Munter hitch for lowering limbs

[Neill]

Has anyone any experience on using the Munter hitch for light rigging?

 

[Reach]

I have not, and personally would not due to the rope-on-rope friction that hitch creates. Overload it or let a piece run and you could easily burn right through a rope.

 

[TreeCo]

Sure for light pieces under 75lbs or so.

 

[Tom Dunlap]

It creates hockles if you're not careful

I've used it a lot though

There isn't stationary and moving rope on rope though so there isn't going to be any sawing type action to damage the rope
. There may be some heat in the biner that could melt a spot of rope but I never had that happen

 

[southsoundtree]

I lower 235 pound pieces with ease all the time.
Repelling on a pull rope with my spurs and lanyard as life-support.

 

[Brothamikes808]

Better to use a figure eight but I have lowered limbs and myself with a minter hitch and it’s pretty reliable for small stuff.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[flushcut]

I have used a munter as a back up technique when lowering, kinda spur of the moment thing. I would not suggest it for "all I lower with is a munter" but as a back up technique it works.

 

[Chaplain242]

Can double rig with a munter as the friction side to do heavier, just don’t bomb it...

 

[treesap]

pros: fast and easy setup, you already have the gear

cons: will twist rope, cant really change the amount of friction, will wear rope quicker, only for light stuff

 

[southsoundtree]

You can wrap a my her hitch in a stub for more friction.

Can be tied off, then released under load with a mule knot, and overhand on a bight to secure.


A large stub or large biner can accommodate a super-munter.

 

[Tom Dunlap]

hitch in a stub for more friction.

Head slap!

I never thought of using a stub with a Munter! Brilliant!

 

[Neill]

Thanks for everyone’s input, I plan to give it a go on my next job. I definitely like the idea of using it on a stub. I might try using a big Clevis shackle too instead of a carabiner.

 

[Dan Cobb]

Anybody run munters on aluminum biners? I use munters now and then, but always on steel. I'll always have some steel biners with me, so no reason to use aluminum.

 

[theatertech87]

Lots of talk about the cons of the minter... All perfectly valid

There are advantages though over something like the triple thimble or safebloc. it's really easy to pop a munter on midline without threading the whole rope through.

I also feel like the munter works better than a figure 8 both from a friction added standpoint as well as an ease of resetting for the next piece

It hasn't been mentioned, but some kind of sling to attach the carabiner to the tree is required

 

[KevinS]

A lot of guys switched from the munter to a figure 8 for that size of rigging but the munter is an ok tool in the tool box if you use it right. Guys used to take down trees every day with that. But that said, things improve and grow for a reason. That said a porti is simple and consistent every time just the same tool.

As pointed out above one guy said good for 75 lbs I personally do that with leather gloves maybe an xrr at the tree base and the top rigging point. You’d be surprised how much a couple xrrs can help.

 

[TimBr]

@Brothamikes808; Welcome to the TreeBuzz forum! Congratulations on making your first post. I look forward to reading more from you. Make yourself at home. Tim.

 

[Chaplain242]

A lot of guys switched from the munter to a figure 8 for that size of rigging but the munter is an ok tool in the tool box if you use it right. Guys used to take down trees every day with that. But that said, things improve and grow for a reason. That said a porti is simple and consistent every time just the same tool.

As pointed out above one guy said good for 75 lbs I personally do that with leather gloves maybe an xrr at the tree base and the top rigging point. You’d be surprised how much a couple xrrs can help.

Munter is fantastic for tight quarters negative rigging on the fly... have used it for 250lbs although 16 strand doesn’t particularly like it...

 

[Tom Dunlap]

By now I think that someone might have mentioned how important it is to use a large HMS biner whenever using a Munter. The large radius is key to sooth functioning.

 

[Crimsonking]

When a second ground guy was late to a job, I put a munter behind the x ring I was using so the solo ground guy could tag the brush away from understory. It’s been in my skill box ever since.

 

[DSW]

For anything small enough to use a munter I'd just throw some wraps on a limb.