Pulley & Blocks?

[czar800]

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Do you guys always use a pulley or a block to lower limbs when taking down a tree? Has anyone used another type of system at the TIP for lowering limbs?












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[Bearcreek]

Its fairly common to use natural crotches when rigging. Used to be the only way. Some frown on it, but it can be faster in the right situation.

 

[Dave]

For smaller stuff a Munter works well, I used to use an 8 but it will hockle any rope you run through it.

 

[Mikecutstrees]

For light weight limbs natural crotches work fine. A pulley or block is always better though. A natural crotch can burn up a rope especially with higher weights. .... Mike

 

[tomtrees58]

yes pulleys we used all the time on big rigging tom trees

 

[pdqdl]

Almost never.

If done on a lighter load, the rope doesn't get burned, why waste the time setting a block? If you are catching a bigger log from a higher TIP, then you shouldn't let it run so much that it gets enough energy to burn the rope; snug up the line and keep it all slow and steady. If catching big loads from right beneath where they were cut off: nearly always.

 

[John464]

If you arent using a block to lower wood you are too slow in the tree. very often we use stable braid bulll rope running through CMI block attached to whoopie tenex sling. Go big or Go home! It is time consuming to keep readjusting the tenex sling, but very useful when you cant bomb out the big wood and dont have the crane there. Ive lowered down 4,000lb+ blocks on a number of ocassions. The tree is the weakest link with the advanced rigging gear we have avail today.


but for lowering lighter loads I use carabiners & rope snaps attached to slings to act as a false crotch/timber hitch.

 

[lxt]

alot of the time I`ll use natural crotches to rig from, medium loads I`ll use an eyerope kinda custom made a crane thimble with either 5/8 or 3/4 rope with 2 sided tail, tie the clove & bombs away! larger stuff we break out the big toys, blocks, double pulley blocks & all 3/4" rope!

depends on what your doing! as long as you do it safe!



LXT............

 

[limbwalker54]

I have found that I use a variety of techniques, both old and new, to get the most out of every situation. I would say that when lowering wood, if I am taking more than two good size pieces, the big block comes out. As for the limbs/brush, it really depends. The question lies in efficiency. I feel that most of the time I work more efficiently setting the rope in a nice natural crotch and getting the most out of that before resorting to bringing out the toys. The butt hitch/tip line method gets used a lot both with and without pulleys.
It's good to understand when and where it is efficient and practical to set up the "goodies" and when and where it just is easier to "go natural".....pardon the expression......

 

[Blakesmaster]

In smaller trees I'll almost never install a block, natural crotch rigging is so much easier than carrying that extra weight and taking the time to set up. When I get into a big removal I'll almost always set one on the best overall lowering point. This doesn't mean I won't double over from the block to a natural crotch when working a different side of the tree though. Once I get a GRCS or Hobbs I'm sure I'll start using blocks a bit more frequently.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

It depends on what I am doing and were the line redirection is going. I often use multiple rigging points in a tree, so If there is a light load then at least the center point is a block.

Outer legs are often cheap carabiners, trunk redirects are old carabiners or clevis. For times when you need a dogleg in the rope to keep the up line out of the LZ.

Sometimes i want to adjust my own friction, so I will lace the rigging line through some crotches so that the groundie does not have to mess with a wrap.

On some over structure work I can have 3-4 pullies on light wood so that the ropeman can easily pull on the line, what I refer to as low friction rigging; it's not just for big wood.

For me it is not about saving the rope, that is a false economy. It is about how we need to use the rope and the friction in the tree with the time we have.

If i have to climb 30 ft up a spar to retrieve a block on a spar I could cut out, I may have the center point an as a natural crotch.

 

[treemandan]

Don't always use it but even if I have to set it just for one or two shots out of the entire tree I will. There is NO substitute for the right lowering point.

 

[czar800]

Does any one mess with leather cambium savers or Friction savers when rigging from a natural crotch? Or should i ask do you use leather savers or other friction savers when rigging without a block?

 

[lego1970]

I just use a tree crotch, but then I mostly do small to medium size trees so even when chunking out major leaders, the weight seldom gets more then 100 to 150lbs. I'm sure it's probably not good on the vascular tissue, but most trees I do are cheap jobs that are either removals or the homeowner just needs a limb or two taken off from their homes. There has been a time or two when I've used a sling in a choker with a carabiner for when there is no good crotch, but that's only been a couple times on light stuff.

 

[Norwayclimber]

I usually carry a nylonsling (1.20 m) with a steel carabiner around my shoulder. Real easy and fast to make a false crotch if needed, and light weight to carry arround. If the size of the wood goes up I often use a munther hitch, that way the groundie dosnt have to hassle with a portawrap or other breaking technichs. For bigger stuff, or when there is gonna be lots of lowering, the heavy duty pulley comes out. But variation is the key, use whaterver suits the situation best, natural or false crotches.

 

[TheTreeSpyder]

Time and place for all; as stated. It is all about what tradeoffs work for you and your situation.

Without the overhead friction (using pulley)/ when most friction thru brake on ground, the loading is higher. If pulley is set from another line supporting it that locks off at ground, force potential is 4xLoad(ing); less friction and deflection. Less friction saves line on heavy/ fast /high heat; but (i consider line a wearable resource) it also saves cambium. On impacting, the less friction, the more elastic length to absorb dynamic forces, but then the more drop and bounce when first cut (might not clear roof below etc.). But, to help; the less friction the easier the pretightening against impact and bounce etc.

With pulley, return can be faster; sometimes too fast. A slipknot to jam (with release on eye/climber side) at pulley before line goes out of climber reach is nice! Of curse, blocking out from under large load (especially dense no leaves to slow); about requires a pulley if rigging.

i've learned to say TIP for climber (as mostly used) and support/rig point for load; even though they are same thing (just as the climber is the load..). That way you can tell climber to keep rig away from TIP.

 

[TreeClimber57]

I use pulleys and blocks most of the time. Takes a little longer to set up, but I think you save the time in the long run - and I think it saves the gear from a lot of wear and tear. I guess it depends on what you are dropping to some degree as stated.. size, how high, etc. Use common sense, and do it safely is best route.

 

[Saw Dust Smoken]

pulley

Pulleys are great. Also use a large clevis at times. No problems with clevis going with last piece down. Not going to do that with pulley.