If Ralph is avialable, it sounds like he'd be the better choice!
Anyhow, we've been debating the Hobbs,GCRS purchase for a few years now.
Biggest issues have been $$$$ versus improvements in service and efficiency.
I think the best thing going for either device is the fact that they are self contained. Meaning that the bollard rotates/can be rotated as a means of taking tension and all MA comes from the device itself.
What we've opted to do, for now, is stick with a fiddle block configuration to take our tension...But, we've taken it a step beyond the traditional fiddle block.
First, we've had a mongo sized (4 inch diameter) PW type brake fabricated. We also use in-line compounding pullies that allow our 5 to 1 fiddle block to develop, in some cases, 30 (or more) to 1 on the rigging line.
Since my guys can pull at least 150 pounds each that gives us a 4500 pound lift. Now, we lose a little of that due to friction around the bollard, but that has been more than enough to do the job. One man is able to operate the whole thing
Best of all, we are using tools that are relatively inexpensive, already on-hand and that they are familiar with.
Sometimes on those pieces where we have to lift it after it's been cut, we've often employed our ramsey(actually a foriegn licensed version) 8000# winch with amsteel cable.
We run the winch line through a re-direct and a compound. Though slower than a crane, it is infinitely more controlable than the gcrs and has power in/power out capabilities. We can use it to drag stuff to the chipper and drag logs out too. BTW this winch can be found at harbor-freight for under $400.
Anyway, for now, we feel the GCRS and Hobbs, while very well suited for thier roles, and perhaps quicker to set up than our present techniques, don't have the better flexibility and cost/benefit we presently enjoy.
That said, we'll take the savings and spend it on better ropes, replacing slings sooner, and improving our daily use items.
It also provides us with an exercize in thinking every time we use it. Not that using it is complicated, rather it allows us to approach everything from a problem-solving perspective.
It gives our ground people more of an understanding of what is going on plus an intuitive grasp of meeting the various forces, a touch of math and boat-load of physics.
