Sharx said:I read this tonight and it scared the hell out of me that's for sure. I have the same steps which came with my Fleet. I have only folded them down and have not put any weight on them yet. I have only used a step ladder to get to the roof to clean my solar and the top. I agree with others that the picture certainly doesn't look like the metal is solid and the color variation is quite different from the outer to the inner. It looks to me (and a friend I showed this to) that the center is pot-metal and then the aluminum is casted over it. If you look closely, the rust color is surrounded by the aluminum. I doubt that a crack could make it rust like that. But I am no metallurgist. I would think the factory guys will not be happy with their supplier and now will want solid core units for the future. The liability could be scary if someone really gets hurt. Kifo, thank you so much for putting this up here, whether bad or not, safety is number one in my book. Be careful folks. I probably would have really "klutzed" and been hospitalized.
This has been hashed and re-hashed but the sky is not falling in my opinion...
How many steps have failed either by breaking or tearing off FWC?
Has anyone actually taken the broken step that started this tread to FWC for an analysis and if so what was the conclusion?
Lots to go wrong but this one seems to be a rarity and add to that how few actually use the steps to climb up on...
If there is a design or casting weakness of course it should be corrected...but first the problem must be identified by expert, hands-on, analysis...until then this is all conjecture. A WAG.
But hey, I could be wrong..
Phil