I’ve have never been able to set them by hand. Always used the little tool but I’d like to not have to rely on it. Any advice? It doesn’t have the safety latch so it’s not like I can step on it cause I don’t think I’d have room to open the jaws. It has to stop like in the middle for me to open them. Use a brick or a log?

You would be better off to use the setters if you can't set them by hand.

Grab the spring eye between your palm and fingers and squeeze the two eyes together with one hand and open the jaws with the other hand. Once the spring is compressed hold the jaws and set the trigger with your other hand.
Grabbing the spring eyes gives you a mechanical advantage making the spring much easier to compress.

One hand squeeze the spring and your other squeezes the jaws together. Get you one of those grip strength trainers to help improve your grip.

Maybe, start going to the fitness center.

I use a piece of rope or heavy twine with a loop on one end. put your foot thru the loop, take the other end run it thru the eyelets twice starting thru the bottom an up an over to do it again.
. pull the rope it closes the eyelets together and makes it easy to set trap.. have used this method many yrs for big bodygrips.

You mean, Planet Syphilis?


Germ and disease central!

I was thinking more,,,,mental health,,,,, ……

Listen Vinke, trappings the closest thing I GOT to mental health

I’ll try that

Seen that in an old Gilsvik book!

Do this but instead of your foot, tie off one end to a belt loop on your britches. Feed it through the eyes per the instructions above, pull and compress the spring.

Buy setters,,,,,I strong like bull,,,,,, but I use my brain to make every job easier……..and faster…..

I wouldn't have taken Vinke for a wimp.... being a fellow Northwesterner.

Ashley, do yourself a favor and use the setters. As you get older your body will thank you. Work smarter not harder. Eric

Everything is already hard. My job has beat my body up over the years; fighting and lifting big dogs. I can’t lift without a bit of a struggle. I’m happier about doing some things easier these days; like not staking DP’s. Using the cable extensions instead. Makes it a lot more fun and less frustrating! Plus I carry less gear. Thank you Eric

Some pretty good advice given I can set 330’s but have trouble with 159’s because of the eye size, if I remember right someone here used felling wedges to spread 330’s, if you use the hand strength things use it backwards so it like the spring on the trap with the wider part at the end of your thumb.

If unable to set a 110 by hand, you might try using one of the ratcheting style wood clamps sold at Lowes, HD or hardware store. A poor man's RTS setter. Compress the springs whilst grabbing the jaws until you can open them fully.

The only other advice I would give to setting a body grip that does not have the safeties is to set the trap on a hard surface whilst holding the dog in place so you can get all fingers out of the trap's reach before turning it loose. I've got some tuned to hair triggers. You want to be clear of the jaws before pulling you fingers away.

You could always try this…..

https://youtube.com/shorts/GYZyTXXe01M?feature=shared

I had to go to the one hand setters this year for my 330’s, arthritis has got the best of my hands. I couldn’t imagine going back to setting them without them. Eric