Not talking about financially i mean preparation. I bought traps. Then realized I went too small. Bought more traps. Now I have 2 different brands and styles. Watched and read everything I could find. Started modifying. First was chains and swivels. Then nite latching and setting pan tension and leveling jaws and pans. Then welding on expandapans to the larger set. Then tacking all the J hooks closed and the frames and bubble welding the jaw tips. Then base plating the other set of traps with center swivels and the same welding as the others. Then cleaning. Oh I forgot installing washers in the pan connections to take out wobble. What a pain. Cleaning everything. Now I'm down to a few left to reassemble and adjust then painting and FMJ. All this with practicing digging, anchoring, using drags, dirt holes, pipe dream, pocket sets, flat sets and so forth. I'll be glad when I put the first ones in the ground to see if all the work pays off. I;m not complaining as the lesson;s have been very helpful in understanding the traps themselves and how to make them do what you want. I have to admit it has been fun and rewarding.

Welcome aboard.

You have already learned your first lesson...buy MBs, or KOs and forget about all the tinkering. Clean them, wax them, and put them in the ground.

Bless your heart man! Listen to Dfabs. I got tired and broke just reading that!
Yeah, MB’s and KO’s might be a little more expensive, but time is valuable...Use it wisely!!

Oh I have already figure that out. It's all MB 550/650 from here on out.what's the feeling on TS 85s for beaver or just go with MB 750?

Coin toss on the 85's or 750's - JMHO...

I agree wholeheartedly with the MB 550s and 650s!
I will be the oddball here, but when it comes to beaver, it's Ts85s all the way! I can stand in the water and set them over my knee, which I can no longer do with the 750s.

I prefer long springs for beaver.

Its a lot fun

It’s amazing how many people chase a 2$ coon with thousands of dollars of equipment.

A TS 85 with expanda pans make an impressive beaver trap ive got both and only use the 750s after all the 85s are set

glad the season is over, pooped. getting ready tomorrow for next season, hope for drier weather,

A lot to it, and it sounds like one type of trapping for a couple types of critter. Try trapping beaver, otter, rat, coyote, fisher, marten, coon, weasel and wolf, with conibears, snares and footholds, in an area that can be accessed by either truck, boat, atv or snowmobile depending on the time of year!

Yup, it's a bit of work!

And despite the work it's all pure enjoyment! Welcome!

You summed it up in your opening statement. Sounds like you are serious, and have a bright future. The tinkering is fun, and you learn a lot.

It is as simple or as complicated as you want it to be.

It's my first year too and I was right there with you until you got into all the additions and welding. I'm a learn as I do kinda guy and have made several upgrades and add ons but found my biggest teacher being time in woods traps in ground. It's easy to get caught up in the buying and upgrading and less in the doing. I spent decades doing it with bass fishing!

Coon are worth as much or more than Beaver right now and a lot easier all around...

I don't have a single modified trap, other than trigger tune up. Modification is not trapping, it is a hobby unto itself.

It's easy stuff bud, and its all big $$$$$ too. You will see

all the time ive spent moding traps over the years I wouldn't change a thing!Those improvements to a trap are just that. If a guy has deeper pockets then time buy those high dollar traps. Me id rather turn a rock into a gem.