Menards tree stand review?

[WIMN]

Hey guys,

Menards has some pretty decently priced deer stands (I am particularly looking at their 2 man stand for $120). Does anybody have experience with tree stands from Menards? How do they hold up? They are a no-name brand ("17' Spotter XT 2"), but I have passed on low end stands from Cabela's/Gander/Dick's because of poor reviews.

I am a bigger guy and am very uncomfortable/restricted in one of the dinky one man stands you can buy for $60-$70, so I need to get a 2 man stand. I have just used stands built into trees so far but am looking to get something a bit more portable, as ones you build can go sour quickly if trees fall down in the area and alter deer movement.

If the Menards ones aren't any good, anybody have a specific recommendation for a cheap 2-man (or extra large single)?

Thank you!

Deer opener is just a few weeks away.. got buck fever already!

[tom_guy]

I have that stand and bought it for one reason and one reason oonly.. PRICE.. As far as being portable I have moved it 2 times and plan on moving it this saturday for the last time it is heavy, bulky and hard to get up and down. But once it is up it is nice. Some things I did is added more padding on the seat and added a back rest. After 2 years the bolts are rusting out but I am going to replace with SS. I have sat in it with my wife before and and it was tight I am about 200 and she is 130. It works great for 1 person.

[WIMN]

Thanks Tom. Rusty bolts seem to be an issue for most stands. I was thinking I'd add a camo burlap skirt off the bat and down the line replace bolts/nuts & spray the whole deal with rustoleum if necessary. For me, "portable" just means be able to put it up a few weeks before opener and take it down when the season is done. I have permission to hunt on an uncle's farm this yr and plan on using it as a backup if I don't get anything opening weekend up north (much closer), so that's actually why I'd like to buy the stand. Deer camp up north is a great time whether or not I get a deer since I get to see the guys, but if I don't get one, I wouldn't mind spending a few days closer to the metro trying to bag a deer.

How is the shooting rail on it? Actually useful or too low?

edit I also like the 17' height, most cheapo stands are 14 or 15. Thanks for your feedback too Jay.

[jay83196]

I got one from menards 4 years ago still works great I paint it every couple years they rust bad but was cheap and its strong.

[hockeybc69]

I have several of them. I have no complaints at all for the price.

Downside is that they are small to stand on.... But if you just need some additional stands to cover more areas, they do the job.

[mnguy152]

I bought one once the welds were on the crappy side( one weld broke on me) but over all not a bad stand for the price.

[picksbigwagon]

I had two on the farm I used to hunt in SE MN, one was stolen the other one is still good to go......+1 on the small platforms.

I plan on picking a couple up at the end of the season and taking them down to Iowa for the farm I hunt down there. We do a lot of drives but sit in the evenings, would be nice to sit up in a couple of the "hot" areas instead of sitting on the ground

[slimngrizzly]

I have between 7 and 10 menards ladder stands. I try to get a couple every year when they are on sale. Ive had some for 5+ years and I cant say any are rusty. The only thing id complain about is the platform size... but for the price, I am not complaining! I think they are great!

On a side note... If i was a guy who gun hunted one week a year in basically one spot, I would spend the money for one of the higher end stands with a bigger platform and most comfortable seat (and Menards has some good ones in that category too)!

[Lip_Ripper Guy]

I think these are probably the same, or similar stand that is available through Sportsman's Guide. I am a firm believer in you get what you pay for, but in the case of the ladder stands I wanted two cheap ones to leave in the woods to provide a little bit more flexibility without having to hike around my climber. I picked up the 16' Deluxe, because of the bigger platform, vs the standard cheapie. I know they have a couple other models available, including a 2 man. May want to check them out.

[Bear55]

I don't have a menards stand but a wide variety of cheap ladder stands, they all do a good job if you ask me. The key is to bolt everything together so you don't make any extra noise climbing into them. I like to pick up one or two every year after season when they go on sale.

I pretty much leave them out year round, if someone is crazy enough to steal one from some of the locations I put them they can have them. Most are a mile back on foot.

[erikwells]

I bought 2 of the 17 foot spotter 2 man stands in anticipation of the next few years of getting my boys 5,7 and 9 deer hunting. The only complaint I have about the stand is whoever packed the hardware kits must have been stoned. Both hardware kits were like a grab bag where someone took a handful of bolts and lock nuts and dropped then in the bag. I had rob from one kit to finish the first stand and go to Menards to get some more lag bolts and lock nuts. I'm convinced it's a conspiracy with Menards a lot like the hotdog and hotdog bun producers being in cahoots (12 buns per pack/10 hot dogs per pack). Think about it. I'll like the stands a lot more if we shoot deer from them.

[huntnfish]

I've sat in the 2 man stands before and thought they were OK. They are almost too heavy to get up on your own. Otherwise they are comfortable enough for morning and evening sits. I'd have to make some improvements if I planned to sit in one all day. The only other thing I didn't care for was the floor didn't go all the way back under the seat. It would be nice to have that area for a little storage with 2 people in the stand.

[bigbucks]

I have 5 of 2 man ladders that came either from Menards or Walmart. They're 2-3-4 different brands, but all the same stand. They have little bitty tweaks to them, that make them just slightly different, but I'm confident they're from the same manufacturer.

The bolts do get surface rust on them, but who cares? I'm 45, I use a disk for my food plots that's the same age as me or older, the whole thing is rusty, the bolts very rarely break & they're taking a heck of a lot more abuse than a ladder stand that's just sitting there.

In regards to the shooting rails they are the heaviest thing in the world, but they work pretty well as a gun rest. If you bowhunt out of them you can lay your bow across the corners when you're not holding it, but will have to stand to shoot over it if you have it down. I almost always hunt with it down, as I sleep in my stand quite often & it's nice to have that grab onto...