Tried a different rope setup for a tricky backyard oak removal in Austin

Had to drop a big limb over a client's shed without hitting it. Instead of my usual single line, I ran a 5/8 inch rigging line through a block on a neighboring pine to redirect the pull. Let it run almost to the ground before the portawrap caught it, which gave way more control. Anyone else use a redirection like that on tight residential jobs?

3 comments

3 Comments

terry_shah172mo ago

Ever think about how much extra wear that redirect puts on your rigging line compared to a straight pull? I've had to swap lines sooner on jobs with multiple redirections because the outer fibers get chewed up faster. What's your go-to method for checking line wear after a tough pull like that?

johnson.lee2mo agoMost Upvoted

Yeah, @terry_shah17, reminds me of a time we toasted a line on a simple redirect that looked fine. Now I just run my gloves over it feeling for any grit or hard spots.

scott.mia1mo ago

Wait, you toasted a line because it felt fine but looked bad? That's wild. I've seen guys run lines that looked a little fuzzy but still held. Makes me wonder how many good lines get cooked over a visual check. My old foreman would bend a line back on itself to check for broken cores, that gritty feeling you mentioned is a dead giveaway. Guess you really can't trust your eyes alone.