Fiddle blocks... Are they going obsolete?

Joseph Hodgin

Joseph Hodgin

New member
Does anyone use fiddle blocks anymore? It seems like they are a thing of the past. The ballords and winches seem to be it!
I Deffinetly see why. What do you all think?
 
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Joseph Hodgin said:
Does anyone use fiddle blocks anymore? It seems like they are a thing of the past. The ballords and wenches seem to be it!
I Deffinetly see why. What do you all think?
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I still have a small pair I bought from Sherrill Tree years ago. Mine can only be used with one person so I kept a close eye on them when they were being used. They're still in good shape. I only needed pruner rope to set up the system, which was strong enough to give an acceptable working load limit for the blocks and the rope. The pruner rope fit the blocks perfect, and the system stayed together neatly in a small bag. The system is 5:1. They're good for pulling over smaller trees on a small crew. If lift was needed when rigging, I'd use a 3:1(dwt=double whip tackle) in the tree. I'd add the fiddle blocks to a porta-wrap. It's not very efficient for multiple rigs. I would prefer the heavier equipment.

Joe (also)
 
I've got the GRCS and a 5/1 set of fiddleblocks I bought from Wesspur over 6 years ago. I use both, and wouldn't want to be without either of them. I re-reaved the fiddleblock system with 60 feet of Sterling HTP 13mm climbing line last year, when I noticed the progress capture cam was losing purchase on the loaded line (Thanks Nick Bonner for the replacement line recommendation!) The GRCS is definitely a versatile powerhouse, but situations still arise where fiddleblocks get the nod, especially if it's a "once and done" issue, like pulling over a tree, or tensioning a union in a tree for cabling purposes.
 
My Schaefer 7 series fiddle blocks, threaded with 150' of Samson True Blue in a 5:1, come out to play every week or 2. There are just so many things they can do quickly and easily. For the money invested in them, wouldn't be caught dead without them!
 
N.e.Tree said:
Yep, we rig and pull everything with our mini. It's really nice because you can move the mini around to change the angles of your rigging and pull anything over from about any direction. It's an amazing tool for speedlining as well.
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I like using trucks and other heavy machines as anchor points, but how do you calculate the amount of force you're putting into your rigging and the tree, when you pull with a mini? Does the manufacturer supply a figure for the maximum amount of pull the machine is capable of, and then you factor in different rope angles to adjust that figure?

I'm asking because I've always been discouraged from using trucks, skid steers and minis for pulling on trees and rigging, with the reason given that you can't accurately calculate the amount of force you're cycling into the components of your rigging system and the tree. On the other hand, fiddleblocks and other manually powered pulling devices like the GRCS are said to allow you to accurately calculate the amount of force you're putting into the system, so that you can be confident that you're operating with forces below working load limits and also keep track of load cycles.

I like getting things done quickly and efficiently on jobsites, but I don't want to inadvertently cycle a rope to failure, or pull apart a tree I'm trying to rig out of.
 
How does a mini or truck take away the porti? I use the truck to but porti means no knots anywhere.
Pulling with a knot I can see but how do you rig and smoothly run things with a truck or mini?
 
I've used a portawrap...and the bollard from the GRCS, when using a truck for an anchor point. I've also used a large steel rigging carabiner, attached to the receiver frame, when using it as an anchor point for fiddleblocks.
 
cerviarborist said:
I like using trucks and other heavy machines as anchor points, but how do you calculate the amount of force you're putting into your rigging and the tree, when you pull with a mini? Does the manufacturer supply a figure for the maximum amount of pull the machine is capable of, and then you factor in different rope angles to adjust that figure?

I'm asking because I've always been discouraged from using trucks, skid steers and minis for pulling on trees and rigging, with the reason given that you can't accurately calculate the amount of force you're cycling into the components of your rigging system and the tree. On the other hand, fiddleblocks and other manually powered pulling devices like the GRCS are said to allow you to accurately calculate the amount of force you're putting into the system, so that you can be confident that you're operating with forces below working load limits and also keep track of load cycles.

I like getting things done quickly and efficiently on jobsites, but I don't want to inadvertently cycle a rope to failure, or pull apart a tree I'm trying to rig out of.
Click to expand...
I understand what you mean by not being able to calculate the forces applied with the mini. To be honest, when pulling trees over, we only use it as a persuasion to get things moving. We don't rely on it to pull over leaners or anything. I don't pull extremely aggressively. It'll spin the tracks if too much pressure is applied. When rigging, if too much weight is dropped into it, it'll roll a bit and we'll cut smaller pieces. Speedlining, I don't wrench on it, just snug it up a bit. It's not something that I would recommend to anyone but this had been our setup for a while and has been working like a charm. We have completely knot-free rigging system and very versatile as far as angles where we place our anchor points to work well with our top anchor point.
 
I should maybe add that we mostly do backyard residential work. We don't have anything over 100 feet tall here and those are rare. Our range is mostly 60-80 or so foot decurrant trees. We only rig pieces the mini can lift. No logging or any massive wood other than 20-30 foot tall trunks that get chunked out. Not to sound unimpressive or anything.;)
 
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