I've been hunting off the Predator for three years now and haven't found anything that suits
my needs in a platform better. I've tried a bunch of others (my saddle collection is only surpassed by my platform collection
) and I keep going back to the Predator as my go to. As far breakage I've had no issues and my Gen 2 has been on the tree over 200 times and I'm in the upper range of weight so I don't have any qualms about it's strength. Some of the perceived downsides I've seen mentioned are exactly things I like about it (primarily size). I've tried other options that hold to the tree better but I've found the Predator to be more than sufficient and it's a trade off I'm willing to accept for the platform size that suits me.
I'm going to guess that a lot of guys who are selling are looking for something that suits
their individual needs a little better. They may be looking for a little larger platform or something that locks to the tree just a bit better. Coming from a big tree stand platform to the smaller surface area of the Predator may not be comfortable for them in the tree. It's also time of the year for a lot of guys to offload gear with the intent of trying something different. I know I've bought a bunch of platforms trying to make sure I wasn't missing out on the next best option.
I guess what I'm trying to say is there are a lot of options out there now and I don't personally think there are any serious issues with any of them,including the Predator. They just all fit a slightly different need.