Mb alpha vs no-bs k9 x-treme

Now that the alphas have been out for a bit which dogless trap do you guys prefer the alphas or the k9 xtremes? I have bridger #2 dogless but I'm not a big fan, they're a pain to adjust the pan height always wants to bottom out before the trap fires

2 out of 6 alphas i ordered didnt come with pans! Hard to catch them like that!

I believe the Alpha has the same pan/trigger setup as your Bridger

From what I can see in the pictures of the alpha it has a metal tab that sits slightly down below the top jaw so the pan will actually sit below the jaws unlike the bridger which sits on top of the jaw and it looks like on the alpha when the trap fires the levers won't push the pan up and will allow it to sit down when closed unlike the bridger, I'm no expert by any means just spent a lot of time looking at the alphas and k9 xtremes online

I hope they took care of that problem for you. I always get excited when I know I have traps coming I couldn't imagine the disappointment of opening them to have the pans missing on a third of them

I have 11 dozen. Been using them for about 4 or 5 years. Not one of does the pan bottom out b4 firing.

The pans must be leveled out of the box....but thats it.

K9 extremes. Very well built trap.

Maybe I got a bad dozen then, on every one of them the pan is sitting high, so I loosen the nut and bolt on them and slide the pan towards the back and tighten back up set the trap to take a look pan will still be a little high try to fire it and the pan bottoms out

I ordered a half dozen to try a while back. They're decent traps but like you said, you have to tinker with every one of them. I get the pan as level as I can with the nut and bolt, then stick something under the pan and bend it down a little bit, and then file a little bit off the night latch. Then they are much better but still not perfectly level. They're good traps but a little aggravating to me.

If they had put a little more thought into it they could have designed the pan with a small step down at the back of it to get it to sit lower and level and it likely would have solved the whole problem.

Yep, I'm okay with tinkering around but when you adjust it the way it's meant to be adjusted from the factory and then it won't allow it to fire without going at the night latch with a file that's not okay, makes me feel like they know the problem exists and that's why they come with the pan sitting so high and figured they could let us figure it out instead of taking the time to redesign it

Shorten your edge of the pan that sits ontop of jaw when set. Few strokes with a decent (This word is unacceptable on Trapperman) file will take all of that bottoming out problem away

First adjustment is to loosen the nut that allows the pan to slide forward and back. After its loose, lightly tap on the back of the assembly with a small hammer. A couple taps and the two pieces of the pan assembly should be flush at the rear of the assembly with each other. Tighten the nut. 11 out of 12 new traps out of the box will now be perfectly level pan.

If still too high: place a screw driver or small diameter rod under the pan where it necks down from the wide part. Slightly bend the pan down....it wont take much. If you bend down too much...it can be bent back up...but its not as easy to do because you cant get same leverage.

If you want a shorter pan throw you can file the night latch notch a few swipes. If you do this be deliberate and even. Dont overdo this...you cant go back. Make sure you file very squarely with your swipes.

You won't find a heavier built trap than the Extreme. I have run 4 dozen.for 5 or 6 years. The pan sits below the jaws and beds real easily. The only thing I did was add another crunch proof swivel.

I prefer the extremes,. Mainly because they are a square jawed trap and the way i dig beds for traps, square jaws work best.

For those of you that have been using the xtremes I see they come already coated so I'm guessing they don't have the factory grease? And after using them for a year how are you prepping then for the next season? Are you dying or dipping them? And are you removing the factory coating before doing so?

I do nothing to them. Just set em.

As for the coating, it holds up very well, I just throw them in the dye pot every year mostly because I add shock springs and double stake swivel. Been working well for the last 4 years.

Is there anyone that's had any experience with both the alphas a d the xtremes? Still curious if the alphas are worth the extra $50 a dozen

I dont feel they are worth the extra $50

Pressure wash them at the end of the season, and put them away. Wax the next fall before setting. My coating is still in good shape after 3 seasons.

Extra 50$ I’d spend on 2 more extremes.

Seems pretty unanimous then. I'll have to look into getting some xtremes

I use the Extremes for wolverine. They are ready to go, other than adjusting pan tension. The coating is nearly wolverine-proof.
For my needs, they are the best.

What do you think they use to coat the xtremes at the factory?

Pretty sure it’s a water base paint that’s baked on.

I like my Extremes and Jrs, but I still struggle with the pan tension. I have no problem with heavy pan tension, but some honestly feel like they’re 10+ lbs after a catch. I’ve carried bowstring wax, but just don’t like that extra step each set, even though it just takes a seconds. I’m going to try filing the coating off of the jaw tab next, to see if that helps. They are very well built traps.

Does anyone else have that problem? And if you find a solution please post it on here, I wonder why they do that

I run a higher pan tension on mine but if you file the jaw tab at a slight angle this reduces the pan tension. I scrap the wax off my pan and jaw tab never understood why anyone would want wax there. Also pretty sure the newer ones come with the springs switched around witch reduced the pan tension issue.

Are yours 4 coiled. I have a dozen 4 coiled and the pan bottom out on three. Bent the levers. I could put 4 fingers in the gap of the jaws. Duke traps had the same problem at one time, took a lot of work filing the pans. I like the way the Alphas look but I won't trust them again till the pan or levers are changed.
I am using Extremes, Jr's 2#, Number 3's #, and their beaver trap. I have never had an issue with any of them.

Bought five dozen of the No BS Jr that were put to work, four-coiled, OS/OL. I'll be buying more. Caught between 40-50 coyotes and exactly zero needed adjustments or the work bench. If they closed, we could expect the critter to be there. Zero skunks, one possum, one red fox, a few coon, and I didn't do any pan tension adjustments. Wax was enough to lighten it up and they were good to go. I've never bought any traps that didn't need some kind of tinkering or tuning, except these. I did alter the chain set-ups however. Only one coyote that I can remember was toe caught, the rest were rock solid catches. Season closes in a couple days and then they will all get a power-washing and individual inspection before being hung up. That will tell the rest of the story. Certainly would be interested in trying some alphas and hearing from trappers that have.

When I bought my extremes, I was looking for the perfect wolverine trap. I contacted Kendall, and told him what I wanted.
He built myself and my partner 2 dozen, with closed jaws, and outside round lamination. They have accounted for probably 10 wolverine, 3-4 wolves, and 3 fisher. In our area, that is pretty good.
The smaller marten and mink don't fire the trap, and that is important.
I did end up cutting the pans down about 1/2".
I love the trap.

AV,
Why did you end up cutting the pans down? Was there an issue or do you just like a smaller pan?

I'm also curious why you cut the pan down? Did you cut a 1/2" across from the lower jaw to make sure the wolverine had more of its foot in the trap or was there a different issue?

Still hoping to hear from someone that uses the alphas too

I've owned and used all three pretty extensively. I may be a bit bias, but the Alpha fits my style of trapping perfectly. The 1/2 cast jaw face is part of the reason. You will never hear or see me talk bad about any other manufactures trap, the Alpha is worth a try. Ive trapped over 50 coyotes and numerous red fox so far without one single issue. Even in deep snow and freeze thaw conditions the Alpha performed flawlessly. I see your from Michigan also, my advice is to run them 4 coiled to fight our conditions. Although I don't have bobcats down this way, others have trapped a few in them. They all love it for bobcats also. There are a few trappers using them for live market 2 coiled that have had great success also.
Is it worth the extra cost? That is your decision to make..

Glad to finally hear something about the alphas, and a bonus because you're from Michigan too

I have both. They both have performed well in snow conditions. I am leaning to stick with the alpha as I had better luck bedding them. The next guy may prefer to go the other way. Get a couple and try them.

Yes, I cut 1/2" off the end of the pan, and cut 45 degree corners. The pans on the extremes are large, and with wolverine, I try for a full foot. Have collected toes before, using big-panned traps, even with tight guiding.
Another reason is avoiding catching marten in wolverine sets. The smaller pan, (slightly less leverage), and appropriate tension helps.

I treat my extremes just like any trap after fathers first couple years. Boil in lye, rinse, boil in dye and wax. The first 2 tears I just boiled them in water and set. They still have a lot of the coating but it’ll wear off on the edges when you make a catch.