Climbing accident, Northwich, Cheshire

[Haironyourchest]

So true. Weakest link at the puller end, always. Dyneema pull rope is nice and safe. If I was in a position to own big machines for tree work I'd have some, with Soft shackles etc. 

[peds]

45 minutes ago, AHPP said:

Something I've been thinking about lately is the proper order in which things should fail to be safest/cheapest/most useful. Just something to bear in mind when you've got a chain of heavy steel bits with pingy strap bits in between.

 

You should always be aware of what the weakest link in the system is, of course, but when you've got 6 ton strops joined by 6 ton shackles... in this specific scenario I'd say the hung-up twigs are probably the weakest link.

[Haironyourchest]

31 minutes ago, peds said:

 

You should always be aware of what the weakest link in the system is, of course, but when you've got 6 ton strops joined by 6 ton shackles... in this specific scenario I'd say the hung-up twigs are probably the weakest link.

 

Yup. Those slings and shackles are rated x5 anyway, so will fail around 30 tonnes, when new. A big tractor wouldn't come close to breaking them in any scenario. I had one job involving a 5 tonne digger and probably a three tonne cypress lying on the ground in muck. 3 tonne chain and the weak link was a little 1 tonne no-name shackle (rated though, allegedly). Thought the tree was cut into thirds but my cuts hadn't gone through all the way, as we discovered. The digger guy went feral, against my request for caution, and dragged the whole tree out, branch stubs in the dirt and all, digger bucking and pitching 45 degrees etc. the shackle was attached to a hole in the bucket, side loaded, probably twisted, and it held. It did suffer some deformation. Gave me a new faith in the strength of rated rigging gear.

[AHPP]

Yes but it's nice to be nice.

[Ledburyjosh]

This thread has made me look at the capability of my Eder 1800..

Eder make triple pulleys to work with this winch, of which you can configure to give 7x1800= 12.6t! Minus some inefficiency in the pulleys etc. But that pretty damm impressive for a wee winch you can carry around. No tractors needed.. just a strong anchor.

[AHPP]

I can't remember where I saw it but I recently read that someone was getting as much as 2500kg straight line pull from an Eder 1800.

Edited March 23 by AHPP

[openspaceman]

technically the force should be stated in Newtons but most people understand weights so the force a 2500kg mass hanging on the rope would be 2500*9.81 Newtons. You could hang a 5.3 tonne weight off the Novoleen rope sold for the Eder before it would break if new. In the 6 years I have used mine the rope has shortened mostly from wear of the outer braid, It started at 100m and is now around 50m and I have made soft shackles from the inner braid left overs. It has been by far the biggest cost of running the winch.

[Mark Bolam]

Good figures.

 

And considerably less than the cost of a new pelvis.

[Domino]

23 hours ago, Steven P said:

 

without being there and knowing all the background and full kit list... is that big blue jobby on the right of the video big enough and powerful enough? (all good from an armchair of course)

Yep, but didn't a climbing accident occur?? Hence they weren't using it? 

Far too many variables and it's all totally unknown what went on to me. The only further comment I'd make is a tractor or similar of suitable size (with a winch, as trees that are upright should not really be just pulled by an machine) for mechanically aided felling is normally employed for pulling trees into open land/fields away from the highway.  This being the most cost effective method for removing multiple large trees near highways. 

A failed tree that is looming over the highway is more complex and requires very careful dismantling...in my opinion.  

[Domino]

1 minute ago, Domino said:

Yep, but didn't a climbing accident occur?? Hence they weren't using it? 

Far too many variables and it's all totally unknown what went on to me. The only further comment I'd make is a tractor or similar of suitable size (with a winch, as trees that are upright should not really be just pulled by an machine) for mechanically aided felling is normally employed for pulling trees into open land/fields away from the highway.  This being the most cost effective method for removing multiple large trees near highways. 

A failed tree that is looming over the highway is more complex and requires very careful dismantling...in my opinion.  

Just to add.  I desperately feel for the chap and his loved ones and am accusing no wrong doing.  

I have personally anchored from 'good' trees and tied into compromised ones and simply got away with it, but would never do it these days or advise anyone else to do so. 

Peace out.