Wire core lanyards

T

TimberJack

Participating member
Location
Westchester County, NY
I was wondering what your thoughts were on wire core lanyards. I know that there are some advantages to them and some people curse them. I've been climbing professionaly for 6 years now and a couple more before that using less then conventional methods. This weekend while taking down a fairly straight forward pine for a friends dad, I nicked my lanyard. Running the friends 372 to chunk down the spar, I was tied in using my lanyard above and a cinched bowline at knees. I cut one four foot chunk using a bypass cut shut the saw of and pushed off the chunk. I said to my friend "thanks your saw would have a hard time cutting through butter". On to the next chunk back cut, under cut "£#€{" nicked my lanyard. Well off to go splice a new lanyard now and contemplate getting a steel core setup. Can an ART positioner be used with Yale maxi flip lanyard?
 
Timberjack,

The situation you describe is a common one. However, a steel core lanyard in that situation will offer no additional protection. The saw, of any size, will cut through the steel core just as readily as if it were all cordage.

I have seen this first hand as well as talked to over half a dozen tree guys who have done it or seen it! Wire core lanyards are not cut resistant to chainsaws!

The basic benefit of a steel core is it's "flipability". The stiffness if the core allows it to move as one with your hands.

Do not forget they are conductive, to a fault!

Hope this helps,

Tony
 
I think the idea that any chainsaw will cut through it, as readily as cordage is exaggerated. Should you consider it bombproof? No.

There is a lot of video out there regarding this, but most of it seems hurried, inconclusive, or slanted to one side of the argument. This is on my list of things to settle.
 
I think the point being made is to better set your lanyard to keep it out of the way of the saw vs. going to a chainsaw proof (false security) lanyard you can nick to your heart's content. The saw was dull? Send it down and have it sharpened or get another saw up to you. Just my humble opinion...
 
This discussion is similar to what some people concluded from Brian Kane's research on handsaws cutting climbing ropes. The WRONG conclusion...to use larger diameter ropes and less-sharp saws doesn't make sense.

The right conclusion, either with steel core lanyards or handsaws...don't cut your climbing gear!
 
Wire core gives excellent protection against handsaws.
Rope not so much.
I like to place my wire core above my rope lanyard if I'm using 2 just to protect my rope lanyard in case I misjudge my follow through on the cut.
 
[ QUOTE ]
I think the idea that any chainsaw will cut through it, as readily as cordage is exaggerated. Should you consider it bombproof? No.

There is a lot of video out there regarding this, but most of it seems hurried, inconclusive, or slanted to one side of the argument. This is on my list of things to settle.

[/ QUOTE ]

Nick,

Do your tests you will see.

If anything cordage lanyards held out longer, but were completely unreliable. (As in the majority of the fibers were severed, but technically the lanyard was still in one piece.)



Tony
 
Wish I could say I have never nicked my flip line when working - but, the fact is I have a few times through life. Usually I was purposely pushing the boundaries by running the nose of my chainsaw too close to get one more stub or dead twig. One time I got on it a little harder by not noticing it had hung up on a stub on the far side of a take down spar. I felt the vibration as my chain touched the cable and came right off it.

I love how flippable they are (5/8 in.) and now run two on my saddle all the time.

WARNING - the cable inside does work and ‘wear out’ over time. On an early version that used 1/8 in. cable instead of 3/16 in. I used it for a few years and one day at the bottom of a tree the snap and about a foot of cable just sucked right out of the rope jacket. Looking at it the cable had been ‘working’ in that spot and eventually broke a strand at a time till it was too weak to hold my weight.

Now I retire my wire core fliplines each year at the end of winter. By the way Sherrill has a 1/2 in. version that includes the rope jacket as a part of the splice/clamp. I would use that if I were wanting 1/2 in. or if they offered that ‘splice’ on the 5/8 in..

Bonner, when you are ready to “settle” this matter I could ship you some of my fliplines that have been degraded to lesser service.
 
I have become maybe a bit to comfortable about cutting close to my lanyard. This experience will certainly make me more cautious of that. The dull chain was also safety chain. When I called down for the saw I asked how it was cutting I was told "fine for safety chain". Also the bar rails were a bit beveled and could have used a filing. Guess I should have checked all this out before leaving the ground. When I was making the under cut for the bypass I was literally fighting the chain to make the cut. I am fairly confident that a properly maintained bar and chain would have made this just another tree and move onto the next.
 
Merle that sounds great. If you send em to me C/O TreeStuff I can move it closer to the top of my docket!

It will be appreciated!
 
Does anyone run a 5/8" or bigger lanyard? What benefit is there? I think the best lanyard is the one you are comfortable with. I like the steel core on sappy trees and trees where I spend a lot of time on the spar, but saying that I haven't use anything but a rope lanyard in 1 2w/2 year.
So try both and you can always switch back and forth rope for pruning steel for removals etc. Use the right tool for you on the right job
 
In the 15+ years I've been climbing- doing mostly pine/fir/spruce removals- I've used a wire core lanyard. Mostly for the convenience in sappy situations. Twice I've hit the lanyard. Both times at the end of the day (tired) with a larger saw piecing out a spar. Neither time did it cut through the cable, I don’t run safety chain or dull saws. Not saying it’s impossible but, certainly not as likely to cut as a rope. I teach to use the wire core on removals, just another added safety in a dangerous job. To me the question is; if you're not by a powerline, why not use it?
 
Thanks for the input everyone. I'm sold on getting a wire core flip line checked out what they had at the local saw shop but decided to hold out for a Yale maxi flip sport 12 footer from tree stuff. I think I will hold off on ordering an adjuster for now and just use an i2i. Tis the season to be cheap.
 
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