Cisco, I have never, ever responded to a thread in all caps, so believe me, this is not an accident. PLEASE, don't form your opinion of tree steps from your experience of Ameristeps.

AMERISTEPS ARE JUNK! JUNK, JUNK, JUNK!!!!! I DON'T CARE WHERE YOU BOUGHT THEM; IF THEY CARRY THE NAME "AMERISTEP," THEY AREN'T WORTH USING AS TROTLINE WEIGHTS!!!!

RUN, DO NOT WALK, TO YOUR NEAREST DEALER WHICH CARRIES CRANFORD E-Z STEPS!!! YOU CAN'T IMAGINE THE DIFFERENCE!!! WE VETERANS IN THE KNOW IMPLORE YOU! YOU DON'T NEED TO LUG A DRILL INTO THE WOODS; YOU'LL SWEAR THE THINGS ARE POWERED BY THEMSELVES AFTER SCREWING THE FIRST ONE IN!!

The difference is in the points at the end of the screw; if you'll look at the Ameristep garbage, you'll see how the "taper" (if you could be so brash as to call it that) on the Ameristep goes from the point to the widest part of the thread in about a 1/4". Cranfords truly taper all the way from the base of the thread to the point. It's an incredible difference!

Just to let you know, I own a Summit Cobra and a Summit Viper, and I believe they are among the best climbers on the market. But if you'll go buy some Cranfords, you -- like I, probably -- will still have a tough time grabbing that big ol' climber when you can throw a 9-lb. strap-on and a few screw-in steps on and weave your way in and out of the thickest, gnarliest timber out there.

BUY CRANFORD!!!!!!! <img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle><img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle><img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle>

Discipline -- not desire -- determines destiny.