VT-hitch users: beware!

[pdqdl]

Hot news from Sherrill !

The VT is not suitable for tree climber's use. It "should only be used for rigging duties not related to human life support". Who'da thought it?

http://www.sherrilltree.com/site/PKnots/Valdetain.html

 

[tree md]

Hmm... Imagine that. This is the first I have heard of that. Every other text I have come across says that it's fine for life support.

I bet this puts a bug up a lot of folks butts...

 

[treemandan]

And I was just gonna start using it again!
I swear! I have been sticking with the old taughline/prussik and just today I went and bought a Hitchclimber pulley and was messing around in the basement with it. After about 5 minutes I actually was gonna see if anyone on here wanted to buy the dam thing!
But I got re-acquantied with the set-up. Yes, its easy for the adjacent knot for the other end of the rope to push the VT knot and not allow it to grab but I fingered it out and hooked it up.
They are not really giving any particular reasons why one should not use the VT. They just say its finicky and I guess a lot of the problems are due to people not setting it up properly.

 

[treemandan]

Well TreeCo has been using it for years, its hard to tell from looking at him but he ain't dead.

 

[tree md]

Well Wesspur is still selling an HRC split tail and advertising it for use with the VT so I guess they haven't caught on yet.

Must be something new coming down the pike. I'd like to know who Sherrill got that advisory from. I was looking at their knot page about two days ago and did not see that warning on the VT so it is brand new.

I've been climbing on the VT for over a year now and don't plan on changing anytime soon unless Sherrill backs up that claim with an ANSI recommendation or someone other than a distributor advisory.

 

[The Lawn Shark]

I've been using the vt for about a year now....and I like it but have noticed unless I use 4 wraps and 3 braids it'll slip.....4/3 is kinda of tight to advance climb line...everytime I try 4/2 or 3/3 it will slip on occasion...what I mean is that when I take my weight off climb line and pull the slack out, the hitch stays bunched up and don't want to re-grab the rope without having to mess with it...using beeline w/ arbormater blue or gold streak??????????
thinking of trying the distel

 

[Bermie]

Could be because the VT is a more advanced hitch, certainly not one for a beginner. Getting it dialed in right, right hitch cord for the rope you use, you weight, # of coils/wraps...maybe a case of CYA in case some newbie gets it wrong and goes for a ride to the basement!??

I've been on mine for two years...love it.

 

[tr33thri11s]

not new news

If you look at the older product catalogs this has been put out for quite awhile. As most of us know, alot of hitches and knots were developed long ago for quite different uses. And even of late, knots have been developed to work in our industry for different purposes. Low and slow is a great way to be sure certain knots will work with an individuals techniques. Happy and safe climbing to you all!

 

[tree md]

Could be a case of CYA, I have read warnings that it is an advanced hitch from different sources for some time now. This is the first I have ever heard of anyone flatout saying that it is not safe for life support.

My guess is that Sherrill has got their info from some other authority with the talk of the knot possibly inverting. We'll just have to wait and see.

As far as I'm concerned the knot is superb.

Lawn Shark, it took me a little while to get mine dialed in too. I tried different combos of coils/braids and ended up coming back to 4:2. I think getting my eye to eye dialed in to the correct length had a lot to do with getting it to bite well. Also, I think the HRC I am using needed to break in a little before it started biting really good as well. I am using the HRC on Poison Ivy and it works great.

 

[Nailsbeats]

I climb on a VT, but it isn't the safest hitch out there. You must set it once it's been fully compressed and slacked most of the time.
It's old news.

 

[beastmaster]

Its not a knot for unexperienced climbers. It is finicky. It does have to be dialed in. That being said I've been using it for a year and its my knot of choice for my climbing system. Its not very forgiving of mistakes. Maybe some noob bit the big one or something. I'll continue to use it. Hopefully ansi won't ban it or restrict it for life support.

 

[Bermie]

Ha...the joy of working in an unregulated environment...sometimes!
I like my VT and ain't nobody around here can say I can't use it!

 

[treemandan]

Ha...the joy of working in an unregulated environment...sometimes!
I like my VT and ain't nobody around here can say I can't use it!

I'm booking my flight tonight... one way, hope ya got enough work for me cause if I get bored I will probably start to annoy you, Hell, I might annoy you anyway. DO you have a comfy couch? Cable?

 

[Bermie]

One way ticket, immigration will kick your ass back to the mainland...unless you can prove someone will vouch for you and pay your way...I'm broke and got no cable so your chances are slim...only work is tiddler trees with 4" leaders, you big fat boys can't handle the tree top tip toe...!

 

[treemandan]

One way ticket, immigration will kick your ass back to the mainland...unless you can prove someone will vouch for you and pay your way...I'm broke and got no cable so your chances are slim...only work is tiddler trees with 4" leaders, you big fat boys can't handle the tree top tip toe...!

You know, that is a funny way to say " come on over". Anyway I am all over the tips.

 

[Climb020]

Least it doesn't say anything about the XT (VT variation) so gonna keep that one in the bag. Though don't understand what they are saying being everyone I know finds the old school tauntline to slip/creep more then anything else but nothing is ever said about that.

 

[frashdog]

Hot news from Sherrill !

The VT is not suitable for tree climber's use. It "should only be used for rigging duties not related to human life support". Who'da thought it?

http://www.sherrilltree.com/site/PKnots/Valdetain.html

Of cour$e!
Tho$e knot$ are $o archaic.
$tep it up to the new billet $uper jobbie$.
Cachingaling knot$ don't pay $herrill$ bill$ yo!
Oh yea Be $afe!

 

[frashdog]

Of cour$e!
Tho$e knot$ are $o archaic.
$tep it up to the new billet $uper jobbie$.
Cachingaling knot$ don't pay $herrill$ bill$ yo!
Oh yea Be $afe!

Uh Oh
Actually maybe someone died cause of the knot then how would I feel about it? You know what they say abut OSHA's regs, "written in blood" that means some one probably died or was severely disfigured or even dismembered. Imagine your "member" being "dised"???

 

[treemandan]

Uh Oh
Actually maybe someone died cause of the knot then how would I feel about it? You know what they say abut OSHA's regs, "written in blood" that means some one probably died or was severely disfigured or even dismembered. Imagine your "member" being "dised"???

I think they should just come right out and say it, be honest about the whole thing... tree work is not recomended for life support.

 

[treemandan]

But I didn't have a problem with today. First time in a long time since I used it. Sure once or twice it didn't grab right off, the scaffold knot pushed it down. Uhh, no ####, any friction hitch out there needs to be watched... REAL GOOD. That's the gig.