lock jack

[loveroftrees]

i've just bought and received the lock jack twin. i've been an owner operator for 5yrs. been to arborist classes, weeks in the woods with some of the worlds best. learned alot, but in this biz one needs common sense and confidence in equipment and most of all ability. now having said that i 've used this lock jack serval times to delimb to about 55-60 feet. i love this thing. i love the way it works. any body else have experience with this piece of equipment... i read this board every day, there are alot of good smart people hear. i would love to read your thoughts on this....

 

[mikecross23]

Cool piece of gear. I've been using one for about 4 months, the sport version though. It operates very smooth, easy to use, definately self tends slack with no problem. The one problem I have with it is trust. I am always worried about losing the bolt that holds my life. It just has so many little parts. Too smooth to give up though.

I would not recommend this product to a new climber by any means.

Survey says. . . .

It's a keeper.

-Mike-

 

[Jim1NZ]

Good post mike.

I have tried one for a bit and they are good but defiantly scare me :yoyo:

Defiantly love the way they feed slack through! I think once you have used on for 3 months you will be well used to it.

Things to watch out for, and correct me if im wrong;

Dont use device with wide mouth/pair shape carabiners as the little bob thing that controls decent can get stuck in the biner and jam the device open.

On double braid ropes with a weak outer sheath, in a dynamic loading situation the device can (possibly) rip the outer sheath off the rope resulting in the device unable to control friction

 

[TackleTree]

I tried one out the other day and it seems to work much better for me than the friction hitches. I weigh 290 lbs so there is a lot of tension on the rope. I have tried the prussic, blakes, tautline... they all bight too much but I am also new to rope climbing so take my newbie advice for what its worth. I love the ease of this device but I am trying to justify the price tag $300 from sherril.

 

[beowulf343]

The thing that scares me about the lock jack is the replacement parts. Obviously they wouldn't sell the replacement parts if they weren't needed. How do you know when a part needs replacing-when it fails? No thanks. I'll stick with my split tail and blakes. jmo.

 

[Jim1NZ]

I think the only parts generally replaced is the cam itself. The lockjack will start to slip and gradually get worse, im sure you could see the cam was wearing out too. Yea dont like the price tag much ha

 

[MNClimber]

I was looking at purchasing the lock jack sport and was wondering how long the cam lasts and has anyone had a good fall on there's yet? Just to see how well it held your line. Bye the way to anyone using it what brand and style of line are you using with it? I currently use arbor master blue streak will it work?

 

[TackleTree]

I beleive it can handle 1/2 line. I tried it out on 11

 

[Grace Tree]

Velocity slides through LJ nicely. It will handle either 1/2" or 11mm depending on which clutch you have installed. Compared to the price of the LJ the clutches are cheap so you might want to get size that didn't come with the Lockjack.
Phil

 

[MNClimber]

Thanks for the info I think I will go buy one on Monday.

 

[vcallies]

I have a LockJack Sport that I use with Samson Blue Streak. I've been using this device for the last four years, approximately three to four days a week (part time). I have never had to replace the cam. The LockJack Sport is very easy to use, however, it does not tend the slack as well as I would have thought. I have to pull the rope through the bottom of the cam with every "step" up (with a toothed ascender and foot strap). I found this alot easier than body-thrusting.

Two days ago, I was doing a silver maple removal. I set my climbing line with a bigshot high in the canopy, and did not realize that my line was over a two inch dead branch about three feet above my target branch. No problems on the way up, cut what I needed to, and started my decent when the two inch dead branch snapped. I was still about 35 feet in the air when it snapped, and free fell the three feet before my rope stopped in the target crotch I thought I sent the Blue Streak through. As soon as the branch snapped, I let go of the pull knob. At the bottom the three foot drop, the LockJack held, with no slippage of rope through the cam. I will have to remember to keep the leg straps on my saddle a little snugger, as the sudden stop caused the strap to slide up my leg (no fun falling three feet in a saddle with a sudden stop and 180 lbs of body mass coming to a rest on your crotch).

Other than operator error, I have had no problems with this device. But with any piece of unfamiliar climbing equipment, start "slow and low" until you can trust it and know what it is capable of.

 

[MNClimber]

I did buy one and love it but your right it doesn't't tend slack that well with the blue streak but I also bought a smaller cam just to try and see what the 11mm rope was like and it worked muck better with the Poison Ivy that I borrowed from a friend.