I am about to venture out and start trapping beaver! I ordered a few TS 85's and was wondering do they come ready to trap other than cleaning and prepping? I wasn't sure if there are some adjustments or tweaking that needs to be done and if so what do I need to do? Also are they pretty easy to set by hand? This will be my first time ever dealing with a trap of this size and setting in water! Thanks for any info

I up the pan tension on them. New traps I might spray paint em, but usually wait till next season.

I can set them on my knee.

I use beaver footholds the first season right out of the box. I like 4-6 lbs pan tension but they were in that area when they arrived. They are the easiest setting #5+ coilsprings to set.

If u have short arms, be prepared to use your elbows to hold down the levers...

I've seen some guys use their stomach to compensate lol

I had some "HAD" Is the key word here. I had lots of sprung and empty traps when I used them. Good luck.

If stomach will work holding them ...then I should have no problems! Lol I have absolutely no experience with water trapping so just researched the best I could with limited experience and pulled the trigger on 4 of theTS 85's. I also ordered a few belisle 330's and snares to give them a try! I can deal with a few being sprung and empty as long as I'm not the one caught in them!

You'll be happy with them then. Me, I prefer the beavers be there waiting for me. lol I agree with Beav. I hated the TS85's. Had a bunch of tripped empty traps. Some setting right in the trap bed, some part way, and some completely down the drowning rod. Same sets with MB750s held every beaver.

I had the same experience as ADC and The Beav. Mine were not 4 coiled. That may have been the problem.

I just haven,t wanted to experiment anymore.

They are a rear foot only trap so set them deep. Not saying a front foot catch is impossible, just unlikely. I had lot's of sprung traps as well, most half way down the drowner. I tried both the standard two coil and four coiling. Both had the same catch rate, which wasn't good. Love my MB750's.

I had the same experience as Goldy, KirkDe, ADC, and Beav. I caught beaver in them but lost more than I could accept. Don't know what I did wrong since others claim to not have had that problem. I was not willing to experiment any longer by educating beaver so sold them.

I like em.... Just have to set them deep is all. They definitely have their place for me. Especially when I want a back foot catch.

I do like that I can set them by hand and ALSO get beaver out of them when standing in waist high water.

I do love the 750s as well (same man designed both, mind you) but it can become a wrestling match trying to get the levers off lock up with a beaver in them at times. And my 2 pair of setters are never handy. But you can set the 750s in shallower water is seems.

I like my TS85’s. Given their size I have set them only for back foot and have yet to have a sprung empty trap.
Ask a dozen trappers and you will get two different answers.

help me understand why so many empty ts85's

As far as front feet, I think the levers come up so high that it forces the front shoulders up and out of the trap when the trap fires. The pictures I've seen of front feet catches in them were all wrist catches, and I never caught a single beaver by a front foot in one myself. I like to set shallow and the majority of traps were sprung and empty when I set shallow. I set them just like I do 750's, and I have as close to zero sprung traps as you can possibly ask for with 750's. As far as setting deep for back feet with 85's, I had a stretch where I didn't have any sprung traps for a while but then it went back to having sprung traps again, so I gave up on them. There was a guy that posted a video a few years ago of a beaver that had it's back foot buried in a 85 and it pulled out on the video. Four coiling didn't help me either.

Huh not sure why so many have misses with them I have used them and much prefer them over a 750 but it’s all personal preference. Caught many beaver in both traps over the years don’t get many misses with the TS 85’s for me like mentioned set them deep for back foot and their a great trap. 2 coil IMO is all you need. I use the 750’s as well but like pan set up much better on the 85’s.

Goldy I completely understand the misses with the front foot with 85’s that makes sense. I have taken a few in 85’s by front but never intentionally water dropped on me. Both are great traps if set right just gotta find what you are comfortable with. It’s no different for any trap.

If I remember they seem to be very slow In closing. And I don't think they locked up very good. BUtI don't have any and It's been years since I tried them.

I don't think that's the problem. The way they're designed, the jaws are curved where the levers slide so there shouldn't be any slippage.

Do you think it is possible for a front foot caught beaver to get both hind feet on the levers at the same time and depress them just enough to pull the front foot out in their struggles? Because of the curvature in the jaws once the levers are depressed just a little the jaws open quickly. The levers on the TS 85 are easier to depress than most beaver traps which does make for nicer setting traps. I did catch a few by the front feet but not nearly as many as by the hind feet.I was doing damage control beaver trapping where I had to get every one and could not afford any losses which resulted in educated beaver.