snaped eye sling

[familytree]

had some fun today, snapped an eye sling while rigging a 400 pound piece of a silver maple, scared the crap out of me then ordered two new tenex slings immediately after. how often do you folks replace your eye slings (the kind that you use to block down wood)

 

[sohner]

Like so much of the equipment that gets used on the job except for the regular stuff like climbing ropes and pruning saws, it most of the time is replaced when it is either:
damaged -( nicked up by the chain saw opps! or left in the bad weather- bad storage)
lost -( left on the job and can't remember where or when) or
stolen -( somebody thinking they are just borrowing it and forgot to return it).
If used constantly day in and day out I would have a tendency to replace it on at least a bi-annual basis. Of course if during routine inspection I notice extreme ware I would also consider replacement. The cycle to failure on any piece of equipment should always be recorded in some fashion either mentally or in written form. Kind of like a truck log. I personally don't max out any compoent in the rigging system. I have also witnessed first hand when things break under load. Whether up in the tree, or on the ground, it can be a frightening momment. The bottom line inspect carefully and monitor its use in the field.
If in doubt, do with out, is my motto.

 

[familytree]

good motto, i should have known that the sling was bad, it hasnt been replaced since i started working for the company some two and a half years ago, i usually dont go too big so it has never really been a problem, that day i went larger than usual and the outcome is apparent, ive ordered the new slings and ill write on them when they were purchased, an annual approach seems both affordable and practical, but like you said sohner, if something happens to compromise the slings integrity before then, out the door and in the trash it goes

 

[Kevin]

Tobe Sherrill had a comment on this same thing in one of their catalogs.
The customer had said that his favorite sling broke, that should tell you it was most likely ready for replacement prior to breaking.

 

[treebear]

Make sure your new slings are strong enough.A 440 pound piece can easily apply 3000 to 4000 pounds peak load to the sling, with a SWL ratio of 1 to 5 the sling needed to rated for a breakload at at least 20000 pounds if I´m not mistaken.
Cheers
Svein

 

[Mangoes]

Amsteel = slings

 

[knudeNoggin]

HMPE or other hi-mods will get you great strength per diameter/pound,
but great impact force as well.

*kN*

 

[Mangoes]

I concur.

Elongation and energy absorption at the sling is harder to quantify.

Avoid (or have a great understanding) using the high mods as primary rigging line.

 

[Norm_Hall]

[ QUOTE ]
HMPE or other hi-mods will get you great strength per diameter/pound,
but great impact force as well.*kN*

[/ QUOTE ]

How much greater a force will using an HMWPE sling give you? Most of the force depends on how much rope is in the system, the rope fiber & construction, and how much the tree will absorb. No?

 

[KentuckySawyer]

What size was the sling that broke? What type of cordage?

 

[Mahk_Adams]

I'm with Norm. I don't think the stretch of the sling is a real big part of the energy absoption of the whole system, so going from Tenex to Amsteel for the sling will create a neglible increase in force.

 

[familytree]

hey kentucky, it was the 3/4 double braid, an older style sling, i didnt realize how older til i got my new ones in and saw how large the eye splice was, since the sling broke ive been cleaning house on everything, if i cant remember when we purchased it then it goes in the trash, i have a pretty good memory and ive been with the company two and a half years so pretty much everything is under the microscope at this point, i know i wont get that lucky again if something else is to snap

 

[Shawn]

Glad to hear that no one was injured, especially you! Lucky, lucky, lucky! Served as a pretty major eye opener it sounds like. We've all had our fair share of those.