Unicender reviews?

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In an honest review of my Uni. I really like it a lot. However, in 5 months time I already need a re-build.

I started climbing with Posion Ivy then it started to slip. I then went back to my retired XTC 1/2" rope so it would grab again. It is okay, but not fun foot locking single line to then feel it slipping when you sit into it.

I'll say this again: The grab plates, friction points, or what ever they are called need to be made of hard metal. It needs to be stainless steel or carbide steel. Not many advanced climbers would put up with re-building a Uni every 6 months or so.

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I'll be talking about that if I can ever get to the discussion video. I haven't had my Uni long enough to wear it out, but I have over a dozen climbs on it and I can see the wear signs; just de-colorization at the wear points.

I'm suspicious that if one didn't do a lot of long rappels, the Uni would last a lot longer. I.e. use it for ascending and work positioning and something else for long rappels.

My thinking here is that the long rappels run the rope across the contact points under load causing accelerated wear, a grinding-like effect. Ascending is basically a clamping action and doesn't have nearly as much rope 'run' as rappelling. So maybe a rule of thumb would be to use the Uni for ascent and work positioning (that includes 'work descending') and something else for rappelling out of the tree.

Not only would many advanced climbers not put up with rebuilds every 6 months, the cost might be prohibitive too.

Again, I'm gonna talk about this in my discussion video if I can quit climbing and editing those vids long enough to shoot it. When you look at the Uni contact points compared to other descending devices, you find very small, i.e. about 1/8" thick, aluminum contact points on the Uni and very large areas of steel contact on other devices, e.g. Grigri. Even on a Petzl Stop that has aluminum bollards there is lots and lots of contact area to help with wear.
 
Dave in Montana carrys a rappel tool of some kind to put above the Uni for descents. He has said that it reduced the wear a lot.

Wouldn't a stainless Uni be a pretty piece of arborculture jewelry?!
 
As usual, an absolutely great video series, Ron. Very informative.

My biggest gripe on the Uni is the wear. If I had to remove the Uni to descend, to me that would take away one of its main benefits. I have found the simplest wear-reduction solution to be setting a Figure 8 directly above it. Significantly reduces the load, doesn't add a lot of gear and is quick to do.

The trick, though, is to not add TOO much friction, just a small amount so the Uni still works like you would expect it to.

Dave
 

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Thanks for the honest reviews here guys. I will not be buying one of these tools until they figure out how to make them last for us guys who would use them to make a living. Funny how the add says they will last 18 months, yet real reviews are way less then half of that.
 
I haven't experienced wear like others are talking about. There are many variables though.

There is a corollary between performance and cost in anything. Both are generally high. Setting what you feel is a value is a whole different issue.

I've used Tachyon since it first came out. Maybe that is a variable. Velocity is about the smallest diameter of the 11mm ropes. It isn't a surprise that it might slip quickly.
 
I also havent experienced the same wear you guys are talking about. I've owned my unicender since April '09 and I've just sent it in for a rebuild. I climb five days a week too using tacyon.
 
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...There are many variables though...

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Very true. This is untested theory, but I believe avoiding long rappels, and keeping the rope clean (within reason of course), and the type of rope can have significant impact on the life of the Uni.

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...I've used Tachyon since it first came out. Maybe that is a variable. Velocity is about the smallest diameter of the 11mm ropes. It isn't a surprise that it might slip quickly.

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My Lava, perhaps a Tachyon wannabe, is the slickest rope I've ever been on. The very same 3WPs that held so securely on PI, slid right down Lava. Not sure what that means yet with regard to the Uni and the life of the Uni.

True, Velocity is a smaller diameter rope, but that may just mean that wear will show up quicker in the form of slippage on a smaller diameter rope, but the point of emphasis here is, it is wearing nonetheless, it's just showing up as slippage quicker on Velocity.
 
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As usual, an absolutely great video series, Ron. Very informative.

My biggest gripe on the Uni is the wear. If I had to remove the Uni to descend, to me that would take away one of its main benefits. I have found the simplest wear-reduction solution to be setting a Figure 8 directly above it. Significantly reduces the load, doesn't add a lot of gear and is quick to do.

The trick, though, is to not add TOO much friction, just a small amount so the Uni still works like you would expect it to.

Dave

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In this case, you might as well use a hitch. I am quickly wearing out the Kong Robot I use but it is getting better and better the more it wears down. The rope is sliding faster as the rope carves a path through the aluminum. I think a good fate tender designed specifically for this purpose will be developed soon enough. Right now the Kong Robot is the best but it could also use some streamlining.
A one way rolling bushing would be sweeeet! but then the cost might be crazy. right now they are 24$

Has anyone tried the lockjack or other mechanical hitches SRT with a fate tender?

I am sure that wear is dependent on weight and how fast one likes to burn through the tree. I like flying out of the tree from time to time.
 
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...I am sure that wear is dependent on weight and how fast one likes to burn through the tree. I like flying out of the tree from time to time.

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Climber's weight is an excellent point!

I've thought about the 'burn' speed. I like to burn out of trees too, although my 'burn' rate would probably be pretty mild compared to yours.
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Anyway I think, emphasis on 'think', that speed probably wouln't be much of a factor with regard to wear. I 'think' the work (physics work) is the same fast or slow. The power goes up with speed, but that only produces higher temperatures on the descender.

I believe it is how many times and how far the climber descends, and how much the climber weighs that influences wear rate.

I guess IOW, I'm thinking that the Uni is good for so many feet of descent for a given climber's weight and rope size and type.
 
well if you are slow on a hitch you can fly tenex for months. If you are fast you can burn a hitch up real quick. Does heat have anything to do with wear in the case of metal? The amount of feet traveled/weight of climber ratio is the same fast or slow but the heat may make a difference or not in the wear of metal. interesting..
 
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well if you are slow on a hitch you can fly tenex for months. If you are fast you can burn a hitch up real quick. Does heat have anything to do with wear in the case of metal? The amount of feet traveled/weight of climber ratio is the same fast or slow but the heat may make a difference or not in the wear of metal. interesting..

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Remember, there were a lot of 'I think' in my post.

Poly and nylon loose strength well below their melting point, and IIRC, start to go somewhat plasticy at about 300°. So I could kind of see how speed could damage a friction hitch by 'local' heating of fibers which soften them causing them to break or fail, hence 'wear'.

But, just to be clear, I don't really know how speed affects a metal descender or friction hitch for that matter. But, I'm inclined to think that speed does not play a major role in wear on a metal ascender.
 
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