Rigging Rope suggestions

The deciding factor on the Sirius for me was size and space. I need everything I have to be as compact as possible. I have limited storage space up erasing out of a truck box. If I did it otherwise it would be stolen. Sirius was the biggest bang for the buck for size and length.
 
Much like Dave mentioned a lot of my rigging is planned as a swing and then lower from a trunk based bollard. Most of the time the stuff I'm dropping is unsafe to climb in my opinion, either from death or leaners with exposed root balls. I really need to carry my camera more and put some pics up (sorry guys). Most likely I really just need to pickup 1 dynamic & 1 static line to add to my bag. 70% of the time a Stable braid or Sirius would be perfect because these lines also act as pull lines, lift lines and control lines when required. The other 30% a larger husky or polydene would be nice for those swings that have some associated drop going on also.

I guess one of my bigger issues is determining how much force is being generated on a swing style drop. If the limb/tree weighs 700lbs and your making it swing does it really gain any force or is it still 700-1000lbs? Obviously I would never vertically drop and catch anything that size on small line rigging by myself.

Thanks for all the great info guys.
 
monkeylove said:
Much like Dave mentioned a lot of my rigging is planned as a swing and then lower from a trunk based bollard. Most of the time the stuff I'm dropping is unsafe to climb in my opinion, either from death or leaners with exposed root balls. I really need to carry my camera more and put some pics up (sorry guys). Most likely I really just need to pickup 1 dynamic & 1 static line to add to my bag. 70% of the time a Stable braid or Sirius would be perfect because these lines also act as pull lines, lift lines and control lines when required. The other 30% a larger husky or polydene would be nice for those swings that have some associated drop going on also.

I guess one of my bigger issues is determining how much force is being generated on a swing style drop. If the limb/tree weighs 700lbs and your making it swing does it really gain any force or is it still 700-1000lbs? Obviously I would never vertically drop and catch anything that size on small line rigging by myself.

Thanks for all the great info guys.
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Buy one of each! No really, you should see my rigging tool box on my truck. We carry about 8 ropes everyday. I disagree that one or two ropes can dot it all. I am very particular about my rigging equipment.
I never use a pull rope to lower with. A pull rope is just that, used only for pulling. Very often you do not know how much force your apply to that rope in a pull situation. Also, the tree almost always lands on the rope. I do not want to then use that rope to rig pieces over Mr. Jones house.
We have three ropes from 1/2 and up for rigging out the tree. 1/2" true blue like Daniel said is great. Can handle some big stuff but generally is used for branches. Then we switch out to a larger 5/8th double grade for the wood or really large limbs. We also carry a 7/8th bull rope with a WLL of 32,000 pounds.
One thing to keep in mind is cycles to failure. I do not have a 32,000 pound rope because I anticipate taking a piece that large. I have it because I can take 1,000-2,000 pound pieces day in and day out and not worry about having to replace my rope every week.
So , go buy yourself a few new ropes. One of each. Just like chainsawsash tree .webp . Nice to have a few of different sizes.
 
ROYCE said:
Buy one of each! No really, you should see my rigging tool box on my truck. We carry about 8 ropes everyday. I disagree that one or two ropes can dot it all. I am very particular about my rigging equipment.
I never use a pull rope to lower with. A pull rope is just that, used only for pulling. Very often you do not know how much force your apply to that rope in a pull situation. Also, the tree almost always lands on the rope. I do not want to then use that rope to rig pieces over Mr. Jones house.
We have three ropes from 1/2 and up for rigging out the tree. 1/2" true blue like Daniel said is great. Can handle some big stuff but generally is used for branches. Then we switch out to a larger 5/8th double grade for the wood or really large limbs. We also carry a 7/8th bull rope with a WLL of 32,000 pounds.
One thing to keep in mind is cycles to failure. I do not have a 32,000 pound rope because I anticipate taking a piece that large. I have it because I can take 1,000-2,000 pound pieces day in and day out and not worry about having to replace my rope every week.
So , go buy yourself a few new ropes. One of each. Just like chainsaws. Nice to have a few of different sizes.
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I need a cheaper hobby :muyenojado:
 
The 100% polyester ropes are fine for negative blocking and other impact loading, don't feel like you can't dump stuff into them.

While I don't disagree one iota with what @ROYCE said, I do think that a 9/16 or 5/8 double braid can be an almost do-everything rope for you, mostly for the same reason he mentioned: cycles to failure. You're a part-timer, so you are not going to be near as hard on textile as a full-on tree service. I think a lot of people, myself included, change a rope's role over its lifetime; it starts as critical use only, transitions to a regular lowering line, then eventually a convenience only lowering/zip line and pull line, and they end their lives as tow lines, ladder tie downs, pirate flag halyards, etc...

IMO, if you are going to buy one rope, get a 9/16 polyester double braid, and if you get a second one, get a natural crotch rope if you don't have one. pro master is nice for that, and super cheap. I love true blue... when someone else is buying. Personally, I think buzz, wonder rope, xtc 12, forestry pro, etc are the same construction and just as good.

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I'm also not exactly sure what you mean by that swing style drop. It sounds from the rest of your post that you are doing a lot of hanging a compromised tree from a block in a different tree, gin pole style. If that is the case, it really depends on the relative height of the rigging point and the center of mass/tie off point. I wonder if you have any mechanical advantage system for lifting? That can take a lot of the dynamic loading out of the equation.

If you are doing a lot of that whole tree gin poling, grab a rigging ring and ring so you can set the whole shebang from the ground, especially when WINTER IS COMING.

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What I like about multiple ropes is it keeps me honest. When I am doing a sketchy tree, I use a half inch rope. This helps to keep me honest and not over load the tree. With the bigger ropes I tend to think big. This creates a problem because then the tree is the weakest link and not the rope. That is why I tend to like an arsenal of ropes. If I had only one large rope I think I could get into trouble. I like to let the tree determine the rope, not the other way around!
 
ROYCE said:
With the bigger ropes I tend to think big. This creates a problem because then the tree is the weakest link and not the rope.


If I had only one large rope I think I could get into trouble. I like to let the tree determine the rope, not the other way around!
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Wisdom. I was just telling an eager young mind a couple days ago "trust your equipment, but never trust a tree."

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You're right on the money fallrisk. I do use a 5:1 to tension the line and run it through a set of X-Rings that I set from the ground. I got a couple blocks but rarely have to do any lifting so the rings are my goto choice. Most of the time the only thing I am protecting is the ground. I drop stuff when I can but in the landscaped areas of the park I try to not leave any footprints. Well other than cut up firewood piles, and they don't last there long.
 
ROYCE said:
Buy one of each! No really, you should see my rigging tool box on my truck. We carry about 8 ropes everyday. I disagree that one or two ropes can dot it all. I am very particular about my rigging equipment.
I never use a pull rope to lower with. A pull rope is just that, used only for pulling. Very often you do not know how much force your apply to that rope in a pull situation. Also, the tree almost always lands on the rope. I do not want to then use that rope to rig pieces over Mr. Jones house.
We have three ropes from 1/2 and up for rigging out the tree. 1/2" true blue like Daniel said is great. Can handle some big stuff but generally is used for branches. Then we switch out to a larger 5/8th double grade for the wood or really large limbs. We also carry a 7/8th bull rope with a WLL of 32,000 pounds.
One thing to keep in mind is cycles to failure. I do not have a 32,000 pound rope because I anticipate taking a piece that large. I have it because I can take 1,000-2,000 pound pieces day in and day out and not worry about having to replace my rope every week.
So , go buy yourself a few new ropes. One of each. Just like chainsawsView attachment 34095 . Nice to have a few of different sizes.
Click to expand...

Based on your pic, its obvious that your groundie trusts your ropes, Royce :LOL:
 
ROYCE said:
I like to let the tree determine the rope, not the other way around!
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you may come over a little ocd with the rope carry but I gotta agree with you Royce , thats some sage advice (y)
given that I have failed the smaller object with the bigger object in both versions of that scenario .

@Steve Connally you sir have tipped my buying into the sirius side of things as the next range of work ropes. :)
 
MikePowers321 said:
Based on your pic, its obvious that your groundie trusts your ropes, Royce :LOL:
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Funny, we were just talking about this the other day. That is the one down-fall of the GRCS. When you have to come back into the landing zone to take a wrap or two off after cranking the thing up in order to let it down.
 
Ditto, Levi. I'm glad Steve turned me on to it. The only negative is small timers can't afford to have 8-10 different rigging ropes, so you've got to be real selective on rope necessities.


Dave6390 in WI
 
That's easier said than done in my neck of the woods, big business will win out almost every time. I try to get the jobs that allow me to keep the wood, it pays my property taxes and equipment upkeep by selling off most of the firewood. I've got a nice chunk of land that's 90% covered with mostly mature trees.


Dave6390 in WI
 
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