My tripod leg snapped right as Jupiter was rising

I was setting up my Celestron 8SE in the driveway last Tuesday night, getting ready for a clear view of Jupiter. When I extended the third leg, the plastic locking collar just cracked clean through. I had to prop the whole scope on a stack of old books for the rest of the session. Has anyone found a good, sturdy replacement tripod that won't break the bank?

3 comments

3 Comments

willow_reed2d ago

That plastic collar on the 8SE tripod is a known weak spot, it's crazy they still use it. I had mine fail after maybe a dozen uses, just like yours. I ended up getting the heavy duty tripod from Celestron, the one with the metal legs, and it's been solid for three years now. It was a bit more money but way better than balancing everything on a stack of books, lmao. You can sometimes find them used on the classifieds for a decent price.

ellis.susan2d agoMost Upvoted

Wow, I totally used to defend that tripod design. I'd tell people it was fine for the price and that folks were just over-tightening things. Then mine cracked last month while I was just setting up in my own backyard, not even on rough ground. Seeing that split plastic, I finally got it. It's not user error, it's just a bad part. Your story about the metal leg upgrade is making me seriously consider the same move now.

jordan_miller1d ago

Ugh, that plastic crack is such a gut punch. My old tripod gave out right as I was lining up a shot of the supermoon, total nightmare.