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Predator First Impression

fathead88 said:
It didn't do anything scary at all. It didn't even move, the corner just broke away. I was tethered in when I was on it and it didn't even make me nervous, just disappointed that it snapped. By the way, I'm probably 185 with everything I had on at the time, I'm prob not considered a "Heavy weight" by the saddle hunter crew standards.:)
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Did you kick down when you cammed it over or applied constant pressure?
Sorry for the 20 Questions just curious here
 
Just cammed it over normally like I always do on my Lone Wolfs. Nice and smooth but it was definitely tight. the teeth usually dig into the bark some.
 
I have a feeling there was a flaw in the aluminum. I've seen some really crazy stuff in all kinds of steel, stainless steel, and aluminum stock and cast parts. Hairline cracks and air pockets are not exactly a rarity.
 
Has anyone already swapped the strap for Amsteel Blue?


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Spent some more time with the platform this morning. If the user recognizes when the angle of the platform is too steep to cam over, and they don’t use the tree to leverage their body in any way pushing down, should be fine. Once all weight is off the post, and you allow the post to rise slightly as you cam down, it works fine. I don’t think the smaller guys have anything to worry about. But I’d be careful with this thing. We have a handful of things in our kits that require thought and care, and this is one of em in my mind.

I still think an extra 10 ounces of aluminum would be a significant updgrade. It also creaks more than I would have anticipated. May need to tighten the bolting up. It’s already 90 degrees I’ll play with it later this evening.
 
There shouldn't be some special, secret way to hang a platform to prevent it from breaking. There will be all kinds of people hanging it whatever way they feel comfortable with just because they don't realize there is a certain way of doing it.
 
Country said:
There shouldn't be some special, secret way to hang a platform to prevent it from breaking. There will be all kinds of people hanging it whatever way they feel comfortable with just because they don't realize there is a certain way of doing it.
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In all my testing of the Predator I did absolutely nothing special or treated it any different than any other platform. I probably stressed it more than any other piece of gear I own. I only weigh 175 so maybe that had something to do with it? lol. But really, I wouldn't treat it like a fragile item. We all tested it with more weight than it would normally see and never had an issue. There will be fluke things happen and I feel bad @kyler1945 is having issues. I'm sure whatever issues found will be taken care of ;)
 
flinginairos said:
In all my testing of the Predator I did absolutely nothing special or treated it any different than any other platform. I probably stressed it more than any other piece of gear I own. I only weigh 175 so maybe that had something to do with it? lol. But really, I wouldn't treat it like a fragile item. We all tested it with more weight than it would normally see and never had an issue. There will be fluke things happen and I feel bad @kyler1945 is having issues. I'm sure whatever issues found will be taken care of ;)
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Like you said...it's probably just a fluke.
 
flinginairos said:
In all my testing of the Predator I did absolutely nothing special or treated it any different than any other platform. I probably stressed it more than any other piece of gear I own. I only weigh 175 so maybe that had something to do with it? lol. But really, I wouldn't treat it like a fragile item. We all tested it with more weight than it would normally see and never had an issue. There will be fluke things happen and I feel bad @kyler1945 is having issues. I'm sure whatever issues found will be taken care of ;)
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I'm not having issues. I'm having concerns. Another fellow had his platform break, and while hopeful it's just a bad casting, it broke exactly how I thought it would IF it did. I have no doubt I can use this thing effectively, just worried about how this is turning into a fad and there's going to be a whole bunch of inexperienced folks taking risks they're not aware of.
 
kyler1945 said:
Spent some more time with the platform this morning. If the user recognizes when the angle of the platform is too steep to cam over, and they don’t use the tree to leverage their body in any way pushing down, should be fine. Once all weight is off the post, and you allow the post to rise slightly as you cam down, it works fine. I don’t think the smaller guys have anything to worry about. But I’d be careful with this thing. We have a handful of things in our kits that require thought and care, and this is one of em in my mind.

I still think an extra 10 ounces of aluminum would be a significant updgrade. It also creaks more than I would have anticipated. May need to tighten the bolting up. It’s already 90 degrees I’ll play with it later this evening.
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Is is tight to the tree? There should be zero creak if its cam locked to the tree.

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BassBoysLLP said:
Is is tight to the tree? There should be zero creak if its cam locked to the tree.

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Yeh - I got it locked down tight. I do like how well it grabs. it was when I would put all weight on one back corner, then shift to the other. I should clarify it's more like a pop than a creak. The teeth don't move on the tree, its flexion around the bolt joint. I bet I just need to tighten it.
 
Stepped on my Predator this morning. It’s solid. No creaks or other sounds. It was spongey when I bounced a little. But I won’t bounce while hunting. I think as with most products if used appropriately the predator will perform superbly. It’s money well spent.


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All good feedback. We definitely need to build a how-to video to take all the guess work out of it.

I don't find it necessary to stand on the post and re-cam it. But I only weight 165 lbs so that may be the difference. When I attach the platform to the tree, I make sure the strap is as tight as humanly possible with the platform in the transport position. Then I push down on the post with one hand as hard as I can and cam the platform down with my other hand. At this point it's rock solid for me.
 
Another thing to consider. The Predator is designed to be used with the Mantis saddle supporting most of your weight. Please don't bounce on this thing like a trampoline! The Predator is a positioning aid, not a tree stand.

We feel like we hit the sweet spot with weight/size/strength. Sure, the Assassin is stronger, but it's a lot a heavier and bulkier. Everything is a trade off.
 
g2outdoors said:
All good feedback. We definitely need to build a how-to video to take all the guess work out of it.

I don't find it necessary to stand on the post and re-cam it. But I only weight 165 lbs so that may be the difference. When I attach the platform to the tree, I make sure the strap is as tight as humanly possible with the platform in the transport position. Then I push down on the post with one hand as hard as I can and cam the platform down with my other hand. At this point it's rock solid for me.
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I was never a huge fan of the extra cam over with my Lone Wolf Alpha (putting knee on seat and lifting up on platform with foot.) I found it to be kind of unnecessary, plus it can be noisy and I always noticed the occasional "pop" from the area where the stand contacted the tree. I think I'm going to try it like you said.
 
g2outdoors said:
Another thing to consider. The Predator is designed to be used with the Mantis saddle supporting most of your weight. Please don't bounce on this thing like a trampoline! The Predator is a positioning aid, not a tree stand.

We feel like we hit the sweet spot with weight/size/strength. Sure, the Assassin is stronger, but it's a lot a heavier and bulkier. Everything is a trade off.
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You built a great platform. Y’all did all the testing for us. We need to use it only for its intended purpose.


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g2outdoors said:
Another thing to consider. The Predator is designed to be used with the Mantis saddle supporting most of your weight. Please don't bounce on this thing like a trampoline! The Predator is a positioning aid, not a tree stand.

We feel like we hit the sweet spot with weight/size/strength. Sure, the Assassin is stronger, but it's a lot a heavier and bulkier. Everything is a trade off.
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I like this explanation. There's a big difference in a tree stand and a positioning aid. If you're not worried about weight, size, or packability, then the Predator may not be the best choice for you. It fills a void in the industry; it's not an outright replacement for something else. Rather, it provides hunters an option not previously available commercially. If you misuse a Ropeman1 or improperly load a carabiner, there is a potential for a catastrophic failure. Why would you expect to get away with haphazardly installing or misusing a platform? Be careful, follow directions closely. Remember the old adage "Low and Slow". You'll be fine. When you're a few miles in and realize you don't even notice the weight of your pack on your back, you'll be thanking these guys for making it happen in the safest way possible.
 
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