Spider Leg Balancer

[PhilipC]

How do you use a spider leg balancer?

 

[Colin]

I don't, it get's left in the truck unused. They are a waste of time, IMO. If I can't balance it correctly I'll add a tagline and control the heavier end like that.

Some people love em. I'm not one of them.


<font color="green">The TreeHouse</font>

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[JesseHuffman]

mine has a large spliced eye on one end that can be tied onto the rope via a prussic. This can be adjusted up and down the line as far as is necessary. the other end is tied to the load out a ways away from where your load line is tied. If its done right, it will keep the limbs relatively flat after cutting instead of the tip dropping.

I'm with butch...why not just tie it out a little further to balance the load.
Still glad its in my arsenal. I have seen this technique work well with crane applications.

 

[whataview]

I agree with MB on this. If you have to, then just stand the piece up, with a butt line to control the heavy end. I will notch these, however.

 

[familytree]

i used the crap out of mine the other day, i was removeing 3 large silver maples over a major highway, i only had 1 day to finish all three trees because the job was 2 1/2 hours away from my house, i went as big as possible and often needed to balance multiple leads at once as well as use a tag line to pull the rigged sections away from the highway.

i dont use mine often, but when i do use it im glad i own it, well worth the couple bucks i spent.

like arbor101 said, its all about sliding the rope up and down to make sure there is even presure on both lines, you can also use a half hitch to shorten the balancer if needed

 

[rfwoodvt]

[ QUOTE ]

i dont use mine often, but when i do use it im glad i own it, well worth the couple bucks i spent.

[/ QUOTE ]

DITTO!

We've made our own and when we use them we are glad.

No disrespect to the other guys on this thread, but why stand it up if you don't have to?

I think it is a lot quicker to tie the spider leg to the piece being removed than it is to pick one up. Unless of course they are using the GCRS. I don't have one so I don't know how well that works.

The key is to tie the SL onto the working line with a friction hitch so you can slide it up and down the working line. The reason is to balance, but more importantly, from our experience, to ensure that all the "legs" are the same length.

Also we find that tying the working line to the distal position of the limb being removed and the legs more proximal works the best.

There is nothing as sweet as keeping a balanced limb horizontal as it comes over a garage, fence or other obstacle. Especially when you don't happen to have a decently high rigging point.

Sometimes instead of a friction hitch we'll throw a butterfly into the working line and attach the spider leg to that. Especially if we run the risk of moving the hitch due to other branches in the way while under load

 

[Colin]

K.I.S.S. is my motto.


<font color="green">The TreeHouse</font>

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[Kman]

We used a simple spider leg assembly last week on one tree. It was a sugar maple removal with hoizontal limbs over a roof and OLD chimney on one side and our small town library on the other and a small landing zone. We also only had 2 of us! What I did was set the choker where I thought the pick would be balanced and used a length of 1/2" rope girth hitched to the hook and tied to side limbs to keep the pick from rotating over the roofs and chimney. It didn't take long to set up, it worked great for us. I think there is a place for spider legs on certian jobs.

 

[JesseHuffman]

used one this morning to do a horizontal limb over a house.
I think ill add it to my regular scedualed program.
now if I only had some work....


rocks...
hint hint...
easy...
scotty?


anybody....?

 

[TMW]

Kman,

You need to get some Vectrus slings, although the 7/8" may be a bit of overkill

 

[RLEWIS]

Phil!! Welcome to the Buzz!!

Stick around, you will find some fast friends and a vast source
of information here. But a word of caution...if you get stung (on the buzz) you will lose sleep

Hey guys.. meet Phil Castano, one of the good guys, and someone who "does it right"

rlew

 

[familytree]

used my balancer yet again to day to get a 40ft top out of an elm that had busted out due to storm damage. I balanced the limb and it swung into another branch and wishboned itself on another limb. I simply cut the wish bone in half and the spider leg held one half of the lead and the rigging line got the other one. Gotta love it

 

[Kman]

[ QUOTE ]
Kman,

You need to get some Vectrus slings, although the 7/8" may be a bit of overkill

[/ QUOTE ]
Tim are they available to the public now? Some 5/8" or 3/4" would be great!!

 

[Riggs]

You don't just use it , you got to think about it . Every situation is different , the option for a spider leg on a rope rigging mission is not the same as spider legging on a crane . I understand KISS , but it works in the right situation . You might have to screw up a couple times though . I picked this piece with a crane . and any thing but a spider leg would have worked but not as smoooth(understatement) . I also put on a couple hitch hikers ( hangers in other tree) tied the with short ropes to the lead getting picked . I'm telling you this piece came off and I didn't duck , dodge or weave . one on the tip , the side limbs , the butt. Sweet .

 

[Kman]

When I originally posted I was reffering to crane use. After using spider legs with a crane I saw the benefit of using them in regular roping and rigging applications. A couple of weeks ago we elevated an oak to clear a roof and other obejects(sideyard climber) and I rigged some of the limbs with balancers and spider legs and it worked out VERY well. It is definatley a tool worth keeping in the rigging box and it can be done with a few short lengths of 1/2" rope. Now I'm not saying you need to use these EVERY day,probably rarley but a useful tool to keep in your bag of tricks! Remember to practice with them in non-critical situations to get the hang of them.

 

[rfwoodvt]

Any time we want the limb to remain horizontal, or if we want a vertical object to come down horizontal we use the spider leg.

As long as each leg is far enough apart so the CG is between the legs she'll come down HZ.

Lately we've been putting the spiderlegs on the lowering line as SOP so it is rigged and ready to go when we need or want it.

Takes but a minute to put it on and voila!

 

[KyLimbwalker]

[ QUOTE ]
K.I.S.S. is my motto.




[/ QUOTE ]

A spiderleg balancer is pretty simple, MB. I like to keep one on the truck just in case...for example, when removing a horizontal limb over a roof with objects preventing a notch in either direction (small trees, dormers). The balancer definitely has it's place.