croc2116

My dilemma is that I bought a basic 15ft ladder stand brand new out of box for $35. My dilemma is how comfortable am I going to be in it Vs a wooden stand that i could build and have a little more room? I was thinking of doing both. Wanted to also know what anyone or everyone thought of homemade treestands?Any comments or opinions welcomed.

Thanks to those that respond.

falcon

There is nothing wrong with a wooden stand. I've built a lot of wooden tree stands for myself and others. A few of those stands had arm rests. They are made mostly of two by fours.

shawnster88

I built a wooden stand a couple years ago, I built it wide enough for my son and I both to sit in. It's about 12 feet. I also have a 15 feet store bought stand that is just for one person. I sit in the store bought one if I go by myself. And only use the wooden one if my son goes with me. I don't have a preference on either one. Both do there job.

Rhody Hunter

for 35 $ i'd go with one that is made. I have built one before and with the material free from a pt deck i took down i think it is easier to buy one. It was heavy and took longer than i thought to assemble. I have my own construction co and i would rather go to work and make the money to buy one. it is cheaper for me that way. plus wood agesand can loosen over time

GTOHunter

We use to make most of our ladder stands out of wood,as years go by You have to maintain them and they tend to get weak and can be a hazzard if You don't keep them up.For the price of a metal ladder stand it is better to go with one of them and You can always move them more easily and take them down to repair and check them.I use the smaller 1-man ladder stand for Bow Hunting so I can move it by myself and the cushion is usually pretty comfortable,I also like the ladder stands with the side rails/arm rest because the seem safer then some of the stands that have a seat only with no rails.If your wanting a better ladder stand I would reccomend a Rivers Edge 15' or even the 17' ladder stand,they are made a lot better and are a little wider and more comfortable then the smaller Big Dog ladder stands,some of the Rivers Edge ladder stands have the seats that fold up,a shooting rail,side bags for gear and a wider platform and leg rest.It is also a good idea to put up a 2-man ladder stand in case Your Wife or Kids want to hunt with You and they are made very well and have plenty of room for 2 people or if you hunt there by yourself you have even more room to move around or put your gear.

Ed McDonald

I go with the 15' metal ladder stands . I buy them when DICK's has them for $50 and I use the $10 coupon so I pay $40 / stand . I have about 10 of them . Four are still in the boxes and need to be installed .

timbercruiser

Well made metal stands are safer to put up, easier to move, cheaper, designed for comfort, easier to put up, and in the long run just safer overall.....

salukipv1

I've yet to find a great cheap treestand, if you're just looking for a stand to hunt for 2-3hrs in the morning or evening sure you can get by with a cheapo

But a quality treestand, arm rests, shooting rail, etc... is going to cost more and the quality will certainly be noticeable. And if you're sitting in it all day you want something with some room and comfort.

Mojotex

I made and used wooden ladder stands for decades with no problems. I used pressure treated pine and assembled the ones I made using screws. The ones I built were robust and about 15' to the seat, making them fairly heavy, difficult to drag deep into the woods and tough for one guy to set up becasue of the weight. I secured them to the tree with a ratchet strap. As already mentioned as being a necessary safety issue, I checked each prior to every season. Very seldom found a problem. One thing to look for if you decide to go this route is squirrels/rats cutting the strap. I think they do this to get to the salt from handling. Not sure though. As you can tell all of this is in the past tense. I no longer make wooden stands. I am no longer strong enough to man handle the wooden ladder stands that I made.

GTOHunter

One of the best and sturdiest ladder stand we've ever made was one that was made from the pressed and heat molded lumber made from plastic scraps.They lasted the longest and wouldn't rot away like regular lumber...only bad thing was the squirrels still had a picnic chewing them,it took a lot longer but those darn Tree Rats will chew on anything to sharpen those buck-teeth.


If You check Sportsmans Guide You can find several different brands and styles of ladder stands on sale there.The best ladder stand I have had so far is the Rivers Edge 17 foot stand,its good a sturdy and it is a little bigger than most of the regular 1-man stands,the only feature I wasn't too thrilled about is the removable shooting rail that is made with a square,holed shaped tube that sits down on a round shaped peg...it doesn't want to stay down and can be difficult to pull out!Other than that its a very nice stand with plenty of room.Orschlens carry them along with the Rivers Edge "Yukon" ground blind that I bought from them also.