Looking at going in for a climber. But, I have to have open shot because I shoot a 62" recurve. Also, no bar that comes in and out because I don't want to have to deal with it. I'm deciding between the 2 in the thread title and wanted to know who had experience using both or just one and is just a huge fan of one over the other.

My experience with climbers has been the Viper and that's it. My question is whether or not there is any real advantage to one over the other. For example, is one more comfortable than the other or is one easier to get hung around a tree than the other. I know those cables on the Viper I used were really tough to pry out with frozen/numb hands.

My guess is that its just a matter of preference on brand because they are so basic, but I also haven't ever used one.

I'm love lock on stands, but with the bumper acorn crop this year its tough to judge where to hunt. Every spot has acorns and every spot has feeding sign. We have stands in a lot of those places but want to be able to move around if I see something that peeks my interest say after a morning hunt.

I use a summit dagger. It is basically a fold-flat viper with no front rail. Really like it for bowhunting. Rarely even stand up to shoot one out of it.

Of the two stands mentioned I would chose niether. I would prefer the lonewolf model with the swinging bar. You use that one with sit and stand method to climb. The bar swings under the seat out of the way while hunting. I have owned both styles, I prefer not to sweat and the style you have to pullk yourself up on made me sweat too much, In my opinion not as safe either. its easy to slip
and fall, not so much when using the bar style. At least the old API open fronts had handles, these models do not.Plus no stand without a back rest is comfortable as one with.Below is the one I would prefer from the two stand companies you suggest. Hunt safe

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Lone-Wolf...mp;gclsrc=aw.ds

One more thing Recurve, the open front stands are very light. Never hunt from one that you haven't ratcheted to the tree. Its easy to bump the top and have it fall. Mine did it often. Always
strap any climber top to the tree. Hunt safe

10-4. I hate not using a lock on. I have those old Climax stands that has the swing bar underneath where you can hang it in literally any tree you want and it be level.

I've got an open shot that you can try out. Otherwise if you are considering the lone wolf hand climber, I would get the XOP strikeforce and save yourself $200

You will have problems with top staying on the tree unless you strap it like PJ says.
If you can find a Summit Clearshot it is the closest to a lock-on stand I have every used. You use a hand climber and the seat folds up and down from the bottom of the stand.

May be good today, but after long night or week at work so much more easy to sit and climb. I would suggest staying with sit and climb.

My dad has one from cougar claw like this but when I looked at their website earlier this week I didn't see anything similar; I could have over looked it. For bow hunting, the style of stand we are talking about is the best if you are in good enough shape to not have to sit and climb. I have considered the SD myself but was also concerns about the upper part falling. Buckshot stands (I don't know if they are still around) had a sit and climb that also had a strap that pulled the top to the bottom to lock everything down so that it wouldn't move so you could modify an SD to do the same .

Do you really? Haha that works out conveniently! Have you used any of those Climax stands?