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Step platform users

Nutterbuster said:
I'm confused by the folks that don't like the boat buckle. Mine gets tighter than a fat man's waistband. I tried a ratchet once, and bent the handle trying to crank it down as tight as the OCB.

Different strokes, I guess.
Click to expand...
To date the boat buckle was the single most important game changing device that I've added to my mobile set up.
 
How long is the strap you use for Ameristeps platforn? Assuming using an OCB.

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Nutterbuster said:
6ft for mine. I stay away from really big trees. Lots of guys go with 8ft.
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Perfect! I just so happen to have a 6 ft piece of tubular webbing from various aider projects. Love it when a "plan" comes together!

Thanks!

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TNSTAAFL said:
Perfect! I just so happen to have a 6 ft piece of tubular webbing from various aider projects. Love it when a "plan" comes together!

Thanks!

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Click to expand...
If it's nylon it will most likely stretch and give you a headache. I use a heavy duty polyester strap, which doesn't stretch and locks down tight. Not saying don't try it, but keep in mind it may not be as tight as it could be.
 
Nutterbuster said:
If it's nylon it will most likely stretch and give you a headache. I use a heavy duty polyester strap, which doesn't stretch and locks down tight. Not saying don't try it, but keep in mind it may not be as tight as it could be.
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We'll...good point. Not sure what it is but probably nylon. Maybe the "plan" will have to change.
Is there a particular source for your heavy duty poly strap?

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TNSTAAFL said:
We'll...good point. Not sure what it is but probably nylon. Maybe the "plan" will have to change.
Is there a particular source for your heavy duty poly strap?

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Click to expand...
Strapworks. I want to say I went with whatever @redsquirrel recommended in the OCB sticky. Got it with the built-in, rubber coated flat hook.
 
Nutterbuster said:
I'm confused by the folks that don't like the boat buckle. Mine gets tighter than a fat man's waistband. I tried a ratchet once, and bent the handle trying to crank it down as tight as the OCB.

Different strokes, I guess.
Click to expand...

redsquirrel said:
To date the boat buckle was the single most important game changing device that I've added to my mobile set up.
Click to expand...

I’ve had two problems with it.
1. I could get it tight but after I moved around on it for a while, because the steps would kind of seat themselves into the tree bark, the whole thing would become lose. Then you have to loosen the whole thing to tighten it rather than just cranking the ratchet.
2. Several times in moving around the tree the toe of my boot or a step sliding sideways would push the handle of the buckle and open it up. Then everything gives way.

I know I won’t have to deal with either of those with a ratchet. I also know I can get the ratchet real tight without making much noise.

If someone made a really strong, small OCB that I could really crank down on without bending it (I’ve had that problem too) and if it wasn’t huge, then I’d stick with the OCB.

What do you say?


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Cajunshooter said:
I’ve had two problems with it.
1. I could get it tight but after I moved around on it for a while, because the steps would kind of seat themselves into the tree bark, the whole thing would become lose. Then you have to loosen the whole thing to tighten it rather than just cranking the ratchet.
2. Several times in moving around the tree the toe of my boot or a step sliding sideways would push the handle of the buckle and open it up. Then everything gives way.

I know I won’t have to deal with either of those with a ratchet. I also know I can get the ratchet real tight without making much noise.

If someone made a really strong, small OCB that I could really crank down on without bending it (I’ve had that problem too) and if it wasn’t huge, then I’d stick with the OCB.

What do you say?


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Click to expand...
Here's the link to the buckle I use:

https://www.amazon.com/BoatBuckle-T...buckle&qid=1537219617&sr=8-15&ref=mp_s_a_1_15

It's the one papasquirrel recommends. I love it. It's tiny, weighs practically nothing, but is rated for 1200 lbs. If you can break it camming it over, you're a better man than me. I've never had it come undone. There's not a lot to bump with your boot, and even if you did it locks down pretty tight.

I use a poly strap and bow up on that buckle like I mean bizness. Red says loosen it a little before you cam it, but I don't. I force that bad boy over. I walk my steps down at the start of the hunt to snug them up. They very rarely make noise. I won't say never, but it's no noisier than anything else I've tried.

I'm not out anything if you use a ratchet. It may work great for you. But I love me some OCB. If you want to give it a shot, this is the one to use.
 
Nutterbuster said:
Here's the link to the buckle I use:

https://www.amazon.com/BoatBuckle-T...buckle&qid=1537219617&sr=8-15&ref=mp_s_a_1_15

It's the one papasquirrel recommends. I love it. It's tiny, weighs practically nothing, but is rated for 1200 lbs. If you can break it camming it over, you're a better man than me. I've never had it come undone. There's not a lot to bump with your boot, and even if you did it locks down pretty tight.

I use a poly strap and bow up on that buckle like I mean bizness. Red says loosen it a little before you cam it, but I don't. I force that bad boy over. I walk my steps down at the start of the hunt to snug them up. They very rarely make noise. I won't say never, but it's no noisier than anything else I've tried.

I'm not out anything if you use a ratchet. It may work great for you. But I love me some OCB. If you want to give it a shot, this is the one to use.
Click to expand...

That’s the one I used all last year with the Ameristep strap. I’m on my second one. The second one I modified because it wanted to pull the rivets out again. I flared the rivets more to make them tighter and I bent the hook bar closer to the buckle so it wouldn’t have as much leverage on the rivets, but instead would have to sheer them. I literally bent the rivets that hold the hook bar to the buckle. I wouldn’t say I’m a better man than you, but you just did.

It may be rated for 1200 lbs but I’d bet that’s tested in the locked position, not when it being locked over.

I just don’t want to have to deal with this up in a tree and I don’t see any way a ratchet could have these problems.




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Nutterbuster said:
I'm confused by the folks that don't like the boat buckle. Mine gets tighter than a fat man's waistband. I tried a ratchet once, and bent the handle trying to crank it down as tight as the OCB.

Different strokes, I guess.
Click to expand...
Do you have a link to the boat buckle that you use

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Cajunshooter said:
That’s the one I used all last year with the Ameristep strap. I’m on my second one. The second one I modified because it wanted to pull the rivets out again. I flared the rivets more to make them tighter and I bent the hook bar closer to the buckle so it wouldn’t have as much leverage on the rivets, but instead would have to sheer them. I literally bent the rivets that hold the hook bar to the buckle. I wouldn’t say I’m a better man than you, but you just did.

It may be rated for 1200 lbs but I’d bet that’s tested in the locked position, not when it being locked over.

I just don’t want to have to deal with this up in a tree and I don’t see any way a ratchet could have these problems.




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Click to expand...
lol, guess I stepped in that one!

Maybe it has something to do with my slender, elven frame. I'm 6ft and only a buck-seventy. Definitely hope a ratchet works for you.

@Steve, see above. I put the link there since the question keeps coming up.
 
Nutterbuster said:
lol, guess I stepped in that one!

Maybe it has something to do with my slender, elven frame. I'm 6ft and only a buck-seventy. Definitely hope a ratchet works for you.

@Steve, see above. I put the link there since the question keeps coming up.
Click to expand...

Yeah I don’t really know what to make of it but I fought it all the way through the end of last season and decided I wan’t going to do it again this year. I almost did this, but just got tired of fighting with it. If the two rivets were drilled out and a stainless screw with a lock nut were put in the place of each rivet, it would be rock solid. I may do this if I have problems with the ratchet.


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Grrrr. I just ordered a flat hook from there. Couldn't find one already on a strap.

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TNSTAAFL said:
Grrrr. I just ordered a flat hook from there. Couldn't find one already on a strap.

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Click to expand...
This is the best hook I've tried. Vinyl coated with round corners. The one with square corners doesn't have as pronounced of a hook and is prone to slip off.

FH-368-T.jpg
 
redsquirrel said:
This is the best hook I've tried. Vinyl coated with round corners. The one with square corners doesn't have as pronounced of a hook and is prone to slip off.

FH-368-T.jpg
Click to expand...

Is that from Strapworks Red?


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