Old school loc on
Contributors to this thread:Whitetail Deer
From: Grubby
26-Jun-21
Cleaning the garage today and dug this out. It hasn’t been on a tree in 20 years. I’m no giant but I remember thinking whoever designed it was under five foot. Knees in the face and no blood flow. It was definitely light weight though. I gave one away a few years back with the speed hitch rope..... I’m surprised I survived that thing!
From: Bowhunt3138
26-Jun-21
I'm 5'-5" . They used to fit perfectly. Loved those . Safest stand around with the bars instead of cables.
From: ARROW
26-Jun-21
hunted many a day from one. always got numb legs but never worried about them a strap or cable breaking and causing a fall.
From: Tody
26-Jun-21
I still use one like it with the aluminum platform when I have a longer hike into some public land. Lots of places in IL require to carry your stand in and out every day so a light stand is key. Never felt unsafe in one, always use a safety harness. The plastic platform ones are not as light.
From: Guardian hunter
26-Jun-21
One word. Squeak!
From: sticksender
26-Jun-21
Still have several varieties of those original LocOns that I use on trees not suitable for a climber. The earliest ones had a grass-green platform covering. Never had one squeak on me, but always kept the bolts tight that anchor the platform to the frame. The later models with the expanded metal platform welded in place, eliminated that issue. The seats always wear out, just like the one in your pic.
From: Bowbender
26-Jun-21
Have a Loc-On Black Lightning. Black, perforated steel base. Things pretty light, hangs easy.
From: Bou'bound
26-Jun-21
Still use the spirit and super spirit
From: ahunter76
26-Jun-21
You ain't lived until you used a baker climber. Ride of your life..
From: fisherick
26-Jun-21
Several years ago I was showing my brother in law how easy it was to set up. As I stepped up on the stand (18" off ground) a bolt fell out of the folding bracket and I fell on my a$$. Check your bolts.
From: Kanati
27-Jun-21
Loved mine! Love to get a spirit. Hard to find
From: Bou'bound
05-Jul-21
Still use the spirit and super spirit
From: Wapiti Chaser
05-Jul-21
I just picked up a Loc On Windwalker , it’s really cool little stand even came in the original tree bark back pack. Anyone ever use one ?
From: Bou'bound
05-Jul-21
Yes. Good for short sits tight spots long hikes
From: Bou'bound
06-Jul-21
Yes. Good for short sits tight spots long hikes
From: fisherick
06-Jul-21
I have a older Loc On LEM with plywood base and fold out arms and a newer Loc On Limit, 8#, made of Aluminum, cable and strap, which I still use for deep woods sits. Wish they still made them.
From: hobbes
06-Jul-21
I have a Spirit and a Windwalker. I hunted them both for years. I've not spent much time in a treestand the last 15 years but both are still ready to go. I don't recall the squeaking issues. I changed the chain to a rope on the Spirit and my brother added a solid padded seat to it when I let him borrow it for a while. I'm a touch over 6' but don't recall it being too short. However, in those days I remained standing. I couldn't do that now.
I've drawn a special license that I'll use a treestand for this year. I've been debating using my old stands or buying a new XOP treestand and sticks.
From: Drummer Boy
06-Jul-21
I have two with aluminum base use them a lot.Put two garden pads glued together on the seat gets you up two inches,and makes it way more comfortable.
From: 12yards
06-Jul-21
I had a Loc on Spirit. The best thing I ever did was forget it on the side of the road after dragging out a deer. Someone took it and I bought a Vantage Point Trailhawk. Huge improvement and killed a crap pile of deer out of that one.
From: Grubby
06-Jul-21
You know , I have a vantage point somewhere too. That was a pretty good stand back then.
From: 2Wild Bill
25-Jan-22
Summit solved the numb legs problem by changing the shape of the seat to a triangle on the ClearShot. It really improved the ability to turn to either side for a look behind the tree.
From: scentman
25-Jan-22
I have one locked on a cherry tree on my property... 15 yrs chains are grown in tree, I sit on it during shotgun.
From: Ollie
25-Jan-22
Back in the day Loc-On stands were as good as any available. Not nearly as good as stands today.
From: Zbone
26-Jan-22
Model photo'd is the Loc-On LEM, I have one on one of my properties that's been hanging in a tree for years, probably a decade now... Luv that stand...
From: Dennis Razza
26-Jan-22
Great stand back in the day. I still have a loc-on lem, limit, and spirit. I would still use them if I could figure out how to fix the squeaky seat.
From: groundhunter50
26-Jan-22
Wapiti I had one, the Wind Walker by Loc On. I might be wrong, but I think it was made on the suggestion of Dick Idol...... Anyway, yes I used it in my younger days, on wallows etc. I sold mine maybe 5 years or so ago, at a Trad Shoot........ Worked well for me
From: Bowbender
26-Jan-22
The only thing I don't like about my Black Lightning is the seat height. Feels like me knees are gonna touch my chest. But for quick hang and hunt, it's great. Three Lone Wolf Sticks and the stand weigh about 12lbs. Get's me to 15'. Not as sexy as a saddle, but there ain't a tree I can't climb.
From: 8point
26-Jan-22
Still have mine, but I also have a separate seat that I strap on. I like to use the seat just to take the weight off rather than actually sit.
From: Bou'bound
26-Jan-22
Dennis. Use a nylon washer
From: Mhg825
04-Apr-22
Love the loc ons have two limits and the wind walker . Light and easy to set up
From: Inshart
04-Apr-22
Yup, had 2, they both squeaked BAD, gave them both away.
From: Kodiak
04-Apr-22
I had a Spirit and a couple LEMs all equipped with the cinch rope. Very easy to put up
They all squeaked. Awful stands, lol.
From: Will
23-Aug-22
I think the chain on mine is heavier than the rest of the stand! That said, it's in a barn at my parents so I dont have to store it at my house, and probably has not seen a tree in 25 yrs... I liked it though. Mine had the metal screen platform.
From: Basil
23-Aug-22
I could never get comfortable in one. Seat was wrong for me & the platform wasn’t rigid. They weren’t for me
From: Cheesehead Mike
24-Aug-22
The ones with the plastic platform like the Lem were rigid and very solid, the seat was just very low. I still have a couple and occasionally hunt out of one. One of mine came with a rope instead of a chain.
From: Huntiam
24-Aug-22
Man them things bring back memories..killed my first several compound deer out of them exact stands !! Still have one I hunt ever so often
From: TGbow
24-Aug-22
Never used on but we had a few Bakers in the 70s, talk about a death trap
From: Huntiam
24-Aug-22
Man them things bring back memories..killed my first several compound deer out of them exact stands !! Still have one I hunt ever so often
From: Brian M.
24-Aug-22
Hung one of those last week. Three hour stand. I replaced the shredded seat with conveyor belt. Mine has the stretched steel base and a chain to go around tree.
From: GDx
24-Aug-22
From: TGbow
24-Aug-22
Did these stands use some sort of bracket to attach to the tree?
From: Cheesehead Mike
25-Aug-22
The old Loc-on brand stands I have with the plastic platform do not have support cables like the one in GDx's photo. Mine are all rigid aluminum with no cables.
And no TGbow, they don't have a bracket, just a chain or rope that goes around the tree.
From: Cheesehead Mike
25-Aug-22
I dug out one of my old Loc-on stands. I need to replace the seat.
From: nchunter
25-Aug-22
I remember hunting 25 feet up in a baker tree stand. It was pretty spooky but I had my trusty baker safety belt on which was a circle of cordera which you wrapped around the tree and cinched it around your waist. The stand would sag 4 inches when you got near a corner.
