QUESTIONS ABOUT CLIMBING

[thattreeguy]

baileys and bishop....rock

pm sent

talk to sean at wesspur or doug at bishop co both are good men if you have questions

there are some very good tree people here that are always ready to share and throw in their 2 cents worth

welcome

 

[lumberjack]

I'd buy my gear individually.

My first saddle was a New Tribe Work Saddle, my second and third have been Butterfly II's.

 

[CurSedVoyce]

A lot of what you should consider is what to buy based on if you are going to make a career out of this and what you will actually be comfortable in. Different saddles and spurs fit people differently. Some may find one thing comfy, others not. Budget... Kits are sometimes a good start... But... Customizing a is not always a budget factor and is usually a better way to go to more suit your gear to your needs and intentions..
Research safety and work practices first with the literature already recommended to you and learn what you will need for the work you will be performing. Safety and procedure is huge in what we do. One boo boo is life or death..
Welcome to the Tree House.. You can really learn a lot here from these guys... They are some of best examples of our industry here with huge amounts of experience.

 

[Bounce]

Since I'm the one who put the kits together at Wesspur, they would be my personal recommendation. The basic kit in particular was put together with newbies/part-timers in mind. But definitely shop around before pulling the trigger. It sounds like you'll need
1. saddle (a basic Weaver or Buckingham would work great - no need for a super high-end model if you aren't going to do this a lot)
2. flipline (get a steel-core with a mechanical adjuster)
3. spurs (steel Buckinghams will provide good quality at a low price)
4. climbing line (Arbormaster is my fav, but Arbor Plex will save you some #)

 

[CurSedVoyce]

That is a great starter kit Sean... I probably would have taken that route had I not already had my spurs.

 

[thattreeguy]

no way sean...no cheap plex..im sorry arbor plex....
no way , that stuff sucks....how bout true blue or safety blue, i worked with a newbie who had arbor plex a few weeks ago..it reminded me why not to buy it

i agree with everything else

 

[CurSedVoyce]

Ummm Dave???

Read back mang.. He said Arbor Master... Not plex...

 

[sotc]

He said both and I would have to agree with Dave, arbor plex sucks

 

[CurSedVoyce]

My bad yup... He suggested saving money ... Sowey.. And I also agree.. about the plex...

 

[inztrees]

Spend your $ on a pro.

 

[top hopper]

Were you a newb at some point? Or, no wait, lemme guess, you were born with chainsaw in hand?

:roll:

 

[RANCHER]

Since I'm the one who put the kits together at Wesspur, they would be my personal recommendation. The basic kit in particular was put together with newbies/part-timers in mind. But definitely shop around before pulling the trigger. It sounds like you'll need
1. saddle (a basic Weaver or Buckingham would work great - no need for a super high-end model if you aren't going to do this a lot)
2. flipline (get a steel-core with a mechanical adjuster)
3. spurs (steel Buckinghams will provide good quality at a low price)
4. climbing line (Arbormaster is my fav, but Arbor Plex will save you some #)

Thanks Sean. I left a msg. for you to call me when you get a free moment.

- GR

baileys and bishop....rock

pm sent

talk to sean at wesspur or doug at bishop co both are good men if you have questions

there are some very good tree people here that are always ready to share and throw in their 2 cents worth

welcome

Thanks TTG, I sent you a PM back...

A lot of what you should consider is what to buy based on if you are going to make a career out of this and what you will actually be comfortable in. Different saddles and spurs fit people differently. Some may find one thing comfy, others not. Budget... Kits are sometimes a good start... But... Customizing a is not always a budget factor and is usually a better way to go to more suit your gear to your needs and intentions..
Research safety and work practices first with the literature already recommended to you and learn what you will need for the work you will be performing. Safety and procedure is huge in what we do. One boo boo is life or death..
Welcome to the Tree House.. You can really learn a lot here from these guys... They are some of best examples of our industry here with huge amounts of experience.

Thanks for the advice; I hear ya. I'm not going to be doing this for a living or every day; but, I'm a fairly skilled cutter and I've got 4 saws now, 5 if you count the pole saw. I don't really need to swing around in the treetops; I just need to be able to do removals on selected trees that are not near any structures; and just cut branches on the way up, as I go, top the tips, and chunck them down as I descend. Mostly 200T work, until I get down to the base. That kind of thing...

I've got some DVD's and books on order. So, I'll do some studying, I'll call Sean at WesSpur, and we'll go from there. I might also get some hands-on trainning, which does sound like good advice...

 

[RANCHER]

baileys and bishop....rock

pm sent

talk to sean at wesspur or doug at bishop co both are good men if you have questions

there are some very good tree people here that are always ready to share and throw in their 2 cents worth

welcome

I can't find Bishop on the web, for some reason. Can you send me a link to their site? Or do they not have a site???

Update: I think I found it. Bishco.com... No wonder...

 

[treesmith]

Well, not to rock the boat, but I've got twenty+ years on Arborplex and I like it fine. Mind you, I haven't tried the others out for comparison, but I always bought Arborplex by the spool, and saved a bit of money over the other choices. I am considering Poison Ivy or Velocity or maybe XTC. Dunno yet...still contemplating.

Honestly guys, what is it that ya'll hate so much about Arborplex?

 

[Mr. Sir]

I like Arborplex! It's the least expensive rope out there and it works fine for what I do. I give it

 

[brendonv]

Arbor plex reminds me of that yellow nylon rope you buy at Home Depot.

 

[SkwerI]

If you like Arborplex (I started out with it and climbed on it for almost 10 years) then you'll love Arbormaster. Nice and fat and easy to grip like Arborplex but much more flexible and easier handling. Knots hold much better and it's a lot stronger.

 

[treesmith]

I like Arborplex! It's the least expensive rope out there and it works fine for what I do. I give it

Not to argue, Mr. Sir, but Wesspur offers 1/2" Pro-Master, which is even cheaper! It's not for climbing, but I'm thinking about trying it for light rigging. It's a little stronger than Arborplex, and if you don't mind 3-strand rope, it should do fine. I bought a 50' piece of 3/4" Pro-Master last year. I spliced an eye on one end. I use it to false-crotch when I want to just tie off the block from below. Works fine. I think the 1/2" will be the ticket for light rigging, especially in pines, where the rope gets all gunked up. At $200/spool, it's almost cheap enough to be disposable.

 

[Mr. Sir]

If you like Arborplex (I started out with it and climbed on it for almost 10 years) then you'll love Arbormaster. Nice and fat and easy to grip like Arborplex but much more flexible and easier handling. Knots hold much better and it's a lot stronger.

Meh, ArborMaster is good too. But ArborPlex is 80% lighter and 66% cheaper.

 

[treesmith]

If you like Arborplex (I started out with it and climbed on it for almost 10 years) then you'll love Arbormaster. Nice and fat and easy to grip like Arborplex but much more flexible and easier handling. Knots hold much better and it's a lot stronger.

What climbing knot did you use on Arborplex? And what do you use on Arbormaster?

 

[SkwerI]

I used a taut line hitch during the entire time I climbed on Arborplex and the first couple years on Arbormaster. Went to a Distel and then a VT which is what I still use now (when I climb). Still using Arbormaster as well. Tried a half dozen different ropes a few years back when the skinny ropes became popular, but they hurt my hands trying to grip them and the 'weight savings' is nonexistent at the typical 50'-60' climbs around here, so I mothballed the skinny ropes and went back to Arbormaster.

 

[treesmith]

I used a taut line hitch during the entire time I climbed on Arborplex and the first couple years on Arbormaster. Went to a Distel and then a VT which is what I still use now (when I climb). Still using Arbormaster as well. Tried a half dozen different ropes a few years back when the skinny ropes became popular, but they hurt my hands trying to grip them and the 'weight savings' is nonexistent at the typical 50'-60' climbs around here, so I mothballed the skinny ropes and went back to Arbormaster.

What cord do you use for your VT? I'm wanting to give the VT a try, just having a hard time taking that first step. Old habits die hard...

 

[inztrees]

I like to go cheep when my life is on the line.----I started on arborplex but what ever Bartlett picks up the tab for rope now.

 

[Bodean]

Hey Rancher.

Where in Sonoma Are you?

Petaluma has an "arborist" store called Lars Engines on N. Mcdowell.

You can choose from several different climb lines including a normal one like safety blue.

 

[sotc]

I like safety blue