Primal Tree Stands Double Vantage Deluxe 18' Two-Man Ladder Tree Stand with Jaw and Truss System

Last season I purchased two of these Primal two-man stands based on hours of research and reading reviews. No buyer's regret at all! Assembly was relatively easy--there were no missing parts or pieces, and each stand took my husband and me about 1.5 hours to build. Setup back in the woods was a little more challenging with the long network of support straps and the unique jaw system, but after some serious diagram scrutinizing and watching a video or two, we figured it out. (And then the second stand was a breeze.) I spent countless hours in these Primal stands hunting last season with all types of equipment--compound bow, crossbow, and gun--and both stands functioned exceptionally well. Rock solid on the tree. Very wide ladder. A highly-adjustable and super sturdy shooting rest. No squeaky seat or platform. If I could be super picky, I do prefer having a slightly larger/deeper platform on a double stand (the toes of my boots dangle off the front while sitting) , but the stand is sufficiently roomy to maneuver comfortably with your gear. NOTE: We also spray painted the stands brown and gray (including the whole mesh seat) before setting them, just to "tone down" the appearance of the jet black metal and to cover up the prominent, bright-red Primal logos splashed across the bench. Do deer really care about the color? Probably not. But camo-painted, these stands do completely disappear into our Indiana hardwoods. In the end, high-quality deer stands are an investment, and for us, Primal has proven to be a very solid choice.

The good: The "grabber" arm design works great (even on a tree that was a little too big). Very solid and safe feeling putting it up. Once up it's rock sold. Safest feeling tree stand I've ever been in. Assembly was straight forward, instructions weren't too bad, one point of confusion, one thing I had to go back and undo and do over, probably just as much my fault. Hardware was well presented (not all together in a bag). Good design.The bad: I have my concerns on the longevity of the "mesh" metal used for the platform, not terribly thick. The platform IMO needs to be 6-8" deeper. If I sit with my legs straight down, my feet hang over. In order to have my feet completely on the platform, I need to have my feet/legs tucked under me. Not the best for many hours of sitting. The seat, while double wide, is just two single seats. Separated in the middle by metal bars. So if you're buying a two man stand thinking you'll have more room, thinking you can sit in the middle, you can't. You're still stuck on one side, legs straight ahead like a too narrow airline seat. Spread your legs and you get the metal bar pressing up on the underside of your leg. Which brings up the front of the seat. It has a metal bar that runs side to side, pressing up on the back of your legs. And for ME, causes muscle cramps in my legs, the constant pressure on my hamstrings. Repeated "charley horse"s that cause you to leap to your feet in a hurry isn't a great thing way up in the air with your feet half off a platform. Maybe that's just my body, but it happens. I was able to alleviate it somewhat by sitting on a thick foam hunting cushion, otherwise I wouldn't be able to use the stand at all.Nit pick complains: I wish the seat was removable without disassembling the stand, not something you can do with it up in the air. The critters near me will turn the seat mesh into an unusable mess in short order.I really thought I would be buying more of these, but after three days in it, the seat design really let me down and it's looking less and less likely.

I ordered the Primal Stand on Aug 28.2018. Delivery date was Sept 4-9. I was surprised when it was delivered Aug 31. I chose this stand so the grandkids can hunt with me and because of full platform and the ratchet jaws. Looks like it will be more stable than some other stands. My 11 year old grandson and I put the stand together in about 2 hours. Would have taken less time but I was teaching him how to use sockets and wrenchs for assembly. The directions were easy to follow and all the bolt holes lined up perfectly. So far I'm very pleased with the stand. Deer season opens tomorrow Sept 1, I might actually get it up and hunt out of it this weekend. I will update after I get to use it.

I absolutely love this tree stand. No big deal putting it together. The only thing is that the safety features, very important safety features, is overkill.

I love the tree stand

Works Great