Just wanted to ask what most people are utilising to lower branch or trunk wood on a regular basis. I am thinking along the lines of the safe working load of the item used, many of us use a portawrap/flying capstan which in most cases has a SWL of 1000kg. Where do people go from there if they anticipate timber to be heavier or the rope diameter used significantly larger (18mm)? GRCS? Hobbs? Or is there something i'm missing.
Lowering devices
- Thread starter puwer
- Start date
Oh geez. Get ready puwer. I think you got a lot of responses coming to you. Maybe check out a thread called "GRCS or Not?" under Rigging and Roping.
I own a large port-a-wrap and a GRCS. I love and use them both often.
John
PS Oh yeah you're gonna need some bigger ropes! /forum/images/graemlins/bud.gif
I own a large port-a-wrap and a GRCS. I love and use them both often.
John
PS Oh yeah you're gonna need some bigger ropes! /forum/images/graemlins/bud.gif
by the way....welcome ta da buzz /forum/images/graemlins/cool.gif
It depends on the "Arbor Intelligence" of those I'm working with. I've been around a lot of "experienced" people that don't understand the concept of "let it run", shock loading, etc.. In those cases it is better (IMO) to go to the least complicated system...rope and wraps, as much as I dislike that.
My two most recent employment places, crash and burn is the prefered method. One of my favorites was a job in the NYC suburbs, with a well known company. Pruning an Oak over a slate roof with copper gutters, and a sunroom. Guys dropped brush on the roof all day. To 'protect' the sunroom someone stood by with a rake to bat the branches away as they slid down the slate.
On my own jobs, it depends on the scope of work and the situation but a GRCS and/or Portawrap are used regularly.
My two most recent employment places, crash and burn is the prefered method. One of my favorites was a job in the NYC suburbs, with a well known company. Pruning an Oak over a slate roof with copper gutters, and a sunroom. Guys dropped brush on the roof all day. To 'protect' the sunroom someone stood by with a rake to bat the branches away as they slid down the slate.
On my own jobs, it depends on the scope of work and the situation but a GRCS and/or Portawrap are used regularly.
lowering device !! Don't go cheap pay that extra buck it's worth it.. we have Hobbs lowering and lifting device, we would be lost w/out it.. we have a large rain forest at work and all our tree work has to be lower down piece by piece, no way to get a crane in or our boom truck , so all is done w/ this bad boy.. good luck shopping....
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I've got a Hobbs. I could do most of my work with a Porty but since my crews are all volunteers I found that it was much easier to teach lowering methods on the Hobbs than it was the Porty. We start of with smaller stuff to get the concept of letting it run-it's not a tug of war and by the time we work up to the larger stuff I just call out the number of wraps and make everyone watch me. Works well most of the time. Sometimes it's exciting. With the porty they couldn't figure out the wraps and they always looked over at it when the rope loaded. 'Love the Hobbs but I'm just not crazy about lugging it around and strapping it on when something smaller would work. It was alot of $$ but for safety and teachability it was well worth the cost.
Phil
Phil
- Location
- Home of the New Jersey Devils
I believe the GRCS (using the winch)is rated at 2600# on a design factor of 10.
- Location
- Ontario, Canada
Greg mentions swl of 2000lbs. on the Bailey video proven at the Universtity of Wisconsin I believe.
i got rid of my port a wrap a while ago...too easy for an inexperienced groundie to screw things up or get a finger "bit"...i have a standard lowering bollard and love it...i wish i'd shelled out the extra dough and got the hobs that rachets...a moron could work it! at least i can borrow one when i need it...i hear great things about the grcs if you feel like spending that kind of dough.
- Location
- Home of the New Jersey Devils
Kevin,
The reason I say 2600 is that the test at the university (I believe) caused the first of 5 mounting bolts to break at 26,000#, so the 2600 is 10% of that.
The reason I say 2600 is that the test at the university (I believe) caused the first of 5 mounting bolts to break at 26,000#, so the 2600 is 10% of that.
