Spyder Jack Anyone?

Jamin_Mayer

Jamin_Mayer

Location
Longmont, CO
I am curious if anyone has tried the new Spyder Jack

I keep thinking more and more about buying one. I am sick and tired of my climbing hitch being too far away from me when I am doing a huge limb walk. And I hate the fact that the line doesn't self tend when limb walking or hip thrusting. (I currently use a V.T. 4 and 3)

If the Spyder Jack can take care of my "peeves" with my hitch, then I might "snap" and buy one. Can anyone convince me not to?
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does the unicender self tend? i already have the money for a spyder jack, i saw it at the trade show and loved it but i was considering the uni cause they are about the same price now, is the uni as sensitive as the spyder jack cause the spyder jack will literally adjust as you climb limb from limb. i have the money i just need the info, jamin, if you dont already use one i suggest using a hitch tendin pull and a prusik split tail with vt knot, these guys on here got me hooked on it and ive literally saved hours in a tree because of it and the best part is that the ground guys can tend your knot for you just by addin a little tension on the rope, i love it
 
Consider Rich H's rope bridge system too. Its somewhere here on the archives. If you IM him, he will help you out with either making one or buying one. Wonderful for coming back from long limb walks and just getting up in the tree in general.

Whats the difference between the spyder jack and the lock jack. From what I have heard the lock jack is terrible for horizontal climbing.
 
Since I haven't climbed with the Uni in DdRT I have no clue abuot how it self tends. My guess is that it doesn't do it as automatically, from just the weight of the rope, like a X-Jack. It only takes a slight tug on the tail of your rope to tail the Uni up on SRT so it can't be too hard on DdRT.
 
Jamin, Im supprised you use a 4 & 3 v.t. We seem about the same size and I run a 3-2. It always needs to be set before I load all my weight in it but it keeps the knot closer to my body and allows for nice fast smooth decents. I use either the 8mm Bee line or the 8mm Technora.
 
Is that an ART tool? Has that same round body as the ART tools, but I see a DMM 'biner comes with it.

How does it function? Are there more pictures?

love
nick
 
Re: Spyder Jack Anyone? *DELETED*

Nothin, nothin.

I seriously wanna know more about the spyderjack!

Is it ART? Anyone have a pic of it rigged? DRT only? 11mm AND 1/2" compatible? Will it work well for big people AND little people?

love
nick
 
Re: Spyder Jack Anyone? *DELETED*

Nick have you seen the new Sherrill mag yet? They have the Spyder Jack in there. And yes it is ART who makes it. However, the photos don't show enough for someone to make a good buying decision.--They should make small videos for products that seem so vague.

I sampled the Lock Jack Sport today. I like the fast feed of the rope when ascending (either hip thrusting or while climbing), but the decent is too touchy.
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To those who like this, correct me if I am wrong.
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It seems like you can forget about jumping from one limb to another. And you can forget about repelling at a fast rate. The reason is because you pull the thing too much and you fall at the rate of "terminal velocity" (J/K
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) and during that second of feeling no longer in control of your decent you let up. Then it jerks you to a stop. So, if you tried this when jumping to a limb you are either going to hit that limb at "termninal velocity" or chicken out at your fast rate of decent and lock up the thing.--Which will make you swing into the trunk in a unanticipated manner. :big eyes:

Another observation is this: I think the action of pulling the lock jack with the complete motion of your arm is less precise than a slight shift in your wrist. So, this bring me back to my consideration for the Spyder Jack. It appears that you can merely release yourself in a decent with a shift of your wrist. If this allows for a smoother decent, then I would buy one.

FYI: I didn't purchase one. I am borrowing one.
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Re: Spyder Jack Anyone? *DELETED*

im dyin to try the spyder jack, from what i understand its like you said jamin, twist of the wrist and get ta goin and jump up on some limbs and the rope follows ya, no more tendin knots just lots of runnin and gunnin on all that dead wood but... i aint buying unless im tryin cause 400 is a lotta money, another 85 bucks and you got yourself a treemotion and that is well worth the money but i dont want this to turn into another treemotion thread, lord knows theres enough of em out there, yo jamin lets go halves on a spyder im sure there wouldnt be any problems with that, lots of over night shippin for all those big jobs ha
 
I wonder if the cam action design is the same on the spyder jack as the lock jack? The lock jack either goes or locks like you said. I think I tried it for about a week till I threw it back in the gear bag and went back to the good ol V.T. Jerry from Vermeer would more than likely let you use a spyder for a week if hes got them in stock.
 
I've climbed on every version of the Lockjack, but not the SJ. All of them, including the first with the black line have been able to be feathered down just like a hitch. The responsiveness of the LJ is as different as going from one hitch/cord combo to another. there is a 'dial-in' aspect to the release.
 
last week was the germany tree care days in augsburg
(tom i missed you at the climbing forum:-))
hubert (the art man) have make lot of show programs with his new stuff. among other things the spider jack.
its a positioner with some extra things to sort the ropes at your binner and dosier your speed while climbing (wood lever)
so its 100% a other thing as a lockjack i mean.
better! but try to test it!
(i love the knots.. no machines! :-))

greetz wolf
 
[ QUOTE ]
I am curious if anyone has tried the new Spyder Jack

I keep thinking more and more about buying one. I am sick and tired of my climbing hitch being too far away from me when I am doing a huge limb walk. And I hate the fact that the line doesn't self tend when limb walking or hip thrusting. (I currently use a V.T. 4 and 3)

If the Spyder Jack can take care of my "peeves" with my hitch, then I might "snap" and buy one. Can anyone convince me not to?
thinking.gif


[/ QUOTE ]

There are a lot of climbing hitch systems that are not out of reach when you are "way out of reach"
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I've seen the "Spider Jack" a.k.a. (Black) Widow Maker demonstrated to me.
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. The shivers went down my spine when he demonstrated the "push with the thumb" release.
You have to push a lever onto the rope and than slowly release the lever and than you're lowering yourself or not..... Confusing. confusing.

I've seen the remark somewhere here already. It's an accident waiting to happen and I'm not going to be a statistic.

It's the "hardware" that does the killing, (k)not the software.

Take a look at this if your friction hitch is out of reach
http://www.climberscorner.nl/Pics/HitchClimber4Groot.jpg
 
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