Favorite ladder stand

Is X-stand gone? I went to buy another Duke Ladder 21 and they are nowhere to be found?
 
Yes I think they quit making Dukes
 
Well of course they did!!😂😂

Thanks.
 
Fyi on X-Stand
 

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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?
 
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.
 
I miss the $50 specials dearly. They do all you need them to.
 
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)
 
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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.
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I put up a Primal Double Vantage Deluxe this weekend. So far I'm pretty happy with it....
Interesting that this got bumped back up, right after finding and re-reading a little review I gave elsewhere.

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^ (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.
 
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.
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I sleep like a baby in mine......
 
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.
 
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.
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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.
 
Wish I kept pics of the refneck ones I've seen in public land over the years......
 
^ 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.
 
I saw Muddy had 20% off stands over the weekend, but the ones I wanted were out of stock.

Also, I've seen companies now sell a crank kit to raise ladder stands. Definitely need a way to do this if you just have one or two guys.
 
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.
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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.
 
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.
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.
 
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.
Ok, thanks for posting this. I only wish I could weld! I might try the JB Weld.
 
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