Do the four coil spring traps out perform two coil traps?? What is the benefit of four??

My thought on some traps that are made is that 4 coil helps keep the levers from twisting. They are quicker but probably really isn't needed.

In SE PA I never felt the need for 4 coiled traps. Older Montgomery traps were plenty strong for me.

4 coiling helps the trap break through snow and thin ice crust
I don't set traps this time of year without them

All of my traps are four coiled. What does it hurt? My thing is, and I could be wrong, but if I can easily pull down levers than I need it to be stronger. I want to have some difficulty to set or I need to replace springs

I also feel it should be pretty hard to set the trap. Some traps pop up to slow that I have bedded but probably my fault with to much dirt.I did order two more four coil traps. Just got six yotes off my sons place and now going to try a different place we have.

Most of mine are two coiled.

I have trapped the East, South, South West and the West. Only have ever used 2 coil traps. They should be plenty strong enough. You need to learn how to freeze proof you sets well and that will solve any concerns. Of course in your location 4 coil shouldnt be necessary.

If your 4 coil trap gets frosted down by the jaws and levers no amount of spring strength will make it fire. For setting and releasing non targets 4 coils are just over kill.

My traps work good all winter with very few problems. Damp wet snow can be a problem with any set traps when they fire. It increases the surface area from the pressure created from the top.

First - what is your soil type like? Is it sandy loam or silty clay? soil conditions when you are foot trapping should have a big bearing on the size, type and strength of the tool. Assume the soils (in general) become sandier as you progress from east to west and north to south in Texas. 2nd - what is you legal regulated trap check frequency? 24 hrs? daily? 48hrs?.... all the modifications for foot traps began in the ADC arena where traps were set in all types of soils/conditions and not checked on a 24 hr (fur) schedule so 4 coiling, jaw lams, shock springs etc. were added to traps to help ensure the target species/individual animal would be there when the trapper returned. For "normal" fur harvesting in "normal" winter conditions, 4 coiling is a little overkill but should you want to use it, highly consider laming or using wider cast jaws to take advantage of the extra lever force/energy supplied by those exxtra springs. .................My experience........... the mike

You guys are forgetting the most important reason.
I’m old, whimpy, and well my boys laugh at me when I wrestle with the four coils.

I set them with my feet

Me too, wetdog, the few I have that is how I set them too, and last time I set one at a location my son standing behind me muttered something about asking if he could hold my man card for me while I did that.

Set up a #3 trap with #3 music wire springs on the dog side and #2 music wire springs on the helper side. Give that to your son and ask him to set it over his knee.

Both Bob and wetdog are correct. I subscribe to both, I freeze proof my sets and don't set anything but four coils. They are faster, particularly when coming up through crust. You probably seldom have to deal with snow and freeze/thaw where you are at, although I've heard that clay that gets rained in and then baked in the sun can also "freeze" traps down solid. We have plenty of clay here (our soil is generally clay, rock, or tree duff over one or both) but I don't trap in summer when the sun is going to be baking it. So I don't have experience with that.

I have sandy loam and red clay and the sandy loam is great. I use off set jaws that are better on the animal and check my traps every morning. Putting these sets in is pretty hard on us older trappers and i want to do things right if I'm going to do it. I have done pretty well on trapping in my opinion ha ,saving the fawn is my goal. Thanks for the advice and knowledge

… ended up four coiling all of my bridger dogless 2’s

… keeps the pan tension consistent without having to constantly adjust after a catch