I'll add a roof is made of MANY components that tie it together providing strength and protection for the structure and keeps the framework safe from the elements which is typically what will cause a wooden stand to fail. That being said I have seen more than one guy fall clean through what appeared to be a perfectly good roof!!
I've got many stands built of 2x4's and have never had a problem with them. They're not 20ft up but they do just fine. But like others have said... You can get a cheap hang on/ladder stand for cheaper than building your own. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Menard's regularly has tree stands for $39 & $59 for the budget conscious. Made by Big Game. They're not the most comfortable on the planet, but they're built well and work. I don't think you could make an adequate tree stand for less than that. They also have ladder stands and climbers at great prices. Word to the wise, I'm not a fan of the straps that come with the tree stands, buy some ratchet straps. You'll still be less $ than what they homemade will cost you, and more than likely safer.
I've used plenty in the past but be sure and screw them together. I still use homemade stands now but they're hang on stands and made of steel. I also use store bought from the cheapest to the most expensive.
I don't understand this logic. I'd trust 2x4s over any hang on. Maybe it's because I was a home builder so I know how strong treated lumber is... Just lag bolt it to the tree, and use treated 2x4s. Will last forever, and be much more sturdy than a hang on. I mean, you'll stand on a deck, won't you? The only bad part about building your own stands is that it'll cost more than just buying them.
It's really best to scout around mid to late October to see what the deer are doing before committing to expensive and time consuming stand locations. Best to have lightweight stands ready to deploy after gathering info that time of year IMO.
I make my own hang on metal stands. Costs me right around 30.00 dollars I think. I have no pics though.
I have been using my own lock on stands for 25 years. I'll try to post a picture of one for you. They cost me about 15 bucks per to make.
Wow....some people just can't be saved....... Unless you are a welder, or a certified engineer you have a death wish. You'll spend $500-$1200 on a bow and some arrows....but be a cheap *** and make your own treestands?? Priorities people...priorities!!
I've been building homes for 25yrs & could easily build a stand that I would feel safe in. I won't build it because by the time I go buy lumber & other needed material, drag it into the woods, setup a safe way of building it 20' up the tree and then actually building it I would have at least 4hrs into it. If I go to work for 4 extra hours I can buy at least a couple stands that I can move around if the deer change their patterns & once that happens the stand I built is useless. From a safety standpoint attaching nails or screws into a tree isn't very safe. The tree is constantly moving & growing so there no way of knowing how long it will last.
You don't put screws into the tree with a wooden ladder stand. You put eye bolts at the top and chain around the tree just like you would with a metal stand. Or a ratchet strap if you prefer. There are plenty people that are more than qualified to build their own stands that aren't welders or engineers. I happen to be a tool maker/ machinist with an engineer degree and i can weld so I guess I'm qualified. :p
my dad and I built about a dozen stands 25 years ago. They were low budget and used mostly scrape pieces we had but we've killed a ton of deer out of them. I have since move onto commercial stands but he's still using the homemade ones.
My dad and I have built several over the years. Some in tree's with a Y and some ladder style stands. All of them were more than safe... even after years. I dont get people that cant build something themselves and then call others "stupid". It doesnt take a genius to build a nice wooden stand, I was doing it as a kid! It just takes a tiny bit of know how, some screws and some lumber.. geesh
I have built a few stands in my day. I built a Cadillac wooden ladder stand in a cedar tree last year. That thing isn't going anywhere at all, I used 5" lag screws to connect it to the tree. I also ran braces and cross members back to the trunk at multiple points. I have built enough houses that I think I can manage to build a safe deer stand in a tree
I am not an engineer... or a "certified" welder, though I have worked where welding skills were required as part of my daily duties. Thankfully, I don't do that work today. My stands and assembly techniques have been evaluated by several engineers for soundness and far surpass what I see in most hang on stands. Building my own stands is part of the joy I find in bowhunting. I have only once found a potential problem. Which led me to install a larger hinge bolt in all my stands before using them again. But I hear what you are saying... hence... my reluctance to post pictures. Bump... Edit here are some pictures of one I just finished this week.
I am an engineer and don't trust myself to build a stand LOL. Seriously I have plans here to build metal hang-ons but by the time I buy materials and my time to weld it up I could easily buy 2-3 commercial stands. For me the cons do not outweigh the pros so I just buy stands when needed.
Field & Stream ran a story on how to build a wooden ladder stand about ten years ago. The next month the letters to the editor section was full of outraged readers claiming they were irresponsible. I built one anyway. I built it with care and it was solid when I first strapped it to a tree. It was also a comfortable stand, mostly because it did not get cold like metal. I used it for two seasons and then lost confidence in it. The problem, as others have stated, is the wind bends the tree, which flexes the stand, which makes the whole thing loose. The materials were not cheap and with my time factored in the stand was easily more expensive than a store bought metal stand. With affordable metal stands on the market I would not bother to do it again.
