GRCS: some criticism by a non-owner

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asthesun said:
lets beat it to death some more. there is only one skid steer, there is only one portawrap. there are ways around everything. if you're a zillionaire who want every tool and toy ever, get the grcs. if you're like the rest od us peons who actually has to think a little before dropping 2-3k on a tool that isnt necessary, dont get it just yet. tree work got done long before someone came up with the grcs.
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well then no device for you.
 
I've used both the Hobbs and GRCS, it takes 2 people to use a Hobbs to efficently lift a large piece of wood. One to crank (with no gearing advantage, like a GRCS has) and one to tail the rope, it is not self tailing like a grcs. If it is a really heave piece of wood it may take two people to lift the wood.

I know Greg Good... As for the winch (from Harken) he has told me that he makes some minor modifications to the winch, making it stronger/more heavy duty something like that... It is aparently not a stock Harken Winch. The 3 fair leads mounted to the grcs winch mount are supposed to lead the rope onto the winch at the proper angle.
 
These devices seem to not be something I'd want to use on a tree that is not getting removed due to the fact that the device can slide up and damage the tree, this is why I bought the porta wrap and stopped making wraps on the tree. I'd buy the thing if it wasn't $2600.00 but it just isn't that valuable to me when I can get it done with out it.

I'm not knocking it or berating it, this is just my opinion.
 
Rich, the only reason you think this way is because you've never used one ;)

In the near +10 years I've been working with them I have had one slip on a big removal only once; that was due to my side-loading the fairlead. Since i started using block-over-fairlead I have had no problems.

I'm probably the smallest insured operation on this site, and mine has paid for itself many times over.

tree work got done long before someone came up with the grcs.
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I do not climb on manila rope, or use a bo'lin on a bight saddle. People used to cut with a misery-whip buck saw.

fig61.jpg
 
I've had a few situations where I probably could have used one for lifting but when we get in that situation we just use the old piece it out on a rope with a tag line to pull it over in to the clear drop zone or if my friends small 90foot crane can get to it then it'll go on that.

Maybe if I wasn't such a tightass I'd come off the hip and buy one just in case..
 
Ax-man said:
The GRCS is well within the SWL of 5/8ths dia. Stable Braid rope. The winch can easily accomodate this size rope for most tree work including lowering. You can do some lifting with this size rope, pretensioning a double braid is usually about all you would need to do with the winch to lower out some big logs. 1/2 in. dia. is better suited for long big lifts because you can get more wraps on the winch than you can with 5/8ths. The more wraps on the winch the more traction you will have with no slippage. 1/2 in. rope will easily get 90 % of a tree down to the ground.

3/4 in rope is overkill for most average tree work unless your working on those big conifers in the PNW. 3/4 in rope is a pain to handle, tie knots, and is heavy If you think you need to use 3/4 in rope your either taking the butt end of some very big limbs or your blocking down some very big trunk sections. There is no need for the winch as this is simple lowering and the bollard supplied with the GRCS will easily handle these loads using 3/4 in rope.

As JP pointed out in that video they were pushing those lowering devices to the limit and they were adding slack to increase the dynamic loading on the devices. Both the Hobbs and GRCS were damaged but the ropes and knots failed more than the devices. No one in their right mind would do what they were doing to their equipment.

Get your hands on the video that actually shows how to use the GRCS. It clearly demonstates why the GRCS is more popular than the Hobbs.

Larry
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When the GCRS got destroyed, did it have the top visor plate installed to prevent upward movement? I don't think so. This caused the incident to occur. And for the people out there that The GCRS isn't worth the money or they could get by without it, well if you do large trimmings or removals this is the machine. I do stuff that some could only dream about. Taking pieces over 35 feet long and weighing 2 tonne or more without shock loading anything. The big thing I love about the GCRS is the line tensioning and slack removal( lifting to the tie in point). Soon Helmet Video to be here this summer.
 
I worked with one a little last year. Actually someone worked with me who had one. I think that this is a great innovation in the tree business. It eliminates the need for a crane in a lot of situations. Man, you can use it for so many applications. We used one to do a very risky felling on a huge Oak that was split down the trunk and leaning over the house and pool at a severe lean. Very technical felling. We were able to slowly ease the tree over in a controlled manor with the GRCS. Afterwords, we pulled my 2 ton dump out of the mud with the GRCS. I personally can't wait til I can get one. I plan to wait til I have a large tree that I can price for what the GRCS is worth. Use one tree to pay for it.
 
tree md said:
We used one to do a very risky felling on a huge Oak that was split down the trunk and leaning over the house and pool at a severe lean. Very technical felling. We were able to slowly ease the tree over in a controlled manor with the GRCS.
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I've used two ropes on two separate rigging points to do the very same thing while steering the tree with the two lines and have done it several times, so many people act like large tree work can't be done with out the GRCS.

Like I said before, I'm not knocking the device and I'm sure it makes things easier but I got time to do it with out it.
 
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Rftreeman said:
I've used two ropes on two separate rigging points to do the very same thing while steering the tree with the two lines and have done it several times, so many people act like large tree work can't be done with out the GRCS.

Like I said before, I'm not knocking the device and I'm sure it makes things easier but I got time to do it with out it.
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We had the tree tagged with two separate lines on this one as well. We had it anchored with my 2 ton dump and used the GRCS to pull it over. The GRCS was indispensable on that felling I can tell you. Sure there is always another way to do something but the GRCS made a very difficult, risky, technical felling relatively easy on that job. Very controlled, smooth take down when cranking it over with the GRCS. Hey, it might not be for everyone but from the limited experience I've had with it, I want one.
 
The second you wrap 1/2" stable braid around that sucker and giver a crank, you will be a believer. Think not of how you can conduct rigging operations similar to GRCS , but how much further GRCS will take your rigging capabilities.

Faster higher better smoother. = $ in the bank. I don't know why I bother to preach the product to non believers other than Greg being a great guy that built a lifting/lowering device that opened up a new world of possibilities.
 
senechal said:
The second you wrap 1/2" stable braid around that sucker and giver a crank, you will be a believer. Think not of how you can conduct rigging operations similar to GRCS , but how much further GRCS will take your rigging capabilities.

Faster higher better smoother. = $ in the bank. I don't know why I bother to preach the product to non believers other than Greg being a great guy that built a lifting/lowering device that opened up a new world of possibilities.
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those guys in white shirts that come to my door occasionally havent given up preaching, neither should you. if you keep trying, i'll prolly eventually get one with storm money. i doubt the guys in white shirts will have such luck with me
 
For many years, we also put off purchasing the GRCS. $2200.00 is not chump change.
Could not justify the cost. We were just stupid. You quickly recoup your investment by both saving time and operating more safely.

While we do not use it everyday, when we do it just makes the entire operation smoother and more predictable.

It is just like the charge card. Don't leave home without it!
 
squad143 said:
Yes, and it also "got" done long before there was a bucket truck or the machine in the above picture.
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thats right. imo, everything can be dumped onto the groundmen. dont want to call a crane? np, get $400 worth of more labor. dont want to buy a grcs? np, get $2600 worth of labor. only difference is that the grcs will probably eventually pay for itself, provided you use it more than once in a blue moon
 

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