XOP platform snapped!

[JEEF]

I see that user "Thill" posted this happening to him on Oct. 28th: https://saddlehunter.com/community/index.php?threads/snapped-platform.9924/#post-149449

Well just happened to me up in the tree while night hunting for hogs.... I took a couple of pics and a video that I posted links to:

Always make sure you guys are strapped TO THE TREE before stepping onto your platform, you never know what will happen!

 

[ricky racer]

As I've said before, seats were never intended to be platforms. If they were, they'd be built heavier like platforms. Glad you're okay.

 

[Carcher87]

Did it break stepping while standing on it or during the cam over?

 

[JEEF]

Did it break stepping while standing on it or during the cam over?

It broke about 30 minutes into my sit, I was standing up to stretch when it snapped. Used it pretty heavily for about a year and for the past two week I left it outside on a tree. I've never cammed it very heavily, always thought the strap would be the first thing to break (LW strap + buckle).

 

[enkriss]

I had a Vanish XT break on me and wrote off XOP after that. Yet more evidence to stay far far away.

 

[kenn1320]

It's a casting, and from China no telling what material. I love mine, hope it doesn't snap. Someone needs to come out with a tubular weldment as billet would be expensive and seems predator is having trouble meeting demand.

 

[alwayshuntin]

Scary. glad you're alright.

 

[Deltahuntr]

Glad you are safe. That is dangerous and unexpected when a platform breaks out from underneath you. I’m currently using a shop rider type platform and have not seen any posts on them breaking. Fingers crossed and lineman’s or tether 100 %. Y’all be safe and good luck!

 

[JEEF]

Thanks fellas, I have some spare aluminum tubing from dual step ideas that I'm going to mess around with today for a platform with ROS.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

 

[DaveH]

What's really interesting is that both casting failures occurred in almost the exact same spot. I sure do like my XOP platform but my old ROS is starting to look better and better.

 

[sureshotscott]

As I've said before, seats were never intended to be platforms. If they were, they'd be built heavier like platforms. Glad you're okay.

I'm sure we agree we want hunters to not have critical gear failures and possible injury. But it sounds like you're placing blame here on the consumer, and/or whomever supplied the seat-conversion-to-platform parts or services. Do the instructions for the XOP product that was the original source for the seat say, "Never put 100% of your weight on the seat component" ??? I bet it doesn't. If the instructions say that, then maybe XOP can say the product is being misused. Otherwise, it looks like XOP is shipping defective product.

I don't have an axe to grind with XOP. We're doing some cutting-edge mods to existing/new gear, there will be occasional accidents. There is a lack of open destructive torture-testing on this gear. You can find lots of torture-test youtube vids on firearms and related accessories, not much similar stuff for hunting-specific climbing gear. I guess we have the TMA to thank for that.

 

[ricky racer]

I'm sure we agree we want hunters to not have critical gear failures and possible injury. But it sounds like you're placing blame here on the consumer, and/or whomever supplied the seat-conversion-to-platform parts or services. Do the instructions for the XOP product that was the original source for the seat say, "Never put 100% of your weight on the seat component" ??? I bet it doesn't. If the instructions say that, then maybe XOP can say the product is being misused. Otherwise, it looks like XOP is shipping defective product.

I don't have an axe to grind with XOP. We're doing some cutting-edge mods to existing/new gear, there will be occasional accidents. There is a lack of open destructive torture-testing on this gear. You can find lots of torture-test youtube vids on firearms and related accessories, not much similar stuff for hunting-specific climbing gear. I guess we have the TMA to thank for that.

I don't know anything about the quality of XOP components, so I'm not addressing that issue. In my opinion, the use of a product in a manner that it was obviously never designed for is the reason we see these platform failures. I don't think a manufactured needs to necessarily list everything you shouldn't do while using their product to allow consumers to make good judgments while using them. That list would be endless. Lawyers might disagree but somewhere common sense needs to prevail.

My point is that if the seat was made to support the 300 lb. weight limit most stands are rated for, it would be made as robust as the platform portion of the stand it was attached to. Common sense would dictate that since the seat portion of the platform is built much lighter and less robust than the platform it most likely wasn't designed to support a hunters full weight. While sitting, only a portion of the hunters weight is supported and generally the hunters weight is evenly distributed across the full portion of the seat. When a hunter is standing on the seat and shifts his weight from one foot to the other he can put his full weight on one corner of the seat placing torsional strain on the casting which in my view can cause enough strain to allow the material to yield in some cases. I don't think you can blame a manufacturer for a component failure if it is being used in a manner that it was never designed for all I'm saying. I feel that the person who used the component in a manner that it was not designed for is where the blame really belongs if we wanted to place blame.