Choose your "LIFE SUPPORT" biner

[monkeypuzzle]

When I choose a biner the FIRST thing I look for is the speed and ease in which I can get the gate open with one hand. I have tried a bunch of different biners and i all-ways find that HB Wales biners work the best for me. This is for "life support'' (posi-lock) biners,and not for rigging or accessory biners.

I think in general HB Wales just plain trys harder in all their gear. IMHO Its not easy to find HB Wales products either.I buy all my HB Wales from Black Dome in Asheville,NC. Petzl is everywhere just like Wal-marts.

The petzl ball lock biners are the hardest for me to get open with one hand. I don't know if it is because I don't have the right kind of strength in my hand or thumb,thumb length or what. Graphite grey and lawn green don't seem to be the smartest of colors for tree work.The yellow has potential.

When I open a three way biner(posi-lock) I like to place the top bar against my legg, push and then turn to open. Very quick one handed opening for me. I also like the fact that a pin lock key may just save my life if one should happen to open up.

 

[TREETX]

Originally posted by monkeypuzzle
Petzl is everywhere just like Wal-marts.

I don't have an anit-establishment thing when it comes to biners. I love my DDM Wales biners and my ball-locks. Took me a while to stop cussing the ball-locks.

Graphite grey and lawn green don't seem to be the smartest of colors for tree work.

I agree. Maybe they are to go with the camo chainsaw chaps at my local dealership. Are people hunting with chainsaws?? So the tree doesn't see you coming??

 

[monkeypuzzle]

To get the ball lock to work I have to use my thumbnail,,,my thumb pad is just to soft I quess. And plastc parts?

I'm still cussing them. TREETX

I have seen a camo chainsaw at Lowes or Home Depot. Perfect for the woods. Why would anyone carry a chainsaw to a deer stand. Once you crank the thing up you might as well have a orange Husky, oh wait deer are color blind.

 

[Tree Machine]

Hangin yer life on a piece of metal

I dedicate a Petzl William Ball Lock as the lanyard biner for onning and offing my chainsaw. I removed the ball and spring in the little thumb-push part, making it just a regular springlock.... I know I could have just used another brand (Kong, DMM, etc) spring-gate, but I just like the size and shape of the William for this dedicated application..., but without the thumb-fumbling. Removing the ball doesn't make the biner any less safe, rather converts it back to a spring-lock, no longer a ball-lock.

For hangin my life on, call me Mr Overkill, but these days I'm using a steel, triple-lock Petzl Kador. I, too, love that last little drop-in notch except that if you're opening the gate with your right hand, that little safety slot is on the back side of the caribiner. I told Petzl about this, that I thought if the biner is opened right-handed, that little drop channel should be facing YOU, not the opposite side. -TM-

 

[Stumper]

I've been using Kong Grenade gates. They are very secure but a pain to try to open one handed. I looked at the Ball locks and almost bought but.....

 

[Tom Dunlap]

Most of the Kong grenade gate biners are 22kN rating. Just a little shy of the 5,000# needed for life support according to Z133.

I've converted my pro life support biners to ISC Mongoose. the Kong went to rec climbing use. Denny had a prototype biner at ISA. The gate lock had a spring loaded sleeve that needed two actions to open. Very clever. I would guess it will be on the market in a year. If you want to see another biner prototype, go to Tr**buzz and look for a thread I started. Comment if you'd like.

Even in the winter I can generally operate Petzl ball locks. Not the easiest but it can be done. I've heard good reports from climbers using the new Petzl grenade gate biners.

Tom

 

[Tree Machine]

Atsa lotta biners

I love my Kongs, too - or any biner that has a lock-and-Key type gate (Petzl). I probably climb with too many biners, but I really like an array and i really don't care much about the weight.

Enjoy the picture, and if you're counting the biners on my saddle (including the ones dedicated to slings) know that there are three more on the other side out of the picture's view. -TM-

 

[TREETX]

Re: Atsa lotta biners

Originally posted by Tree Machine
I probably climb with too many biners, but I really like an array and i really don't care much about the weight.

Enjoy the picture

About 6 more and then you'll have enough.

Thanks for sharing the pic. I like to see OPG.

 

[Tree Machine]

Other People's Gear

The Green Hotwire is where I clip my Kong dual handled ascenders (not shown in previous photo). Before anyone gives me any crap about my chainsaw lanyard, yes it's a homemade deal. 7 years old, it was one of the first pieces of tree gear I ever fabricated. Yes it's ugly, but it still takes the hanging of the occasional Husky 394. It's NOT a tearaway lanyard, so if I create a saw snatcher it could give me a hip yank... which is probably why you don't see this model on the market. -TM-

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

Tom, what is a grenade gate?

Monkeyfist, can you link a picture of the HB Wales carabiner you like so much?

TreeMachine, what do you do with all those nonlocking biners? I hope you're not climbing or rigging. And for your lanyard, I can't imagine the break away lanyard would break before the handle of a cheap old topping saw anyway.

The carabiners that are not opened very often should be the more secure types, like the ball lock. For the applications where you are opening and closing frequently, like the business end of your lanyard, it should be the type that is very easy to open and clip, like the the kong double locking rope snap.

The same holds true for rigging. Where the pulley is secured a steel carabiner will work fine, but at the end of the bull rope, where a groundman who is wearing thick leather gloves is disconnecting and connecting, the device should be a big, easily opened and clipped snap or biner. For light rigging I use the same style Kong rope snap I climb on and the ground men love it.

 

[Tom Dunlap]

Mike,

Petzl has made a new line of biners with twist gates instead of the ball locks. The sleeve looks very similar to the Kong's.

Tom

 

[monkeypuzzle]

No can do Mike, they do have a web site but not finished yet. You can e-mail Jane Williams and she will send you the online catalog.
Her e-mail is [email protected]

Hi-spec Triplock are the ones I use.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

I was working with Sean this weekend and he's taken to using a big honking ladder snap on his riging line for light to medium loads. I like it better then the Mongoose I've been using.

Most of my saddle atatchments are Kongs, because I made a bulk purchace a few years ago. The granade pear style. I have noticed a high rate of gate-spring failure on these. Either the plastic spacer breaks or the spring end pops out of the locked position. Sherrill/Vermeer has allways replaced them NQA, if the wear patterens are minimal.

Over all they seem the best out there though, I dont like a toothed style, they pick the yarn on ropes, many others have sharp edges on the gate barrle, that catch and bend...I've had balllocks freze in the winter a few too many times...

For the lite rigging single action stylle, I bought a bunch of steel ones a number of years ago, then a few months later found that there are aluminum of the same size that are subsatially stronger and 1/3 the weight. I use them frequently for light rigging and marying slings.

 

[Stumper]

Tom, You are right that many of the Kongs are 22kn. I have some that are marked22kn/5000lbs. As you know the makers round down to the nearest whole KN so most 22's are actually Ansi compliant but the markings don't assure us of it-these do.

 

[Tree Machine]

Hangin your butt on a biner

TreeMachine, what do you do with all those nonlocking biners? I hope you're not climbing or rigging. And for your lanyard, I can't imagine the break away lanyard would break before the handle of a cheap old topping saw anyway.

Here's a pic of JP's failed-spring, Kong pear-a-biner. I've had the same problem a few times and quit buying them for that reason.

Non-locking biners: On my slings I'm using the Kong Stainless Steel 'slideline' biners. The spring in the gate is impressively strong. Yea, they're heavier than aluminum biners, but they wear forever and they're my choice on slings.

Yes, I use them in rigging, but only light and medium rigging, and especially when doing solo lowerings where the rope needs to be retrieved. Mostly I do the "sling, cut, unsling, toss" method, so clearly this is light rigging.

I use the stainless biner slings for redirects, though if I have to redirect much above my TIP, or need to rappell off from one and ascend back up to it, I'll use another one of the non-lockers, oriented opposite, and gates opposed since I'm hangin my butt on it. The smaller, Black Diamond microns are used only for accessory purposes.

As far as the cheap , old top-handle saw, I'm a Silky Saw- Husky 346XP Climber, having shelved my top handles, but that's a personal matter, and not recommended. -TM-

 

[timberfell]

Aye,..... silky saw, 346 xp combo . Tough to beat.

Rock on, cool pics.

Kurt

 

[Tree Machine]

Hangin yer life on a piece of metal

Here's a pic of the life link I retired, under the Petzl KADOR I'm using now.

I retired the old one not because it was worn, but just because something new came out. -TM-

 

[ccooperabbs]

Also using the ISC Mongoose krabs 3 way action (industry best practice in UK) for my main pelvic attatchment point, holds the P05 micro pulley and eye splice of main line snug and fast.

Can't find a link to list up or a picture to paste but some of you may have seen the 4 way action krab from Honey Brothers in the UK, Martyn was at the ITCC but i don't know if he had any with him?

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

Denny Morehouse had a 4 way he was showing at lastyears TCI.

 

[Tree Machine]

Life support 4 ways

4-way would be my way. I used to use a Black Diamond Superlock, which I haven't been able to find for over three years - apparently discontinued. It was a fairly big Aluminum biner, and the gate was much like the triple-locks out today, except once the gate was closed and spun shut, you could lift gate mechanism (sheath?), give it another 1/8th turn and drop it into a deeper, recessed slot. That was good security

Is this along the lines of the 4-way Honey Brothers biner? Is theirs steel? I've been perpetually searching for the bombproof biner for my frontside. Many are 'Good', but truly awesome I have yet to find. -TM-