TreeMotion Pro Show Corrosions in 13months

[TreeC]

Hi there, this is a climber from Taiwan, you might want to check your TreeMotion Pro if you bought one that's made in 22/05

 

Last year, I asked a friend to buy me one freshly released TreeMotion Pro harness in the UK, I use it about 3 times a week, it's been comfortable and safe experience until a week ago, two weeks before the local tree competition, the two D-Rings, bases of the life supporting bridge, show some spots of corrosions. Shouldn't be like this for a product of 10 year lifespan under normal applications.

 

Googled and asked few groups of climbers, I found 2 people have the same issue like mine, in similar period of time, they both have used the harnesses for 6-7 months, the D-Rings already showed corrosions, we concluded that's highly possible a production flaws. 

 

Emailed to [email protected] about a week ago, still ain't got any replies....

 Anyone has the same issue here?

Any suggestions what I can do next?

Just wait?

 

[LTreeIV]

Copied and Pasted from a Reddit thread with someone else having the same issue. 
 

I am in the exact same situation a almost 2 years old and only 6-7 months of daily production work and my GOOD side looks like your bad side. The bad side on mine is flaking off and I can scrape material off with my finger nail. Meanwhile, its supposed to have a 10 year warranty with a bunch of replaceable parts and I cannot find replacement rings to save my life. Not just that but I would MUCH rather not use these kind ever again and get something that would replace them. Preferably steel now as this has soured me. I am at this point running a beaner through the leg straps and clipping in my lanyards to that and the front D. Now when free climbing on my anchor I make sure I have one lanyard through my hip rings even though I have knee and foot ascenders. I don't even fully trust the bridge to swing freely on my rope for anything at this point. Super not satisfied with my TreeMotion Pro. due to this.

Looking at them now, The front D rings, the hip rings, and the hip connection rings have all corroded at different rates. It is very obvious that they have a manufacturing issue because one might look goodish and others are crumbling. Hell, even the bridge ring is pitting.

Now after reading a different thread on reddit I have learned that they stopped using DMM parts in their new harnesses. Which sucks because I ordered the older version first and then realized that they had just dropped the new on so I made a return and switched to the new one. The money saved on not using DMM products is not worth the safety and longevity of their harnesses.

Edited May 5 by LTreeIV

[jimug]

I expect the answer is no, given the distribution of it, but, Is there any chance these rings have been left damp and in contact with a dissimilar metal causing galvanic corrosion? The corrosion looks just like it does when I left a caving rack sitting damp with steel krabs for a while... 

Can't imagine a situation that would cause it like that though, chains don't cause a load of microscopic steel particles to get embedded in everything do they?

 

[Stubby]

Once that colored anodizing is worn off by ropes then the above can happen . 

[GarethM]

Or just pick up the phone and call them.

 

Emails get lost or ignored especially if they're from abroad, even those from a web contact will get filtered.

 

When in doubt call, be nice and then you can send them the email while you're talking to them.

[dan blocker]

I’m no mettalurgest but as above and something as reacted with the alloy. Yes the anodising does protect the metal underneath but I’ve got alloy crabs and rings on harnesses where the finish has worn off and have a polished finish but they’ve not broken down like the alloy in the phots. I’ve seen motorbike rims and alloy parts that have broken down when exposed to wet/ damp conditions but for years. Not months? One thing for sure I would have stopped using that harness a long time ago and sent it back to the manufacturers?