Petzl ball lock, I hate them.

Yea big aluminum locking HMS biners are sweet for saw lanyards. Mine is a big Kong screwgate, and for the life of me I can’t remember where it came from. Works well though.
 
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  • #27
Since I'm comparing now here's a couple photos. I'm showing the better enclosed ball of the new one and the total redesigned lock barrel. Of course the overall construction has changed as well now being made for H barstock.

20201122_163505.jpg 20201122_163600.jpg 20201122_163607.jpg
 
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  • #29
Any difference in the Kn rating on them? Just wondering if the H frame stuff is stronger.
Overall about the same but the ratings are interesting to think about, 1kn stronger one way, 1kn weaker the other (gate open is =).
Old 28,7,7
New 27, 8,7
 
Overall, tree gear is a small part of the major gear producing companies.
the industry began with rock climbing then fall arrest (OSHA) gear/industrial at height gear, and finally the small niche market of tree gear.

Petzl is a company with origins in rock climbing, then OSHA fall arrest, and now a bit of tree work.
The petzl ball lock works great for the clean work of rock climbing or industrial fall arrest, but for the gritty dirty work of sappy trees?
decide yourself. Safety is a personal choice.
 
I'm with Frans.

I'll agree the new Petzl ball lock looks to be a great improvement over the gen 2 ball lock, which was light years better than the gen 1...but that little ball will still get stuck tight as a tick with a fingertip of pitch on it, and right there goes the whole cannoli.
 
Ball lock is also a PITA in winter when wearing heavy gloves or trigger finger gauntlets.
I gave up on them decades ago. Still have a couple of the 1st generation ones in the basement that can actually be squeezed open without pushing the ball.
 
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