My new Hobbs H2

[scotspine1]

No pics though I coult take some if you want to copy it,

 

Pics would good, just out of interest, as I know a couple of guys who have used their own homemade lowering devices, one is a giant figure of 8(weighs about 5 stone) and the other is a crude version of the original portawrap.

[RC0]

Thanks guys,

 

Log-ologist - The video was a mix of 2 poplars that we did in that garden and I'm not sure what footage came from which tree now. To answer your question, I think it depends who's up there and what there strengths are.....and obviously how much room down below. Personally, I try to bring them down as large as what is manageble on the floor. However, in this instance, there probably wasn't much in it. Poplar is pretty easy cutting, especially up top. You have to think bigger on the lower, wider stuff though or that can be real labourous.

 

pecontools - I haven't used it my self as Ive been the one in the tree but the video comprises of several operators on different jobs, and as far as I can gather it was just real predictable.

 

JP beaver - that was a 14 mm on the branches and 19 on the timber.

 

Crispy - I dont know how close it came.....I had my eyes shut!

 

Tony - Re: the fall path. great point, I switch to the portowrap when it gets too close.

 

Tom.D - No gears, just turn the drum, a 16 -1 I believe.

[Jonesie]

Glad to see your happy with it, nice to see it in action

[frans]

I may be wrong here

 

...And I always have to say its not any quicker, it just opens up a whole load of possibilties...

 

I want to chime in here....of course

 

 

I disagree with what you said and here is why:

 

 

Yes I am a GRCS person but the bottom line is that ANY lowering device makes your job much easier and because you DO NOT have to take wraps around the trunk, you IMMEDIATELY see that the jobs go faster.

 

Hobbs, Grcs, Porta-wrap, it does not matter. Once you realize that you can whip a wrap around the (device of your choice), lower the limb, then undo the wrap and haul the lowering line back up to the climber, really really quickly, then you understand that ANY LOWERING device is MUCH FASTER, easier on your ropes, and much safer.

 

I worked as a contract climber the other day on a removal.

They did not like the looks of my grcs, and thought it was something from outerspace.

As a contract climber doing a removal I said no problem we will do it old school.

 

I mean what did I care? Their ropes, their job. I just wanted to get the job done for this guy without causing any trouble.

 

So we did it old school. What a mess! I just sat up in the tree and when they were ready I tied off a limb and cut another limb off the tree for them. I could cut and tie way faster then they could get the ropes together for me so my time was spent just sitting up there and making a cut when they got their act together. I wished I had a little radio I could listen to.

8 guys down there all scrambling around fighting the ropes and hauling branches to the chipper...

 

No, a capstan, lowering device, whatever is MUCH MUCH faster....

[Lee Winger]

some people just don't want to move with the times

[High Scale]

Cool! I want one.

[Buzz]

I want to chime in here....of course

 

 

I disagree with what you said and here is why:

 

 

Yes I am a GRCS person but the bottom line is that ANY lowering device makes your job much easier and because you DO NOT have to take wraps around the trunk, you IMMEDIATELY see that the jobs go faster.

 

Hobbs, Grcs, Porta-wrap, it does not matter. Once you realize that you can whip a wrap around the (device of your choice), lower the limb, then undo the wrap and haul the lowering line back up to the climber, really really quickly, then you understand that ANY LOWERING device is MUCH FASTER, easier on your ropes, and much safer.

 

I worked as a contract climber the other day on a removal.

They did not like the looks of my grcs, and thought it was something from outerspace.

As a contract climber doing a removal I said no problem we will do it old school.

 

I mean what did I care? Their ropes, their job. I just wanted to get the job done for this guy without causing any trouble.

 

So we did it old school. What a mess! I just sat up in the tree and when they were ready I tied off a limb and cut another limb off the tree for them. I could cut and tie way faster then they could get the ropes together for me so my time was spent just sitting up there and making a cut when they got their act together. I wished I had a little radio I could listen to.

8 guys down there all scrambling around fighting the ropes and hauling branches to the chipper...

 

No, a capstan, lowering device, whatever is MUCH MUCH faster....

 

Frans I think Marc is comparing GRCS or Hobbs versus a portawrap. Nobody I know over here takes wraps around the trunk anymore. LOts of natural crotch rigging instead of pulleys though.

[Peter]

Natural crotch rigging is a good technique in the right situation.

Trunks wraps are nothing but a pain in the neck.

[RC0]

Frans I think Marc is comparing GRCS or Hobbs versus a portawrap. Nobody I know over here takes wraps around the trunk anymore. LOts of natural crotch rigging instead of pulleys though.

 

IMO, a Hobbs/GRCS can speed up a job compared to using a portowrap or similar. Obviously this depends on the difficulty of the job, and whether or not you're able to recognize the exta options that they offer. Also, whether you have the man-power to deal/keep-up with the increased productivity of the climber, e.g with the portowrap a climber often has to decide "if I take that whole section can I trust them to get it just right or will they screw it up because their's so little room for error? Probably they'll do the latter, I'll have to take it smaller"

 

I'm not going to say too much as it'll ruin what I hope to write in the review, but the Hobbs and GRCS definately allow more leway and such is the smooth action and winch facilities of both devices that misjudged operations are easily recovered etc

 

All the operators you see on the video were (from different crews) first time users of the hobbs, although a couple of them do use a GRCS. But the video still shows it how it is, critical rigging made to look easy.....it was easy and it is easy with either of these devices. No $hit:icon14:

[bob]

trunk wraps is something that we still do if the need arises rather than ending up flying up the tree we dont always know what the job entails so may not have the potty or grumpy(grcs) have taken several flights when not been arsed to wrap around tree