Title says it all, with the season over I'm trying to find a good deal on two hangon tree stands. I don't know much about them and why they seem to vary in price depending on brands, so really any information would help out a ton. Thanks!
Hawk Hunting, hands down. Best quality for the money, I don't think any other stand have the same features and quality build for the price. The nylon bushings between every moving part is just one example.
I don't think the answer is that cut and dried, LW has done nylon bushings for...ever. Personally, I hate the "best stand for the price" question. Specifically when it comes to something that I'm relying on to keep me safe. It's like when you hear an add that says, "a great product at an affordable price" is generally a nice way of saying it's a piece... Maybe it would be different if we named the price and compared the stands in that price range. But as ChuckC mentioned before, it's about what you want it to do. Do you want a super strong, lightweight, cast aluminum stand for stealthy hang and hunt situations? Or, do you want a heavier steel stand that you are going to hang and leave up? Maybe the Hawk is the best answer for a stand you are going to leave up, but I highly doubt it's the best answer for all situations.
I feel that millennium stands are a great stand to look at and have been happy with them. Very comfortable. M25 ($100) works well if you don't need to level. M50 ($150) can be adjusted to a tree that isn't perfect. I also have a muddy hang on and it works well, but I really like the comfort and price of the millennium stands. If you are run and gun style...lone wolf seems like it is hard to beat. Never sat in one though.
If your putting them up and leaving them up for the season you'd be hard pressed to get better then millennium m25's, they come up often on eBay for 85 shipped. But if your moving stands often I don't think they are a good choice for that application.
I love my Millennium's....Definitely not the stand if you are packing it in and out constantly. I am a big guy so the bigger the platform and seat the better for me..
All I really do is hang and leave and I'll be honest they're heavy as sin, I typically use my own strap but the cheap Guide Gear small platform ones are awesome stands if you don't expect them to be LW quality. Shot the buck this year out of one of them and thing never makes a noise, is strong and dependable with the straps I use. No hesitation here to hunt out of them. Now if I run-n-gun hunt (which is rare here) I'd probably have a LW or XP stands.....a good inbetween would be offerings from Millenium or Hawk. I did add a Hawk stand to my inventory of stands this past Black Friday and the thing is awesome! And their steps are incredibly light and packable as well... I personally want a M25 to test out but keeping eyes for a good solid used one.
I'm with Tynimiller if you are looking to leave them in place. Most of the stands we have that are left up for long duration are bought based on comfort and durability. If they aren't necessarily built for durability then we improve them. Guide Gear with the sling style seats for comfort and you cannot go wrong. Heavy to put up but once they're there you are golden. Keep in mind with steel stands you need to keep an eye on them for rust. Bolts, welds and cables need to be inspected when they see the elements. I start off by using Rustoleum primer's and other flat colors to spray down the bolts and other parts. Most of the time the stand is a dark charcoal or black color so I like to lighten them up anyways with gray and tan primers.
Most places here have guide gear or amerastep etc... For under $50 bucks. I've had some amerastep stands out for 6+ years now. Now issues. Hit rust spots with spray paint in the off season.
I'm with tynimiller also. To hang & leave up..it's hard to beat a good steel hang on.....I just bought 8 big dog hang ons for $50 each at mc sports...huge 34x30 platform.
Rivers Edge Bigfoot XL with 20' Comfort Zone climbing sticks. I pieced these together 2 years back for $70 together on clearance.
