THS Smart Rigging Winch - ALT GRCS?

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bonner1040

bonner1040

Nick from Ohio
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I remember seeing something about this in prototype form on here. Anyway saw a post of some guy (treestyler i want to say) on the buzz that has one, googled it and found some links. $5000+ Pretty Pricey eh?

http://cprinnovations.com/productpageSmartRiggingWinch.php

http://www.treewise.nl/index.php/109/srw-smart-rigging-winch with video

http://www.ths.com.au/products/links/T492,SRW,001.pdf Instructions kindof

http://www.ths.com.au/products/lowering_devices01.html for sale

Also of note there is another very similar device for sale, also akin to the GRCS @ $2475

http://www.ths.com.au/products/links/T490,FDLDR.pdf
 
Would be more stable on removals, at least, if it had a version of the GRCS's visor. I'm sure it's padded in some way, but the GRCS has it 3-piece frame adding "bite" to the trunk. Not to mention the option of cutting it in like they did on the Volvo video. This one, with its rounded top, doesn't look like cutting in would render it very stable. I'd take the GRCS for half price. The other one looks like a Hobbs spinoff.
 
I have absolutely no idea why a tree guy would want a battery version. Batteries go bad and have a very limited energy storing capacity. All electric ascenders have a range of 6-800'. Gas powered Wraptor does over 6000' of ascent on a tank and never needs charging. We have gas on the job site.

Why would the electric version appeal to you?? Just because its quite???
 
Aside from just the battery life, if it otherwise performed the same, sure why not. I dont ascend more than 1-200 feet per day and it could easily charge in my truck. Those batteries interchange easy enough and arent all that expensive. The only real drawback I could see would be running down on juice 3/4 thru your ascent.
It is considerably lighter isnt it? And I imagine would cost a little less?

Im really not in the market right now, but when I saw the elec one at TCIA i thought it was pretty cool.
 
The trades show one you saw actually had over $300 in batteries in it and I read reviews where they have been known to go bad in 2 weeks. There was a lot more machine work involved in putting it together and we don't feel confident that the drills gearbox will stand the test of time. It also weighed the same as a gas version and because of more work involved would be more costly. Bottom line is we are not intending on making an electric version, only reason I would even entertain the idea is for hunters......
 
PCTREE said:
The trades show one you saw actually had over $300 in batteries in it and I read reviews where they have been known to go bad in 2 weeks. There was a lot more machine work involved in putting it together and we don't feel confident that the drills gearbox will stand the test of time. It also weighed the same as a gas version and because of more work involved would be more costly. Bottom line is we are not intending on making an electric version, only reason I would even entertain the idea is for hunters......
Click to expand...


Fair enough. Im aware you had never intended on making an elec version. I just thought it was pretty cool.

............I hunt ;)
 
I could probably make you one but it would have absolutely no warrantee. It would be safe i.e. would never drop you but it may very well one day stop going up:lol:
 
I really like the look of this thing...

gt49_smartwinch.jpg


I like that you can have 2 ropes on it.

Now where do I get one?

love
nick
 
That thing is slick!

Loading the rope on the bollard looks like a PITA, but I can dig the all in one function. I'd probably strap my GRCS to every tree if it was setup like that.
 
The opening post of this thread has some links to purchase it, but they're not in the US, it doesn't appear.

Brendon, the third link shows instructions for loading the winch and or bollard. Why do you say loading the bollard would be difficult?
 
Ahh, the picture was deceiving. It jut looked like it was really tight between the outer bollard and the winch.

Nice unit for sure! Although almost $6,000 ?

The mount plate doesn't make it look small tree friendly though. Would be nice with pivoting ears on the edge, like the GRCS frame.

I'm waiting to see what the new GRCS is like....
 
It looks pretty much like the old ones, as best I could tell. Carl and I saw one at the ISA comp in B'ham a few weeks ago. They're building the "arborist" version of the Harken with a longer spool for more wraps. Greg told me it's a 46:1 power ratio. We noticed they had to manually hold the rope to fairlead it when they were using it to hoist the dummy back up in the tree for the rescue comp. Carl and I wanted to ask Greg why they were having to hold it, but didn't get the chance. I got to thinking though...they may have been using a 7/16" line and the self-tailer might not bite it enough. That's all I could come up with anywho. Mine came with the Harken 48, and I've been pleased with it so far. I've used it 6 times now I think.
 
I'm thinking that before I'd buy the Smart winch, at what it costs, I'd buy both a GRCS and a Hobbs. That way, you'd have two devices, and you could use them in conjunction if you needed to, or on separate trees at the same job if need be. I still cringe at blocking big wood over the winch. I have the groundie switch to the bollard for big stuff. With the Smart winch, that winch is in the zone all the time...
 
According to google the current exchange rate is about .8 euros to a dollar. http://goo.gl/DJeZz That makes this thing about $3,700...not $6,000. I'd pay an extra thousand for the functionality of having 2 ropes in one device. What else am I going to do- use a GRCS AND a porty? That's preposterous!
 
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