lowering devise

[VCTREE]

grcs or hobbs? i need one, any input?

 

[NickfromWI]

NO DOUBT...GRCS.

Only get the hobbs if you don't want to pay the little extra.

 

[frans]

[ QUOTE ]
grcs or hobbs? i need one, any input?

[/ QUOTE ]
Depends. What are your primary uses for a rigging device?
Are you lowering all the time or do you require a lifting & lowering device?
How trained and able to learn new techniques are your crew? Mainly old school, or do you have a culture of learning new techniques with your company?

These are important considerations to make, before investing in any new tool.

I have met folks who have bought one or the other and ended up having the devices sit on the shelf because the crews dont want to be bothered with the learning process associated with new tools.


To answer your question on a personal note, I have found that my tree work rigging is safer, faster, and more efficient using the GRCS.
The days of slamming loads around and guessing how loads will run are passed me.
The ability to pre-tension lines, lower & raise limbs, all with one person working the ropes is essential for me.
Also, if you read through all these tree web site posts, one of the most important factors with rigging is, shock loading.
shock loading is one of the most dangerous unpredictable factors in our work.
'Quiet rigging' using the GRCS, that is to say, getting the rigging to accept a load without it slamming around, eliminates the shock loading.

There is a very good reason why their are hardly NO used GRCSs around. No-one wants to sell their units once they have used it.
You would have to pull mine from my cold dead fingers to get it from me. Of course I would demo it for you on a job, as long as you pay my travel...

 

[AxeKnot]

Is it just me or was the portawrap 1 better than the portawrap 2?

Portawrap 1 definately allowed for a smoother decent.

Portawrap 2 finicky and jams a lot

 

[frans]

my personal name for the PortaWrap is.....
PORTACRAP. 1 or 2 or 3a, steel or alum. , all crap in my not so humble opinion.

Hey, if ya wanna light weight easy to mount, lowering/raising device perfect for those small jobs,
this is what I made:

The Junior! GRCS!
Painted gold to make it seem even better!

 

[TreeCo]

Nice looking device there Frans.

The Portawrap is still a very decent tree tool even if it's not up to the level of a ratcheting bollard.

 

[brendonv]

[ QUOTE ]
The Junior! GRCS!
Painted gold to make it seem even better!

[/ QUOTE ]

Where can I get one?

No, really?

 

[frans]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
The Junior! GRCS!
Painted gold to make it seem even better!

[/ QUOTE ]

Where can I get one?

No, really?

[/ QUOTE ]

Well, first ya havta make a sacrifice to the gods (me,

) of a virgin, then you have to make monthly automatic deposits to my bank account, then...... just kidding.

I made mine, and several others who have posted on this site have made theirs as well.

 

[Rupe]

I'm planning on getting round to making a spare base to hold the aluminium bollard that comes with the GRCS. Nice and simple like yours, with ratchet straps to hold it on the tree. that way we can either take the simple set up for smaller trees that don't require cranking or have two jobs going at once or have both systems on one job. Might be good for speedlines i.e. use the GRCS to crank up the speddline and the alu bollard for lowering the load down the line.

 

[No_Bivy]

GRCS when having to lift. Catching midsize chunks is OK too. Crane for huge stuff. Still use a ports wrap for small stuff, and a bollard welded on the mini skid to. The hobbs is a bit clunky for lifting.

 

[Zac]

Without a doubt GRCS. It's much more user friendly. After seeing some of the things it can do and put up with, you will be pleasantly delighted.

 

[Jesse]

I used the GRCS for the first time last week. It is as good as everyone says it is, maybe even better. It is far and away superior to the Hobbs, which is what I had used up until last week.

 

[SCOTTYNC]

GRCS

Be safe Scotty

 

[Waratah]

GRCS will make most job 20% more efficent,
i would not turn up to a job with out mine, if it wasn t in the truck i would go home.

 

[frans]

I have left the 'toothpick' (truckers bar) back at the shop numerous times. Just old and senile.
We have used all kinds of junk to tighten up the strap....

 

[treesandsurf]

frans, watched your video on the grcs vs. the hobbs, it seemed as though the hobbs held up better to heavy shock loading in the video... in all honesty really curious here, in terms of versatility the grcs seems superior, but as far as solid long lasting tool, what you think?? hobbs or grcs..?

jp