Has anyone used these? Sportsman Guide has these from $27 to $32. I am hoping to add a couple hangons into my set up this year. With the price of these it will be possible.
I wouldn't trust any treestand with a price tag of $32. Your better off making your own. Life is too short. I really like the Gorilla and Chippewa wedge-loc stands. Take your time and check around, but don't settle for something cheap when it comes to safety with treestands or safety harnesses. I'm sure you have loved ones who want you to come home. Take Care
I agree with being careful of cheap products, but I don't think anyone would be better off making their own. Treestand manufacturers make treestands. They know what they are doing or they would not be in that line of work. If a stand is TMA approved, I'd say it's safe as long as you stay within their weight guidelines and use it for it's intended use. That said, there are cheap stands out there that are TMA approved that I have steered clear of due to the obvious cheapness when handling them. I have also handled some that were cheap in price that were great stands, just heavy or not the most comfortable. To each his own, I'd like to see these stands in person before I make a decision, I may just order one.
I never leave the ground without one. Some people who use a climber like myself just wait until they get to their elevation before attaching them self to the tree. I take the extra time to attach at ground level and move the tree strap up as I climb.
Get a harness, I have a Guide Gear deluxe hang on (It's not on their website anymore) but it's my favorite stand. It was around $70 I believe. I wouldn't get something as cheap as you're looking at, I mean, the price of metal is pretty high, and how can they manufacture something that cheap? Doesn't make sense to me, but it's your choice.
i have hunted out of one of them my buddy has and it was sturdy and i will say i never felt unsafe.... i hunted out of the smaller one (cheaper one) and it is small, especially when 15-20 foot in the air.... these stands are not for an all day or extended hunt... they are small and i actually ended up standing for most of the 2 + hours i was in the stand taking a break to sit here and there. but they are cheap and for those of us that are unable to spend big money for stands, they do their job. i will prolly be getting 2 of them for this season just for those quick hunts in the evening after work.... hope this helps
That's exactly what I use the so called "cheap" stands for. As long as they seem well built, I use them for one of three things; after work hunts(2 to 3 hours), camera man stands(they don't need comfort), or stands on properties that I don't frequent all that much.
ben i agree 100%... for the price of the guide gear stands you can buy 3-4 stands for the price of one other stand.... in my eyes its great for getting stands in the woods so you can play the wind when you dont have all the time and daylight in the afternoon.
I dont think there is anything bad about using cheaper treestands, ive never used a guide gear one but i do always use the Ameristep challenger which is about $35-$40 and they are sturdy for me. The only thing i ever notice on cheaper trestands is some of the crappy welds on them. But i weld everyday and know what a weld should look like and some treestands are just built poorly built
The climber I use now has a pretty small platform so as long as its bigger then that, I'm good to go. This is what got me to looking for some lower priced hangons. I work until 3-4 pm which makes my time in the evenings limited during the week. Especially since my better property is an hour away. I need something I can get to fast after work or sneak into in the morning if I am running late. All I have now is a climber but that gets old after a couple months into the season. When the wind shifts on me its a PITA now. With a few hangons throughout my woods I will be able to move faster and quieter then I can now. Thanks for the info fellas.
they will serve just that purpose then and do a good job doing so.... you can also find climbing sticks around for pretty cheap too. its hard to beat having multiple stands to choose from.
I have a Guide Series ladder stand and I love it. But if you are getting a hang on PLEASE read this first. http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml10/10036.html
Don't confuse the Sportsman's Guide stands with the above recalled one. They are different stands. The Gander Mountain Guide series are nice, and I was treated very fairly when I brought back the recalled ones. IMO, the main component in the recall was operator error, I got all new stands (6) out of the deal anyhow.
We have a few guide gear stands on one property I hunt. My buddy who bought them is over 300# and I set them up. They were a little noisy when the weather got cold but other than that they worked out fine.
Safety first. How high are you going up? If you are going over 6' it should be like ladder safety. The more risk the higher you go. In a flimsy stand. Is is worth a broken bone or worse?
