Traditional tree surgeons

[Mick Stockbridge]

  Rupe said:

How do you do big take down then? three strand rope has got no way near enough strength, and if your natural crotching then you put all the strain on one part of the rope instead of displacing it along the whole length. I know we used to get away with it, but it always felt just like that, "getting away with it"

 

I would have simply lowered smaller pieces, costing me time and energy. I,m all up for learning new ways to make life easier.

[Rupe]

Sure. I guess both methods achieve the same result. I do think that with extra rigging gear you can have greater confidence and that shows when quoting for big trees which helps to win more work etc.

 

Ultimately all you need to take a tree down is chainsaws and gravity.

[Dom]

  Rupe said:

Ultimately all you need to take a tree down is chainsaws and gravity.

 

Too true! I do occasionally use a sling and a carabiner to run a lowering rope through instead of natural crotches. Depends what is easiest at the time, but I do think that anything that is possible with the new methods is also possible with the old methods. Maybe I'm just lazy!

[Mick Stockbridge]

  Rupe said:

I know we used to get away with it, but it always felt just like that, "getting away with it"

 

"getting away with it" that,ll make the wife/groundie laugh. Ive seen her dangling six feet off the ground trying to hang onto something. Hahahahaha. Damn I should have got her a lowering kit for christmas

[Rupe]

My groundie came up and joined me in the tree once! I turned round and he was sat on the branch next to me still clinging to the 24mm three strand!!

[Tom D]

  Dom said:

Too true! I do occasionally use a sling and a carabiner to run a lowering rope through instead of natural crotches. Depends what is easiest at the time, but I do think that anything that is possible with the new methods is also possible with the old methods. Maybe I'm just lazy!

 

In many ways using a topping down strop or a krab on a sling is worse than using a crotch due to the bend radius being so tight. Invest in a pulley even if you dont buy anything else.

 

I think theres nothing wrong with three strand for rigging and its better suited to those dirty jobs and crotch rigging as well as taking wraps round the stem. Once you get a nice braided rope you wont want to use it for those jobs and so will need a friction device as well. I still use three strand when there's only one branch to lower rather than messing around setting up a pulley.

[Rupe]

I don't want to derail this so I'll start a fresh in the rigging section

[Klaymeb]

  madclimber said:

Yep thats me altho i went to the best. CAPEL MANOR

 

Wooo

[arnoldbuchsassinger]

New or Old, people wrapping rope around trees, hmm knackers the rope wastes time, unexpected forces throughout the tree. Technology moved forward for a reason, just seems a shame that people dont appear to have moved forward with the times. Next question shall we climb it or does it require a platform, HSE etc. Next thing we'll be subscribing to topping trees to get the next pound. Shall we discuss epicormic, weaker branching, uneconomical for customers, potential risk higher up. How did we find this out, because technology and research moved forward. God bless Shigo and Mattheck

[conkers]

I still use two prussiks and both ends of rope but will consider any new kit for any specific job. What ever is easier and safer.

I don't agree that adding lots of bits of metal to your climbing system helps for everybody.