I have a question and would appreciate some feedback if your interested.

I am contemplating a new treestand design and was wondering if anyone feels the current offerings of higher end lock-ons i.e. Lonewolf and Millennium are.

1. Worth the price,fairly priced, overpriced?
2. Too noisy
3. Comfortable enough
4. What is the maximum reasonable price a dedicated hunter would be willing to pay for a super quite and comfortable lock on if it were as comfortable as a Millennium, lite as a lonewolf, and quitter than either.

To me, it is really hard to beat Millennium lock-ons. It is about perfect to me for bowhunting and very comfortable. I would not pay more than a few hundred as I'm very satisfied with the millennium and feel they have a good value for the price. I also think lone wolf are overpriced.

I have always felt there would be a good market for reasonably priced quality ladder steps. The real cheap ones work OK but the nice name-brand ones are almost as much as the stand. Seems the fabricating should be much easier and cheaper for the steps. Since I have a wish list going, make the steps in sets that go to 15 feet.

BTW, I'll be glad to beta test your prototypes!

Price is what keeps me from buying them. I spend too much money in this hobby as is. However, lone wolf still sales a pile of stands every year. Just something to think about.Honestly I buy 3 or 4 comfortable climbers and can do whatever I want vs a stationary stand. My problem with stationary stands is generally too much pressure in one spot. But lockons are convenient not having to tote everywhere

I have two Millennium lock-ons with a half dozen brackets & 20' stick combos. I also have a Millennium climber.

I like Millenniums.

IMO you will be hard pressed to beat the Millennium.
Its the most comfortable stand on the market, lightweight, quiet, and the bracket system is huge in making the stand's price feel more economical as you amortize it on multiple stand sites. A new stand site is a $25 bracket & $35 stick. Hard to beat that.

i've used LW and Ol' Man lock-ons. I like them both. I bought the LW climbing sticks for my LW lock-ons. Actually, I perfer screw in steps. EZYCLIMB screw in steps and a lock-on is a very mobile and deadly combo for me.

Interesting comments please keep them coming, I am trying to figure out if this is a worthwhile investment before sinking time and money into a difficult market space.

As said above Milleniums are hard to beat. I would say they are overpriced but worth it at the same time. To me they are plenty comfortable and not very noisy. I would say price wise whatever the Milleniums are going for

Milleniums

You make something that packs tight, hangs quiet, and blends in like a lone wolf and is as comfortable as a millenium and made of carbon or something super light weight. ..hunters will buy it.

To me, lock ons seem dangerous. I've never used one, so I probably shouldn't even comment, but that's the big drawback for me. A ladder stand seems safer, though its probably not.

This is where I am going.

Whats lite enough?

Quite I don't think anything will compete with the approach I am working on.

As for carbon I know some are looking at this now and the sticks I am working on are based on a composite approach.

A Millennium seat is the best around in my opinion if they ever come up with some armrest, I don't know what you could do that would be more comfortable.

No offense to anyone, but I would not want to be testing anything that hangs from a tree, is supposed to hold me up, and has "version 1.0" scribbled on it with a sharpie.

Mighty tall order.

Hell, make one and see what happens. Never hurts to try, you
Might end up redefing the tree stand world.

Free design concept idea. What if you could build a lightweight climber that converted into a wheeled cart to pack out the deer with? I think that would sell to people that hunted WMA's that don't allow motorized vehicles.

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There is one on the market -don't know about lightweight though.

If I were a builder of this kind of stuff I don't think I'd try to reinvent the wheel.
On our hunting lease we get a big spot and do with it as we please -plant your own plots -hang your feeders/stands etc. there is no checking in and pinning different locations. The center of our lease is a several hundred acre swamp that anybody is welcome to hunt -I'm told I'm the only person who ever "went in".
This seems to be how most of the leases here work and I like it.


SO I think a stand that is a specialty type stand would maybe be something a guy could build and sell regionally .
I have wished for a big comfy hang on stand that could be locked on very securely -one that would be comfy to sit in for long hours.
I have did several all nighters for trophy boars and a stand like that would easily pull money out of my wallet.
Maybe design it with cheap wheels accessory for places that you can't get a truck/quad into.
I have a gorilla hang on mallmart special that I use -I get in it w/a 28' ladder -I'd love to have a big barka lounger stand with a huge platform . A nice canopy over head in case it rains .
Something big and roomy enough that I could use my lightweight backpacking stuff to boil water for coffee or a Mountain House meal.
Something big enough to lay down on .
There are places in our swamp where I can see 200+ yards because the wet ground drowns the under brush . Build a solid rifle shooting rest on the stand or offer it as an option , a rest that would give a guy the confidence to shoot long range under low wind conditions of coarse.
I have went up a stand in the evening and not come down until two hours after sun-up the next day -of coarse we can night hunt here so a stand like I speak of would be nice.
OK good luck !
Mike

I'd say the price of milleniums is probably a good target if you have something that is as good or better. The problem I see with treestands is there is too much competition and not any huge improvements to be made. Basically you could spend all that money and make something equal or slightly better, but you have a very small chance of really really improving designs. Plus, I'm sure that insurance would be out the ass. It would take a huge marketing drive to get on the map, and once you are there, you have to continue innovating or go out of business.

In theory, If you had a stand, that you could put side by side with a millennium, a summit, lonewolf, etc, and a hunter would pick yours 9/10, then you could make it. If you have one that a hunter would pick 5/10 then you won't. That is my take.

Now if you could design some kind of polymer or composite engineering process that allowed you to offer a stand as good as a millennium at a cut rate, then you would be in business.

You either need a stand that is leaps and bounds better than anything on the market, or a stand that is comparable, and can be had for a reduced price.

This...In my opinion nothing will beat a millennium for comfort or ease of use so why reinvent the wheel? However, provide equal comfort, ease of use, quality, and safety at a significantly reduced price and you have just become the new name of the treestand industry! It has to be a significant price reduction though, if not people will buy the name they know. Provide all of this and before the end of bow season you want be able to produce enough of them.

One other thought when discussing hang-on stands...all new stands come with a safety harness now. What if yours came with a life-line in every box? Tremendous safety feature that no other stand offers and keeps hunters from buying an additional piece of equipment for a new stand they just bought.

Good luck!

MWE is this lease in florida? That is how a lot of the Mormon land hunting clubs in central florida are done. Most clubs in bama aren't run like that.