outonalimbts
ArboristSite Operative
We bought the Wraptor this past summer- WOW is the shortest verb I can think of! This thing is great- It comes with 150' of rope, but most of the trees I climb are at least 100' tall, so I called Paul Cox- he sent me 220' more.
The great part is exactly what Paul mentioned to me, inevitably I will be climbing and need to get down for some reason, like I may need a tool that my groundies can't seem to find in the exact place I tell them it is in my truck, or I may need to utilize the facilities. In the old days when I manually climbed everything I would just wait out the day, cursing that I needed to get down just to get right back up in the top of the tree.
Now, I simply rig the ascension line, and repel down. Do what I need to on the ground and feed the wraptor the line, and ride back up to the top of the tree. Simple, fast and efficient.
The only thing that gets me is the feeling- it is strange to be lifted by this machine. I don't mind riding the ball on a crane job, you just sort of fly on up- it feels like you are weightless. If I am manually climbing it is in shorter strides, but the way you hang under this machine is different. Perhaps it is the way your right arm is extended over your head to grip the handle, or perhaps it is the single line ascent that I am not crazy about I'm not sure.
Actually, as I think about it, it's the security I miss- (climbing dynamic using body thrust I am being held up by my lifeline, but with this machine, my lifeline is hanging on it, and I am riding the single line up. ---Of course in a perfect world, this wouldn't be that bad, but in the trees I climb it seems I get to experience that one second heart attack fairly often, a limb breaks and down comes the machine, and I. Not that far usually, but a 7 foot drop a couple of weeks ago really didn't feel too good.
A couple of weeks ago, I climbed and worked on 11 trees in the back yard (in 3 hours, in the afternoon). Most didn't have any branches for the first 60', no problem, just ride on up do my thing and get down. No sweat, easy work.
Thanks Paul for inventing this machine- it sure helps.
:chainsawguy:
The great part is exactly what Paul mentioned to me, inevitably I will be climbing and need to get down for some reason, like I may need a tool that my groundies can't seem to find in the exact place I tell them it is in my truck, or I may need to utilize the facilities. In the old days when I manually climbed everything I would just wait out the day, cursing that I needed to get down just to get right back up in the top of the tree.
Now, I simply rig the ascension line, and repel down. Do what I need to on the ground and feed the wraptor the line, and ride back up to the top of the tree. Simple, fast and efficient.
The only thing that gets me is the feeling- it is strange to be lifted by this machine. I don't mind riding the ball on a crane job, you just sort of fly on up- it feels like you are weightless. If I am manually climbing it is in shorter strides, but the way you hang under this machine is different. Perhaps it is the way your right arm is extended over your head to grip the handle, or perhaps it is the single line ascent that I am not crazy about I'm not sure.
Actually, as I think about it, it's the security I miss- (climbing dynamic using body thrust I am being held up by my lifeline, but with this machine, my lifeline is hanging on it, and I am riding the single line up. ---Of course in a perfect world, this wouldn't be that bad, but in the trees I climb it seems I get to experience that one second heart attack fairly often, a limb breaks and down comes the machine, and I. Not that far usually, but a 7 foot drop a couple of weeks ago really didn't feel too good.
A couple of weeks ago, I climbed and worked on 11 trees in the back yard (in 3 hours, in the afternoon). Most didn't have any branches for the first 60', no problem, just ride on up do my thing and get down. No sweat, easy work.
Thanks Paul for inventing this machine- it sure helps.
:chainsawguy:
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