Ed: I considered that as a need to hold and stabilize the ladder lying on the roof. However, I still need something to lift the ladder up there (I'm not Superman or the Hulk); and the FEL fits that bill perfectly, at least for the lower roof. Once I'd done that, I realized that putting a hook on the ladder was superfluous. Parking the tractor with the blade down and the brakes engaged and locked, and then blocking the lift provides just as much safety as the hook would. After all, use of the FEL as a lifting jack is standard procedure for all kinds of things like pulling engines and transmissions, or even holding a work platform, as long as jack stands or similar devices are used to prevent unexpected drops.
On the other hand, the FEL doesn't go high enough to do anything with the upper roof, so there the ladder hooks would work. Problem is, with a hook, it tends to tear up the shingles as it slide up and over them. A pair of rollers bolted to a hook and angled in such a way that it rolls up the roof, but the roller don't touch it after it slips over the ridge would work nicely. Of course if you have a scissor lift and roof jacks, then you don't need to worry about it. However, how many of us are so flush with cash we can go right out and buy, or even rent that sort of thing all the time?
