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Wild edge step bent

N

Njjb122

Member
Joined
Jan 3, 2021
Messages
60
I just recieved my steps today climbed up and down 3 times i noticed 1 was really hard to cam in thought it was a user error then when i went to stack them back in the bag one of the legs that goes into the tree is bent now its only 1 of 2 thing it was made that way and didnt get noticed before being sent out or i bent it either caming into tree or stepping on im 5'8 210 so i doubt me climbing bent it so im hoping it was just made that way...i tried attaching photos it keeps saying image to big dont know why even tried camera feature...has anyone had this happen can they be bent caming into tree
 
It is possible to bend them when camming them down. You said one was "hard to cam" I'm guessing it was a little too tight and you bent the step when camming it. I've bent several, I've just put them in a vice and bent them back.
 
Wow any idea what the weight rating is on these if i can bend it by hand camming into a tree i dont really feel safe climbing on them
 
Its actually twisted not bent up or down like i would think camming in would bend it
 
I've bent them before by not having the rope on the underside of the fixed loop standoff side when camming. If the rope is routed over top it won't want to cam and you can generate a bunch of force to bend the leg. Now if I have an issue camming its the the first thing I look for. I have straightened mine just putting them in the Reese hitch of the truck and bending it back with no further issues. I can't say as though I've ever twisted one though.
 
Yea wish i could link a photo..ill call them tomorrow...i watched alot of videos how to use them i mean the others didnt bend i just assumed it was hard to cam cause it might of been like that already but i dont know for sure i cant say that was something i was looking for prior to using them...i honestly didnt even think it was possible i could see if your a 350lb gorilla and you hang on it to get it to cam or jump down on it but using average arm strength imo shouldnt bend these not if there rated for climbing but we'll see what happens when i speak with them tomorrow i didnt do my research properly if this is something that could happen i would of thought twice before purchasing
 
I'll tell you how strong they are. I was trying a knaider swaider and my foot kicked out from the tree. All 270 lbs of me was hanging sideways from one step, it could have been real bad.
 
You bent it because you didn’t have the rope going around standoff properly. The stepps are strong, well made, and the issue is user error.

bend it back straight with a vice and tie them on properly. You won’t bend anymore.
 
I bend mine once in a while. it is always 100% my fault. I try to cam them when they are too tight, or I cam them into an oddly shaped part of a tree. They can be bent back and used again. No worries.
 
I had same issue with trying to include photos. You need to do it through Tapatalk App rather than directly from here. Then you won't have any trouble.
 
I always use Tapatalk and have no issues posting photos, but I have read that you can take a screenshot and post via the web version.

Also, Stepps have been used for decades. They are plenty strong. They aren’t going to break.
 
Different pressure is applied when camming the step, vs standing on the step. It's easy to bend the step when putting on the tree if the rope is not placed correctly, or it is to tight or if both stand offs are not touching the tree. Its known that the WE steps take some getting use to, but taking the time to learn them and taking your time setting up will make these rock solid and IMO the best way to climb a tree. You can just bend it back, but as with any gear, you need to be inspecting it often and be aware of any potential problems that could arise, ie cracks or anything of that nature. I was not there when it was bent, but my experience with these steps and the many many many many other threads about them, I can say with confidence that it was not a manufacturing defect. That's not to say you f***d up but that you dont know what happened, so you shouldn't be so quick to say its the piece of gear that's messed not how you used it.
 
I notice that when I'm rushing to setup is when it happens to me. I really try to take my time setting up because I dont want the reason I dont get a shot was because of something i could have prevented....
 
I've bent them too. Bend it back, check for cracks in the steel or weld and keep going. I've done it on knotty trees (hackberry) where one standoff hits the tree and the other doesn't. You'll cam over the step, one standoff will compensate and you'll bend the one that comes in contact with the tree first.
 
So i spoke with wild edge great customer service after speaking with colby it sounds like there going to send me a new step...they still stack fine as the standoff isnt bent up or down its twisted into the foot rail...i also see a few people assuming the rope on the stationary side was placed over the standoff upon install but this wasnt the case it was installed with that rope running under the standoff like the directions and all the youtube videos i watched explained.. that step gave me an issue camming over out of the bag and all others cammed over fine...also to bend that standoff back to its intended position may cause the standoff to seperate off the foot rail because there is already evidence of porosity in that weld yes i could bend it back and reweld it but the question is why should i have to there brand new
 
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