Help Me Save an Old Friend - The Stepstool

[danieldd]

I've had this thing for many years. I bought it at Lowes a long time ago and it has served me well, mainly helping me to get into the engine bay of various trucks and SUVs I've owned over the years. It is made by Cosco Products (not Costco), right here in the good old USA. Unfortunately neither Lowes nor the company sells them anymore.

The stepstool has always been there for me, silently awaiting my call and ever faithful to lend a step or two, just high enough to get where I need to reach. However, last month an unfortunate calamity ensued when I let down my 4 post lift and crushed it accidentally. Heart broken, I tried to fix it with some JB Weld, but after letting it sit for 24 hours and attempting to use the stool, I found the JB Weld will not hold. I need a bonding agent that will bond to polypropylene, but at the same time will allow some give given the stresses of stepping on and off it - but I don't know what that would be. Any helpful suggestions would be most welcome.

I did try replacing my trust step stool with one from Ace Hardware. Its a Chinese substitute and just not good enough as my original was.

 

[Shiftless]

Sorry to hear about your loss.
Some photos might help, but I imagine that the adequate repair of an old plastic step stool will be almost impossible.

Here is a new one, made in the USA and very heavy duty.

Is yours a 2 step model or a single step?
I use one similar to this one that came out of a hospital clinic many years ago.

 

[danieldd]

Its a two step....

For some reason I can't get the pictures to upload. 1st time this has happened..

 

[DGersic]

I've had this thing for many years. I bought it at Lowes a long time ago and it has served me well, mainly helping me to get into the engine bay of various trucks and SUVs I've owned over the years. It is made by Cosco Products (not Costco), right here in the good old USA. Unfortunately neither Lowes nor the company sells them anymore.

The stepstool has always been there for me, silently awaiting my call and ever faithful to lend a step or two, just high enough to get where I need to reach. However, last month an unfortunate calamity ensued when I let down my 4 post lift and crushed it accidentally. Heart broken, I tried to fix it with some JB Weld, but after letting it sit for 24 hours and attempting to use the stool, I found the JB Weld will not hold. I need a bonding agent that will bond to polypropylene, but at the same time will allow some give given the stresses of stepping on and off it - but I don't know what that would be. Any helpful suggestions would be most welcome.

I did try replacing my trust step stool with one from Ace Hardware. Its a Chinese substitute and just not good enough as my original was.

Pictures would help. Putting “cosco step stool” in to gooogle shows many options, widely available.

I’d probably abandon the idea of gluing polypropylene. Maybe craft replacement parts from steel or wood.

 

[ichabod]

Depending on where the break is I would try some fiberglass.

 

[Zeke]

An epoxy splint would be even better.

 

[scooby074]

See if you can find a metal Kikstep. My grandparents had one 50 years ago and I grabbed one when I saw it in a store some 20 years back. They are hard to find in my experience, but it looks like Amazon carries them now.

Ive also had Rubbermaid's version of the Kickstep at work. They work great as well but not as durable as the metal Kikstep above.

 

[Lynden]

I like my Rubbermaid step stool (Model RM-P2). It's 16" tall. A similar step stool at Ace is 3" taller. How tall is your stool?

 

[jonesg]

I've had this thing for many years. I bought it at Lowes a long time ago and it has served me well, mainly helping me to get into the engine bay of various trucks and SUVs I've owned over the years. It is made by Cosco Products (not Costco), right here in the good old USA. Unfortunately neither Lowes nor the company sells them anymore.

The stepstool has always been there for me, silently awaiting my call and ever faithful to lend a step or two, just high enough to get where I need to reach. However, last month an unfortunate calamity ensued when I let down my 4 post lift and crushed it accidentally. Heart broken, I tried to fix it with some JB Weld, but after letting it sit for 24 hours and attempting to use the stool, I found the JB Weld will not hold. I need a bonding agent that will bond to polypropylene, but at the same time will allow some give given the stresses of stepping on and off it - but I don't know what that would be. Any helpful suggestions would be most welcome.

I did try replacing my trust step stool with one from Ace Hardware. Its a Chinese substitute and just not good enough as my original was.

never love something that can't love you back, its an old step, put it in the trash.

 

[Stuart in MN]

Don't know if it's the same as the one you have but Cosco shows a plastic step stool on their website, along with a selection of other styles. https://www.coscoproducts.com/collections/step-stools

 

[danieldd]

Thanks for the suggestions.
I have come to the painful decision to let the step stool go.
Let me pause for a minute of silence as I throw it in the back of the truck and take it to the dump...

 

[mike93lx]

Thanks for the suggestions.
I have come to the painful decision to let the step stool go.
Let me pause for a minute of silence as I throw it in the back of the truck and take it to the dump...

Good call. On something where a failure can injure you, sometimes repairs aren't the right move

 

[niget2002]

Good luck with your journey finding a replacement. Just remember, a journey of a 1000 miles starts with the first step

 

[tool_scrounge]

See if you can find a metal Kikstep. My grandparents had one 50 years ago and I grabbed one when I saw it in a store some 20 years back. They are hard to find in my experience, but it looks like Amazon carries them now.

Ive also had Rubbermaid's version of the Kickstep at work. They work great as well but not as durable as the metal Kikstep above.

I do like the spring loaded casters which allow you to reposition the step by pushing (kicking) it with your foot. Here is my old school version I got out of a neighbors dumpster with their permission.

 

[scooby074]

I do like the spring loaded casters which allow you to reposition the step by pushing (kicking) it with your foot. Here is my old school version I got out of a neighbors dumpster with their permission.

Just like the one my grandparents had.

 

[captmoto]

Nothing will bond to polypropylene or polyethylene. You can try "welding" it. There are some Youtube videos that show the process and embedding wire in it and melting plastic on top. I myself wouldn't bother. Like others have said, a repair could fail at the worst possible time.

 

[niget2002]

I do like the spring loaded casters which allow you to reposition the step by pushing (kicking) it with your foot. Here is my old school version I got out of a neighbors dumpster with their permission.

My grandfather had one of those. I tried to get it when they were getting rid of stuff, but not sure what happened to it

I think it got sold at a garage sale when they were cleaning out their house.

 

[4xdog]

...I have come to the painful decision to let the step stool go...

That's the right call. Injection molded polypropylene is never gonna be made whole again -- at least not in a way that will take the stresses it originally took.

If you hunt CL/FB Marketplace/eBay long enough I'm sure you'll find a Cosco stepstool just like the one you had. But truly, there are so many options, new and vintage, that it might be the better option to open the search for something completely different.

 

[i4ni]

Start watching auctions, you may find the identical item.

 

[LOW1]

Thanks for the suggestions.
I have come to the painful decision to let the step stool go.
Let me pause for a minute of silence as I throw it in the back of the truck and take it to the dump...

You should feel bad.
You killed it.
I vote manslaughter.

 

[mervyn]

I don't think I would trust it anymore.
You might find an exact replacement on eBay.

 

[zendriver]

I was going to suggest reinforced plastic welding, even if the results are more than iffy.

Tossing it a much better choice.

This one would survive the garage door, maybe lasting longer than you will, provided you weigh <375#

https://www.harborfreight.com/step-stool-working-platform-66911.html?hftm_sc=3338&hftm_source=google&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=21901739408&campaignid=21901739408&utm_content=173216748951&adsetid=173216748951&product=66911&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=21901739408&gbraid=0AAAAADAHb4cyaS1iNHCYBDbbauaW6nYGK&gclid=CjwKCAiAlMHIBhAcEiwAZhZBUlEq-u_OqWCZqelXqgAPEVhBlZGlRN0x_WVuFt2ntKkuB9T_Uhm9pxoC3cMQAvD_BwE