Had a screw-in step break off last night!!!

[Two Beards]

Just got back today from a few days bowhunting in Illinois. Last night I think I used up one of my 9 lives. I had just taken my stand down and was in the process of removing my screw-in steps. As we all get at times, my patience were thin and I was exhausted from the lack of sleep the last few weeks. One of the steps was so tight I had trouble getting it to budge. I grabbed it with both hands and tugged....

SNAP! It broke off instantly and I fell back, just barely catching a limb with my left arm. I am fortunate it was a hedge tree with multiple limbs and I was very lucky I did not fall...as I was still 17-18 feet up. The worse part is I had my climbing belt on, but did not have it around the tree

...something I'm usually pretty good at doing.

I think I remember a post by Ironwood about a similar thing happening. Never thought it would happen...but it did

I have put up hundreds of stands over the years. Just about every other tree would have spelled disaster. I KNOW how lucky I was.

Hopefully everyone will take the time to read this. Here is a picture of the screw-in that broke. I will be replacing all of our older steps...AND wearing my climbing belt.

 

[alaskanwhtail]

Heat them up red hot completely and put them in boiling oil, any used car oil will do. This helps, trust me. Don't throw away a perfectly fine tree step, hardin it and quench.

 

[ironwood]

I'm sorry to hear about your experience and am glad nothing serious came of it. The one that broke on me was not under that kind of stress. I was simply climbing up and it broke out from under my foot. Luckily for me the momentum put me against the trunk, which I hugged tightly. Your step broke in exactly the same place as mine. Well I am glad you came out ok and I too still have trouble taking the time to use the harness during all up and down processes.



Alaskan are you serious about the effect of dipping in hot oil? You would think step manufactures would have an obligation to produce a step as hardened as possible.

 

[FurDog]

Is there a 'lifespan' listed on these ?

Or are there sometimes just inferior steps ?

Glad neither of you guys was injured - that certainly could have been disastrous.

 

[IAdroptine]

 

[DOR]

Buy EZY-climb steps, made in the good old USA. /Best steps on the market hands down.
web page
i use the folding model as tey pack better than any step i have used.
the deluxe are nice as well.

"I will NEVER use any other tree step but EZY® Climb. There is none better -- in design or in quality! American made, with American steel, they will never let you down . . . . with a crash! Don't shop price on something which could cost you your life -- shop QUALITY!"


Paul B. Brunner - Montana
"The 8th Dwarf"

 

[16point]

sorry to tell u dor id never step foot on one of those folding tree pegs! two years ago me and a buddy were out huntin on my ground and we came across a tree stand that "someone" misplaced on our ground u prolly know them type of situation's, and they had all them folding tree pegs in the tree and they all had the stickers on them brand new and when we went to take it down almost every one of them snapped off where it hinges at! but that my two cents on then dang things!

 

[DOR]

Never had a problem in probably 10 years plus!! Chinese made folding steps are a different story.

 

[Skully]

My 54 year old uncle fell 18 ft from his treestand, but not because of a step. He actually dozed off due to lack of sleep and he wasn't wearing a harness. He broke two vertebrae and one shoulder. The doctors told him they had never seen a person with those type of injuries that survived. The broken disks were pinching the arteries that feed blood to the brain. He is now wearing a "HALO" that is screwed to his skull to keep him in a fixed position. He will have to wear it for a minimum of two months, maybe more. I never wore a safety harness until I saw what kind of pain and discomfort he was in. We're just glad he's still here. GET A HARNESS AND WEAR IT!!!!It's the only way to hunt safe.

 

[NWBuck]

Couple years ago I had a bucket full of steps like the ones pictured. Had one snap at a very low height, and convinced me to replace them all. I bought steps (I believe through Cabelas) that were called Diamond Tip steps, and WOW, what a confidence difference. This is a much heavier chunk of metal, and now I don't worry about them at all. Don't throw the old ones away...they are great for use as bowhangers, etc. in the stand. Glad you're OK.

NWBuck

 

[GotRack]

My brother has a stand that uses a T-screw to hang on. We went to do some adjustments on his stand after a morning sit this year. On the first attempt to turn the T-screw it snaped in half, right where the stand rested. Scary part is he had just been sitting in this thing for about 4 hours earlier.