D Mc

Andy, I have been using the Lockjack for over a year now and love it. I'm not a new climber and am not "gizmo" oriented but can certainly recognise a labor-saving device. When your body is all worn out from 40 years of climbing trees you will notice small reductions in friction and things like the weight of your chain saw, even the weight of your rope a lot more than you used to. My only regret is that I can't use it all the time. Some jobs it is just inappropriate (too wet, too dirty, seriously bad weather, etc.) then I will go back to the friction hitch of choice. The pictures I am posting show how I have it attached to the micro-mouse pulley with a tether so for work positioning it is close to the saddle but for trunk walking I can keep both hands on the rope as I am walking up the trunk. What the pictures don't show is that I run my climbing line through a pulley in a floating false crotch setup. Using a pulley in combination to the Lockjack brings out its full abilities. It also makes it incredibly consistent in its grab and release functions. There is just no variance. It never changes. Day-in, day-out, great tool. D Mc

Reg, once again great video! You not only have the knack for climbing and rigging but your vids are also great. A couple people now have mentioned cutting in the Hobbs to keep it from slipping whereas this is a great idea during removals but the video was demonstrating (as noted) the holding powers of the preservation mount with wood probably larger than would be taken in that situation. As for wraps around trees being more forgiving than a strapped on bollard or easier for the ground man to judge, I strongly disagree. These two factors were the primary reason for the development of a strapped on bollard. They are not only faster but a great confidence builder almost immediately for the groundman with any experience handling lines during rigging. Looking forward to the review, Reg. David

David, we have had the unit since it came out in 1993 or 1994. The drag sheets are replaceable and generally go through two a year but the frame is the original one. (I think the sheets run about $20 here.) Logs unload as easy or easier than the chips. Though you definitely have to watch your toes! We keep thinking about going to a more elaborate setup but this works so well we can't bring ourselves to go to the expense. David Mc

Hi guys, if you don't mind, I'll put in my two cents. My wife and I run a full time tree service here in the US (Montana). We keep our setup basic and small because it is just the two of us. We use the Vermeer 625 (6") chipper, hydraulic feed. This chipper works really well and has turned out to be quite rugged. Of note on this particular chipper, it had a system called autofeed which regulated the load on the motor and would disconnect the feed rollers if the load was determined too much. This was crap (IMO). Easily took four times as long to chip a branch. We had it disconnected prior to purchase. You can still regulate the speed of the in feed roller via a lever. With the price of gas now, we are really pleased with its fuel efficiency under operation. For those of you still shoveling chips out of the truck, you really should look at a loadhandler http://www.loadhandler.com I think we got this the first year it came out. And it works as advertised. Cheap alternative to a tipper. D and S Mc

Reg, Congratulations on the new H 2. I had a feeling that your no-nonsense climbing style and the H 2 would be a good match. Glad to see it's working for you. D Mc

Hey, D Mc. Whatever happened to gramps? "We put him down because he was getting way too old." That's a terrible answer. Can we have more details? Species, condition, actual reason for recommending removal? Not trying to be rude here, but really curious. D and S Mc

Since I no longer drink, this explains a lot! We would use some of your icons, but we can't figure out what the heck they are! - What's with the guy and the girl? Reg, thanks. I actually do plan on climbing until I do something stupid and drop out of the tree. I have tried doing other things, but I'm a tree guy, plain and simple. D Mc

I started professional tree work as a climber before I got out of high school and this year will make 40 years (I'm now 55). Though I have operated cranes and buckets and about every piece of tree gear out there, I have always been and always will be a tree climber. When I was younger I worried about not being able to continue as I got older, because it seemed like nobody does. I think the only requirement for working as you get older is being your own boss so you can call the shots. When you are 20 you can do a killer job, go out drinking, go to bed and wake up feeling great. When you get older you can do a killer job, go to bed early, NO drinking and with no illusions about waking up feeling great, just hoping you wake up! The big advantage as you get older is the desire to keep working, the joy of climbing, because this is not a job you do unless you love it. D Mc