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Ring of steps Platform

kidneystones_3000

kidneystones_3000

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 19, 2019
Messages
293
From the information I have gathered from what I read on saddlehunter.com and from YouTube videos squirrel steps are the best Ring of steps platform there is they are very light weight and very quiet. This is just my opinion but paying $26.00 for one step is way over priced for a very basic design. It’s not like their designing the Eiffel tower. To be honest if I had the opportunity to mark up the price for a tree step that high I would do the same thing more power to them.

My question is this is there a cheaper version of Squirrel Steps that is available if you have any suggestions please let me know thanks.
 
You could go with bullman steps. You can get a ring of steps from them for 65.00. however, bullman steps will not come close to the packability of squirrel steps. My personal preference when I use my squirrel steps is to use a ratchet strap so I can get them glued to the tree. Even with a ratchet strap I can fit all five steps and the ratchet into a tethrd pouch and still fit my backband in there as well. 26 bucks per step is high but they are a good product
 
Some people cant stand the thought of people making a profit. As he does more research he will see that they are pretty competitively priced.
 
Before you throw stones you should probably look at raw material cost as well as machine/tool cost and upkeep cost. Not trying to be rude here but the profit on these things is very minimal and the time involved for a well trained machinist has to be worth something.
Of course, you don't HAVE to buy them, but if you do you will clearly see their value compared to any other ROS on the market today.
 
25 x 5 = 125 (+ a little extra for a strap and buckle)

Predator platform = $180

When you compare it to other platforms, it's a perfectly reasonable price. And I can almost guarantee you that a cast platform is cheaper to make than a machine step.

You can scrounge around and find old APIs, but they won't be cheaper, and they won't be milled in the US.
 
Yeah it’s high but it’s a niche product someone is making specifically for us from our research and trial and error designs. None of the big name manufactures with lots of backing would listen to us and use their sources to get them made in volume over seas for cheap.
I look at it as my platform. 5 steps with OCB and strap cost me almost $150 shipped.
A $150 platform that I can put in my pocket made buy one of our own. That’s why I have 2 sets.
I also have a ROS of ameristeps that I don’t use any more. But if you knew what I had to go through to get that back in the day.......let’s just say I’m thrilled to be able to pay $150 and get a ROS ready to hunt any time I want.
 
To answer your question yes there are cheaper options. The bull man mentioned above. Thanks to squirrel steps ameristeps can be had for 15-20 per step. Previously they were 20-30 per step. There are other previously manufactured options available to those that look but they aren’t cheap unless they stumble across someone that doesn’t know their value.
 
If you wanted them cheaper you always could just buy a $200,000+ water jet table that would eliminate the machining cost
 
If you want to see how I made mine out of t-bar you can search, very crude tree step. Sorry I'm having a hard time copying the link to bring you directly to it. Maybe one of the other guys here can help
 
Oh yeah one more thing. Just so you know I have all my blanks cut out and have only made one step. Once DanO came out with his ring of steps and the Predator platform came out I abandon the project.
 
In a free market society you can always choose not to buy a product. if enough people are like minded the price will come down or the product will go away.

Personally I don't mind paying top dollar for gear that works for me. I bought the crazy $25 per step ameristeps at one point because , well it was the best thing going. Now I wouldn't give $10 for one as there are far better products out there IMO.

As far as the predator, I will gladly pay 180 dollars for it, every day of the week. When I first started DIYing a cam over platforms, not many were doing it (only Klemz and those seats were getting scarce as heck), I was spending that much on parts and my time was worth something. I probably had 5-10 hours in a DIY when you include testing - since I make a fair wage at work, and my hunting time is highly valuable to me, that is hardly a good return on investment. Now I let Ernie and Greg waste their free time supplying me a far superior product and I go scouting.
 
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Maybe spend an evening or two reading through the "Calling All Ameristep Users" thread. It should provide some perspective to the time and effort it took to develop the Squirrel Steps and what was available previous to them.
 
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