G.R.C.S. or Not?

I or Gerry Baranek will send out a DVD on the 'Volvo Drop Test' to anyone interested......
We drop a Volvo Station Wagon into the rigging using a Hobbs & the mighty GRCS
Frans
 
Thanks to Ekka from Australia for doing that video -to- internet.
Nice of him to make that available to all on the internet. It was alot of work for him I am sure and everyone benifits fromm his hard work
Thanks Ekka!
frans
 
Thanks guys

I must say having used a variety of devices the GRCS is the "ants pants" of friction devices and winches to use. In that video of Frans's you can see how much abuse it copped to break it anyway, which you wouldn't do to your own anyway.
 
Yeah, and if you watch it close you can see that the fairlead breaks and allows the rope to run ouff towards the end of the winch even before the wraps on the stump are taught. That's exactly why it pulled the end of the cover off. (IMO)
 
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Yeah, and if you watch it close you can see that the fairlead breaks and allows the rope to run ouff towards the end of the winch even before the wraps on the stump are taught. That's exactly why it pulled the end of the cover off. (IMO)

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Thats right Mark.
An excellent case in point to attach it correctly. The tree I used was way to thick so both the Hobbs & the GRCS lifted up at the base.
However! Once the Hobbs was tightened right it bent the rod holding the capstan onto the base plate.
Once the GRCS was attached correctly, it TOOK THE HIT WITH NO DAMAGE!

Frans

ps: I should say again that the only reason I did this was for fun. I do not receive any compensation from either one of the manufacturers of the devices.
 
Good work (fun) Frans. I've been wanting to see that vid for a while. Thanks Ekka.

Ekka, I have some clips that I can't get to upload here,can you help?
 
Ok I finally have talk my father into getting a GRCS. But before i shell out the money on it,I was wondering if any one has used the new hobbs device. It seems like every one here likes the GRCS. Is the hobbs comperable, or does the GRCS preform better.
 
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I have only used it in Italy once and at tradeshows. It is a great device and very durable (seems), but the GRCS is a lil bit easier to work. The handle is ball bearings and clicks in and out easier.

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A valid description, altho so limited as to the GRCS's fundamental difference to the Hobbs as to compare a kid's tricycle to a car. Both you ride on but both are completly different.


The GRCS is a device that ONE person can use to almost effortlessly lift limbs, lock off a load instantly and walk away from the device to do something else, come back and resume lowering.
No other device on the American market can even come close to that.

The Hobbs (of which there is only one type available, the new one) is primarily a lowering device.

there are even more advantages to the GRCS over the Hobbs, but I am a part of the growing crowd of GRCS believers. So I am biased.
Prehaps going over prior threads regarding the GRCS will help you out with your choice. Or better yet, find a GRCS owner in your neighborhood and check it out on a job site.

'Once a GRCS user, always a GRCS user'
Frans
 
Whatever happened to that new device which can use two ropes at once and doesn't wrap the ropes? I can't remember what its called but I seem to remember that someone here, maybe Tom D, had one to try out.

It was a big green thing?
 
Th Haultz. Yes I have one. I used it on noe small job. It does a nice job but I don't think that it is a good value.

Considering the price and what the device does it is too expensive. The unique features aren't worth as much as you have to pay for them.

Since it doesn't raise unless you piggyback a handy-billy on it it becomes a very nice bollard. It's rare in my career when I really needed to use two ropes for lowering. Being able to swing the unit to keep it fair to the load is nice though. The main claim is that it doesn't hockle ropes. That has never been much of an issue for me.
 
Thanks Tom. I thought it was you that had one. Like you say it seems a bit over complicated for what it actually does.

I guess the GRCS is still ahead of the field.
 
I will speak in favor of the Hobbs. I bought one maybe 6 years ago and can't imagine rigging without it. I love it and it is built super tough!

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Frans wrote: The GRCS is a device that ONE person can use to almost effortlessly lift limbs, lock off a load instantly and walk away from the device to do something else, come back and resume lowering.
No other device on the American market can even come close to that.

The Hobbs (of which there is only one type available, the new one) is primarily a lowering device.
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I disagree. You lock off a load on the hobbs as well and can walk away. One groundman can use it with no problem. We lift stuff with it all the time, generally it would be a long limb over a house; I would tip tie the line to the limb and it runs up to a snatch block. Groundman puts 4 wraps on the drum and inserts the big crank handle, (here's where the GRCS might be better one man wise?), then the groundman cranks the handle while another pulls on the rope. (a tallented groundie can do this alone, but it's better with two, that way the cranker can also move out of the "dead zone" and not have to be tending the rope right away). Anyway, I notch limbs on the upper side and raise them to verticle with the hobbs all the time.

I can tell you it's tough. When I first got it many years ago, I made some mistakes. Like installing it on the trunk first thing even when I had some big lower limbs I could freely drop. I wacked the Hobbs a few good times with some extremely heavy oak limbs and it didn't hurt it a bit. It made me cringe though. I wasn't used to having something on the trunk that I had to look out for. I don't think I've hit it after that fist year, well... maybe once or twice more.

I have not used a GRCS, and I'm sure it's great too. I think you need to hear from someone that has used a Hobbs for a few years and has then used a GRCS a few years to really compare. You need some time with a piece of equipemnt to learn how to use it to it's highest level.

I've used the hobbs deep in the woods to pull over trees when I didn't have a rope winch or come-along. Put the hobbs on a tree, put a snatch block 2 feet above it and crank away.

The hobbs is heavy. Is the GRCS?

Someone mentioned they broke the crank handle already. How many others have broke stuff on their GRCS or Hobbs?

Just thought I needed to speak up for what I think is a wonderful tool.
 
I got my first Hobbs Lowering Device in 1989 and my first GRCS in 2002.

If you are lifting limbs with the Hobbs you've got to know the two speed self tailing winch on the GRCS blows the Hobbs out of the water.

Both units weigh about the same. Don't get me wrong...I loved my Hobbs....and we cranked it up regularly but I don't miss it and would never buy another one with the GRCS on the market.

Dan
 
We also got a Hopps in 89' it is a great tool and has many years of reliable service. As we discovered rigging posibilties we find the Hobbs lacks what is often required to do the work. We now have 3 GRCS's.
 
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