How about rope?

Tim the new aborsit rope from bailys is very good the one poly blend rope has over a 8000 pound working load fo 5/8 line and heavyer for the larger material Tim

Tim,

Buy yourself a high-quality 5/8-3/4″ rigging bull rope from one of the arborist supply companies. Couple the rope with a couple of high quality rigging blocks and you’ll be set for life. There is absolutely no comparison to old sisal/hemp rope.

A few years back, I started replacing wire rope on skidder winches, etc.. with a new product called Amsteel Blue. It was originally developed for maritime use but has proven extremely useful for forestry applications. Stronger than wire rope of the same diameter and beyond light.

If you have ever pulled main line in your life and set chokers, you’ll think this stuff was a gift from the Gods.

When my guys started complaining about the weight of the choker bells I knew this stuff was awesome. I have only had it break twice, both times when it got snagged on sharp metal and the 30,000# winch kept pulling. The stuff gets fuzzy but doesn’t affect its strength/function. It is also extremely easy to splice.

Expensive but well worth it. Especially if you’ve ever had your share of jaggers in the hands from wire rope…

I have also used this as a replacement for steel cable on a small winch. I was really amazed that a “rope”could be as sturdy.

Carl

That rope sure sounds nice . I think back to carrying 7 or 8 chokes pulling 150′ of cable in snow up to my waist and it makes me wish that they had this when I was pole skidding. I have thought about getting some of that stuff out of Bailey’s to use with my block and tackle . I could have use it today to pull a tree down I had hung up. The wind took it into a big red pine and man alive It was hung. That extra power from the pullies would have been nice . I ended up using a winch and a high lift jack as a winch to get it out. That rope would be nice and would put you a safe distance from the hangers.
I was just telling my wife to day that I wanted to buy some of it. How are those blocks in Bailey’s ? are they tough enough to use a team on? I also found a sailer book that has a lot of stuff in it . They are the only place I can find with the quick links I like for fixing chains. Taylor Johnson

On http://www.amsteelblue.com/cpage.cfm?cpid=518 I noticed that they offer a stretchy version too. This ties (pardon the pun) back to a previous thread on draft buffers (Tim Harrigan, Andy, et al).

This stuff might prove vastly superior to chain for hitching draft animals to heavy loads. I’m referring specifically to starting the load rather than trying to get a free lunch out of the buffer. The stretch should allow the animals to utilize their kinetic energy rather than just straight muscle strength to start the load … without hurting themselves. Trying that trick with a chain would be begging for injury to beast and equipment.

Has anybody tried using this sort of tow strap like this? I like to hear about your experiences with it.

Personally I think this is the application where “draft buffers” offer the most benefit.

Regards,

Matt

You know a few years ago I was working a red pine thinning with about a .5 acre clear-cut. It was about a 6” to 10 ” dbh with some trees running bigger. I made up some rope chokers to use that varied in length . this was not special rope .. in fact I have no idea what the breaking strength of it was . It had a loop in one end and a series of knots tied in it so I could hook my single tree or double on it. I could carry a few in my pocket and hook mutules if the load allowed . They were light and easy to work with and they lasted me the last part of the job . I would guess I skidded about 40 some odd cord with this riggens and some of them good-sized logs . It was strong rope but nothing special I think I got it at the local Ace hardware. It was nice for the small diameter hooks because I could did not have to carry all of those chains. The least resistance is crustal in horse logging and I like the idea of some of this tough rope… all thow I do like to see a shiny chain at the end of the week, that tell me I at least tried to get something done lol . Taylor Johnson

Scott ,
That sound like a good way to set them up. Even the ones I made were able to make my job just a little easier and there for help me get more done and that is the name of the game in logging as we all know.
I heard talk of the stretch rope . I used this concept with a chain and a small tire to pull my one ton out of a hole a time or two. It made it much easier on the team . The little tire would stretch and not jerk the team and they had to hit it hard to get me out.
And man I would love to come out there to the east and meet a bunch of you guys and gals. It sounds like it would be a great time. Taylor Johnson