Sitting here tailgating this morning and a kid walks by with two new Duke #110s. Chat a bit and I examine the trap. Link ends on the chain are sharp as razors. Kid is going to either cut himself or shred gauntlets using these some day. What a shame.

The kid will have a little more practice with the file on the chain...right after he files the triggers.

This is normal?

You get what you pay for they need work but are cheaper traps, you want better you pay more for a better made trap and that stuff is take care of. Just like tanned furs you get what you pay for in the end cheaper is just that cheaper.

I agree Jerry. I use Dukes myself. Just never have seen such lousy chains before. Now made in Vietnam.

Have got the best price on new traps at conventions. Some were "blems", I just fixed em. For the price it was worth it to me.
Jukes are Dunk, there, someone had to say it lol.

Rather than fixing these "blems" I'd trash the chain and replace it. The kid couldn't even carry these traps by the chain.

Yes, that chain needs replacing, you ought to send those pictures to the Duke owner. The bends arent even tight. I have never seen chain that bad.

I'd worry about a huge SD coon straightening them links and picking his teeth with them! LOL They look unfinished might just be a bad batch?

One call to Bill Duke will make it right.

And we use to catch cottonmouths with a fish hook when we were kids.

Could be a bad batch, but somebody sold 'em to the kid. Neighboring tailgater bought one and didn't notice the chain til later. Gave me this one.

So someone at the convention sold "seconds" "blems" (whatever you want to cell 'em) to a kid who probably didn't know any better...but I'd bet the person who sold them to the kid did.

Called a learning curve. Greenbrier and catclaw briers are a bigger threat!
The boy could afford two traps and now he is on his way to being a trapper, that's a good thing

That's what i was thinking
Here's a kid buying what he can afford and its not a video game good for him. Heck maybe someone will give him new chain and show him how to set them up to work the best they can.

I find the whole situation quite irritating, including the learning curve crap. As a small time trapline supply dealer, I'd never sell traps with chains like that to anyone, especially a youngster. In time someone is going to point out the junk chains to him and he's going to feel taken.

The kid will set that trap,and maybe catch a big coon,like was said,coon will break the cheap chain and will be running around the neighborhood with a trap on its foot.
Wonderful image for trapping.

^^^^This...thank you, Muskrat!

Pathetic!

My first traps didn't even have chains. Folks on here seem bad mouth Duke traps all the time but Mr. Bill sells truck loads of traps every year.

Anyone Know what the bargain basement best price was for DUKE 160'S at The Convention this go around ?

w

Which has no bearing on quality. People bought pet rocks for years.

I've owned and run Duke, some are better than others. Mighty impressed by the 5 dls, though.

They were at 5.50 a trap when at Duke's booth when I went by this afternoon

Looks like they used barb wire for the chains.

I had to go look at the chains on my duke 110's after seeing that picture. The don't look like that. They are 6 or 7 years old though...

I am sure that if that situation gets back to Mr. Duke he will remedy it.

I can guarantee you if brought to their attention Bill and TA would rectify it on the spot. They put more back into the trapping community way more then most realize. I have watched them for years when I was going to the NTA yearly. Lesser folks after being bad mouthed like they have been would of quit the donations.

My bet is once they find out that problem will be relayed to the factory to fix it. Looks to be a maladjusted shear. You can find that in a bucket of nails as well.

Chain on a 110 is not needed, cut off all but 2 links for tags if needed. 60 a doz for duke 160s.

The first thing I do with body grips is cut off the nearly useless chains and add a cable with a tree stop for the most versatile way for securing them.

Nobody here is badmouthing Mr. Duke in this thread. I titled it "Buyer beware . . ."

We all appreciate what Mr. Duke does for the trapping community and his quest to provide a working trap at a reasonable price.

I incorporate Duke traps into my trapline and appreciate their mechanical soundness.

For you, Drifter, and a few others who apparently lack the ability to read and comprehend, let me summarize the key points here:

A young man buys Duke #110s from a dealer here at the NTA rondy. They were not purchased in a box. Somebody handed these traps to him after $ was exchanged, and unless this seller had nerve damage in his hands, knew the condition of the chains of these several traps.

That's my point and was warning others to beware of, specifically, Duke #110 traps. In my opinion, and the fellow tailgating next to me, they aren't worth buying as is.

Get it?

I'm sure over time the chain issue will be resolved. The only way Mr. Duke and company will be aware of the situation and remedy it is to have someone point it out.

Apparently the seller was not up to the task and was more concerned about making a buck.

The young man will probably not realize the problem until someone else points it out to him or he tires of patching gloves. Apparently he didn't know he had a problem as he was carrying them around.

Any seasoned trapper would have noticed the issue right away and would have refused the traps, unless he bought them by the box and not loose.

Get it?

This is not a Duke bashing thread.

It's about a trap with junk chain and a dealer who looks out for number 1 and to heck with a young trapper.

I find that irritating.

5.50

What did the dealer say? Did he sell them real cheap as seconds? As a kid I bought a lot of cheap stuff I could make work. As a kid 2 traps for 4.00 was a lot better than 1 trap for 3.50 and you couldn't tell me any different!

And give more traps away then ever one else put together I bet. Man done a lot for trappers and kids. Beside side most of us have been cut up more by saw grass then a few bad trap chains---and that was my point on growing up rough and hard as kids when I was talking about some snake.

My reading comprehension is still intact thank you. If a persons intent was to inform them of the faulty chain why take it to a forum instead of to the man? Did he buy it from Duke trap or a vendor? Take the young trapper in tow and get the trap exchanged, problem solved and Duke trap will be informed.

Dealers go there to make money, not cater to kids. The sooner we learn this the better.

Bad batch of chains and Mr. Duke will make it right sounds like a problem that will be fixed!

Most dealers go to conventions for exposure and to talk face to face with customers. If people think conventions are money makers for dealers even when things are good they are dreaming. I also believe dealers will bend over backwards for kids. I would have told the kid to cut the chain off except for a link for tags. 110s don't need chains and are nothing but a potential entanglement. If I was that upset I would have had the kid show me where he got them and addressed it then and there.

So, did you take the 2 traps from the kid and buy him better ones?

Yep..Just cancelled a large order of the "Cheap Dukes"...Thanks for posting...

You can't buy a ford and expect a Ferrari .

Hope you didn't rain on the kid's parade

Hopefully I did and he took 'em back. You would've screwed the kid over.

I had customers and my fellow tailgater came into possession of one of these traps, don't know if it was through the kid or he bought one.

There's another issue with this trap the fellow tailgater and I talked over after examining the trap closer. For kids, the chain is the least of his problems.

Took it to the forum so Trapperman members attending the rondy would have a heads up.

As stated before, I don't know who he bought it from.

Couldn't take the young trapper in tow as my dog couldn't make sales while I was gone.

I have 150 or so Duke 110s and haven't had a problem, and they've caught me 1000s of rats. If there is change in quality it's news to me. Wasn't the Duke Company represented at the NTA, and if so talk about a perfect time to talk to the powers that be about a problem.

anyone know what walrus's eat??

Apparently some of you are taking this post as a heads up and you can decide for yourself whether or not you want to buy and replace the chain. Keep in mind I'm talking about a couple of traps. I have no idea if these represent all new #110s. This one was made in Vietnam. Weren't they made in Korea before? I never had an issue with Duke #110s prior to this. I also sell Duke #110s and recommend them to the younger trappers in our trapper ed classes.. Some of you interpret this post as a direct insult to Mr. Duke and for some unknown reason believe I must be on a mission to discredit the entire Duke Trap Company. Then there's a few of you who would've sold the trap to the kid without saying a word about the chain condition and file it under tough chit for the kid. Hopefully you aren't trapper ed instructors.

Here's the deal. Someone who is fair minded and has a young son or daughter in the 12 year-old range who traps, step forward. I will mail this trap to you. I want you to hand this trap to your young trapper and ask him/her to set it as they now do with their own #100/#110 size traps. If they don't use these traps, don't volunteer.

Come back to this thread and post the reaction your son/daughter had to setting this trap.

First PM I get with name/address I'll take that as our candidate. I will also post your T-man handle so all is on the table.

Like I said before, it's not just a chain issue for kids.

And for those who are getting their panties in a wad with this issue, get over it. This is a trapping forum. We are sharing information.

I've always put the kids first, and always will. They are our future.

Some of you just don't get that. Too busy looking out for number 1.

Oh, you can keep the trap.

I appreciate you letting us know about the 110's Muskrat. If I'm able to make it to the Ohio rondy I am planning on trying some 155's so I will be checking them out closely. Thanks for the heads up!

THE BEAV should analyze this conundrum and have final say on this unfortunate incident !!

w

Mollusks!

RATS

Why use chain at all? That is the first thing that I remove.

Muskrat, did you go talk with the vendor? Maybe they didn't even realize the faults in the chain. Surely, this wouldn't be the first time that has happened. Any time I have ever had an issue, Duke fixed it so why would a vendor knowingly peddle crap unless there were unaware? It makes no sense to me considering Duke was likely there. Guessing the duke booth would have been able to clear it up quickly.

You have the expertise, but unless you put it to use, it is wasted. I hope you sent the kid over to the Duke booth at the very least.

Somebody bought the factory “seconds” and is trying to make his money back. I hate to say it but “buyer beware”. It’s unfortunate but he sold his junk to a kid. But if the price was right, the kid could swap out the chains or just use wire, and end up with a decent muskrat trap in the end.

I bought one from a kid myself, and the chain is the same way. It "seems" as if the kid was unloading them due to the faults. I don't know that to be true, but he sold several, and only presented them in ones and two's. Not even asking how many you might buy. I heard, "hey mister would you like to buy this trap for $3?" I thought it was odd that he didn't want it, and assumed someone probably gave it to him. He said it was too strong for him to set and didn't want it. I thought I'd just give it to another kid that came along. It got buried beneath several other traps a little while later, and I didn't notice it again until unpacking. Glad I didn't give it to anyone. I'll get it fixed though, and it'll help the next kid.

Here's the trap in question.





Anyone recognize the tag?



Notice how these jaws close?

For comparative purposes, a Duke #110 out of my trapline supply inventory, purchased maybe two years ago? Made in Korea stamped on the dog. The trap above has made in Vietnam stamped on the dog.

Okay, now it makes sense how the neighboring tailgater came into possession of the trap. We didn't have a good chance to look it over good until the kid was long gone.

Maybe these traps weren't even being sold by a vendor at the rondy.

kid pawned em off on all of ya's and is sittin home countin his money wilst you guys feel sorry for him.meanwhile his moms wodering where fifi's chain is.

I think we'll hear from someone if they were. I heard the kid selling someone over from me one shortly after I bought one. It was towards evening, after the buildings were closed and things were settling down, I believe.

Unfortunately there's a brand name on the trap.

very true

Well, I appreciate the heads-up on the trap regardless. I will be giving it to a kid, and wouldn't want to give it in it's present condition. As a tailgater, I make purchases of many traps which aren't in functioning condition, but wouldn't expect it from a "new" trap. I remember thinking it was odd...never had a kid approach me to sell a trap. Sold some cheap, and given them to kids. But hey, it's trapping I thought, never know what gonna happen trapping, or at trapping events.

Bass Pro tag?

Maybe he won them traps at the ball toss or something. My boy could make a killing doing that if he was that unscrupulous.

The jaw closure could be magnum 110 vs regular Muskrat.

Talk about shooting the messenger. lol

When I was a kid any cheap trap was better than no trap. I remember the pioneer trap and was happy to get them.

So the kid did buy it from a vendor or no? This thread has taken a 180.

Apparently nobody knows at this time.

This story is a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma! May never know the truth!

Chris

I just scheduled an appointment with my Therapist to help me with the confusion

my momma says

Here's a different spin.
The Chinese are knocking off EVERYTHING these days. They are crafty buggers. A local gun shop had a guy bring in several Luepold VX3 rifle scopes which he claimed that he bought from a Kmart which was closing its doors. Why, he even showed them the Kmart price tags on the boxes. They were Chinese knockoffs. The tip? When was the last time Kmart put price tags on anything?

Well, I guess everybody has been through a learning curve or two at one time or another. Some just have longer radii than others. Muskrat, I thought we had a 55 gallon barrel full of 110's in Wisconsin D9 trapper's ed.... Track the little tyke down and give him a half dozen of those.

Zim

An interesting thought.

Those #110s are still in the D9 barrel. Good idea, maybe someone will identify the kid and we can get him up and running.

Welcome to life as a trapper.

Yea, I got taken with some junk #220s way back in the late 70s. The sting never leaves.

I'm sure newbie fur buyers who get stung never lose that feeling either.

Thieves and con artists deserve what they practice. It's too bad they prey on the Innocents.

Time to put a wrap on this post. A fellow Trapperman member PMd me stating his son also came into possession of these same traps. They weren't purchased at the NTA rondy, they were won at the ball toss. Three throws for a buck.

So the kid that came by our tailgating section with the Duke #110s probably won 'em and didn't want to keep 'em.

Looks like we've all drawn different conclusions from this story. From those who couldn't care less what condition the traps were in 'cause it's "welcome to life as a trapper" to those who would never have handed out that trap in that condition, especially to a kid. And many somewhere in the middle. Guess it depends on your outlook on life, and maybe the experiences we had when we first got into trapping.

As a volunteer to several organizations, this reminds me of an old saying: No good deed goes unpunished. The fellas working the ball toss were probably on volunteer time. The traps were probably donated. A lot of time, work, and money to promote trapping to youngsters in the spirit of competition. Focus on the positives.

Other questions remain unanswered, but it's time to put this thread to bed. And I've learned a few things along the way too.

well put and i agree.

Guess I'm never doing the ball toss again...


Mac