# Tom Cat stands?



## gadeerwoman (Oct 4, 2005)

Anyone using a Tom Cat stand? What model? Good? Bad?


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## HT2 (Oct 4, 2005)

*Sandra.......*

I'm friends with a feller that lives down in Lyons..........His Dad is the one that makes 'em........

IMO.......

They are O.K. stands........They climb good and all, but they just ain't made for a "bigger person".........Even the bigger stands just ain't comfortable for me......

But, overall they ain't bad.......


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## fatboy84 (Oct 4, 2005)

Had one in the early 90's.

As stated, very light stand, easy to put on a tree, and comfortable (use a cushion to sit on).  I put some pipe insulation around the back tube.

The foot piece had a small space for my boots to fit in so had to be careful of what boots I wore so I could get my feet in there for climbing.  Note, I wear a 13 or 14, so it is probably not an issue for a lot of people especially women.

Loved it for gun hunting as the seat used during bow season makes a great gun rack while hunting.

Hated it for bow hunting as you had to stand up and open the seat and then sit above the wrap around enclosure.  When doing this it felt awkward to stand on the small platform with the rails at shin level.

Being a larger guy, I finally sold the stand and bought a deer hunter stand that gave me more room, and eventaully bought an API with even more room.

One thing to note, tie the foot piece to the top part of the stand.  I bumped mine off the tree, and the foot piece tilted down (had it tied on the back away from the tree).  I wear a saftey harness, so I was able to climb out of the stand and hug the tree to walk the stand back down to level out the foot piece and then climb back in.

Even with a safety strap it wasn't something you want to make a habit of.


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## Whit (Oct 4, 2005)

I have a Tomcat 2 and I love it, only for gun hunting.  Like Fatboy did, I put pipe insulation around the seat back to make it more comfortable.  Also, something you want to do is tether the adjustment pins to the frame.  That way if you're going up a tree and have to adjust your angle you wont accidentally drop a pin (been there and had to hug the tree to get down).  I used fishing line to tether mine and it works.  It is the lightest and easiest to set up portable climber I've seen.  Also like Fatboy said, one drawback I've noticed is the foot piece opening for the boots.  I have to wear my rubber boots when using this stand so I can compress them to get my feet in.  Other than that, it works good.  Surely worth the $135 I paid for it a few years ago.


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## Jeff Phillips (Oct 4, 2005)

I have a II that is probably 18 years old. It is my go to stand when I am gun hunting and want to be mobile. They are light, hang quickly, climb quietly, and I am comfortable in it.

I want to get a new Tom Cat I.


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## Slayer (Oct 4, 2005)

*I have the Tomcat "fat cat".......*

and as far as comfort, I love it!!!!   the seat height is adjustable to accomidate longer or shorter legs....and with me being 300+ lbs it can handle that easy......now it is a chore to get in and out of the woods,,,,,heavy as all get out......but it is as stable as any stand I have ever used....

it uses the same concept as the tom cat , but it has adjustable rails on either side that can be moved up or down....and between the rails is a very wide comfortable cloth seat.......


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## willbuck (Oct 4, 2005)

*Have 3*

ALL tomcat II's.  Pretty good stands.


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## Harvester (Oct 4, 2005)

Had a tom cat I and liked it alot for gun until it got stole. I now have a tomcat II and have had it for 12 years. Pretty comfortable and used it for gun and bow. I had to redo the seat 6 years ago. I now have to get the adjusting pipe replaced(do not use with only one pin, operator error). The foot opening is a problem if I wear steel toe boots. You can bring a gun up the tree safely while climbing also.


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## DYI hunting (Oct 4, 2005)

I still use my TomCat.  It is the standard one, not the II.  I bought one of these probably 10 years ago?  I have pictures if you want to see how this stand has held up.  I don't know if they have changed much since then.

It has hung on a tree every season for the entire season.  Couple of years ago during a hard freeze one of the pipes developed a 2 inch crack, but has not affected performance or safety.  The tubes tend to hold water in them. 

The bar in the back was uncomfortable but I added a small piece of 1/4 plywood mounted with conduit clamps.  That made a much more comfortable seat back.  Now I have replaced that plywood with half a john boat seat.  With a hunting cushion, it is mightly comfortable.

It is a well built stand.  The teeth bight great into most trees.    I have yet to ever slip in a tree in this stand.

It is not the most compact stand when on your back and is a bit bulky walking through the woods.  It is also not comfortable on your back.

My biggest problem is on large trees, the bow hunting seat bar is a little close to the tree when you start out climbing.  Sometimes it is so close you can't get the teeth out of the tree real good.  It isn't that much of a problem.

The bow seat works great for a place to lay your rifle if you partially extend it and almost fully extended, it can be used as a stable place to put your elbow when shooting. 

I weigh 180 lbs and I am 5'9".  The Tomcat doesn't seem tight to me, and is comfortable enough.  The bottom platform can get old since it doesn't offer a greatly comfortable place to put your feet.  Also, with the bar between your legs, it makes it impossible to slide into a sleeping bag to keep warm on those really cold days.  If you are prone to falling asleep, this stand will keep you feeling safe. 

A big plus is it is very quite climbing hardwoods.

I would suggest this stand to anyone my size or smaller.


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## Branchminnow (Oct 4, 2005)

I always liked mine when going in the woods blind and needed something lite and easy to put up,very quiet and versatile........like HT2 they aint made for a big man.


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## Hawghead (Oct 4, 2005)

I have 3 of them. I use it 90 percent of the the time and my summit viper the rest of the time. the best thing about the stand is you can literally carry in on your arm and carry your gun on the other shoulder.  It climbs a tree quick and grabs trees very well.  Like whit said..about the only boots I can use when using it are my LL bean rubber boots or my rocky snake boots.  I bought mine back in the day for 99.00.  Have had them since 1991 or 1992.  Perfect for using the tree as a rest when need to shoot a good ways out.


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## Outlaw Dawgsey Wales (Oct 4, 2005)

*bought the Tomcat I back when they first came out*

It got stolen about 6 years ago.Have a Tomcat II.Use it a great deal.


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## Robk (Oct 4, 2005)

Had both the Tomcat 1 and the 2... sold them both while I was living in florida and am kicking myself everyday now tha i am living back in georgia.  Wish I had the money to get another stand.


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## Armyhunter17 (Oct 5, 2005)

*Tomcat*

For the $$ I don't think there is a better stand.  I have had a Tomcat I and now own the discontinued FAT CAT stand.  This thing is huge!  face the tree or back to the tree; it is very stable and safe.  It does weigh around 30lbs so it isn't a very "portable" stand for hiking more than 1/2 mile or so. I would recommend them to anyone looking for an affordable, safe, compact, easy to use stand.


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## whitworth (Oct 5, 2005)

*Just too particular on treestand*

If it doesn't have a standing platform, I'd rule it out.  My old body can take only so much sitting.  I usually stand, more, when bow hunting.  My seat is facing the tree, so I can stand and safely lean up against the tree. 

Thanks for reminding me to never leave the stand for the treestand thieves.  It seems some of those folks hunt up treestands a lot better than deer.


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