Ol' Man Drone Climbing Stand

I purchased the "Ol Man" Drone to basically get off the ground when hunting on public lands. Feel it's safer and after using the tree stand a few times this hunting season it has been much better both in comfort but also view. The most negative thing I have is the weight and not so easy to pack up and harness the thing. Meanwhile, it is what they say as far as easy to climb the tree and there is plenty of room to stand or sit. Latching the cables once you have them around the tree is still a work in progress as sometimes it's troublesome trying to get the pins through the holes but I do like the fact the ends are yellow and easy to see in the dark. This is the first climbing tree stand I've own so not sure if I should have given it a five. Like I said, if you feel 22 lbs is not heavy, then I'd give it a five.

I replaced my old Ol Man stand with this one and used it all season season this year. I love the seats on these because it is so comfortable I can sit all day. The adjustable platform was a good addition. I see people complaining about the weight and/or price of this stand in comparison to other brands but the stands they are comparing to are smaller and most don't have a shooting rail. I am pleased with the purchase. I would have given it 5 except there are a couple little things that I would have designed differently

Its my go to climber. That leveling device, (turnbuckles basically) really works. I had to glue the plastic covers that clip over the turnbuckles with JB two part epoxy glue as they fell off easily.

Super

The stand is very comfortable to sit in (love the mesh/net seat) and stand in, platform has ample room more than on must climbers or strap ons. It does pack up very compact. Like the two out side straps that join the seat and platform while climbing. Like the multi bar feature. The stand appears and feels to be very well made. My biggest problem with the unit is its weight. I knew something was up when the box arrived with a UPS weight of 37#. After pulling it from its box and weighing the two piece stand with the smaller bar assembled it weighed in around 29#s. Thats a far cry from its advertised weight of 22#. I called the company and complained and they informed me they had some late changes to the unit that added on weight from the original/prototype. I told him he should update there web site to state the products true weight. I ended up getting a free bow holder out of the conversation. I like the stand but it is to heavy for any distant carries. Also the cables are difficult to engage the pins into. If your a bigger guy I think you will like the stands extra size. For me it is to heavy and will most likely try to unload it next season.

The climber is very comfortable and a great design to adjust the stand while in the tree, but there is one issue that I see with it. With the new design of one of the cable bars being straight, it pulls the two arms in very close at the tree. If you climb a small tree, the space between the two arms, where you sit, gets very tight. This enables a bigger guy to be able to stand up in the stand. The two bars sit in my ribs the entire of the hunt and when I try to stand , my safety harness gets caught on the arms. I cut a piece of 4x1 wood the same width as the base of the stand and I plan on sticking it between the arms of the stand, once I have climbed to the spot where I want to sit. May need to consider securing the fold down arms by welding them in open position. Other than this issue, this is my second Ol Man Climber, and they are light and very comfortable to sit in.

I have the drone climbing stand, and have been using it for several years. The main issue that I have with this stand is that it pulls the side bars in close to you when adjusting it to the tree. A big person as myself has a hard time being comfortable in it. Another issue is that the rubber around the cables has torn loose, and there is no replacement for this. Any comments would be appreciated. Thanks. Les