GRCS...what lines are best?

[SouthSoundTree]

If you have the tools, AND the trees are strong enough to go big...

No crane access? Some or all negative blocking?

Will you rent a machine for moving all that stuff?



Believe you me, Nick, that post earlier is not knocking. Removals are so much more work than fine pruning for the money. Pruning rarely takes as much of a slot in the schedule, though. Seems like your market.

I've only got 9/16" DB for my big rope, and we used 5/8" DB with a porty to negative block 8-10' logs off a 30"-ish Doug-fir without issue. I usually use 1/2" three-strand, with its built in stretch. Usually no room to go bigger, or by the time I'm on trunk wood, I'm top-rigging off another tree, or more likely, bombing onto a pad or grass...or use a crane.

 

[NickfromWI]

If you have the tools, AND the trees are strong enough to go big...

No crane access? Some or all negative blocking?

Will you rent a machine for moving all that stuff?

No cranes can be used. It's in the Hollywood hills and in the back yard. Crane guy said they can't set up the size crane they would need on a hill that steep.

No machines can be used to move wood in the back. The yard is way steeper than 45% and is a maze of windy concrete stair cases. It's all getting diced and hand-hauled. Can't even use the log cart.

The dumpster company won't even leave a dumpster. We have to have 2 trucks shuttling wood to the dump.


love
nick

 

[PCTREE]

wow bet you got some money on that considering your location....

 

[Husabud]

Sounds like the Pond job I had this spring. Everything was at the bottom of the hill. I picked a strong healthy and the tallest pine I could and was able to pull nearly everything to the LZ. I used it much like a spar pole and it worked awesome. The GRCS paid for itself the first day. I was there for four days with three hands on the ground. Big money maker. Think outside of the box Nick and you'll save a ton of time.

 

[pigwot]

On the East Coast you'd need to size up a bit as the same dimension wood as you're describing in a Doug-Fir in an oak or other more dense tree would 'cycles-to-failure' your 9/16" and 5/8" pretty quick...
how dense is Euc as compared to Doug-fir?

 

[rangerdanger]

Euc is a lot like sycamore right? So it's probably heavy as hell.

 

[CurSedVoyce]

Yup.. heavy when wet
Wish I could come down and help NIck... sounds a fun (PITA) job

 

[SouthSoundTree]

Yes, Pat, I'm sure. Dense spreading hardwoods are a different animal all together. Euc looks pretty heavy. Firs often lend themselves to having limbs less than 40-100 pounds, and you can climb high in them to take a small top. As it usually becomes firewood, one way or the other, you can chunk down rounds (or doubles, triples, quadruples) in to a relatively small area, due to doug-firs typical vertical nature (gets a bit boring sometimes, especially younger trees). I wish I got to work more spreading trees. I underbid my last spreading tree removal of a wingbark elm over buildings because I wanted the technical challenge. I got the wood from it milled. I have no idea of what I'll do with it, or how it will turn out, but should be interesting, I think.

 

[Evan Sussman]

I use 5/8 stable as my big rope, I don't have any experience with the others. I could see how the large htp would be nice on lifting but stable is a good middle ground.

As far as the visor plate I kinda regret buying it. Any time you would be able to install it by cutting the notch into the trunk you could also cut a nice flat spot with a square top for the grcs to butt against. Save the money. I was even taught by one of Greg's old climbers and forgot that trick. Also preset the strap a little lower then the mounting plate always, to compensate for the plate sliding up the tree when loaded.

 

[squisher]

So for the grcs stable braid is still a rope of choice for those that are running them? Works decent for lifting? I've used stable braid for years now so obviously I know it works well for lowering.

 

[Altissimus]

I use 5/8 stable as my big rope, I don't have any experience with the others. I could see how the large htp would be nice on lifting but stable is a good middle ground.

As far as the visor plate I kinda regret buying it. Any time you would be able to install it by cutting the notch into the trunk you could also cut a nice flat spot with a square top for the grcs to butt against. Save the money. I was even taught by one of Greg's old climbers and forgot that trick. Also preset the strap a little lower then the mounting plate always, to compensate for the plate sliding up the tree when loaded.

...agreed on tne rope...and the visor plate....would love to sell it off as I have never needed it...

 

[Old Monkey]

I like using 5/8ths on my GRCS. If you guys haven't rigged a lot of big eucs, be careful of the rigging lines sliding on the wood pieces as the bark is so smooth. Also, if you don't do it already, flaking the rope into a trash can makes the whole deal run smoother. I did a backyard euc. in Mill Valley, CA near where you and Deva put that swing in that tree. The tree was so fat at the base and the access so poor, we had to cut the rounds into 16ths for guys to be able to walk them down the staircase to the front yard.

 

[Thor's Hammer]

*Sees post from Old Monkey - goes to click 'Like' - DOH!*

 

[chris_girard]

9/16" Samson Stable Braid is our go to line 90% of the time with the GRCS.

 

[emr]

Is there really a bad line to use with the GRCS? Has anybody used 3 strand to lift with the GRCS? I wonder if you could pull the twist out of 3 strand.

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2

 

[CurSedVoyce]

I think Graeme uses it all the time. Watch his videos and you'll hear it run...

 

[emr]

I think I know what your talking about. Ace Tree does that too, but that's all lowering right? I'm wondering about lifting...

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[tnh21]

We used the GRCS a lot and found 9/16 and 5/8 (both used on most trees) stable braid to work the best, dynasorb I love on tops, but we had trouble with "binding" on the spool to only use the stable braid ropes. I agree the 3/4 was used once a year.

 

[squisher]

Cool. Thanks.

 

[rumination]

For purely lifting work, I think static lines excel.

TreeStuff has this 5/8" Kernmaster on sale right now, 13,800lbs MBS.: http://www.treestuff.com/store/catalog.asp?category_id=196&item=5723

 

[bonner1040]

Thats a smoking deal that rope is usually over $2 a foot I think! It feels like 9/16 in the hand more than 5/8. I think it would be an ideal GRCS rope. Rick Denbeau scored a hank today after having a similar conversation with him!