Aerial Friction Brake?

Benjo75

Treehouser
Joined
Nov 8, 2016
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Location
Malvern, Arkansas
Does anyone here use aerial friction? I have an AFB and haven't seen where anyone else uses them much. Here's my review.

Pros... I don't have to set up the big tree brake just to take down a few limbs. Half the strain on the rigging point. It's amazing how much less stress it puts on the rigging point. It makes the groundman look like superman.

Cons.... It's harder than I thought it would be to pull the line back up. I usually have to grab the opposite end and flip it upward if I'm more than a few feet below it. The groundman can't hardly pull the rope back up to me. Especially if it's way up a tree and there's a lot of rope hanging. My main con is it has almost ruined a good catch rope by impregnating it with aluminum. The corners wore down about half way through the first hard day of use. Wonder where all the material went? It got ground into the rope. I have been using that rope for a few weeks since last using the brake and my hands still turn silver pretty quick.

Overall I really like it. I don't use it everyday. Mainly if I just need to catch a few limbs and it would take longer to set up the GRCS. Or if I'm in a pine where I can set it in the top and get 1 wrap and start at the lower limbs and work my way back up. I don't use it a lot on spread Oaks where I need a variance of wraps and or redirects. It's great if I'm short a man. He can catch the limb then I can run the rope while he pulls the tips. How many times have we sat patiently in a tree watching one groundman fighting with the brake, pulling the tips and the but leaning continually the wrong way. Overall I would definitely buy it again. I also don't use it as much as I thought I would. But I also have a lot of other tools I couldn't operate without but don't use every day. It works great in it's place and when it's needed. Like when you're a man short.
 
Enjoyed reading your post, Benjo.
My Honda (Portable power) capstan winch also turns my ropes and hands grey pretty quick.
Haven't used an AFB. Currently have an awesome girl helping me as a groundman, er, person. A former championship all star college rugby player, who is the hardest working, most reliable helper I've ever had. And she has a wicked Bob Newhart sense of humour...Almost makes doing treework enjoyable once again.
 
Having someone intelligent with a good sense of humor who works like a mad bugger is making me happier than I've been in a long, long time. I dunno how long it can last, but for as long as it does, I surely appreciate it.
 
Not a big fan of the AFB design. I've got one of the older ones without the sling sheeve attachment. The old belay spools.

Anyways, I've used it a few times to lowers stuff vs setting a porty in the tree. Honestly, and whatever you might think about David Driver, the SafeBloc is a pretty badass solution to in tree friction.

Cheers.
 
I've never used one. Looks like a pain unless you know you need the same amount of friction on every branch. Occasionally if the climber needs to take over and hold the rigging line you can still get some friction by leaving the rope in the porty and maybe adding a wrap or 2. But I suppose I should try it out or something similar before saying too much. Did you say you wore down the corners in the first day? That doesn't seem good.
 
you know, once you start using ariel friction you just start cutting apropriatly. I just cut acording to the friction available. so much time is saved that taking a peice two instead of one is no big deal. you start moving so fast when not messing with a porty ever. the porta wrap is a huge time suck. just walking to the base of the tree and keeping that area neat is something we dont bother with anymore. just grab the rope and go. Its rig n wrench for us but same concept. the pull back is fast.
 
you know, once you start using ariel friction you just start cutting apropriatly. I just cut acording to the friction available. so much time is saved that taking a peice two instead of one is no big deal. you start moving so fast when not messing with a porty ever. the porta wrap is a huge time suck. just walking to the base of the tree and keeping that area neat is something we dont bother with anymore. just grab the rope and go. Its rig n wrench for us but same concept. the pull back is fast.

Well said.

I use the Belay Spool. It's a great tool. eBay is a place find one, possibly. I drop loads onto it.

Just bought the Rig n Wrench... Limited use, but looking forward to it when the application suits it.


The SafeBloc looks great. I wonder if it gets pinched against a vertical/ bulging stem when negative blocking.
 
What happens when it binds up or there is just too much friction? I use a set of ropes for block only rigging and another set for natural crotch rigging. The porty has never been much of a time waster for me.I'm usually trying for less friction. Setting up the rig correctly so the branch comes down with ease I think is more important. But everyone has their own style.
 
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Kevin, you're right about not having to keep the base of the tree clean. You can take the rope anywhere you can reach. You're not stuck at the base of the tree. I need to research the Rig n wrench more. I might like to try that. Aerial friction is good in dead trees because of the reduced load on the rigging point.

99 percent of the time I use blocks and a tree brake. It makes my ropes last so much longer. I usually take mine out of service and they still look good because they haven't been ran around a Hackberry or have pine sap all in them.

I usually get one wrap on the AFB the cut accordingly as Kevin said. I try to cut about all the groundman can handle. Sometimes you can get too small of a limb on there and it just sits there. I'll have to grab the rope and flip it upward a few times and it will slowly head toward the ground.
 
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Probably the main drawback would be pulling the rope back up. It's nearly impossible from the ground. I also like to tie the catch rope to my belt and move about the tree to my next limb. Can't with Aerial friction. It will lock you up in a hurry. Running through a block you don't even know it's there. But I still love it when it's used in it's place. On a medium to smaller pine sometimes you don't even need someone on the rope. If there's nothing right under the drip line. You can just tie, cut and watch it slowly ease to the ground.
 
Bump.

So I bought the AFB when TS had a sale almost 2 yrs. ago, but after reading and watching other vids/reviews, saw that I would only need it for the right scenarios. Well finally ran into that scenario: lopsided maple prune w/20-30ft limbs about 30-40ft up, most leaning towards the house, each weighing anywhere from 100-350lbs, and only one brush monkey available. Set the AFB just below and away from my tie-in point (~50ft up), and had 9/16 Stable Braid run through it. Used one wrap for the smaller 100-150lb limbs, and 2 wraps for the bigger pieces. As all the limbs were clustered on one side of the tree, it was easy to stay near the ropes/device. Worked like a charm and was fairly easy to pull the rope back up, even on 2 wraps. My brush monkey was amazed that I could manage the lowering, leaving him to grab the tips and guide the limbs across the yard. My observations/notes:

* Very well built and easy to open/close; no concerns about rope wear using it.
* I was pleasantly surprised at how easy it was controlling the descent of the pieces.
* I can see where 3 wraps would be a major pain to bring the rope back up (although I think using double braids over 3 or 12 strands helps somewhat).
* While I know it can sub for the porty/block combo, I would still be hesitant to negative block w/it, as I'd hate to have the ropes double up/jam in the pins. If anyone has successfully done this (maybe by keeping the device away from center of the chunk fall to allow the rope to fall in place on the end slot), please do comment.

It is definitely not an every day piece of gear, but am glad I have it i my arsenal.

YMMV. ;)
 
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Probably best in a free-hanging scenario.

I've used a BMS Belay Spool, the inspiration for the AFB, a bunch.

Useful in the right situations.
 
While the BMS boasts an impressive "breaking strength", I consider it useful for lighter stuff...under 300# pretty much. As such, 3/8" Stable Braid works in it much better than 1/2" lines.
 
No corkscrewing rope with 8?
could be deaf8 if single wrap and feed control leg to redirect thru some side branch i think.
 
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