Fabricating your own lowering device

[DrewB]

Copying for production is where the issue lies Drew. Personal-use copies dont hurt anyone, unless they break. Having the means and know-how to fabricate is actually a really cool thing:thumbup1: The lawful side that treequip has touched on is definitely something to be aware of though.

 

yeah i know reg- i just found it humorous how people went apeshit when a few people asked about making their own arb trolley yet here it doesnt rasie an eyebrow when making there own portawrap etc. ive used a tonne of homemade jobs and never had an issue but sometimes you do look at it and go wtf???If i could weld id be making stuff myself but alas, splicing is my thing..

[treequip]

But only when things go wrong... I am not advocating using non CE equipment just stating that there is no one out there to stop you. In ten years no one apart from people paid or employed by me have ever inspected my kit.

 

For the insurers and the ambulance chasers certainly, but in the eyes of the HSE you will be breaking the law using home made kit. Just because you haven't been pulled doesn't mean others haven't.

 

I have had my climbing kit checked against my LOLER records on a site, the HSE were there to look at other things and decided we needed looking at as well.

 

In general terms, in tree work we don't see inspections because the work is relatively transient and we are hard to nail down on a surprise inspection.

[Shane]

This leads us into the philosophical realms...

 

If you are old school and wrap the rope round the trunk of the tree could you be nobbled by the HSE if the tree has not been loler tested?

[Mark Bolam]

I've always thought the cost of materials and time spent fabricating a simple bollard wouldn't really be worth it when you can buy a kosher one for about £200.

[treequip]

I've always thought the cost of materials and time spent fabricating a simple bollard wouldn't really be worth it when you can buy a kosher one for about £200.

 

Mine took about an hour to make, I did it one morning before a job because I lent the last one I made out and it never came back.

 

Cost wise, well it was some steel I had in the shop but not more than a teners worth and a couple of ratchet straps.

[Quercus-90]

I've always thought the cost of materials and time spent fabricating a simple bollard wouldn't really be worth it when you can buy a kosher one for about £200.

 

Having fabricated a few bits n pieces over the years (No lowering devices)

I'd have too agree, especially if you don't have the materials and equipment ready at your disposisal.

 

 

 

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[arbogrunt]

had this one for about 18 years...got it through a LOLER test this year...for the first time !

[colwoodlandcare]

How did you get it lolar tested

 

 

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[arbogrunt]

punched the MBS and SWL on it...I've been using in for a couple of decades, I change the belt every few years...lets face it...its not going to break

[felixthelogchopper]

punched the MBS and SWL on it...I've been using in for a couple of decades, I change the belt every few years...lets face it...its not going to break

 

If I couldn't break it, I reckon that's a fairly safe bet.