Sunday, January 24, 2016

Summit Treestands 180 Max SD Climbing Treestand



I have had this stand for approximately 4 years. I have taken several deer from it. I feel like I have a good grasp of the strengths and weaknesses of this stand:


PROS:
-Very comfortable stand - spacious, and comfortable
-Climb as high as the tree allows
-Switch the direction of the seat (i.e. the direction you face) - allows you to hide behind a tree
-Seat height is adjustable which makes using a bow or gun easier

CONS:
-If you want to climb to a certain height, you have to guess the angle to tilt the stand before climbing the tree
-I personally can't use the rail to sit on while I climb (I'm 5'10")
-The rubber on the cables quickly splits (functionally not a problem, but makes the exposed metal clanking sound when locking in cable)
-The stand is a little large to carry for me. I sometimes kick the stand as I walk (when stepping over logs for instance).

MY REVIEW:
This stand is great for those that are bigger (taller or heavier) or if you are choosing comfort over weight and "packability" like myself. If you have predominately small, crooked, or well branched trees, a climbing stand may not suit your needs best. However, if you have straight trees with fewer branches, you should be happy with a climber. This stand is very comfortable. I wouldn't say it's light, but it's not extremely heavy either. Put it this way, if you ride in on an ATV or have short to medium walks, this should be a great stand for you. If you are walking a mile or more to your stand, you might want to look for a lighter stand. I don't often use the 180 degree seating option often, but it can come in handy shielding you from deer if you can't climb high and/or canopy cover is scarce. I don't recommend bow hunting facing the tree though.

CONCLUSION:
All in all this is a great stand. I just wish Summit would make a couple changes: 1.) I wish the rubber on the cables was better or lasted longer (mine started splitting during the first season of use) The rubber splitting just increases noise a bit when locking the cable. 2.) I wish the cables were adjustable after reaching desired height. Too often I get to the height I want just to find that the stand is titled up or tilted down. You have to guess the right angle from the ground or climb to whatever height the stand straightens at (I think Ol' Man Stands might have a climber that is somewhat adjustable from the tree).

TIPS:
1.) Either prepare your trees in advance or take a folding saw with you. 2.) Please do not climb hickory trees (or similar very hard bark trees). The shaggy bark breaks off and the stand can't grip into the bark. I've tried this a couple times with one scary but harmless 5 foot slide down the tree (a reminder to wear your safety harness too).

P.S. I did not receive this product at any sort of discount. 

#review

7 comments:

johson said...

Being a hunter myself for more than a decade, i have to say this is a great post.

Chip said...

Thanks so much for reading and taking the time to leave a comment! I appreciate it!

Hunthacks.com said...

Many tree stands have been created by outdoor companies, and here is a review of one of them that I have tested recently, the 180 MAX SD Climbing Treestand. This treestand is very comfortable, and allows you to climb as high as the tree would allow its weight. The seat allow is flexible enough to ensure you are at utmost comfort when sitting on it. You can also easily move the direction of your stand with much ease, and be able to hide behind a tree, if you need to. Here are a few things, however, that could use some improvement on. Firstly, the stand is bulky, and not easy to transport to location. Climbing to a certain height can be a bit of a challenge as well. Overall, I think it needs some adjustment, but definitely is useful once fastened to a tree.

Milan Willie said...


i have bookmarked your site.the post is really nice.i think it is
best tree stand ever.
But the main point is to pick the best one for hunting.
Because a tree stand can give you a perfect view and keep you unnoticed.
thanks for nice post.

Chip said...

Thanks! I think it's a nice, comfortable stand. I think Summit has taken a rest after making this stand though. There's not a whole lot of innovation since. I think there are definitely areas for improvement but it's still a good stand.

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