Well I'm finally biting the bullet & gonna fork over the cash for a lone wolf stand & sticks. The alpha 2 is the one I've been looking @. I'm a big guy, 6' 5" 270lbs so I'm wondering if this is the best option for me? On the product description it says "perfect for the bigger hunter" but I'd rather hear some first hand advice. Thanks. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Yeah, I would go with the Alpha. More leg room. You could also look into XOP. I have LWs and XOPs and they are the same quality but the XOPs are a lot less $. They have sticks too.
That's good to hear...I was wondering about the difference in the LW and the XOP's....although I feel I'd stay true to LW.
You will absolutely love it. That is the only stand I will hunt out of. I personally own three of them.
I'm almost the same size and the Alpha 2 is by far the most stable stand I have with plenty of room to move around. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Own both, and for the money the XOP gets you A LOT more for the $ IMO. Better seat cushion, thicker straps, metal versa buttons vs. plastic, and the sticks are the same. Just depends how much you want to spend for the same thing, after you buy all the aftermarket stuff to make it an XOP.
Hands down the best hang-on stand you can purchase, period. I would advise the Alpha over the Assault to anyone looking for a little extra leg room. The weight difference isn't much and the added comfort is nice to have. And they're made 100% here in the USA.
Ok so I had to google XOP to see what you guys were talking about. They seem to be quite a bit cheaper but just as good of a product? Thoughts? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
This reason alone is why I have not tried the XOP stands. The price is very tempting but I try to buy products made in the USA when I can.
I try to buy american made as well, but LW is not some "proud to be made in the USA" company. They tried outsourcing to China to increase profit margins (and increased prices at the same time), and only brought production back to the USA after backlash from customers (and increased prices again!).
Just as good, YES! I actually like the small modifications better and with what I'm hearing about the new stick design Andrea is well on his way to another great invention.
I am a 320lbs 6'2" Big Hunter and at first I was concerned about this holding my weight in a comfortable way. Once the stand sets into the tree, you are solid. I am still concerned about stepping on the tip of the stand but we will have to see. Sent from my iDen
Well Rutin has made it pretty clear that he is a pro staff or somehow connected to XOP as he pushes them in any thread this comes up. Which is perfectly fine, just feel it needs a bit of a disclaimer. I own a LW alpha and it's great. I haven't seen the air raid, so I can't comment on that stand. The seat on the silver series that I looked at while at a trade show was a noisy fabric, and didn't seem really great. No idea what the new seat is like. I also don't know how well the sticks would nestle into those seats compared to the way the LW does, but you can probably pack the sticks on sideways. That size of stand should work out quite well for you as a bigger guy (I'm 6'4 200 lb size 12 boot). If the bottom dollar is the most important factor to you then go XOP. If you have a couple more bucks laying around and made in USA is important to you, go LW. Either way that style of hunting is great.
Short answer Yes, the Air Raid is comparable in everyway! I sold my assault hang-on with intentions of buying an Alpha 2 for the added room. I did some research and 2 weeks ago jumped in and purchased an XOP air raid for about $75 less than an assault. This even though the Assault has a much a smaller platform!!! I am a Lone Wolf die hard, but I can tell you the quality of the Air Raid is just as good. I would not hesitate to purchase one (I am outing my $ on my mouth), but there is one difference- The Lone Wolf hook does not work on the XOP. This is fine for me because I prefer the off set bracket, but it is a difference. Brand loyalty aside, I cannot find much reason to go Lone Wolf over XOP.