Duke 550 vs MB 550?
#6803549
03/15/20 09:07 PM
03/15/20 09:07 PM
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Joined: Jan 2020
Posts: 679 West GA
T-REV
OP
trapper
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OP
trapper
Joined: Jan 2020
Posts: 679
West GA
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Hey guys Im possibly in the market to get a small bunch of 550 traps. Ive never owned any before so Im curious if you guys have any pros and cons with the MB 550 vs Duke 550. Other than the Duke is made in China and is a direct copy of the American MB except the pan shape difference and the MB sports crunch proof swivels and choice of regular or offset jaws. Please do not beat me up over considering a Chinese made copy of an American made trap. I am a trapper with a modest budget and just looking for the best trap for my money.
Last edited by T-REV; 03/15/20 09:07 PM.
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Re: Duke 550 vs MB 550?
[Re: T-REV]
#6803574
03/15/20 09:19 PM
03/15/20 09:19 PM
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Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 23,854 Wisconsin
The Beav
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 23,854
Wisconsin
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If It's about the price I would buy the Duke 550. They even offer free shipping If that's an issue.
The forum Know It All according to Muskrat
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Re: Duke 550 vs MB 550?
[Re: T-REV]
#6803597
03/15/20 09:28 PM
03/15/20 09:28 PM
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Joined: Jan 2015
Posts: 3,446 Houghton Lake, MI
strike2x
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trapper
Joined: Jan 2015
Posts: 3,446
Houghton Lake, MI
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I too am a trapped with a modest budget so I opted for the MB 550s just less of them. I will buy more here and there but I started with 2 dozen and now have 4 dozen. To some people that isn't a lot of traps but for me it is plenty. I believe having fewer traps has made me a better trapped because I only set prime locations. I had 8 dozen Duke #2s and rarely could I have them All set at once because I didn't have enough time to run that many. One day I hope to have enough time to run a longer line.
Wish I had more time to trap....
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Re: Duke 550 vs MB 550?
[Re: T-REV]
#6803598
03/15/20 09:29 PM
03/15/20 09:29 PM
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Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 2,593 sometimes PA sometimes ME
ebsurveyor
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 2,593
sometimes PA sometimes ME
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Hey guys Im possibly in the market to get a small bunch of 550 traps. Ive never owned any before so Im curious if you guys have any pros and cons with the MB 550 vs Duke 550. Other than the Duke is made in China and is a direct copy of the American MB except the pan shape difference and the MB sports crunch proof swivels and choice of regular or offset jaws. Please do not beat me up over considering a Chinese made copy of an American made trap. I am a trapper with a modest budget and just looking for the best trap for my money. **Disclaimer: We try our very best to source all Minnesota Brand trap parts within the USA. At times in the past we have had issues sourcing sufficient quantities of particular parts from our USA suppliers. It is very important to us to provide a USA made product but also be able to provide trappers with traps. Therefore, our Minnesota Brand Traps are fully assembled by our American crew in Pennock, Minnesota with either all USA made parts or a combination of USA and minimal foreign parts when necessary to provide product to the marketplace.
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Re: Duke 550 vs MB 550?
[Re: strike2x]
#6803606
03/15/20 09:32 PM
03/15/20 09:32 PM
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Joined: Jan 2020
Posts: 679 West GA
T-REV
OP
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OP
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Joined: Jan 2020
Posts: 679
West GA
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I too am a trapped with a modest budget so I opted for the MB 550s just less of them. I will buy more here and there but I started with 2 dozen and now have 4 dozen. To some people that isn't a lot of traps but for me it is plenty. I believe having fewer traps has made me a better trapped because I only set prime locations. I had 8 dozen Duke #2s and rarely could I have them All set at once because I didn't have enough time to run that many. One day I hope to have enough time to run a longer line. Same with me. I work a full time job and supporting a wife and 3 kids at home so Its hard for me to have time to set a bunch of traps and have time to check a bunch of traps before or after work.
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Re: Duke 550 vs MB 550?
[Re: ebsurveyor]
#6803621
03/15/20 09:37 PM
03/15/20 09:37 PM
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Joined: Jan 2020
Posts: 679 West GA
T-REV
OP
trapper
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OP
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Joined: Jan 2020
Posts: 679
West GA
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Hey guys Im possibly in the market to get a small bunch of 550 traps. Ive never owned any before so Im curious if you guys have any pros and cons with the MB 550 vs Duke 550. Other than the Duke is made in China and is a direct copy of the American MB except the pan shape difference and the MB sports crunch proof swivels and choice of regular or offset jaws. Please do not beat me up over considering a Chinese made copy of an American made trap. I am a trapper with a modest budget and just looking for the best trap for my money. **Disclaimer: We try our very best to source all Minnesota Brand trap parts within the USA. At times in the past we have had issues sourcing sufficient quantities of particular parts from our USA suppliers. It is very important to us to provide a USA made product but also be able to provide trappers with traps. Therefore, our Minnesota Brand Traps are fully assembled by our American crew in Pennock, Minnesota with either all USA made parts or a combination of USA and minimal foreign parts when necessary to provide product to the marketplace. So even the MBs sometimes are made with foreign parts? Did not know that.
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Re: Duke 550 vs MB 550?
[Re: Wanna Be]
#6803674
03/15/20 10:09 PM
03/15/20 10:09 PM
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Joined: Jan 2020
Posts: 679 West GA
T-REV
OP
trapper
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OP
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Joined: Jan 2020
Posts: 679
West GA
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I went with MB550 mainly because I wanted an out of the box set and go trap...after giving them a cleaning. I read about and still read about how a lot of traps are just as good (AFTER YOU TWEAK THEM). I don’t have time to “tweak” a trap in order to have it catch critters. I read about dogs being bent and I even made a post asking about 550’s. I personally have yet to have a bent dog and that’s even a catch with a 90lb incidental...the owner told me how much the incidental weighed when I called him to come get it out of the trap. He got it, I reset and caught a coyote 2 days later. I have only had issues with two traps, apparently they don’t hold up well the BIG tractors and harrows!! And yes, the landowner paid for them to be replaced. My next dozen, here shortly, will also be MB550’s. You get what you pay for... I did read somewhere that the MB comes set with a 2.5Lb pan tension. The Duke had up to a 5Lb tension out of the box. I do like the fact also the MB comes with a choice on jaws. Offset or regular. I prefer regular myself. I do like the square pan the Duke sports but thats not enough to justify buying them. I believe I will probably do like strike2x suggested and buy the MBs just a couple here and there.
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Re: Duke 550 vs MB 550?
[Re: T-REV]
#6803680
03/15/20 10:14 PM
03/15/20 10:14 PM
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Joined: May 2018
Posts: 10,940 SW Georgia
Wanna Be
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trapper
Joined: May 2018
Posts: 10,940
SW Georgia
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I have 2.5 dozen offset, but a I think my next dozen will be regular. Why? Just want to try them out, possible I’ve missed a possum or two with the offsets. Critters = $$$
Last edited by Wanna Be; 03/15/20 10:15 PM.
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Re: Duke 550 vs MB 550?
[Re: T-REV]
#6803818
03/16/20 12:21 AM
03/16/20 12:21 AM
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Joined: Jan 2020
Posts: 4,949 Aliceville, Kansas 43
Yukon John
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Joined: Jan 2020
Posts: 4,949
Aliceville, Kansas 43
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I wish I could say that, given the choice, I would choose American made over price, but for me it's just not realistic. I hope to get better at this in the future, but who knows. I believe in American made products, and American jobs, sometimes though it's just not conducive to my situation. Best of luck with your decision!
Act like a blank, get treated like a blank. Insert your own blank!
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Re: Duke 550 vs MB 550?
[Re: Ringbill5196]
#6804654
03/16/20 06:15 PM
03/16/20 06:15 PM
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Joined: Jan 2020
Posts: 679 West GA
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Tim Caven has done mountains of things for the trapping community nation wide. Funded projects. Donated prizes. Donated to legal defense battles. He won my devotion.
I have thought Duke traps were just fine. But a nearly exact copy was over the top. That trap was an attack on an American made product without regard to copyright law. Yes it is too expensive for a little Minnesota company to fight it in China and any ruling would not be binding there anyhow. However I personally will never buy another Duke trap because of it. I encourage others not to as well. Defend an American value. I can understand that. I do agree it was dirty that duke produced a near exact copy of the MB and slapped their name on it to be produced in China at near half price of the MB. Very few things anymore are actually made in the good ol USA. Im sure as I ride home im sitting in a pair of jeans made in Bangladesh. A sweater made in Vietnam and work boots made in Mexico. That’s the nature of the game I guess.
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Re: Duke 550 vs MB 550?
[Re: Ringbill5196]
#6804771
03/16/20 07:29 PM
03/16/20 07:29 PM
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Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 16,382 Iowa
~ADC~
The Count
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The Count
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 16,382
Iowa
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I don't think anyone has done more for the trapping community than Duke Traps have. MTP is not all American made either as you can see in their disclaimer above. MTP also owns Bridger Traps which is all made overseas, no one mentions that. Either way if you're buying Duke traps you are supporting an American company as well as US trap supply places, distributors, truck drivers, and all the kids programs and other things Duke support. You should not feel bad for supporting them IMO.
I use Duke Traps, Belisle Traps, EZ-traps DPs and MTP traps along with a few other brands. I'm not apologizing for buying any of them. It's my money and I'll spend it where I want.
If you think about it MTP and Duke are very similar. Both have foreign made products made for them both have an American made division, (pecans in Duke's case). Both support trapping and trappers. Both sell traps that are controversial in their origins, both seem to be dependable shippers, and I'm sure a lot of other similarities,,, just buy whatever you want.
Last edited by ~ADC~; 03/16/20 07:40 PM.
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Re: Duke 550 vs MB 550?
[Re: T-REV]
#6804983
03/16/20 09:55 PM
03/16/20 09:55 PM
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Joined: Jan 2018
Posts: 112 Republic of CO
Cootswatter
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Jan 2018
Posts: 112
Republic of CO
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I tried 24 Dukes this year and the 20 that didn't break are already sold. Sorry. NO BS. Unless Nebraska Coyotes are super strong. That's what I get buy AMERICAN when you can. Why NOT support China?
"I've come to chew bubble gum and to kick ars, and I'm all out of bubble gum." - Rowdy Roddy Piper - They Live
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