Petzl ZigZag letter

Fairfield

Fairfield

Participating member
Location
Bucks County pa USA
Not trying to be a voice or start problems, I just want other climbers to have a safe means of work or rec while on rope. So I wrote this short to the point letter to Petzl regarding the ZigZag and Zillon problems. I asked for an answer back and if I ever see an answer back will post for you all to see. This is the letter.......

It has been a well documented issue of the amount of failures happening with the ZigZag and now Zillon. From cracks to full blown break a ways. At what point does Petzl need to get to before they pull the sale of these particular pieces of kit? Are we just waiting for a climber to bounce check the ground? A ten year warranty does nothing to fix the problem nor keep climbers safe. We expect better from a leader in the industry of climbing. At what point will you do the responsible thing? A real answer back would be appreciated as I will be posting this email to popular forums for the climbers that are there to judge for them selves your level of attention to this matter.

Climb Safe, James Fairfield
 
James, I kinda have a notion that you do not own either a ZigZag or Zillion.
Please correct me if I'm wrong.
Your statement: "Not trying to be a voice or start problems..." is pure BS.
 
I own a zig...and love it. But neither do I use it on every tree, it has it's place in the tool chest. It is great for crane removals where you have to quickly feed a lot of line through it and reset. It is decent for thinnings. But I would not recommend it for climbing removals or for big swing trees..

Let's face it, it is metal and therefore rigid. It is not going to take a banging from a limb as you swing around the tree...just like you would not drop your figure 8 or block from a tree, or step on your rope on the ground etc. You have to climb differently on it, than on just a rope hitch system. So, you have to be aware of that before choosing which tool is best to use on a particular tree. Hence why all my climbers learn how to climb on the blake's hitch or tautline, before learning newer technology...because sometimes that is a good option too. The zig is no different then our other tools, it needs regular inspection. If you dont want to worry about bouncing it on a limb etc, then climb with a hitch and stop complaining and making it difficult for the guys that can climb with a zig safely.

I trust it, and I am careful with it...glad I bought it.

People these days seem to want everything bomb proof, and not take personal responsibilities for their actions that probably caused the failure it in the first place.

Just my 2 cents
 
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I have owned everything in the industry, and have put things side by side to compare the build quality, I feel the letter is worthy of a reply.

Based on the fact that petzl make pressed alloy climbing kit, to me they do not have a patch on dmm or isc forged alloy products.

I know that hard earned money spent on expensive kit is something that pride has its place, but if you had every piece of climbing and rigging on your bench and money was no object, what would you chose? The next day you could use something else.
 
There is just no reason in the world to regress to old technology and revert to non slack tending. Anytime you might think you won't need it while looking from the ground...you find you did when you get up there. Just sayin. Zig zag is a love affair for many esp those that don't buy completely into the anchorline/srt. Those that don't see it...just ignore it.

re climbhightree's post
 
treevet said:
There is just no reason in the world to regress to old technology and revert to non slack tending. Anytime you might think you won't need it while looking from the ground...you find you did when you get up there. Just sayin. Zig zag is a love affair for many esp those that don't buy completely into the anchorline/srt. Those that don't see it...just ignore it.

re climbhightree's post
Click to expand...

I would never do a whole tree with a blake's hitch (though at times I miss how my abs looked in those days). But sometimes using the tail of your rope, as a second line, with a blakes is a good option. Though I dont typically do it, on a spar you cant beat the snuggness of a blake/taut around it. It is about not getting yourself stuck in a box of only doing things in one way, and think that is your only option. Plus it helps them appreciate/respect the newer styles of climbing, if you force them to learn the old way
 
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climbhightree said:
I would never do a whole tree with a blake's hitch (though at times I miss how my abs looked in those days). But sometimes using the tail of your rope, as a second line, with a blakes is a good option.
Click to expand...

I hear ya. I did that 2 hours ago in a big oak with my zig zag in the wraptor and as I worked a big oak limb back to the trunk...kept me from having to go back up...used the wraptor tail...taughtline.
 
I am not a fan of petzl. I have used their biners for years and have not been happy with the quality. They tend to go out of timing very early and loose the ability to auto close. The way that the zig zag situation has gone, is unacceptable in my book. I think they gotten away with a lot because they are a big name. That does not make it ok.
 
Fairfield said:
Not trying to be a voice or start problems, I just want other climbers to have a safe means of work or rec while on rope. So I wrote this short to the point letter to Petzl regarding the ZigZag and Zillon problems. I asked for an answer back and if I ever see an answer back will post for you all to see. This is the letter.......

It has been a well documented issue of the amount of failures happening with the ZigZag and now Zillon. From cracks to full blown break a ways. At what point does Petzl need to get to before they pull the sale of these particular pieces of kit? Are we just waiting for a climber to bounce check the ground? A ten year warranty does nothing to fix the problem nor keep climbers safe. We expect better from a leader in the industry of climbing. At what point will you do the responsible thing? A real answer back would be appreciated as I will be posting this email to popular forums for the climbers that are there to judge for them selves your level of attention to this matter.

Climb Safe, James Fairfield
Click to expand...

This stuff is getting as old as the one handing threads.
 
It's starting to see like Petzl is quickly looking at becoming the walmart of tree climbing gear. Sure some items are good, just like you can find deals at walmart...
 
Comparing Petzl to Walmart is rather like comparing Ferrari to Yugo. Not even Ferrari managed to build cars without the occasional recall and problems, but they never stooped to building the rolling beer cans that Yugo built.

Go through these forums... note all the posts, hundreds of them, about problems and stuff breaking with chainsaws, lifts, bucket trucks, chippers, dump trucks... you name it. All of this stuff can end your life in a split second if the wrong thing breaks at the wrong time. Yet, most of those posts you'll see that the owners of the equipment still swear by their brand name, fix their equipment, buy a new one of the same make. They don't run around squawking that the sky is falling and Stihl and Bobcat are going to go broke because they've turned into a Crapmart Super Store. Especially when it involves stuff they don't own themselves.

Anyone who thinks Petzl will not continue to offer this product, in one form or another, is fooling themselves. I own two of them. No cracks. No "OMG I'm gonna die!" moments. I don't beat the crap out of my equipment or use the ZigZag to lift logs. I've had two pieces of equipment fail on me last year... a cheap GM pulley and a DMM carabiner that the internal gate spring jammed up on. Oh, shit! Oh, NO!!! DMM is such crap! OMG!!! The bastards are turning into Walmart! Don't buy their shit, I don't trust that company anymore!!

Sheesh... can we move on, already? Nobody has died. It's a really cool product with some bugs to work out. Imagine that. It's not like they carved it out of wood and... oh, wait. That was somebody ELSE's climbing product that needed some fine tuning.
 
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