Avenger Wind Up Stand 26 with Braked Wheels (Chrome-plated, 8.5')

Extremely robust and well-made product. Came assembled apart from the casters which took a couple of min to lock into place. The crank is great.

I wanted one shorter wind-up for weight and simplicity, as boom-arms can give me the extra height when needed. This really fit the bill and saved some money. It is very stable, and it makes lifting a 40-50 lb. setup very easy. The cables are not visible, meaning they are in the lower column, and this may explain why the cranking mechanism is not as smooth as on other models where the cables are visible in the upper column. I like everything about this stand except for the lack of winding smoothness. It inspires confidence, and it just feels safe, as loads don't seem to come down with increasing momentum. It is easy to roll and make fine positioning adjustments with its wheels. Note that a few fasteners needed tightening upon arrival. I also have a Matthews The Panel, and that is incredibly smooth, plus it goes to 11 feet; however, I have more confidence in the Avenger's stability because of its base design. Also, with the Matthews model, I have to be super careful about allowing loads to come down too fast--momentum builds and the handle wants to go faster and faster, even spinning freely if unchecked. Now I'm waiting for a third wind-up, a 12 foot model, and I'm going again with Avenger because of the stability and sense of safety. Hopefully its wind-up action will be a little smoother.