I`ve climbed a ton of trees with mine and plan on using it more now that I started using trad bows. I guess you just got to make sure to put a little extra angle on the bottom so its level at top. Dont worry about the locking buttons.
Some years back on a trip to Alabama the stands were in the truck and got rained on as a cold front pushed through. Everything was frozen the next day like my truck doors. Well that evening I climbed way up in my loggy bayou and it got down in the teens that night. As it got dark and I decided to climb down guess what, the seat was frozen in the up position and I was stuck in the tree.LOL It took all I had with my head against the tree pulling on that sucker to finally break it free. My brother was waiting for me at the truck, I had the keys, we were both under dressed a bit,this was pre cell phone days.That was a cold night.