Tripods

GT2000CF

Absolutely the best money can buy (Except for $3,000 Gibraltars(?) that weight a ton), and is a steal at $450 from most survey suppliers (that's what mine charges, anyway).

Dutch Hill

My supplier says to always ask for the Carbon Fiber tripod with the aluminum head, that the composite heads don't stay in adjustment as long.

:good: Dutch Hill - best I've ever used.

> Except for $3,000 Gibraltars(?) that weight a ton

I've never heard of a Gibraltar tripod, or any tripod in the price range. Can you provide more details? I'd like to know what that kind of money buys.

Looks like the Dutch Hill tripods are lighter (especially the Carbon Fiber models). I have used Crain TriMax tripods for years with no complaint. Solid, well built, and a good value as well.

The $3k price made me think of industrial.

I remember the ones built for shop floors that could be wheeled around with telescoping heads and offset arms.

Google led me to this Gilbraltar Tripod

Correct, they used to make surveying tripods also. I couldn't find new ones for sale anymore after I posted...

Used one on high-rise layout one time, now that was fun to pack around. I bet it weighed 80 pounds.

I have used both, and you can tell the very fist time you set up a dutch hill that there isn't as much "twist" available. I think it's because of the dual-tube design.

They must not make them at all anymore. Used to be you could find a few for sale with a quick google search. The picture below is a miniature elevator version of what I used. The one I used was pretty much a standard tripod, but really overbuilt, and had pads instead of points. It was for interior use.

I too use the Crain Tri-Max and love them!

They are currently on sale at Allen Precision (not my favorite place in the world but order from them frequently) for $300 for the Quick Clamp model

We also use the Crain and they are very awesome. I am intrigued by the carbon fiber Dutch hill and will give them another look, but, the early ones I looked at would oblong their holes and develop a wobble with time. I would hope they got rid of that flaw by now.

I'll second Dutch Hill. Great tripods. Lighter, but still sturdy and you can bang a quick setup with them easily. Pricey though.

dutch hill..i love my 11.75 pound tripod

Crain Tri-Max. Lighter than wood and the wood/fiberglass. Heavier than aluminum. More stable and durable than all of them.

There is never a time, in my opinion, to sacrifice accuracy for the sake of weight. If you want that, buy a lighter gun. FWIW, when my son was 14, I taught him to run the gun and he was the gunner that summer he turned 14. He griped about everything, including the weight, but at his tender age, could carry the gun and tri-max all day long.

> We also use the Crain and they are very awesome. I am intrigued by the carbon fiber Dutch hill and will give them another look, but, the early ones I looked at would oblong their holes and develop a wobble with time. I would hope they got rid of that flaw by now.

We replace our carbon fiber poles at an alarming rate. I do not think that I will buy a carbon fiber tri-pod. 🙂

Thank you, I had a suspicion that it was all still the same.

We had to ditch our old Dutch Hill tripods because they "moved" too much to use with the Trimble S6. We're happy with the Crain Tri-Max legs we use now.