GRCS: New vs. Old

[arborworks1]

That is sad that Folks can't remember how to thread a porta wrap. I guess that like teaching someone to build a proper brushpile.

 

[Ax-Man]

I never thought of that. I can see Koa's point of view. I got a groundie that you have to watch all the time. Good worker, just has trouble with the more technical stuff like which way to wrap the rope on the GRCS winch. Most times he gets it right but then he has mental laspe and does it wrong. :roll:

 

[arborworks1]

Staple a picture of the threading to the tree! Crap that kind of stuff worries me especially working over important things.

 

[Koa Man]

I have a friend in the business who has a ground man who he says is dumb as a rock. He cannot be used to handle the rope on even the simplest rigging, gassing the saw, anything that requires a brain. He keeps him because, 1) he shows up for work on time everyday, 2) no one else can beat him for moving brush and logs. He is like a human mini skid, but don't let him stack the logs in the truck.

 

[Frans]

(You need 2 guys to use the GRCS anyway.)

I disagree. In fact, one of the main engineering points of this device is that it only takes one person to operate.

For take downs, the visor attachment is a true wonder. Cut a kerf and then Just walk up to the tree, place the GRCS on the trunk, then walk around with the strap. One person all the way.

Heres a pix of my homemade Jr. GRCS. Beats a porta-crap hands down. Easy to set up and easier to pack into remote areas. Not as light as a portacrap, but nearly so.
I have also used it alot for pulling a load off to one side to fit into a landing zone which is not under the pulley (re-direct)

 

[Koa Man]

Frans,
I should have clarified my statement better. What I meant when i said you need 2 guys to use the GRCS, is you need a climber and another guy operating the GRCS. A one man operation cannot use it. I have done jobs where I took down trees by myself and used a figure 8 to hold the branch. With no groundman, once the branch was cut, I would go to where the branch hung against the tree and piece it out. I hate doing tree jobs by myself, but in the beginning (25 years ago), the only crew I had was me, myself and I, and sometimes my wife.

 

[No_Bivy]

Frans,
I should have clarified my statement better. What I meant when i said you need 2 guys to use the GRCS, is you need a climber and another guy operating the GRCS. A one man operation cannot use it. I have done jobs where I took down trees by myself and used a figure 8 to hold the branch. With no groundman, once the branch was cut, I would go to where the branch hung against the tree and piece it out. I hate doing tree jobs by myself, but in the beginning (25 years ago), the only crew I had was me, myself and I, and sometimes my wife.

lowered whole trees with it by myself before......remote rigging.

 

[Koa Man]

I've lowered branches to the ground by DRT, using loop runners and a carabiner or using a branch crotch, and that is a good method if the tree is not tall. On a tall tree, for me it is easier to have the branch swing in near me and then piece it out letting it free fall.

 

[Frans]

Well, maybe use a Jr. that way you can attach it in the tree

I stopped some time ago climbing by myself. I figured that the laws of averages would catch up with me.

 

[Koa Man]

I don't climb by myself any more either, well rarely, I should say. The job has to be real simple with absolutely no rigging involved and it has to be a tree no more than 30 ft.