Lanyard/adjuster question.

[cutitup]

Several months back I switched to this lanyard/adjuster combo a
1/2" Yale Steel-Core Maxi-Flip Flipline along with this adjuster/rope grab

Gibbs Quick Release Rope Grab
Steel bodied rope grabs have removable locking pin for quick installation mid-line. Gibbs is famous for the high strength, quality engineering, and durability of their climbing products. Ribbed cam. The 3S has a 1/2" capacity
http://wesspur.com/images/product/4s-500.gif

My question is this. While, to date, this system has not given my any trouble whatsoever lately I've begun to eye that pin the the rope grab . It's awful easy to remove and install - perhaps a bit too much so. The real question I have is would you worry about it or am I being overly cautious? Prudance or Paranoia? Thanks in advance!

 

[Wagnaw]

You're supposed to replace it with a bolt and lock-nut if you use it as a lanyard. Definitely replace the pin.

 

[cutitup]

Thanks Man! I'll do that.

 

[top hopper]

IMO you cant beat a lanyard with a hitch for an adjuster. The Gibbs cannot be released under load, which to me is a safety concern.
Nonetheless, ditch the pin and get a suitable bolt with locking nut.

 

[Burnham]

Use a nylock nut, and get the right size bolt so there's no slop in the shell or cam holes or any extra length. Get a bolt that has a smooth shank for the part within the shell and cam.

Some say a hardened bolt will last longer...seems unlikely to wear out to me, but a grade 8 bolt certainly will work fine.

 

[Burnham]

IMO you cant beat a lanyard with a hitch for an adjuster. The Gibbs cannot be released under load, which to me is a safety concern.

You sure can beat a hitch if pitch (conifer sap) ever is part of your day.

I've never failed to be able to come up with some way to lighten the load enough to release a loaded Gibbs or Macrograb when performing aerial rescue practices.

 

[top hopper]

You sure can beat a hitch if pitch (conifer sap) ever is part of your day.

You got me there, pitch is not part of my everyday, so I completely overlooked that. I bow down to you Burn!

 

[cutitup]

As always you folks are most helpful. I didn't intend to use the gibbs as a lanyard adjuster when I first bought it. I bought it to use along with my fiddle blocks to "tip tie and pull up" branches. Seeing as my tax bracket, as yet, puts a GCRS out of reach. Anyhow I NEVER used it for rigging so I have been using it as the adjuster. So I'll stick to putting the removable pin gibbs in back in the rigging box and get me a "proper" bolt type adjuster.

 

[top hopper]

You can use the Gibbs, just replace the pin with a locking bolt and nut.

 

[cutitup]

Yea, I get that top, thanks. But knowing my luck I have to do a job that will require me to tip tie and pull and the adjuster I bought for that purpose will be sitting on my hip. I'll just stick to my plan a "rigging" adjuster and a fixed bolt type on my hip.

 

[Altissimus]

.... my two centimes .... in the past I have replaced the pin with a load rated nut and bolt ... I have since gone back to the spring pin ... it simply will NOT come out ... I know this to be true (as I put the FULL use but not abuse to my gear) ... anyways I totally trust this setup , also if I do need to take the line out for whatever reason , I will not need wrench aloft ..

 

[cutitup]

That's why I'm here to get all opinion's.

 

[Burnham]

You got me there, pitch is not part of my everyday, so I completely overlooked that. I bow down to you Burn!

That's not necessary, John.

I share your opinion regarding the superiority of a slack-tended friction hitch adjuster on my lanyard except for the pitch issue, which unfortunately is common in my work. I like a distel hitch, due to the very short throw.

 

[Bounce]

I heard there were some expensive lawsuits a decade or so ago that resulted in Gibbs and Petzl changing their flipline adjuster to contain a bolt with nyloc nut instead of quick release pin. I think it's sort of wierd to hear somebody ask if anybody's ever heard of the pin coming out becauce we usually don't hear from those people ever again. The pin works great until it pops out.

 

[Banned by Squirrels]

I use the pin. I just made it a habit to check its integrity before I put all my weight on it between tasks.

 

[Altissimus]

I can only figure the pin came out due to hardware clash and not minding your lines ...(I also favor non-lock rope snaps on my safety (s).)

 

[sotc]

The only time I take mine out is when I get a new flip line, bolt works great

 

[CurSedVoyce]

The only time I take mine out is when I get a new flip line, bolt works great

YUP!

 

[Burnham]

I can only figure the pin came out due to hardware clash and not minding your lines ...(I also favor non-lock rope snaps on my safety (s).)

And this is a good reason to let things be, when an easy fix removes the possibility of failure completely?

I don't buy your logic there, my friend.

As to the non-locking snaphooks, there are good, bad, and indifferent types of locking units. The good ones are no more difficult to operate than a non-locking variety. But they are no guarantee...mis-match in size of D-ring and snaphook can still result in accidental release. Climbers really need to mind their gear, as you properly say.

I have been called on to do the post-incident investigation as a technical expert twice in the last 25 years, where the culprit was accidental snaphook opening. One case was non-locking, the other was locking.

 

[sotc]

The good ones are no more difficult to operate than a non-locking variety.

Fact

 

[cutitup]

Thanks, guys! I think you've all made it pretty clear it ought to be a bolt. Not to dissmiss the other opinions. Fact is I like to hear all sides. I guess, in no small part, it comes down allot to confidence in your gear. And it was becoming somewhat of a distraction for me to keep looking at that pin. So at the end of the day I guess I ought to just be done with it.

 

[Canuck]

I used a GriGri for a long time. I recently switched back to using a hitch (VT) and I agree that it is awesome. I find lately that so much gear is over kill. Keep it simple light and fast.

 

[brendonv]

I had been using a hitch as an adjuster after a thread I started. Recently I got tired of the inconsistencies, light grab, tough grab, hard to adjust, easy to adjust. This happened from the type of tree, and moisture status.

Just bought a petzl micrograb about 2 months ago and love it.

 

[sotc]

Thats what I use also, never a bit of trouble with it.



Oh wait, you meant the pully? Or the micro grab ascender? I use the micro grab

 

[brendonv]

Grab.