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Muddy Pro Stick Failure

TomM said:
I have had a set of muddy sticks since 2012 and have had absolutely no problem with them.
Click to expand...

Tom,
Muddys have already had one recall. There were several step failures from 2018 sticks.
Be careful, and the thread is a year old! Lol



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Thanks. There was a recall in 2013 affecting certain ropes installed on the steps. Mine were not affected. Looking at some of the pictures in this thread the new steps seem to be quite different compared to the ones I have. Mine seem to be more finished.
 
TomM said:
Thanks. There was a recall in 2013 affecting certain ropes installed on the steps. Mine were not affected. Looking at some of the pictures in this thread the new steps seem to be quite different compared to the ones I have. Mine seem to be more finished.
Click to expand...

It was not the ropes that were defective, components of the sticks were failing. They used the color of the rope as an identifier of the specific run of sticks that had the issue.
 
"Houston we've had a problem", as consumers of hunting equip. we are demanding lighter and more efficient products and we are getting what we have ask for. Some mfg. may be a all in safty minded and some may be out the door minded, it is good to see these kind of post so we cam make our own call on what is acceptable. Just wonder what the pass rate is on equip, like 99%, 99.9% or 100%, if 99% which seems high it means 1 out of a hundred could fail, in steps that is a lot.
 
I have the 1st generation Muddy Sticks. I have 24 of them and not one failure in nearly two decades! Not sure I’d give the new ones a try.
 
I think at one point Muddy recalled sticks for failures like this. Looks like they still have the issue. Most unfortunate.
 
I really was looking forward to getting some muddy pros this season and you all have made me rethink it....
 
That’s unfortunate because the muddy pro sticks are almost the perfect stick. Smaller, you get 4, super easy and fast strapping to the tree with the cam cleat. It’s a shame they had so many durability issues.
 
Jwiggins762 said:
I really was looking forward to getting some muddy pros this season and you all have made me rethink it....
Click to expand...
I have the 2018 muddy pros. I only have a few climbs in them, a few being practice and I got a buck opening day last year so didn't actually hunt much with them. I just got a set of 2019 Hawk Heliums and haven't had a chance to do a practice climb with them yet.

With those caveats, my observations are as follows.

4 muddy sticks vs 3 full length hawk heliums are probably ballpark comparable in weight.

The cam cleat on the muddy sticks is very fast. You can set a stick in 5 or 10 seconds tops. I just got some 8mm rope today to try with the hawks rather than the strap that comes with them. I used one of the helium sticks with the stock strap to set a trail camera high and it was awkward even at ground level, so I don't want to proceed with that. Even if everything works as planned, I expect it will definitely take longer to set them given the way I need to thread around the button. However, I don't expect it will be too bad, especially with practice.

Both have foldable steps, but the hawks seem a lot more stable with the way the steps rest against the frame. The muddy pros have some play in the step as it's a separate assembly more on the front of the stick. I don't notice it too much, except when I'm standing on the top step to set my tether.

I think the heliums stack better, but the suction cups alone aren't enough.

In sum, there are pros and cons with each, but for me personally I prefer the Hawks slightly based on my experience so far.

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sweats said:
I have the 2018 muddy pros. I only have a few climbs in them, a few being practice and I got a buck opening day last year so didn't actually hunt much with them. I just got a set of 2019 Hawk Heliums and haven't had a chance to do a practice climb with them yet.

With those caveats, my observations are as follows.

4 muddy sticks vs 3 full length hawk heliums are probably ballpark comparable in weight.

The cam cleat on the muddy sticks is very fast. You can set a stick in 5 or 10 seconds tops. I just got some 8mm rope today to try with the hawks rather than the strap that comes with them. I used one of the helium sticks with the stock strap to set a trail camera high and it was awkward even at ground level, so I don't want to proceed with that. Even if everything works as planned, I expect it will definitely take longer to set them given the way I need to thread around the button. However, I don't expect it will be too bad, especially with practice.

Both have foldable steps, but the hawks seem a lot more stable with the way the steps rest against the frame. The muddy pros have some play in the step as it's a separate assembly more on the front of the stick. I don't notice it too much, except when I'm standing on the top step to set my tether.

I think the heliums stack better, but the suction cups alone aren't enough.

In sum, there are pros and cons with each, but for me personally I prefer the Hawks slightly based on my experience so far.

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Click to expand...

Awesome thanks for the comparison of the two, I originally was going to get the heliums and then started seeing the cam cleat for the pros and was sold. Then I started reading this post and started to change my mind.... I ordered 4 cranford steps today for $40. If I like them and think I can be quiet but also put them up quick then I will order 8 more and that will be my climbing method for the upcoming season. If not then I'm either going with the heliums or pros.
 
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