I am worried about the chains on my api grand slam lite! I have been using the treestand for probably 4-5years now, last year i took all the old chewed up heat shrinking off the chains and put on new after cleaning and oiling up the chain! It didnt look to be in bad shape but just curious if anyone has ever changed their chains and should i continue to be worried? I cant help but to worry about it?????? Thanks

Sorry i meant to put this in the gear review!! Im gonna try to get it moved

I've been using my API for a good few seasons and the chains seem to be holding up well. I put plastic tubing over the chains to replace the original stuff, it wears out pretty quick.

Err on the side of caution......If you're worried about it, you've most likely got reason to be.....New chains are only 35 bucks, replace them and you'll know for sure it's safe. No sense messing around w/ that stuff.

I've had the same chain on for 10+ without any concern.

Think of it this way. Look at motorcycles and think of the stress that is put on that same chain and how long a chain lasts. The amount of stress that you put on the chain climbing is very small compared to the stress that a high torque/horsepower motor will. Even if you climb 100 times a year as long as you are doing maintenance on it it should last the life of the treestand and probably you.

Also, the tubing is there more for the tree than the chain. It's supposed to keep the chain from digging into the tree to protect from tearing the bark off and damaging the tree.

I talked to API years ago and they recommended changing the chains every 3-5 years depending on usage etc. If you're heavy, maybe more often. I've only replaced mine once in about 10 years. I kept the old pair as a back up. They look great. I'm at the upper end of the weight limit, 250 pounds, when I have all my gear etc up there with me so I too error on the side of caution.

I don't condone going against safety recommendations of the tree stand manufacturer, but they do make $$ when you order replacements from them and also they need to keep their @$$ covered for liability reasons. Also, I understand the chains that API uses are made for combines and can be found in bulk in tractor supply stores. Check out this link for a useful tip on chain covering replacement. I followed it and it works great.
http://www.guncustomizing.com/API-Treestand.htm