Questions and answers

Go by the height of your tree. The 6XTS holds trees up to 7 feet, the 8XTS up to 9 feet, the 10XTS up to 12 feet, the 12XTS up to 20 feet and the 16XTS up to 30 feet. If your tree sits between two sizes, or has a very thick trunk, pick the bigger stand. Our size guide has every measurement.

A plastic stand might cost $30 and last a few seasons. When one fails, the bill is broken ornaments, a soaked floor and a ruined evening. Our stands are welded steel and people pass them down to their kids. Customers tell us it was worth every penny, and many of them bought one after a cheaper stand let them down.

The 6XTS, 8XTS and 10XTS have three steel legs that are welded on, so there is nothing to put together. The 12XTS and 16XTS have four legs that bolt on. That gives a much wider footprint for very tall trees and lets the legs come off for storage.

Yes. People give them for Christmas, weddings, birthdays and anniversaries. It is the kind of gift that gets used every year.

Yes, and it is quick. Drill a hole about 2 inches deep in the center of the trunk: 1/2 inch wide for the 6XTS, 8XTS and 10XTS, or 1 inch wide for the 12XTS and 16XTS. The spike in the bottom of the bowl goes into that hole, and the T bolts clamp the sides. That is why the tree stays put.

Customers tell us it takes them anywhere from 5 to 20 minutes. You lay the tree on its side, put the stand on the trunk, tighten the T bolts and stand it up. One family had their 11 foot Fraser fir up with three kids aged 9 to 12 and their grandmother.

No. Make a fresh, straight cut across the bottom. A tree drinks like a straw, and a pointed or angled cut makes it harder for the tree to take up water, so it dries out faster.

Loosen one T bolt and tighten the one across from it. The handles turn easily by hand, so small adjustments take seconds and nobody has to crawl under the tree.

Most orders leave our warehouse in Bear Lake, Michigan within 24 hours. Shipping is $50 for the 6XTS and 8XTS and $85 for the 10XTS and 12XTS.

Call us at (231) 864 2653 before ordering. Shipping on the 16XTS depends on the carrier and your location, so we will check availability and give you an exact price.

Yes. Please call first so we can quote the shipping cost.

Yes. Hardware stores, garden centers and tree farms in 25 states and Ontario carry our stands. Find a store near you.

Yes. We sell replacement T bolts for every model, one at a time.

In Bear Lake, Michigan. Floyd Bowling Jr and Floyd Bowling Sr designed the first one on their farm in December 1989, and the family has built them there ever since.

The 6XTS holds 2 quarts, the 8XTS 1.2 gallons, the 10XTS 2.25 gallons, the 12XTS 4 gallons and the 16XTS 6.5 gallons. Check the level every day, especially in the first week when a fresh tree drinks the most.

The bowl is solid welded steel, so there are no plastic seams to crack. Customers have used the same stand for 15 years and more.