’ ladders for $58 and $78, but one was type II and the other was type I. If you were relying on the labeling on the shelf, perhaps they more expensive one was mislabeled as a type II.
I know the clerk told me they were both type II. However one was blue and one was green. Clearly the difference is the weight rating. Why would only a 25 pound difference cause such a substantial difference in price? While the more expensive ladder would have sturdier bracing, the weight difference is only about 10%. And, assuming if I weigh 150 pounds, would there be any advantage at all in the higher load rating?
Set them both up and try them. It’s all about which one you feel more comfortable on. I’ve been on ladders that were rated for 300+ that had more flex than one rated for 225.
If one ladder was blue, then the clerk was mistaken and it was definitely a Type I. Whether the extra weight capacity matters to you or not depends on what you plan on doing with the ladder. If you’re just going to be doing light household maintenance and there’s not going to be any significant weight on the ladder, then a Type II may be just fine for your purposes. If you’re going to be carrying anything heavy up and down the ladder, you may want to go with the heavier duty ladder, since the ladder has to support not just your body weight, but the total weight of everything you’re carrying, as well.