# mechanical friction hitches??????????????????????



## zackpace (Nov 20, 2012)

i currently climb on a hitch climber system. a dmm pulley, two oval beaners, and a 10 mm prusik with new englands lava line. im considering switching over to either a lockjack or spiderjack from a.r.t. i'd like to hear some opinions on the mechanical hitches.


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## TheJollyLogger (Nov 20, 2012)

Haven't used those yet, but I'm lovin my Petzl rads system


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## Pelorus (Nov 20, 2012)

A buddy has a lockjack that I've climbed on a few times. Didn't really care for it, at least not enougfh to want to buy one. Going up was fine, but I found it difficult to "feather" when going out or down. Probably just a learning curve thing. Since my climbing line isn't maintained in a pristine state of immaculate cleanliness, I think I'd go through a lot of clutches.


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## gorman (Nov 20, 2012)

I'd say the only mechanical hitches that are worth batting a eyelash at are the one's that can be installed midline. Anything else just sounds like a pita setting up. My two cents.


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## zackpace (Nov 20, 2012)

ive heard its all or nothing with the lockjack on the descent. the spiderjack has a wooden block in the mechanism to hel with a more controlled descent. they look pretty sweet on youtube but i dont know anyone whos used it


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## BlackOakTreeServ (Nov 20, 2012)

zackpace said:


> ive heard its all or nothing with the lockjack on the descent. the spiderjack has a wooden block in the mechanism to hel with a more controlled descent. they look pretty sweet on youtube but i dont know anyone whos used it



zackster, I used the spiderjack and sold it right away, just didnt work for me....I like 30" e2e 10mm ocean in VT on samson vortex 12.7mm climbing line, with pinto pulley


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## beastmaster (Nov 20, 2012)

I haven't used one yet either, but I am using my gri gri more and more lately, but it has several draw backs, one being the line doesn't flow throu it very easily, another is you have to pull slack upward. Not a problem from what I can see with the spider and lock jack. 
As far as being unable to attach midline, I use a Vt with a hitch climber pulley and rarely remove it from the rope in my day in day out usage so that's not a deal breaker for me. I would sure like to try one or both out before shelling out that much money.
I got my my eye on the new ,''Hitch hiker'', It seems pretty sweet, and simple, plus can be used for both SRT or DRT. The price on them is half of what their getting for a spiderjack.


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## TreeAce (Nov 20, 2012)

I plan to spring for the new petzl zigzag when it comes out in Feb.


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## Treepedo (Nov 20, 2012)

in a nut shell they both work really well for me srt or drt
I train an apprentice almost yearly and they start on the LJ and then 
I give em tree work with rope on rope. It only takes a few minutes and they are crying
for the lj.
Take a good hard look at it and if you can't see it working for you than it won't.
A good analogy is driving your truck. You have standard or automatic add to that pwr steering or manual steering.
They both will get you there but one is a fair bit more enjoyable in a given situation.


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## beastmaster (Nov 20, 2012)

TreeAce said:


> I plan to spring for the new petzl zigzag when it comes out in Feb.



The ZIGZAG looks sweet! ZIGZAG : Mechanical Prusik for arborists | Petzl


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## imagineero (Nov 21, 2012)

Petzl products are generally pretty good, but that looks like rubbish to me. Overly complicated, and doesn't do anything that other existing devices can't do. Notice at 0:16 they insert the end of the rope into the device, which has no spliced eye, then they pull a swifty and show in the next frame the guy is magically at the other end of the rope, what they don't show is he switched ropes, and he had to pull 150' of rope through the device ;-) You can't get a spliced eye through that thing. 

Shaun


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## beastmaster (Nov 21, 2012)

The new hitch hiker that's coming out.
https://wesspur.com/items/asc184.html


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## Pelorus (Nov 21, 2012)

imagineero said:


> Petzl products are generally pretty good, but that looks like rubbish to me. Overly complicated, and doesn't do anything that other existing devices can't do. Notice at 0:16 they insert the end of the rope into the device, which has no spliced eye, then they pull a swifty and show in the next frame the guy is magically at the other end of the rope, what they don't show is he switched ropes, and he had to pull 150' of rope through the device ;-) You can't get a spliced eye through that thing.
> 
> Shaun



Complicated, yes, but so is a chainsaw. The rope contact points are made of stainless steel, and there are no cams to wear out. I consider a spliced eye more a luxury than a necessity, and pulling 120 or 150' of rope is gonna take what, a minute or two at the most. Zigzag looks pretty good to me.


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## zackpace (Nov 21, 2012)

the hitchhiker looks promising but i see two potential problems. one the minimum line diameter it will handle is 11.5mm. i climb srt on smaller line than that. my everyday climbing line is 11mm. is this gonna be compatible? two on drt with my hitch climber setup both of my beaners attach to pulley greatly increasing the efficancy of the hitch advancement. with the hitch hiker i dont see a place to attach your anchor knot beaner . meaning youd need to attach it to your saddle. which in my opinion is a much less effective set up. maybe there is a hook up im missing or a way to attach the second rope midline im not considering. gotta think it over. but it does look like a great invention


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## treemandan (Nov 21, 2012)

Yeah, that not being able to put that stuff on midline is cramping.


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## Pelorus (Nov 21, 2012)

zackpace said:


> the hitchhiker looks promising but i see two potential problems. one the minimum line diameter it will handle is 11.5mm. i climb srt on smaller line than that. my everyday climbing line is 11mm. is this gonna be compatible? two on drt with my hitch climber setup both of my beaners attach to pulley greatly increasing the efficancy of the hitch advancement. with the hitch hiker i dont see a place to attach your anchor knot beaner . meaning youd need to attach it to your saddle. which in my opinion is a much less effective set up. maybe there is a hook up im missing or a way to attach the second rope midline im not considering. gotta think it over. but it does look like a great invention



The HH should work fine on your anorexic climbing line - just add another wrap to the prussic.
I'm currently using mine on Safety Blue High-Vee, which it grabs with no sit back as long as the hitch is kept close to the HH.
You might wanna take a look at the HH threads on a rival Discussion forum re. hitch advancement techniques.


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## TreeAce (Nov 21, 2012)

Pelorus said:


> Complicated, yes, but so is a chainsaw. The rope contact points are made of stainless steel, and there are no cams to wear out. I consider a spliced eye more a luxury than a necessity, and pulling 120 or 150' of rope is gonna take what, a minute or two at the most. Zigzag looks pretty good to me.


The dude at the petzl booth in Baltimore did highly recommend a tight spliced eye when using the zigzag. He said a termination knot has a tendency to interfere.


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## B_Turner (Dec 11, 2012)

beastmaster said:


> The ZIGZAG looks sweet! ZIGZAG : Mechanical Prusik for arborists | Petzl



I was pretty excited at how smooth a zigzag might be but for me the buzz kill was that it looks like not only can't it be added midline, if you run a splice eye you will actually have to feed the whole rope down through the device first.


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## squad143 (Dec 11, 2012)

I think I need a ZigZag just for the shiny factor. :msp_biggrin:


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## WilliamB (Dec 11, 2012)

Hey there, I've had a spiderjack for a couple of years, even upgraded it to the dyneema attachment, which is a much better design than the velcro. I really love it for certain applications. Self-tending slack, yes please! It's great for working out a pruning job with your TIP above you. But if you have to go any higher than your TIP, or for cutting down a stem, the fact that it always wants to self-tighten becomes a nuisance. For removals I use a hitch climber setup. Not being able to install the spiderjack mid-line isn't ideal, but if you're not using a spliced eye, you can insert your working end up from the bottom and save pulling your whole rope through. I'd imagine that ART will redesign for midline attachment in the future, they're pretty innovative folks. If I was going to start over, I'd take a long look at Rock Exotica's Unicender. It installs midline, and it can be used SRT or DRT. Hope this helps. Stay safe,
William


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## Nailsbeats (Dec 13, 2012)

treemandan said:


> Yeah, that not being able to put that stuff on midline is cramping.



Ain't it though. I have a Spiderjack and don't use it. I like a hitch for the fact that it bends when struck.


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## ssurveyor (Dec 14, 2012)

*Oar*

This one I made has a flexible spine and an adjustable attach point, so that you can dial in the amount of grip it produces. It is mid line attachable. On a doubled rope you really only need two arms rather than the three arms pictured.


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## ssurveyor (May 22, 2013)

*Two Arm Bulldog OAR*

Hey Captain here is the picture for you.

It really does not need that large of a hitch just to hold the standing line in this O-rig configuration, in fact Today I was trying a 6mm loop tether about 10 inches long, and just girth it to the standing line.


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## ropensaddle (May 22, 2013)

looks cumbersome to me an I see c- clips I ain't trusting my life on no c- clip in the bush.


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## climb4fun (May 23, 2013)

use a hitch hiker. combo mech and friction hitch. works srt and drt without having to retie anything for the switch over.


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## ssurveyor (May 25, 2013)

*Self Tailing Oar*

Yes the Hitch Hiker is a great device and I enjoyed meeting Paul at the Charlotte competition last year. Hard to beat a hitch. 
Self Tailing OAR - YouTube


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## rmihalek (Jun 11, 2013)

*Petzl zig-zag recall*

I read that Petzl has recalled all Zig-zags.


Product Recall: ZIGZAG Petzl mechanical Prusik for arborists (Sku. D22) | Petzl


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## Guran (Jun 11, 2013)

TheJollyLogger said:


> Haven't used those yet, but I'm lovin my Petzl rads system



+1.


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