Question About the Value of a Hunting Stand
 

I have what I've been told is part of a hunting stand. Assuming a ladder part by the looks of it. I'm not familiar with stands and it was just something left by the previous occupants of where I live. I'm looking for clarification of what part of the stand I have and how much it might be worth (or if it's worth anything as is). I have a picture below.

It looks to be parts of a ladder stand. The 3 segments of ladder would be joined together with pins to form one long ladder. The ladder would have been attached to a platform and seat and the whole assembly would have been leaned against a tree. The other part looks to be a safety bar or something. without the rest of the pieces of the stand, it is so much scrap metal

Re-purpose it into a garden trellis!!! LOL. Wingbone has accurately identified and described it IMO.

Do not use it, those things aren't strong when new. It isn't worth anything unless you can sell it to a scrap dealer. I would not sell it or give it to another hunter because it may fail.

With the seat part missing that has some jagged teeth that actually backs up and attaches to the tree, it's not worth much unless a guy knows what he's doing and can fix it up and make it usable and safe. I have to disagree with the "not safe when new" comment though because I have 8 or 9 of them and if used properly they are a lot safer to hunt up in the air out of than a climber stand or a hang on that you have to go up strap on steps or screw-in steps to climb a tree with. Many public properties will not allow screw-in steps and that means you either sit on the ground, use a climber, strap on steps, or one of these. I use a harness and stand on the top of mine when I bow hunt and sit on it when I'm using a rifle. I went to them about 15 years ago and quit using the hang-on stands with screw-in steps for safety reasons as I got into my 50s. When sitting I'm about 17' at shoulder height and when standing about 20-21'.

Top, I am not saying the ladder stands are unsafe, I am saying I am not impressed with the quality of those chinzy ladders. I bought a ladderstand, and sold it before I ever put it up after I saw my brother climbing up the ladder tubing to his stand started to bend. He had to get a second brace to put between the ladder and the tree after the company replaced the ladder section that bent to make it safe. Now he is a big boy, but not heavier than the ladderstand instructions said the stand could hold. Nothing wrong with the stand, just the ladder.

Also Top, they make strap on steps now to use on public lands instead of the screw ins. They also make nice ladder type steps, strap on, with 3 or 4 steps on each piece. I prefer the hang on's for several reasons but the MAIN one is weight. Them dang ladder stands, while yes they are nice and easy to set up and get in and out of, are friggin heavy and very hard to manage. Especially if you hunt out in no mans land where I go. Haul one of them Ladder rigs a mile or so in the heavy brush and you will NEVER do it again!

As far as the posters question goes, you have scrap metal there. Should be high end aluminium so you should get a few bucks for it. Other than that it is pretty much worthless unless you take bugsnbows advice. That would make a very nice trellis!

I don't think the ladders are chinzy if you put the stands together properly and follow the directions. For those not familiar with these stands, they should notice the section on the far right in that picture where there is a U shaped bracket in the middle of the one rung. That is where a 4' steel bar is attached to that section, which is the middle of the three sections. The opposite end has a halfmoon shaped piece that goes against the tree and it is held in place with a length of parachute cord such that when you get up into that section, which is out about 4' from the tree, the steel bar keeps the ladder straight and rigid. If that bar was not on there, I'm sure the ladder would bend inward and be unsafe, exactly as you mentioned. It sounds like from what you're saying that your brother is pretty heavy and may not climb up as close to the ladder with his body as they are designed for and that's why he ended up putting a second bar on. I only weigh 165# and, therefore, go up and down them very easily with no bend at all in that section with just the one bar holding it straight so it doesn't bend in towards the tree like you described. I'd much rather have both hands free to go up and down those ladders than to use the old screw-in steps or even the strap on ones where it's a lot easier for your foot to slip off a step.

super hunt54---Those ladders are made of fairly heavy steel, not aluminum! I'm also familiar with both the individual and lengthier strap on steps and mentioned them in my first post. I certainly won't argue about their weight and that's why I put each one up to stay and have only moved one or two of them over the years. I chain them to the tree with a lock at the top just loose enough so a tree doesn't grow around them and that also makes it an extra safeguard than just having a rachet strap holding the top seat area against the tree.

Must have been a while since you have bought one Topper, they haven't made those ladder stands out of steel in 15+ years. At least none I have seen. They are made from "aircraft aluminium". The same stuff climbers and strapon/chainon stands are.

Not that long ago and I'd suggest you research a subject before you make a comment like that! Of the 30+ stands I just looked at online at Cabelas and MidwayUSA there is only one single or double ladder stand that still isn't made of steel just like I mentioned. It is a stand called a "Leverage" that's made of aluminum and is $300 through Midway. Why do you think these stands are all so heavy, as they sure wouldn't be if they were made with aluminum materials like you stated!