Extreme Max 3005.3383 Aluminum Pontoon/Dock Ladder - 5-Step

Really nice dock ladder for a fair price. Comes with all the mounting hardware you'll need for either a permanent mount or a removable mount, plus a few extra nuts and bolts. Goes together easily and seems very sturdy.On my dock, I could not get access to the bottom of the dock to secure the nuts for the mounting bolts that are intended to secure the mounting brackets. So I used some pressure treated planks on top of the dock for additional support, and secured the mounting brackets to the dock, through the extra planks with four 3" weatherproof deck screws.As for assembling the ladder itself, there are 20 bolts and 18 10-mm nuts that hold it all together (4-step version). A socket wrench is best, but a 10 mm crescent wrench will work too. That and a Philips head screwdriver are all you'll need for assembly. If you mount the brackets to your dock or boat using the included mounting bolts then you'll also need a drill to drill holes through the dock for these mounting bolts.In all, including assembly of the ladder, cutting the spacer planks and securing these and the mounting brackets to the dock, I'd say it took me around 2 hours to get the job done. YMMV. You may be able to get it done faster if you're handy or have a simpler installation.The only thing I might do differently is to get the 3-step instead of the 4-step version. The top of our dock is pretty close to the water -- about 8-10 inches above it -- and I think the 3-step version would have gone deep enough to make climbing it pretty comfortable. The 4 step version is fine too but nearly touches the lake bottom in our particular installation. If your dock (or pontoon boat) is pretty low in the water, then save a few bucks and go for the 3-step version.I am thrilled with how easy it is to remove the ladder - just lift and rotate the ladder up and pull the top out from the mounting brackets. That's it. The aluminum frame is light enough that it's a simple one-person job. We beach our dock for the winter so it was important for us to get a removable ladder.Overall, I'm very pleased with this dock ladder. If that changes over time, I'll be sure to update this review.UPDATE: (July, 2016) - so apparently two of the deck screws actually cracked a little below the heads during or shortly after installation but it wasn't noticeable until a few days later when the heads came loose. I should note that these are not factory-supplied hardware, so no reflection on the ladder itself. So I bit the bullet, pried off one of the dock planks to get access to the underside of the dock and reinstalled the mounting brackets using the included bolts, nuts and washers. Seems pretty sturdy now (though it did also seem OK with the first installation). I'll update the review again if anything else pops up (hopefully not any more screw heads!).

We have a small pond and needed a ladder to get from water onto our deck. The length was right and the aluminum steps and handrail are sturdy for climbing. We added a piece of wood under the area of ladder that screws onto the deck for added stability. Hoping for many years of use and enjoyment on the pond.

The packaging was very flimsy for such a large package and it tore easily. Luckily no damage was done and all parts were there. I suggest a bit heavier cardboard box and or tape and or more straps around it. Love this ladder! It was all we expected. Time will tell if it continues to work as well as it did the first time out. Seems GREAT! Everyone (15 of us) loved it (especially compared to the flimsy rope one). It was not difficult to assemble, all the parts were there to assemble and mount it. I did have to buy some stainless screws as where the J hooks hook into the "footman loops" (very wierd name for them) there is no way to mount the washers or plates and nuts on the underside of my pontoon so we had to use wood screws. I also bought longer bolts in case they were needed to go thru the deck. Better to be prepared than wind up 2+ hours from home unable to mount it. Not ideal, but they held well under significant stress of 250 lb people climbing on it. Climbing on the steps, my feet are very sensitive so I wound up using my water shoes (speedo ones with thick sole) but no one else complained...just me and my old feet. I bought extra mounting loops so we can mount it elsewhere. It IS BIG, VERY BIG which is what we needed. storing it is a bit of a challenge, but I have cable locks, so it works fine. We cut 99c store swimming noodles into chunks that fit between the steps on each side alternating colors and slit, then ziptied so #1 it would float if it goes overboard and #2 padding so If we bump ourselves, its padded. cheap insurance the ladder doesn't go to the bottom. Looks colorful too. All in all great ladder appears well made. Not heavy, just large.

I bought this ladder for my Lake Dock that is too high to hop on from the water. The ladder itself is great. I did not have time to put it in the water because i have to fix the dock first. But, my cousin bought 3 years ago the same ladder for her dock. The only difference is that hers is a three step and the one I bought is a 4 step ladder. What I disliked about this product is that the instructions to assemble the ladder are too lame. It took me 3-4 hours to figure out what to do. I love to buy things that come in a box for me to assemble. I am very handy. But for this ladder, I had to go to my cousin's dock and see how hers was built. The company needs to re-write the instructions. It doesn't specify well what screws go where. The picture has pointed ended screws and then what you need to work with are flat ended screws. Then you have left over pieces and screws that make you ask yourself (Where did I go wrong, where do these belong?). Again, the company needs to improve the instructions.

This is a great ladder if you take the time to install properly with a little sound engineering

Good

Good Quality, was easy to put together - little time consuming but easy. Very pleased we got the 5 steps and not shorter. It is for our old 95 pontoon and we are not getting any younger. Makes getting in and out of the water easy without feeling like your "climbing" out or "dropping" in the water like when using shorter ladders. So far recommended. Looks good, easy to put together and use. Added bonus was the hooks fit the ones on the pontoon from the original ladder. I keep a rope tied to it and a cleat on the front of the boat - just incase someone drops it in the lake and does not hook or un-hook it properly. When not in use we just lay it down across the front of the pontoon which on ours is like a little platform so natural place for it. It is large and I suppose for some could be a little heavy and cumbersome but I would not trade the length for a shorter / lighter one. At the end of the day you don't move it around much and a few seconds of inconvenience is worth of day of convenience on the water.

I installed this on a floating dock. I weigh 200 LBS and it is holding up well.

It was very easy to install but not with the hardware or instructions that came with the unit. There is no way you could use the included bolts to fasten the ladder down as you would have to get under the dock and hold your breath while under very cold water for longer than humanly possible. You need to include lag screws in the kit, and that is what I used. Very simple, no fussing with nuts and washers on the end of a bolt.It is a little flimsy and may not survive use by heavy folks. However it does work well and is easy to get up because of the shallow angle rather than being straight up and down like most ladders

I liked how light it was and how easily I could remove it from the dock

I love this ladder. It is very functional and durable

Pros:- Exceptional shipping time and packaging was perfect- Ladder went together well- 4-step seems to be good for most people, and our raft surface is about 18-20” above waterCons:- entire assembly being welded thin gauge aluminum makes me think it won’t last all that long. There were a few pre-existing minor cracks in two of the welds- The ladder frame flexes a lot when I use it, however I’m 250lb (well under the 300lb limit)- not all hardware is included if wanting to attach to a 2” thick board (should be, all other hardware is included)