• The SH Membership has gone live. Only SH Members have access to post in the classifieds. All members can view the classifieds. Starting in 2020 only SH Members will be admitted to the annual hunting contest. Current members will need to follow these steps to upgrade: 1. Click on your username 2. Click on Account upgrades 3. Choose SH Member and purchase.
  • We've been working hard the past few weeks to come up with some big changes to our vendor policies to meet the changing needs of our community. Please see the new vendor rules here: Vendor Access Area Rules

Steppladder system with 1/4" amsteel

hauscaliber

hauscaliber

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 14, 2018
Messages
300

Interesting test using the 1/4" amsteel ropes vs the factory ropes. It will definitely make you question the benefits of switching to amsteel.
 
I’ll stick with my Amsteel for the fact that I hate stuffing the factory rope back into the bag. Just my quirk


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
 
Amsteel isn’t made to be used with knots and I’d say that’s why it slipped. Most saddle applications its spliced to avoid that.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
I've used amstell on stepps for far over a decade and have never had a problem. here's the thing, if you pack in a big front end loader throw in a couple half hitches if you want it in the tree.

What Amsteel does give you is it packs far easier, it remains flexible over time, and it is far less noisier than pulling the rope they supply through steps and across rough bark.
 
I just placed an order for 1/4” amsteel yesterday, only to see this video from wild edge when I got home. I’ll be using the amsteel for a bridge at least. I’ll test the amsteel on the stepps before fully committing. Video definitely made me question my choice of modifications.
 
Guff Dawg said:
I just placed an order for 1/4” amsteel yesterday, only to see this video from wild edge when I got home. I’ll be using the amsteel for a bridge at least. I’ll test the amsteel on the stepps before fully committing. Video definitely made me question my choice of modifications.
Click to expand...

And that is what we all have to do. I will point out that Amsteel in the video did NOT break - their rope did. Like I said above, if you are worried it will slip a couple half hitches will help.... I have never once had a problem with amsteel slipping on my sticks or stepps - not a single problem. But in the end we all have to decide what works best for our own application. For me the Stepp ropes supplied were a royal pain in the rear that got worse and worse over time.
 
DaveT1963 said:
And that is what we all have to do. I will point out that Amsteel in the video did NOT break - their rope did. Like I said above, if you are worried it will slip a couple half hitches will help.... I have never once had a problem with amsteel slipping on my sticks or stepps - not a single problem. But in the end we all have to decide what works best for our own application. For me the Stepp ropes supplied were a royal pain in the rear that got worse and worse over time.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the insight! That was my 1st impression out of the box, bulky & noisy. I fully understand that we all weigh out our individual risk & make those decisions based on what’s acceptable. My entire setup once I leave the ground has potential risk, but so does my drive to the property.......
 
One thing to note on that video.... look at the final images of the stepps, the amsteel one is bent all to hell. I’m not going to put enough force on these to bend that steel like that, so I won’t ever have to worry about the knot slipping. The fact that it held enough to bend the steel step impressed me enough to trust it.

b15a8c87503d3c31c4cb42759a2390d0.png



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Why is anyone concerned about testing with an excavator which is thousands of pounds beyond the intended loading. Maybe this proves that the supplied rope is better at very high loads, but not anywhere near the expected loading.
 
Kind of an unfair comparison test anyways. Even after the rope broke the front of the excavator was still off the ground meaning a good amount of force was being put on the tree. The amsteel test was lower on the tree and the bucket was used to pry the step away from the tree. Both applications are extremely over rated as stated by MJH, even with knots in amsteel it is more than likely 10-15 times stronger than a person would ever need, so use what works best for you.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
DaveT1963 said:
I've used amstell on stepps for far over a decade and have never had a problem. here's the thing, if you pack in a big front end loader throw in a couple half hitches if you want it in the tree.

What Amsteel does give you is it packs far easier, it remains flexible over time, and it is far less noisier than pulling the rope they supply through steps and across rough bark.
Click to expand...

A tree mounted front end loader sure would make a solid platform :)
 
My only issue with amsteel is getting the knot undone after a long sit or making fine adjustments. Most of these go away if you use the slip knot. At this point, I don't have a preference. The WE rope is easy to adjust, a bit more bulky and noisy, and more abrasive resistant. The amsteel is harder to adjust, less bulky, quieter, and less abrasive resistant. It's a splitting hairs comparison. I'm happy with both. It's not like I'm hanging a dozen of these steps. I use max 5 to climb to 35 feet. Use what makes you happy.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk
 
At 34 sec mark of that vid it appears they use the front-end-loader to cam the step over, and the whole thing basically slides down. Also looks like the step already had a bend in it.

I like destructive tests like this, but they need to be fair.
 
The test was not an apples to apples comparison. The step with the stock rope was pushed down, creating the lift on the machine. The test with the amsteel was pulling away from the tree... which would NOT create lift on the machine but rather pull the machine towards the tree which would be impossible with the giant blade on the front that acts as an anchor.

The results proved both ropes are more than strong enough for our application, so you really can't lose with either one. The amsteel imo is more convenient due to less bulk.
 
I was thinking why doesn't Wild Edge use Amstelel on their steps? Is it a liability issue or something else? Just wondering.
 
Apex7 said:
I was thinking why doesn't Wild Edge use Amstelel on their steps? Is it a liability issue or something else? Just wondering.
Click to expand...
Because amsteel is not designed for what most people are using it for on sticks and stepps. The breaking strength of amteel is drastically reduced when knots are tied in it. I know that it starts out with a huge original strength but it is not intended to be knotted.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top