Favorite ladder stand

[Maddog66]

Is X-stand gone? I went to buy another Duke Ladder 21 and they are nowhere to be found?

 

[KY wild]

Yes I think they quit making Dukes

 

[Maddog66]

Well of course they did!!

Thanks.

 

[Maddog66]

Fyi on X-Stand

 

[Brian662]

I put up a Primal Double Vantage Deluxe this weekend. So far I'm pretty happy with it. It's sturdy and steady, feels real solid. The tree I put it on is actually "too big" for the design, so the grabber arms didn't really do what they're designed to do (wrap around the tree), but it still held it steady enough that I felt perfectly safe climbing up to put on the hold down straps.

Nit pick... I wish the platform were a little deeper front to back, though I know that would make for a really big monster of a stand. I didn't think the mesh of the platform was all the thick, but it feels solid, no give when standing on it. I don't know how comfortable the seat will be, but that's probably just a me thing. I'm big and tall. 6'4", at least was once upon a time, so all tree stand seats are too low for me (butt's lower than optimal for comfort and ease of standing up). We'll see. Assembly was good, instructions are okay. Any issues I had were caused by me. Aint light. I used a block and tackle hoist that I use to hanging deer to put it up. I lifted it up and walked it to the tree while my 91 year old father pulled on the rope. We were both shocked how easy it went up. I think if I had to, I probably could have done it myself with that setup. But moving it while it was in the box, forget it. I could only drag it a few feet at a time. I had to break open the box in the driveway and bring it inside in pieces.

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How do you climb through those branches to get to the seat?

 

[Electrodigical]

I haven't yet lol. They're just on either side of the ladder, so going between them shouldn't be an issue. I left it be for now as I was in a hurry and needed to get off the hill. First morning of use I will have to trim some of them anyway so I wasn't real concerned about it.

 

[gjs4]

I miss the $50 specials dearly. They do all you need them to.

 

[Electrodigical]

They've certainly come a long way. My first tree stand was a Warren & Sweet ladder stand, I bought it in 1988. A tubular aluminum ladder with a piece of 3/4" marine plywood at the top. Two pieces of aluminum that went against the tree. Two eye bolts you tied the tree strap to. And I mean tied, no ratchet straps or anything. And that was it. All of 10 feet tall. So wobbly I didn't dare do anything but sit on the platform. Even that was unnerving. I used it two evenings and never again. lol
I thought of it the other day putting up cameras. I like to put the cameras up in the air so they don't disappear. I get old ladders people are throwing away and lock them to a tree near by in the woods. I was thinking about needing another ladder for a new location when I remembered that W&S is probably still up in the "attic" of the cabin. I need to get it down, take the platform off and use it for that, finally get my $89 out of it. lmao
($89 in 1988 would be $236 in Biden Bucks)