john87

Why go to all that trouble and fit chinese parts?? They are simply crap.. john..

I bought one today. I was intending to get the rough cut sort but got the trimmer one by mistake.. Bit late now though as i have already used it.. Did not look up the model numbers till i got home.. john..

Hi All, When it come to hedge trimmers, is there really much difference between the "rough cut" and the "trimmer" types, so for example a Stihl HS82T or an HS82R or a Husqvarna 522HD60X or a 522HDR60X.. Will a rough cut one make a mess of nice hedges and will a trimmer one cut rougher tougher hedges?? Does this mean that i really need two of the things?? john..

I am only a newbie, had no idea that ropes were all so different, or that there were so many different ones.. Mine seems ok though!! Not tried it with an ascender yet though!! john..

Hi All, I am only a newbie and climb with a blakes hitch. [which i intend to keep on using] I was thinking of getting something like the Stein Django and their knee ascender thingy to make life less work!! Thing is, from what i have read ascenders wreck your rope with their spiky teeth.. Would i be better off just getting a Notch jetstep, as apparently these are a lot kinder to the rope [I use a 13mm Marlow Gecko FCR Orange] What should i do?? john..

I will give it a go in practice, and then maybe get some 8mm as this does seem to be better... Funnily enough, it was an Ocean one i was thinking of getting.. john..

It was just that a few seconds after tying it, i gave the thing a good shake about to sort of simulate when you whizz up a tree sometimes without putting any weight on the hitch and then when i did, and expected it to grap.. it slipped.. ooerrr.. On my 10mm/11mm rope lanyard, same prusik cord, it grabs so tight you have quite a job to get it to release sometimes.. I would much rather this i must say!! john..

Proper prusik with 6 wraps.. Do more wraps necessarily mean more grip?? I tried with four and that seemed to grab harder than the six?? john..

Hi there, i have used an eye to eye 10mm diameter prusik cord to make a hip prusik for use with my flip line. Bit worried though, as from what i have been reading using a 10mm cord on an 11mm flip line will result in me falling out of the tree.. I have a 10mm cord for a hip prusik with my 11mm rope lanyard and that grips in a BIG way. Do you think it will be ok for my flip line?? [the 10mm cord on the 11mm flip line i mean] Thanks all john..

I have sort of half gaffed out a few times, Nothing much has happened as i make sure the one is planted properly before moving the other!! Good idea with the carabiner though!! Cannot see you would slide at all with a set up like that!! john..

On thin stems, what you all think of wrapping the flip line round twice?? Will be a bit awkward, but no way will you slide.. Or, flipline as normal but wrap a second lanyard round twice.. Or, something like a split tail choked to the stem and then through a rope grab to your bridge.. john..

Flip line is 5 metres long, i can get it around the tree ok, but it it flipping it up that is the difficulty!! I am tending towards using a prusik on my flipline too.. That is what i use on my second lanyard and it works just fine!! If i ended up in wrong position, all would not be lost as i have my rope with me so i could install that and go up a bit or down!! Guess that is the importance of the short webbing thing for wire flip lines that you can cut!! john..

Hi all, I am only a newbie to all this and need a bit of advice.. I am having terrible trouble advancing my flip line.. On trees up to about 2 feet diameter is is dead easy and i can fly up them. When i try trees about 3 feet or a bit more in diameter it is very hard though, and really knocks my confidence. It is like my flip line is not stiff enough to flip.. I know there is a technique where you sort of fling a loop around the tree, but that is a bit beyond me i think.. Second thing.. Trees with a lean... When going up these, it is a bit scary, as if you lean into the tree, the rope grab on your flip line releases and it would only take a bit of muck to drop in there at the wrong time and you would be in a mess, is a friction hitch a far better idea than rope grabs?? What you all use?? Using a second lanyard would be a great idea, and i do if i have to pass an obstacle, but it makes things a lot more awkward sometimes. I see that some of the real experts only have the flipline and no second lanyard as backup at all, how many fall out of trees a year?? When on a steep lean, how do you know that you will not slip one day, swivel round, and end up stuck under the tree?? Sorry to bombard with questions!! john.

These electric or gas heated knife things; How hot do they get?? Are they red hot or just melt rope hot?? Do they like melt their way through or are they well sharp as well?? john..

I never heard of one!! I will have a look on the internet now!! john..

Hi All, What you all use for cutting rope?? Best i have found up to now is a red hot stanley knife blade held in mole grips.. How do others do it, what have you found to be best?? john..

In which case there is no way on this planet that they would fit through the needle that is used to inject you..

Ok.. What was the first sign you all had that you had a hernia?? john..

Yes, where i have to do it they would not allow diesel because of the smell and the fire risk.. Good idea though!! john..

Yes i always thought that he stuff was resistant to weedkiller because of waxy coating. I have killed lots in the past by just cutting it as you say, seems to knock the life out of the rest.. If you cannor find the roots, say like ivy all over the ground and then up walls i suppose the only thing it to cut of as much as you can and treat the new growth..

I have got one of them hydrocele things.. Anyone had one of them?? john..

Hi All, I have vast quantities of ivy to get rid of. Any recommendations as to the best stuff to kill it?? Is glyphosate any good for it?? It is all over buildings, paths, everywhere.. What you all recommend.. Thank you john..

Oh god yes, i would agree with that 1000% There are loads of counterfeit bolts, bearings and god knows what else out there. As you say, always buy from proper fastener firms, and even then.. Who knows.. You very definitely only get what you pay for as you say. If it is cheap, there is a reason.. john..

The bolt suppliers can think and say what they like. If a bolt is to a certain spec, the strength will be the same regardless of when it was made.. Never listen to the dummy in the shop, and always order critical parts with reference to the british standards involved. This is why, when decent firms order steel, if it is delivered without the test certs, the whole lot will be sent back.. It may be of interest, that when a slab or billet of steel is first cast, it has a number stamped on it, the "cast number" every beam or whatever that is rolled from this billet, will also have the cast number stamped on it, so if you go to a decent steel stock holder and pick out any particular bar, they will be trace it back to the original billet or slab from when that lump of steel was first produced.. john..

Hi There, The link you give is about hydrogen induced cracking. This is indeed a problem with higher strength materials and is a very common problem when these higher strength materials are welded.. The bolt i had that failed, i would say suffered from corrosion fatigue, again, a problem with higher strength steels.. I am no metallurgist, but i do hold formal written qualifications in such things as welding metallurgy, materials technology and quality control so i have a fair idea!! Very interesting link by the way!! john..