Unhappy I have not been able to seek wolves with the dozen I have now. I used them this spring on beaver, almost exclusively in foothold sets. Off-set and I set it every which way and front and back foot targeted. Every trap set off had a beaver and many of those were front foot.

About half on drowners, and about half on long chains with no extra weight.Two my surprise I had all drowned beavers. No, mind you, I was in woody bottom near dams and the chains tangled up in the water at least some. But they are HEAVY traps. The real big female, high 70s, was tangled close to the trap and 4-5 ft down. In the scheme of things, this was only a few beavers though, nothing I could say is more than an observation for that time and place.

I use a tool just like a Jiffy. I am going to make a larger one to press the springs further. I hold the one spring with a U bent big nail.

They are great traps but I'm not going to struggle with a beaver In 4 1/2 IF I have to use a setter. I can still set a MB 750 with out help and It's a great beaver trap.
In my opinion the 4 1/2 is over powered.

I find it easier to remove a beaver out 4.5 with setter then removing a beaver from mb750 with my feet. Definitely when standing in waist deep water in December. But i have one of the hardest setting 750s You will ever set. Bought another 750 year's later that sets really easy. Seems the last one I looked at had better springs then mine. But was very hard to set. Ioften read people setting these by hand. I think they must have the easy setting one's. Lol

I only have one of them but I really like it for those body grip shy beavers.I set it on my thigh,compressed the springs and then finished setting it with the springs compressed with one against my chest.I did not find it all that difficult to set at all.The first time I used it on a dam break set and a drowning rod-next morning I had the trap shy big female from the colony-front foot catch at the end of the drowning rod.

The issue with the 4.5 is there is no leverage bc the springs will not cam over. So if you don't have the physical strength to set each spring fully you will not get it set. But i also think this is why the lockup is so good on these traps. Think I will buy couple more to run for otter.

Here is more info on setting:
https://trapperman.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/5860126/--can_you_set_a_4.5_newhouse_b

Ttt

I agree^^^
I have 6 MB750s that I cannot set by hand.

Used to have 18 other MB750s that I could set by hand....sold those.

These were bought over several years from different sources.

Some 750s have very, very strong springs.....I like those.

The more I use them the more I like them. Looks like a wolf season is likely this year in MN. i am up to 2 doz

I own one and it’s my go to trap when I afraid of being ripped off.Please someone steal it.I leave it set year around to try to weaken the springs.

They are a really well made trap. I have half a dozen to use for wolves, unfortunately I haven't caught a wolf in one yet. More trap than needed for beaver in my opinion and I wouldn't use them for beaver personally. They'll hold any beaver they grab, but I want a trap I can set over my knee when I'm standing knee deep in water in hip boots setting beaver traps. My preferred beaver trap is a Blake and Lamb or a Victor #4. Newhouses are five times the trap but they are a real pain to set over your knee because they won't break over like a B&L or Victor; plus who wants to set a Newhouse these days and risk it getting stolen? The SC 4 1/2 is built on the Newhouse design, thus its difficulty to set, plus the really stout, short springs. The SC 5 I can set over my knee just as easy as a Victor #4, but in my opinion it isn't half the trap of the 4 1/2 and costs 3 times the price.

Somebody stated they cut one end of the frame off so the springs would cam over? Any disadvantages to this? Maybe I'm slow so I never thought of doing that. All mine are in the ground right now so I can't look at one, but would there be any possible weakening or disadvantage if you cut the ends of the frame off that prevent the spring from breaking over? I think I would be able to break them over my knee then and set them by hand, which would be a huge advantage both for setting them and for releasing any nontarget catches (I'm dreading the day I have to release a cougar out of one of these, especially since I generally run the line by myself, or occasionally with the wife).

Have you guys considered removing one spring for strictly beaver trapping?

Schmitt enterprises make a pair of setters that are perfect for that trap SC 4.5 dls. But setting one over knee is possible once one learns how. might have bare down a bit lol but can be down by a 64.5 yr old .
But my favorite is a #4 sc with 4.5 springs on it. One of the fastest longsprings you will ever see imo.

Them are some heavy traps! I never played with one, but I see they are 4 1/2 lbs. Wow.