4:1 Fiddle Block Set

[Nailsbeats]

I was thinking of getting one soon, was wondering how many of you guy's use them and for what applications?

It seems to me they would be handy and pulling a speed line tight, standing a limb up with a tip tie, pulling off chunks, etc. We have always found away around "needing" one, but I think they would be very useful and handy.

I would be interested in hearing about your everyday applications. Thanks.

 

[Job Corps Tree]

We have 1 at our center It works great for Lifting on for Pulling. but they don't come apart they are ment for use 1 way. myself I still use 4 Alum. Blocks or PMI pullys I can set them up anyway I need or add more, go 2:1 , 6:1 . They can be put ing anywhere on the line, or just use 1 for a Speed line pully

 

[2FatGuys]

We use a variety of pulleys. All of the situations you mentioned are pretty common uses. We also use them (with prussicks) to pull in on a line to the porta-wrap... pretensioning it. I firmly believe you can NEVER have too many pulleys and rigging lines.

 

[Nailsbeats]

Thanks 2 Fatties, that answers one of my questions, how to pull into the portawrap. What do you hook your block set to when doing this? Another sling set below the porty?

Also, we have a CMI stainless 3/4 and 5/8 rigging block, and some CMI micro pulleys, what is a good all around pulley? I am thinking something midweight between the two.

 

[Job Corps Tree]

4:1 fiddle blocks set

I have the 2" sheve ones from PMI and when I need to pull on a Portawrap I hook off to the top ring on that Portawrap, 1 sling and lift. Before the GRCD we could lift larg limbs with it. use a Gibbs acender and a pole saw to push it as high as we could , Pull down on the rope and take up the slack on the Portawrap and repete. slow but you clold get a lot of lift. same way use 2 or 3 pullys on a Z rig and 1 fore a speedline pully. I have had the same 4 now for 12 years. added to them but never had to replace any

 

[TreeBot]

Have you seen TreeCo's thread about the Maasdam Rope Puller?

 

[2FatGuys]

I'm not where I can get to my equipment right now to set up a portawrap scenario to photograph, so I'll try to explain it as best as I can.

Attach the portawrap like normal, using whichever sling setup you usually do. As you know (since you have made copies of the porty), the sling is girth hitched to the "loop" part of the porty. We use a biner on the opposite side of the "loop" to attach the lower block (or even single pulley). We use a prussick loop around the bull line where we want to pull. We then put a biner through that loop to attach the upper block (or just a single pulley). The loop on the porty is designed to be loaded from both sides.

We also do a "locking" 4:1 or 5:1 (also called "progress capture") with a pair of prussicks, using the bull line through the pulleys. The upper prussick is attached just like I described above. The lower one floats on the final loop of line through the pulley and is advanced by the pulley as line goes through it. This requires a prussick minding pulley at the bottom. SherrillTree used to have an image of this setup on their website and in the catalog. That's where we got the idea from. Their website now has a video of it at: Tree Pulling Kit.

 

[2FatGuys]

Have you seen TreeCo's thread about the Maasdam Rope Puller?

Yes... but we don't haul a rope puller onto job sites when we can accomplish the same with a few simple pieces of hardware that can be used in multiple situations....

2FatGuys on a 5:1 can do wonders! We can come REAL close to the 2000# pull of the Maasdam if we add another pair of pulleys... and put some a$$ into it....

 

[newb]

We used the fiddle block ( Poor mans GRCS ) for a year before we bought the GRCS(488).There are still plenty of times when we use it though. Also when setting up the fiddle block, we set it so that we are pulling horizontal instead of vertical. I've found that it works better when you have to retension. Pete

 

[kennertree]

The illustration of the fiddle blocks with a porty is on page 59 in sherrill's 2008 catalog.

 

[treemandan]

I don't see the need to use more than 2 pulleys to get tention in a speedline AND I recomend that if you are using more than that to make sure you are not going to pull the tree you have the other end tie to down in any way.
I have DUMPED major wood ( crazy #### long ang heavy as hell and fast as balls) on a speedline and NEVER seemed to need more tension than what 2 pulleys could muster.
I also have used just the tension one free-standing man could give on a few jobs.
Is 4;1 actually 5:1?
I actually wasted half a day driving my Outback to pick up a 4 pulley block set I saw a craigslist for ten bucks. It started to snow on the way back and some kid rearended and made me late to clear the day- care center . All I wanted was somethging to clean -up , paint, run a rope through and hang in my barn to look at and say to myself " I have not and probably won't EVER use that thing."
Something cool to think bout there Nails, mounting a porto- wrap to the front of that loader. Wrap it up, lock it off, pull it back and let it fly!
I use mine on the end of my winch cable so there's to a GRCS and a fiddle block... pulls stuck things too.

 

[treemandan]

Yes... but we don't haul a rope puller onto job sites when we can accomplish the same with a few simple pieces of hardware that can be used in multiple situations....

2FatGuys on a 5:1 can do wonders! We can come REAL close to the 2000# pull of the Maasdam if we add another pair of pulleys... and put some a$$ into it....

Yes, wonders, its a good amount of pull.