I've used the EZ Stepper and find that I don't really need it. It works fine, but there's almost always someone around to help me lift the mast, which is the only step in the process that requires help.

The one scary part of raising the mast is keeping it from swaying side to side. The EZ Stepper comes with a couple of lines that you tie from the cross bar to the forward trapeze, but it's tough to get them just the right length so that they don't bind when the mast is going up. Now I use quickly adjustable tie-down straps, the kind with hooks on each end, so that I can easly pop them loose. Depending on he wind strength, I'll use them as a safety precaution even if I have lots of help. If it's calm I can toss my H-20 mast up quickly without the safety straps, but it can get out of hand in a hurry if it's windy and it only takes a moment to hank on the safety hooks.