Hobbs device

Jehinten

Jehinten

Been here much more than a while
Location
Evansville
So before I post my question, I should mention that I have never used a fixed bollard, but I can see the benefits. To date I've only run portawraps. I was looking into prices and what would be best for my company (usually a two man crew) that do a lot of removals. I'd probably stick with the portawrap for any roping while trimming.

Long story short I ran across the hobbs after looking at the rcw-3001 (which I think I like from video and reviews) and the GRCS (seems great but I'm not ready to spend that much right now). I thought the hobbs being less popular and seemingly not in production may reduce the cost of them, but I found a price for one to be built at $2000. I'd be inclined to believe that the RCW would be superior to the hobbs (?) And $800 less. Am I missing something with the hobbs, is there something it can do that is better that either of the other two?

I'm frugal by nature and so far the POW has done everything I need it to with a quick 3:1 for pretension, but I get a lot of limbs over houses and lifting would be nice, not to mention a more robust device.

Thanks for your help.
 
The Hobbs is tough! Does hard work with few complaints

If I were to be in the market for a fixed bollard I'd likely get the Stein and piggy back mechanical advantage

When I ran my company I didn't need a bollard. When I
Had a big job I found one of the hired climbers who
Had their own ratchet bollard
 
GRCS for the win. An incredibly versatile lifting/pulling/lowering device.

Who exactly is going to build a "hobbs" for you? It might quack like a hobbs and waddle like a hobbs, but if hobbs didn't actually manufacture it, it's certainly not going to be insured like a hobbs.

If you're using a homemade, or local shop made lowering/lifting device and something completely unrelated happens (eg. a rope breaks or a rigging point breaks out of the tree) and damage is caused, you're going to be spending a lot of time and money explaining why you're not using an industry standard device. (Unless you're willing to pay to have two of them built, so that you can test one to failure.)
 
Who exactly is going to build a "hobbs" for you? It might quack like a hobbs and waddle like a hobbs, but if hobbs didn't actually manufacture it, it's certainly not going to be insured like a hobbs.

If you're using a homemade, or local shop made lowering/lifting device and something completely unrelated happens (eg. a rope breaks or a rigging point breaks out of the tree) and damage is caused, you're going to be spending a lot of time and money explaining why you're not using an industry standard device. (Unless you're willing to pay to have two of them built, so that you can test one to failure.)[/QUOTE]

https://blairsae.com/?wpsc-product=h-2-hobbs-lowering-device

I found this link via an old thread on here. I say "built for me" Bc I believe they are building them per order.




To everyone mentioning the durability of the hobbs, I don't doubt it, but is there any concern that the stein wouldn't last just as long?
 
That really depends on how you use the device. I know guys get lots of years out both if used properly. I think they are both well designed for proper tree work. If I had a crew full of idiots that wanted to shockload 10,000lb logs all day I would probably go with the Hobbs, or fire the crew and buy the Stein. Personally if I decide to drop Hobbs money I would just get the GRCS.
 
The problem I see with the Hobbs and a small (2 man) crew is tailing. The self tailing feature on the GRCS is huge. When we ran the Hobbs at my last job we would always need one person on the Pipe turning and one to tail tail the rope. Needless to say when the GRCS was purchased, the hobbs just sat there. For a few hundred bucks you can make the device much more effective and efficient.
 
I have the GRCS and picked it for the durability and the self tailoring feature that Squirrel speaks off. I usually work with one groundie on my own jobs. That was the deciding factor for me. The video above helped. I haven't used mine only reason is I haven't needed it on my own jobs. And I won't work it for free on others jobs. I'll let it keep collecting dust .... till it's time to make coin.
 
I first saw a Hobbs in use back in 1989 at an outreach arborist training class I was taking. Bill Graham, Rich Orth and Chris Edson were the instructors. Bought mine as soon as I got home! As for needing a second person for tailing the rope......when you are rigging an using a Hobbs usually there is a least two people on the ground, often more. This is usually serious tree rigging going on and serious rigging needs ground support. After about 15 years I sold my interest in my first tree company along with the Hobbs and moved south 700 miles. I use a GRCS today and like it a lot but you will never hear me put down The Hobbs Lowering Device. Both are great and very useful tools. As far as adding 'mechanical force' to a fixed bollard........as long as you understand that it places a far second place to the device doing it......it is all good.
 
Last edited:
96coal449 said:
I have the GRCS and picked it for the durability and the self tailoring feature that Squirrel speaks off. I usually work with one groundie on my own jobs. That was the deciding factor for me. The video above helped. I haven't used mine only reason is I haven't needed it on my own jobs. And I won't work it for free on others jobs. I'll let it keep collecting dust .... till it's time to make coin.
Click to expand...

Mine too, though not new, sits in the middle of my L pack. It does not get used that much... But I would never get rid of it. When it does come out of that cabinet it makes money everytime. I had an opportunity to trade it for a wraptor, which I would probably use more often, but I just couldn't bring myself to.
 
flyingsquirrel25 said:
The problem I see with the Hobbs and a small (2 man) crew is tailing. The self tailing feature on the GRCS is huge. When we ran the Hobbs at my last job we would always need one person on the Pipe turning and one to tail tail the rope.
Click to expand...

With a socket mounted in the open end of the Hobbs drum, (as shown in photo I posted) this becomes a non issue.
One person can easily tail the rope.

Hobbs removals that require a lot of pretension with only one groundperson available are no biggie. Paul Hunter, a retired Mississauga FD Chief, used to say: "you gotta be smarter than the hose"!

Furthermore, if more torque is required, the open end of the winch bar/pipe can be slid over the ratchet handle.
 
I have the RCW 3001, and it's great, if I had the movey5, I suppose I'd buy the grcs, the Stein is a bit slower than the grid appears to be from the many videos I watched before and after my purchase. We are a 2 man crew 99% of the time and it's pretty simple to tend the line you are getting while lifting. We do a lot of limbs over houses as well and it's been great. We have literally been able to take a couple jobs we would have passed on in the past. If you want to be frugal, but have the lift, get the Stein, if you have the money, get the GRCS, someday I will.
 
Hopefully not to much of a derail but.... With a Stein or fixed bollard & 5:1 you can still tie off the line. Can you do that with the Hobbs or the GRCS? I know the GRCS has the self tailing feature which might work but I don't know how much it can hold. I am thinking if it is a 1 man show as I am most of the time. I guess setting a secondary tie off cleat is no more complicated than using a secondary winch/5:1 setup if that is what is required.
 
Thanks everyone for the good answers so far. So is the one advantage of the hobbs the overall strength of the unit? I know it can pretension and lift as well, but so can the other two units in question.

Just my thought, but I don't lift every limb to lower, if I did I'd make smaller cuts and use the rig-n-wrench. I am leaning towards the stein for my purposes, but am still interested in everyone's responses before I make my decision.

The one job that comes to mind where lifting and a locking bollard would be most useful was a recent maple removal that was over a house and privacy fence, and had 8 utility wires under the tree and no room for the lower limbs to swing down. The rig-n-wrench is great, but with only one person on the ground and that many obstacles I really need something with a little more control and a lock off feature.
 
I've never used a Hobbs or a stein but I have a grcs and one of the first times we used it I had a large limb that we were lowering get hung up in some other limbs. It was far too heavy for me to lift it out. The groundman was able to quickly winch it up, a little sideways tugging and we were back in production mode. To a guy who had previously only used a porta wrap that incident sold me on the grcs. And since then we have found numerous ways to utilize its lifting abilities. I didn't think I really needed it until I bought one and started using it, then I wondered how I went so long without it.
 
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