The Duke 20' Single-Person Ladderstand Hunting Tree Stand, Black

Being an avid bowhunter, I have at least 15 ladder stands from 4 different makers on our property and leases. This is my first X-stand and by far the nicest and most secure stand I have on a tree, and the comfort is unmatched. The flat black finish is textured and not at all slippery even when covered in dew. The hefty side rails on the ladder make everything feel so secure. The welds are very nicely done, and the finish is tough. I had to ‘persuade’ the ladder together and hammering didn’t leave a single mark. (I didn’t have to hammer on it due to any flaw, it goes together really nicely. The longer the ladder got, the less leverage I had to press the sections together, as I was working alone)I’m a 63-year-old woman and assembled the stand near the garage and got it to the tree by myself using my Gorilla garden wagon. I found the instructions acceptable, and didn’t have to backtrack any during assembly, but I read a couple of the steps more than once. Only used two open end wrenches and two sockets with a ratchet handle. I highly recommend only finger tightening your nuts and bolts until you have the entire platform/seat section assembled, then go back and tighten it all up. You’ll never get the seat back over the frame with everything tightened. The hardware is high quality, but there are -zero- spares of anything, so keep everything contained so you don’t lose a nut or washer during assembly.The jaws/cable system is really nice for security during install. Even by myself I felt totally safe getting the top ratchet strap on and tightened up, and I’m afraid of heights. Then I tightened up the bolts on the jaws that have been somewhat closed around the tree trunk by the cable system, so it’s like a belt and suspenders.On my first hunt I sat in this stand for over 4 hours in total comfort. The footrest, which I didn’t pay much attention to as a feature when shopping, turned out to be one of the best comfort factors and really works well with the seat to keep pressure off the back of my legs and avoid numbness from extended sitting. The arm rests are low and perfect for drawing a compound bow from a seated position. The cup holder and bow hanger hook are convenient touches and there are multiple places to mount them. The gun rail is adjustable and feels solid and, although I won’t use it for the majority of my hunting, it’s nice to have and it did stay in the folded-up position with no problem.I just can’t see how you could be in any way disappointed with this purchase. It’s an extremely well designed and manufactured tree stand, worth the price. I’m buying another one today, and intend to replace almost every other stand over time.Please mark this review as “helpful” if it has been, that helps others see it too. Thank you.

A little difficult putting together as the directions were not the best. However, attaching it to the tree was a breeze. Because of the design of the claw system it can be completely attached and tightened without ever leaving the ground. I did add a coupe of ratchet straps just because I always go overboard when it comes to safety. Once getting in the stand it was very sturdy, safe, and comfortable. I love how the seat, rails etc... fold up and out of the was so this stand can be hunted out of with a bow or long gun. I bought a second one right after getting this one set up. My hunting buddies have now ordered some as well.

Used for whitetail archery, worked great. Takes two people to set up

The overall stand is amazing, very well built, sturdy and easy to put together.But the one I got was all rusty and looked like the box and stand went thru flood water!

Just put this up in my woodlot. Very impressed with design and the way it attaches to tree. Extremely comfortable seat, not just a pice of metal to sit on. Seat is so comfortable that if you surf the net from the tree you will probably fall asleep! No chance of this stand failing if you instal it correctly which was easy. Having said that looking at the array of parts when I opened the box sent me running to the wife to help me assemble it. This is like an advanced erector set for adults. You will probably spend less time getting your deer from the stand than it took you to assemble it! You may bolt a part on and it looks good but it is on backwards and you can go no farther until you figure out what you did wrong. Along with a safety DVD the company should have assembly instructions on DVD. I am 100% impressed with this stand. May cost twice as much at other stands but is three times better.

My first X Stand but won't be the last. Great stand. I am 6'-3" and weigh 300 lbs. This is a very sturdy and comfortable stand. No problem spending hours in this stand. Seat flips up allowing a large platform to stand on. No squeaks or creeks moving from sitting to standing positions. I used it for archery and muzzle loader this past fall and had luck for both. I assembled it myself, no problems. All parts and pieces were in the box. I do recommend assistance when setting it to the tree though. I had a couple buddies with me and it went up with no issues.

Great Tree stand Box needs to be more sturdy so UPS don't destroy it. overall the quality is very good now the instructions might as well be in the trash. These instructions are the worst I've seen yet. I have built more two stands in the past the instructions on them were good no issues. But these you get easily confused. Other than that this is a really good tree stand will see how it holds up over time. The company also mentions you should not leave your equipment in the woods more than two weeks. Now I am not taking down a ladder stand every two weeks that is just plain stupid. If I did that what would the point be in buying it. I think If you want to buy a tree stand that is really high quality with out spending 500 dollars get this one. The jaw system they use on this stand is one of the best I have seen. You can attach it to the tree before you leave the ground. You don't have to worry about feeling unsecure in this stand when going to the top to attach it with a extra strap.