Lifting hook for knotless rigging

[emr]

I just got back from our winter arborist conference and I was intrigued by a method of rigging that I saw from a speaker. The speaker was Sean Gere who has been working with ArborMaster for quite of few years as well as owning his own company and he says he uses this method all the time. He takes these self-locking lifting hooks and ties them into the end of his rigging line. He then slings off branches with an endless loop and clips that into the eye hook. Its the same thing that I have been doing but I always use biners. He said this is better because they wont cross load like biners do. I have noticed that the biners will cross load on a regular basis and you really need to watch for that. So I thought I would throw this out there and see if anyone else out there uses these things. I dont really see getting any right now, but its something to keep in mind for the future.


Here is a pic of what I am talking about. I think the rating on these started around 12000lbs for the little guys and up the about 30000lbs for the bigger ones that tree guys might use. They do make larger ones but I dont think that would be practical for tree work.

 

[MasterBlaster]

I don't like it, knotless rigging. What's the big deal over a running bowline? I don't get it... If my groundies can't tie/untie a bowline than they aren't gonna be my groundies for very long. Besides, that thing looks like it could kill someone.

 

[cory]

That hook looks kinda heavy for knotless rigging imo. I think knotless is good when you have many smallish limbs to take down (e.g. a spruce with scores of 25-50lb limbs). A biner makes those limbs go quickly but they are each light enough not to be a danger to the limits of the biner, and the hook up and unhook time is alot less. When the pieces get bigger and heavier, I go back to knots.

 

[emr]

He talked about the weight as an advantage because it wont get pulled back up to the block by the weight of the rope. I dont see it as being any more dangerous than a biner. When you are using a steel biner you still better watch out because they will knock a tooth out just as easy as this thing will. IMO, the weight and size issue would be far out weighed by the fact that you cant cross load this thing.

 

[woodworkingboy]

We use those hooks all the time attached to cable for crane picks, both trunks and limbs. Generally two wraps around and then chokered to the cable. Often two cables with the hooks off the crane hook. Never have used them on rope. Very quick fastening and unfastening once you get the hang of opening them. The endless sling doesn't much seem necessary, what are the advantages? Never considered them dangerous.

 

[emr]

The endless slings are just a way to rig out smaller limbs I guess. Sean said that you could just choke off directly to the rigging line but thats not ideal. He showed it and it was not as clean of a set up as using a sling choked off to the limb and clipped into the eye hook.

So those eye hooks are used commonly in crane work? I guess that makes sense. I was not sure exactly what you would use them for. I was thinking maybe inside warehouses or something like that.

 

[bonner1040]

I use a knotless rigging system whenever possible. A locking carabiner with an anchor bend on it wont roll or crossload. I use two slings. I girth a branch, clip it, cut it. While it is going down I girth another branch with my extra sling. The first branch is down, groundie un clips the biner and pulls the sling off then reclips the first sling. Pull the rope up, grab the sling > attach the biner to the second sling, and cut.

The whole system moves really fast. You dont have to wait to get the rope back to tie that running bowline, you are pre-rigged. It is faster for the groundie, who does still know how to untie a knot but doesnt have to. All in all i like it alot. I use mostly light duty slings and use it for lighter duty work, no huge branches this way but a definite timesaver when sending down the smaller>med stuff.

 

[woodworkingboy]

I can't say how common they are for crane work, but the operator I am most familiar with uses them regularly. For heavier picks with larger cable we use a shackle. The hooks are quicker for sure, and the locks are secure.

 

[Al Smith]

I've never seen a locking shackle used for rope work although they are rather common on cable/chocker work depending on the application . Wow though that thing could raise a knock on the old noggin if you got beaned by it .

 

[SkwerI]

That's the type of hook that came on my bucket truck material handler. I finally changed it out for a standard hook because I was weary of having to sit and wait while people tried to figure out how to unclip the limb. Even if I used a carabiner to clip into it, every single new person would see that hook and immediately focus all their attention on trying to figure out how to open it instead of just unclipping the carabiner. It must be some sort of human nature thing but it was frustrating as hell so I eliminated it so it couldn't baffle the ground guys any longer.

 

[CurSedVoyce]

I watched Seth do it day before yesterday when he went to work with us. I see Rob do it as well. They go to drag a brach or piece of brush, they ALWAYS pick the hardest, pinned, heaviest, something they could never budge, and tug and tug and tug...........This goes on for a few. I have seen every person I have ever hired do this. Yes Brian, it is human nature to try and achieve the impossible and try to figure out the improbable. You see it in monkeys at the zoo as well if they find a foreign object in the cage.
A hook like that would be a curiosity just begging to be analysed and figured out no matter how long it might take.

 

[pete mctree]

i splice one end of my rigging line so I can use a large 50kn ISC krab on it. If I revert to knots, thankfully the rope has 2 ends I like the choice how I run my rigging.

I'm not liking the look of those hooks. Don't ask me why, as I am not familiar with them, but I will stick to steel krabs for now