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Traditional pan on mb550 #6911537
06/26/20 01:01 PM
06/26/20 01:01 PM

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I've done a lot of google searching on this topic, I can't find anything. Has anyone here ditched the pit pan setup on a mb550? I love these traps, but I am not a fan of pit pans. I'm sure its an unpopular opinion, but I'm wondering if its possible to swap pans for a traditional setup. Thanks

Re: Traditional pan on mb550 [Re: ] #6911555
06/26/20 01:19 PM
06/26/20 01:19 PM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 17,550
Rodney,Ohio
SNIPERBBB Offline
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No. You'll have to find someway to add a pan post to the frame for a standard pan to be bolted on. I thought of a way to do so while writing this post.

Last edited by SNIPERB🦝; 06/26/20 01:20 PM.
Re: Traditional pan on mb550 [Re: SNIPERBBB] #6911574
06/26/20 01:39 PM
06/26/20 01:39 PM

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Originally Posted by SNIPERB🦝
No. You'll have to find someway to add a pan post to the frame for a standard pan to be bolted on. I thought of a way to do so while writing this post.


Right, I did think about it. I thought a small weld job would get that taken care of.

Re: Traditional pan on mb550 [Re: ] #6911622
06/26/20 02:30 PM
06/26/20 02:30 PM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 17,550
Rodney,Ohio
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Just remember youll have a bigger deadspot as a result of doing so because you're moving the pivot point closer to the pan, which is one of the benefits of the pit pan.

Re: Traditional pan on mb550 [Re: SNIPERBBB] #6911671
06/26/20 03:19 PM
06/26/20 03:19 PM

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Originally Posted by SNIPERB🦝
Just remember youll have a bigger deadspot as a result of doing so because you're moving the pivot point closer to the pan, which is one of the benefits of the pit pan.


I didn't think of that aspect. Maybe worth just looking at a different trap

Re: Traditional pan on mb550 [Re: ] #6911702
06/26/20 04:03 PM
06/26/20 04:03 PM
Joined: Feb 2016
Posts: 3,520
Kentucky
ky_coyote_hunter Offline
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No worries, if you have 5# of tension it's all a dead spot for anything but coyote.

That was the pan tension of the last batch of 550's I saw.

The PIT pan isn't the end all...There are several drawbacks
to getting a lighter pan tension with them.

I never have liked the PIT pan, but can see the reason many
would prefer it.


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Re: Traditional pan on mb550 [Re: ky_coyote_hunter] #6913199
06/28/20 12:22 AM
06/28/20 12:22 AM
Joined: Sep 2019
Posts: 158
Iowa
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Iowa
Just curious, what is there to not like about pit pans? Other than the extremely light pan tension. The pans flop and move freely as can be, the only tension added is the power of the springs pushing against the dog. If anything I wish they had a little more tension so the smaller critters wouldn’t set them off so easy.

I’m also curious about the 5lbs of tension? Mine have been well used by me, so the springs are obviously gonna be weaker than new, thus decreasing pressure on the dog and in return lowering pan tension. But I feel mine were never close to 5lbs brand new.

I’ve got 3 dozen of them purchased at least 5 years ago if not more, I wonder if they changed something in them now

Re: Traditional pan on mb550 [Re: ] #6913246
06/28/20 05:19 AM
06/28/20 05:19 AM
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Posts: 845
southeast nh
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if you want to change the pan tension on a mb 550 if have to bend the dog

Re: Traditional pan on mb550 [Re: mushfoot] #6913288
06/28/20 08:02 AM
06/28/20 08:02 AM
Joined: Sep 2019
Posts: 158
Iowa
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Originally Posted by mushfoot
if you want to change the pan tension on a mb 550 if have to bend the dog


Yes that is one way to do it, I wanna say Jeff Dunlap had a pretty good video of it a year or two ago on the YouTube. The other way to increase spring tension is by 4 coiling. Consequently lowering spring pressure will reduce pan tension, but it’s minuscule amounts and the springs would just have to age and weaken naturally. Bending the dog is definitely the way to go if a guy wants them lighter.

Re: Traditional pan on mb550 [Re: ] #6913373
06/28/20 10:09 AM
06/28/20 10:09 AM
Joined: Oct 2014
Posts: 5,073
montana
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Originally Posted by Cysquatch
Originally Posted by SNIPERB🦝
Just remember youll have a bigger deadspot as a result of doing so because you're moving the pivot point closer to the pan, which is one of the benefits of the pit pan.


I didn't think of that aspect. Maybe worth just looking at a different trap


If you do look at a different trap might look at a victor Monty dogless 3 it's a bit bigger but not by much 99% live inside the jaws, once you get tension set it does move until springs get weak then just change out springs your right back. And same shape as mb 550 .


Kenneth schoening
Re: Traditional pan on mb550 [Re: ] #6913402
06/28/20 10:46 AM
06/28/20 10:46 AM
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 499
Bryant, IN
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It would a lot easier and probably cheaper to sell your 550s and buy different traps that are set up like you want .

Re: Traditional pan on mb550 [Re: KJD357] #6914365
06/29/20 06:57 AM
06/29/20 06:57 AM

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Originally Posted by KJD357
Just curious, what is there to not like about pit pans? Other than the extremely light pan tension. The pans flop and move freely as can be, the only tension added is the power of the springs pushing against the dog. If anything I wish they had a little more tension so the smaller critters wouldn’t set them off so easy.

I’m also curious about the 5lbs of tension? Mine have been well used by me, so the springs are obviously gonna be weaker than new, thus decreasing pressure on the dog and in return lowering pan tension. But I feel mine were never close to 5lbs brand new.

I’ve got 3 dozen of them purchased at least 5 years ago if not more, I wonder if they changed something in them now


Pan tension is way high, like ky_coyote_hunter said, mine were at least 5#. Yes its simple enough to adjust the dog to get the pan tension down to 3ish#. I like to run a handful at a lower tension but to do that you really have to get that dog bent. At that point they're a pain to set.

Originally Posted by red mt


If you do look at a different trap might look at a victor Monty dogless 3 it's a bit bigger but not by much 99% live inside the jaws, once you get tension set it does move until springs get weak then just change out springs your right back. And same shape as mb 550 .


What does pan tension run on these out of the box?


Originally Posted by Dennis W
It would a lot easier and probably cheaper to sell your 550s and buy different traps that are set up like you want .


This is the way I'm leaning at this point

Re: Traditional pan on mb550 [Re: ] #6914546
06/29/20 11:18 AM
06/29/20 11:18 AM
Joined: Oct 2014
Posts: 1,977
Wisconsin
8117 Steve R Online content
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Are your traps 4 coiled? It has been my experience lately the 2 coiled run around 2.5 to 3 lbs out of the box. A few years ago the new two coiled were closer to 5. I don't think the 550s need to be four coiled when the springs are new.

Last edited by 8117 Steve R; 06/29/20 11:34 AM.

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Re: Traditional pan on mb550 [Re: 8117 Steve R] #6914616
06/29/20 12:52 PM
06/29/20 12:52 PM

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Originally Posted by 8117 Steve R
Are your traps 4 coiled? It has been my experience lately the 2 coiled run around 2.5 to 3 lbs out of the box. A few years ago the new two coiled were closer to 5. I don't think the 550s need to be four coiled when the springs are new.


So your're saying more recent production seems to be lower tension?

Re: Traditional pan on mb550 [Re: ] #6914626
06/29/20 12:58 PM
06/29/20 12:58 PM
Joined: Oct 2014
Posts: 1,977
Wisconsin
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My last two orders were lower than they were a couple of years ago. I think they may have changed the type of springs they used. I order from Minn Trapline, maybe other suppliers still have some older ones. Are yours 4 coiled?


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Re: Traditional pan on mb550 [Re: 8117 Steve R] #6914649
06/29/20 01:52 PM
06/29/20 01:52 PM

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Originally Posted by 8117 Steve R
My last two orders were lower than they were a couple of years ago. I think they may have changed the type of springs they used. I order from Minn Trapline, maybe other suppliers still have some older ones. Are yours 4 coiled?


no just 2 coil. I purchased my traps in 2016

Re: Traditional pan on mb550 [Re: ] #6914655
06/29/20 02:02 PM
06/29/20 02:02 PM
Joined: Oct 2014
Posts: 1,977
Wisconsin
8117 Steve R Online content
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My older ones required bending the dogs to get the pan tension down to 3 lbs. My newer ones do not.


Steve
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NRA
Re: Traditional pan on mb550 [Re: ] #6914800
06/29/20 05:59 PM
06/29/20 05:59 PM
Joined: May 2018
Posts: 10,726
SW Georgia
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I ordered at least a dozen every year for the past 3 years 550’s and this year added a dozen 450’s...every one of my traps trip at the 3# mark. The 450’s may be at 2.5. Never ever had an issue with tension or pan height. All mine have been ordered from MTP.

Re: Traditional pan on mb550 [Re: Wanna Be] #6915299
06/30/20 06:56 AM
06/30/20 06:56 AM

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Originally Posted by 8117 Steve R
My older ones required bending the dogs to get the pan tension down to 3 lbs. My newer ones do not.

Originally Posted by Wanna Be
I ordered at least a dozen every year for the past 3 years 550’s and this year added a dozen 450’s...every one of my traps trip at the 3# mark. The 450’s may be at 2.5. Never ever had an issue with tension or pan height. All mine have been ordered from MTP.


Thanks, this is good info, maybe I'll order another dozen and see.

Re: Traditional pan on mb550 [Re: ] #6917500
07/02/20 05:24 AM
07/02/20 05:24 AM
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Iowa
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Iowa
So it seems like the pre 2016 traps had the higher pan tension. I wonder what changed? I know the first generation mb 550’s have a different pan and a longer dog. But I don’t remember hearing of any changes to them in the past 10 years, besides their little disclaimer on the website of them maybe, sometimes, using foreign parts. I’d be curious to see if the pre 2016 traps maybe had a little stronger, made in the USA springs, and the latter ones maybe have foreign made ones. Or perhaps something happened with the grinding of the dogs or stamping the pans. Either way the traps I own have a pan tension that is around 2.5-3 pounds. I’d prefer a little heavier, but they work for my purposes.

And I had said above that mine were 5 years old , but after thinking about it, I believe that I started buying the 550’s in 2016

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