Who Makes Harbor Freight's Scaffolding & How Much Does It Cost?
Whenever you have to perform some kind of repair or home improvement task on the walls or ceiling of your home, you're often confronted with an unfortunate realization: You're not quite as tall as you thought you were. Even if you were the height of a basketball player, the high points of your living room are always a bit higher up than you initially realized, and far too high to safely reach just by standing on your tiptoes. This kind of situation necessitates some form of assistive platform such as a step-stool or a ladder, though if you're working on a really in-depth task and need some extra space to store things like tools or paint cans, a narrow step-stool won't cut it.
For solutions to your elevation-related concerns, stop by your local Harbor Freight hardware store. In addition to helpful tools that will save the day when painting or performing other high-up jobs, you can actually purchase a full set of scaffolding able to lift both you and your tools up into the air. What brand manufactures this handy scaffolding, though, and how much would owning such a thing run you?
Who makes the scaffolding?
The scaffolding available at Harbor Freight is produced by Franklin, a brand that offers lots of tools and accessories designed for moving and lifting things. Besides ladders and stools, the brand also offers just about everything you would need for safely moving large objects, including dollies, hand trucks, and pallet jacks. Franklin also sells taping guns for labeling boxes and containers, along with moving blankets, bags, and covers for keeping your possessions safe in the process.
If you're unfamiliar with Franklin — not to be confused with Franklin Sports or Franklin Brass — that may be because it isn't available at other hardware stores like Lowe's or Home Depot. Franklin is one of Harbor Freight's many in-house brands. These brands, which include the likes of Bauer power tools and the Harbor Freight Predator generators, manufacture their products under Harbor Freight's direct supervision for exclusive in-store distribution. As a result, Franklin products, scaffolding included, can't be found in other stores.
Price and specs
Franklin scaffolding costs $249.99, which is about the same price as similar work scaffoldings you could find at other hardware stores.
For that price, you get a heavy-duty welded steel body that can carry up to 900 pounds of weight, which is more than enough to hold you, your tools, and some cans of paint. The body comes with a 28 x 66-1.2-inch wooden plank to serve as the platform, though you can swap that plank out for your own platform if you have one. The height of the platform is fully adjustable and able to extend or retract to heights ranging from 28 to 48 inches via 30 locking points. All of this is on top of a quartet of 5-inch swivel casters, which can be locked in place to hold the whole scaffolding steady. If you're concerned about safety, the frame also has built-in fittings for installing toe boards and safety rails.