Rigging kit or buy separately

[Slvrmple72]

I am looking to buy a rigging kit( Wesspur) or buy the pieces I need separately: block, slings, rigging line, and Port a wrap. Any suggestions? I am also going to get a Spider Leg balancer. ( My pet Tarantula is very clumsy )

 

[TheTreeSpyder]

It all depends on trees in your area and how you work them; but in general i'd say build a piece at a time tailored to needs and usage.

 

[RedlineIt]

I stand to be corrected, (in fact I enjoy being shown wrong, it's a good way to learn) but what is there that a spider-leg can do that any short piece of rated rope tied in to the main rigging line on a blakes or taut-line hitch can't do?


RedlineIt

 

[Fireaxman]

I vote "Buy Separate". Here are a few reasons.

I like 5/8 Stable Braid rather than the 1/2" offered in the kit. Like Spidey said, "... tailored to needs and usage". I have pulled several leaners out with the winch on my jeep and I needed everything the 5/8 could give me. Bought 200 feet of the 5/8 from Baileys and cut 50 feet off for slings, gives me more lattitude on how to rig my blocks than the "Whoopie sling". I can "Basket Rig" my block between 2 clove hitches if I need more strength, or rig the block out further from the tree to give me some options on change of direction if strength is not an issue.

I've never used the Port-a-Wrap, and never needed one that I know of, I'm not sure it is worth the money. I use the big steel "Bent-Ear 8" for lowering (pg 27 Wesspur) and it has done everything I ever needed.

 

[geofore]

rigging

A kit is not a bad starting point but you'll soon find out that you will want/need more heavier duty equipment as your rigging skills build you'll try bigger and heavier pieces. Then to, with a few simple tools you can rig many things in a number of different ways. The most important thing to watch for is the load limit of the parts you combine to get the job done. Avoid shock loading your ropes, blocks, pulleys, straps and the like, done right you can ease the load onto the equipment. It's easy to bomb limbs out of a tree but it takes practice to lower limbs slowly and swing them around possible targets. When you finally get good at rigging you'll find out you have more toys than you need or that you can combine pieces in different ways to do the same job.
The reason there is a difference between a safe working load and the breaking point of the equipment is because things don't always go right and you need that margin for safety. Do not over load your equipment.

 

[Slvrmple72]

Dang it RedlineIt! Now ya got me thinking! Unless anyone else can point out something unique about the SL balancer apart from having a longer eye splice in the end of it I would be better off buying some Tenex and making my own version of the balancer.While I am at it I should make a couple of whoopies, some loopies, and some dead eyes.TreeSpyder, I usually deal with the maples that grew up inbetween the old shed and the dilapidated deck with about a foot of clearance on either side and three or four big heavy main stems going over the garage ( with the rusted out antique car in it), over the back of the house ( right above the skylite) and over the garden/flowerbed (with trellises) all at about a 45 degree angle. The gutters are about ready to fall off from all the builtup leaves and twigs, shingles are a mess and they are looking at me to screw up so I can pay for the new roof and gutters. First words out of their mouths are usually "Dont tell us you need a crane to do this we aint rich!" followed by the usual " $___? other fella said he could do it for half that! You stupid or deaf? We said we aint rich and dont charge us any for disposal just stack the stuff on the brush pile behind the garage and put the logs next to it." So after writing everything up nice and neat spelling out what I am going to do and what it will cost them, and they sign and agree to the contract, I piece down the tree with no damage, stack a brush pile taller than the garage with a stack of "logs" at the various lengths it takes to chunk'em down safe but not the length they thought "logs" should be they :censored: , refuse to pay after the bad check they wrote saying I did not do a good job cuz I knocked down the gutter on the side of the garage ( the one that was down for years as can be seen by my "before" and " after" pics) so I indulge them for a while till I finally have to say the "c" word and next Friday I get paid ( that is unless they magically come up with the cash right then) . Couple weeks go by and I get a phone call that typically goes like this, " Hello, is this ____? Yeah,I got a tree I need you to look at. ___ said you do good work but you are about as expensive as the big guys. You do free estimates right? I aint rich..." :deadhorse: The circle goes round and round. Every now and then I get to enjoy the perfect takedown in the spacious backyard with the most wonderful and down to earth customer who even "tips" me. This after they have treated me like family sharing food and drink, raking, and throwing easy work my way years later. Oops! This is what happens when I start thinkin, I ramble and get nostalgic.

 

[newguy18]

Dang it RedlineIt! Now ya got me thinking! Unless anyone else can point out something unique about the SL balancer apart from having a longer eye splice in the end of it I would be better off buying some Tenex and making my own version of the balancer.While I am at it I should make a couple of whoopies, some loopies, and some dead eyes.TreeSpyder, I usually deal with the maples that grew up inbetween the old shed and the dilapidated deck with about a foot of clearance on either side and three or four big heavy main stems going over the garage ( with the rusted out antique car in it), over the back of the house ( right above the skylite) and over the garden/flowerbed (with trellises) all at about a 45 degree angle. The gutters are about ready to fall off from all the builtup leaves and twigs, shingles are a mess and they are looking at me to screw up so I can pay for the new roof and gutters. First words out of their mouths are usually "Dont tell us you need a crane to do this we aint rich!" followed by the usual " $___? other fella said he could do it for half that! You stupid or deaf? We said we aint rich and dont charge us any for disposal just stack the stuff on the brush pile behind the garage and put the logs next to it." So after writing everything up nice and neat spelling out what I am going to do and what it will cost them, and they sign and agree to the contract, I piece down the tree with no damage, stack a brush pile taller than the garage with a stack of "logs" at the various lengths it takes to chunk'em down safe but not the length they thought "logs" should be they :censored: , refuse to pay after the bad check they wrote saying I did not do a good job cuz I knocked down the gutter on the side of the garage ( the one that was down for years as can be seen by my "before" and " after" pics) so I indulge them for a while till I finally have to say the "c" word and next Friday I get paid ( that is unless they magically come up with the cash right then) . Couple weeks go by and I get a phone call that typically goes like this, " Hello, is this ____? Yeah,I got a tree I need you to look at. ___ said you do good work but you are about as expensive as the big guys. You do free estimates right? I aint rich..." :deadhorse: The circle goes round and round. Every now and then I get to enjoy the perfect takedown in the spacious backyard with the most wonderful and down to earth customer who even "tips" me. This after they have treated me like family sharing food and drink, raking, and throwing easy work my way years later. Oops! This is what happens when I start thinkin, I ramble and get nostalgic.

does any one else take wraps or is it just me?i have considered blocks but since i dont do tree work every day i just settled on taking wraps. just wondering :monkey: :spam:

 

[Slvrmple72]

does any one else take wraps or is it just me?i have considered blocks but since i dont do tree work every day i just settled on taking wraps. just wondering :monkey: :spam:

Yes, I still take wraps but it really loads up the rope with junk and compromises the inner core sooner, not to mention the bouncing/ jerking I get from some of the limbs as I lower them. I use last years climb line as a rigging line and lower more stuff with a steel 8 using it to control friction on the line but still have to take a wrap or 2 around the tree for the heavier pieces. I do not like to drop the chunks into the rigging setup as since most of the time any failure would have catastrophic results to the property below. Always ere on the side of caution, you have a better chance of living longer that way

 

[Slvrmple72]

A kit is not a bad starting point but you'll soon find out that you will want/need more heavier duty equipment as your rigging skills build you'll try bigger and heavier pieces. Then to, with a few simple tools you can rig many things in a number of different ways. The most important thing to watch for is the load limit of the parts you combine to get the job done. Avoid shock loading your ropes, blocks, pulleys, straps and the like, done right you can ease the load onto the equipment. It's easy to bomb limbs out of a tree but it takes practice to lower limbs slowly and swing them around possible targets. When you finally get good at rigging you'll find out you have more toys than you need or that you can combine pieces in different ways to do the same job.
The reason there is a difference between a safe working load and the breaking point of the equipment is because things don't always go right and you need that margin for safety. Do not over load your equipment.

Geofore, thank you for the input. It is always important to remember SWL and to keep your rigging line the weakest link in the entire system. I like to take as big a bite out of the tree each time that is as safe as possible, this involves a lot of setup time with the rigging, tag line, balancing the limb, etc. but it is well worth the effort. It impresses the heck out of the homeowner when you gently ease that big 20'+ limb over the corner of the house above the sat. dish down to the ground with a crowd of prospective customers watching

 

[nytreeman]

Geofore, thank you for the input. It is always important to remember SWL and to keep your rigging line the weakest link in the entire system. I like to take as big a bite out of the tree each time that is as safe as possible, this involves a lot of setup time with the rigging, tag line, balancing the limb, etc. but it is well worth the effort. It impresses the heck out of the homeowner when you gently ease that big 20'+ limb over the corner of the house above the sat. dish down to the ground with a crowd of prospective customers watching

I try to keep my rigging as simple as possible and I like cutting as big if I can too,but you have to know how much is too much and that shock loading can make the difference between impressing someone or breaking a rope and crashing a limb through their roof, :jawdrop:

 

[Stihl User]

I have never bought a "rigging kit". I just buy as needed.

 

[TheTreeSpyder]

We just work over screened enclosures down here and stuff like this. To me rigging in tree is just fixed boom crane riggin'. But besides that i really like my toys too. Last time someone asked my if i was deaf or had a problem they couldn't afford..... i had to leave, and told'em i couldn't hear them cuz my glasses were tinted too dark. i try to make customers happy; so leave bitter people ya can't make happy alone; and ain't carrying their energy home(nor their dis-ease).