groomerdriver

I'm in the market for my 1st treestand.I have 3 kids, and the oldest is hunting for his 1st time this year, but for the next several years, I'll be using this thing on a yearly basis. Mainly gun, and possibly bow. I'm looking at 2-man ladder stands by the following companies (I can get these locally):

RiversEdge
Big Dog
Big Game

All 3 of the companies say "buy ours because it's better"..or "look at the pros that use our stands". I know thepros get their stuff for free or at a reduced cost to promote the product, so don't tell me that's a good reason.

I don't want to be penny wise ($100 Big Dog - Big Bud stand from Dunham's) or dollar foolish ($200 Rivers Edge - Double Buck Extreme from Gander Mtn).There are stands that are $130 (R-Edge), $170 (Big Game) and a few others in this range.

It looks like the biggest advertised differences between them are height, seat/back pads and to some degree, platform size.They're all made of steel and have some type of painted finish on them (powder or wet).

I am not a hunting fanatic, and this thing will get used 5-7 days/year then get put away. Ido wantit to be solid, as I'm not crazy aboutbeing 15-20' in the air.

Any thoughts out there? I'm not asking you to spend my money for me, but your thoughts and experiences with these stands are very welcome!!!

Thanks!

timbercruiser

I buy ladder stands that are made locally out of different sizes of aluminum conduit. Welded and very well made. I bought 4 more two man stands this year that have a frame to put aluminum roofing 4' x 4' tops on them and they ran $250 each, but they should last 25 or more years. I have some older 1 man stands that are at least 8 years old and they look as good as the day I bought them. Look at the size metal, I like aluminum because it is easier/lighter to move and it doesn't rust. Avoid bolted together stands.

tazimna

I have a number of the 2 man rivers edge stands. they run about $125 in my neck of the woods. For the $$$, think it's best on the market. It's 12' high, easily wide enough for a father/son combo comfortably. Two adults would be cramped, but could be done. I think the weight limit is 500#, so it'll hold enough weight. Comes with removable shooting rail, and a safety strap. The best thing is that it has 2 ratchet points so you can really crank it down tight. Some of the 2 man stands have only one ratchet point, and it makes a BIG difference. Buy it and you won't be dissapointed.Happy Hunting! Taz

bigtim6656

i bought a 100 stand 2 man from walmart unsure of brand it came with two saftey harness and i way close to 400 pounds and it holds me no proplem for a cheap stand there great the only thing i did not like was the cheap ropes and starps which can be replaced cheap and easy they have a shooting rail which is great for gun hunting and can fold back out of the way for bow hunting and it comes with a seat pad and shooting rail pad

it is 12 feet tall but you can get 4 foot sections of ladder to make it taller

StillHunter90

Ya my neighbor has 2 of them. There really decent. I think theyt are comfort zone or something like that.

PABuck_HNTR

Rivers Edge

groomerdriver

Why do you recommend them?

XzyluM

If you look around on the forums, the Big Game Big Buddy stand seems to be well worth the money. I haven't used it personally, but am thinking about either getting that or one of the single models. If you haven't made up your mind within a week, I will be able to get you my personal review on the Big Game brand. But after doing my research, they seem to be worth it. Was recently on sale at Bass Pro for $149.

PABuck_HNTR

I have 2 of their ladder stands now and haven't had any noise issues or problems with them. I don't have a double, but the singles work fine for my purposes. I still use my Summit Climber most of the time , but on the right days I'll climb the ladder stands.