Favorite ladder stand
- Thread starter Peeps
- Start date
Brian662
5 year old buck +
How do you climb through those branches to get to the seat?
Electrodigical
5 year old buck +
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.
Electrodigical
5 year old buck +
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)
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)
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Prairie Acres
5 year old buck +
I've got three of these Big Game 1.5 ladderstands. I've used them for three or four years now. They are comfortable and have lots of room but I cannot get them completely quiet. The later in the year and the colder it gets the more noise they make. They squeak or pop whenever I get up from the seat. It cost me a nice buck two years ago. I've taped the joints where the ladders come together. I wonder if part of the problem is the bars that go against the tree squeak? A few people have mentioned owning these in this thread, what have you done to quiet them? I need to buy two more stands but I'm reluctant to buy these again and hate to spend more than $200 per stand.
Electrodigical
5 year old buck +
Interesting that this got bumped back up, right after finding and re-reading a little review I gave elsewhere.
^ (seat folded up, showing the bottom of it)
You buy a two man stand for lots of room, especially if you're a big guy, thinking you'll sit in the middle. Well you can't on that stand. (I mean unless you like pain) You have to stick to one side or the other. I was bummed when I realized that.
Also that cross bar at the front played all sorts of nasty games with the back of my legs / hamstrings.
The stand it rock solid, but the seat leaves a LOT to be desired in my opinion.
bigboreblr
5 year old buck +
I sleep like a baby in mine......
Brian662
5 year old buck +
I find myself doing this too, so hopefully nobody takes offense.. but sometimes I laugh about the areas where I get cheap when it comes to my land. We spend thousands (hundreds of thousands, sometimes more) on our land and put an arbitrary number on tree stand cost. I do it with fertilizer, food plot seed, tree stands, cameras, pretty much across the board.
It's foolish to spend money just to spend it, but why cut corners on nickels when you're already pot committed into the hundreds or thousands.
Just my 2 cents.
It's foolish to spend money just to spend it, but why cut corners on nickels when you're already pot committed into the hundreds or thousands.
Just my 2 cents.
Hoytvectrix
5 year old buck +
I think I have somewhere around six of these. By far the best value for a ladder stand that is out there.
I think most of the squeaking happens either in the ladder or the platform. I haven't seen or heard very much yet, but I've considered ordering a nylon washer tackle box from Amazon to make sure that every metal on metal point has some nylon.
bigboreblr
5 year old buck +
Wish I kept pics of the refneck ones I've seen in public land over the years......
Electrodigical
5 year old buck +
^ I bought a used Texas Tripod stand a couple years ago. It's wonderful once you're up in it. But getting into the seat, death defying. Sort of like that step ladder chair thing, "But how do I turn around?", but without the luxury of having the tree to grab on to. Scary.
First (and only time) using it, I stuck it next to a tree thinking it would help. It didn't really. But I was able to tie a rope to the tree for a safety line. Getting in mid day setting it up was exciting. Getting in it the next morning in the dark was terrifying. I was in it a while in the dark and started to think... "Am I leaning?" With daylight and more hours in the seat, the list was clearly getting worse. One of the legs was sinking into the 150 years of pine needles, I started to get worried about going over. Which made the idea of trying to get out of the seat and on to the medieval torture device they call a "ladder" even more terrifying. I decided it would be safer to slack jump/free rappel down the few feet, rather than risk getting impaled.
I took it home for a redesign, but haven't touched it since.
First (and only time) using it, I stuck it next to a tree thinking it would help. It didn't really. But I was able to tie a rope to the tree for a safety line. Getting in mid day setting it up was exciting. Getting in it the next morning in the dark was terrifying. I was in it a while in the dark and started to think... "Am I leaning?" With daylight and more hours in the seat, the list was clearly getting worse. One of the legs was sinking into the 150 years of pine needles, I started to get worried about going over. Which made the idea of trying to get out of the seat and on to the medieval torture device they call a "ladder" even more terrifying. I decided it would be safer to slack jump/free rappel down the few feet, rather than risk getting impaled.
I took it home for a redesign, but haven't touched it since.
GMan5465
5 year old buck +
These are really comfortable stands...but they are noisy - out of the box. So, I added nylon washers at any point where metal touches metal. You can get those washers at Menards. Also, upgraded to a thicker and larger bolt (thinking 5/16) so I can really wrench them, and to have room for the extra washers. That took care of most of the noises, except that horrible base. Since they only welded every other strand of the expanded metal, that is where much of the noise comes from. So, I spot welded every strand. Then, I welded all the metal base pieces together (and left them bolted). Front base section to the back base section, and the back base section to the upright piece. They are quiet now but takes some effort. I wondered if you could use some JB Weld where the expended metal meet the base, but haven't tried it.
Prairie Acres
5 year old buck +
Thanks, that's probably a good idea. I was looking at the directions for the stand and it does include nylon washers but not for all the metal on metal points. I hate the idea of taking down my existing stands and placing nylon washers where needed but I'll try and get it done before the start of the season.
Prairie Acres
5 year old buck +
Ok, thanks for posting this. I only wish I could weld! I might try the JB Weld.
