# manual rope winch



## ssurveyor (Feb 18, 2010)

Greetings, I am new to this forum. I am not an arborist, but have friends who have been, and have an interest in this subject. 

Do you think there would be any interest in a hand crank winch (approx. 1 lb. in weight, with a 300 lb. working load) for ascending a rope?

Gordon


----------



## RedlineIt (Feb 18, 2010)

With a 300lb. load rating it can only be a climbing aid, not life support, which is fine.

Put two cranks on it so I can use it with my legs below my weight and not my arms and you might have something. It would have to be cheap, because I can already rig up rope ascenders in various configurations to do the same thing for less than $200.

Not meaning to discourage you, not at all. Rigging up ascending systems can be time consuming, if you have something that can clip in and out of a tree climbers normal working setup, that would be cool.

RedlineIt


----------



## tree md (Feb 18, 2010)

RedlineIt said:


> With a 300lb. load rating it can only be a climbing aid, not life support, which is fine.
> 
> Put two cranks on it so I can use it with my legs below my weight and not my arms and you might have something. It would have to be cheap, because I can already rig up rope ascenders in various configurations to do the same thing for less than $200.
> 
> ...



You mean something like this?

http://www.arboristsite.com/showthread.php?t=115171&highlight=tree+bicycle

I call it a tree bicycle. :hmm3grin2orange:


----------



## RedlineIt (Feb 18, 2010)

Yeah, md, exactly like that! 

Except without the seat, frame, handlebars and JBWeld!:biggrinbounce2:

The more I think about it even pedals or a hand-crank would suck, how many times do you have such a clear ascent? 1 in 200? If even.

Sorry Gordon, I think the gas powered winch crowd will have you beat even in this small niche.

RedlineIt


----------



## ssurveyor (Feb 18, 2010)

*cost and rigging*

the powered ascenders seem to run a thousand or two. I am thinking a fraction of that price and something that would clip into the harness and be attached to the rope at any point, hanging about chest high. Maybe it could be rigged for the feet, I'd have to think about that.


----------



## ssurveyor (Feb 20, 2010)

*TADZ device*

I've also been working on a friction ascender. Here is a picture of my working model. It has a freewheeling pulley sheave at each apex and works as trolley block, or ascender and descender, the carabiner hooks into the harness and binds on the sheave when weighted.


----------

