Rigging gear purchases

ATEC15

ATEC15

TreeHouser
Joined
Mar 12, 2016
Messages
80
Location
Hawaii
So I'm looking to purchase my very first rigging setup in the near future. I would like to get the dmm impact block(5/8") and also the medium port a wrap(5/8"). I know by purchasing the 5/8" impact block, I will have to use a rigging line that's 5/8" or less, but what size can my whoppie, loopie, or dead eye sling be? I've searched online at treestuff and wesspur...if everything in this setup will be 5/8", then every piece of rope will be the color red, which is odd. I don't know why they would make all 5/8" rope/slings red. I'd rather have assorted colors to label which rope goes with the block and which one goes with the port a wrap(the color is not a big deal though). Also would you recommend a whoppie, loopie, or dead eye sling over the other? I was thinking about just purchasing 2 eye slings over the "oopies" being that you have to literally tie an cows/timber hitch to lock it down rather than girt hitching with the "oopies". Any thoughts?
baf99be6e4d273bb71fc9be918e974a0.jpg

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I'd buy a cheaper block and get some additional gear over that super fancy block. I'd buy a Rig and Ring.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #4
I'm not to familiar of a rig and ring and how it works. At work I've only seen and heard of my foreman talk about using a block and port a wrap
 
ISC spring blocks in whatever size you like. Best there is.

If you're going to set everything up around a 5/8" rope, consider a minimum 3/4" sling on both ends. You want to try and keep the rope itself as the weak link. When you're using a block in the tree the forces exerted on the sling will often be double what the rope sees. I like loopies, their theoretically a bit stronger, but to each his own.

Sherrill's Porty is still the best in my opinion. Welds are smooth and complete, and the barrel is seamless stainless. Might be made in China, but it's executed better than any domestic one I've seen.

Moving around all that heavy duty stuff will get to be a PITA, and you'll end up wanting the lightest functional kit you can put together. You can do a lot with 1/2" stable braid.

And This, I love this.
 
You can do a lot with 1/2" stable braid.

Agreed. Unless the OP plans on negative blocking big wood, 1/2" is all that is needed. Much easier to handle and cheaper.... and the ISC blocks are cheaper...CMI even less and also do the job. As do the new ring outfitted slings.
 
We have that block and it's big brother.
Not worth the money IMO.

I was just packing the truck for tomorrow and looking at the big one, thinking, Man, we could have gotten a lot of blocks for that money if we'd bought something less fancy.
 
Love my ISC mini block and 1/2" line will do a lot of work. If it's big I have 9/16 double braid or some 5/8 double braid, and a 3/4 CMI and a 5/8 old style ISC block with 3/4 loopies. My porties are on 5/8 double braid dead eye slings

I don't have good ground help, so I usually cut small anyway.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #11
So if I decided not to go with the dmm block, which would be better? CMI or ISC? I've read on treestuff "ask an expert" that a CMI block which is 5/8" are only compatible with a 5/8" sling(upper sheave), but other blocks(ISC/DMM) will allow 3/4" slings.
 
ATEC15,

It's hard to beat the CMI 3/4" RP145 block. http://www.treestuff.com/store/catalog.asp?category_id=0&item=1505

I also have the ISC 5/8" block. http://www.treestuff.com/store/catalog.asp?category_id=235&item=1228

The Rig and Ring is extremely useful. I wouldn't be without it. http://www.treestuff.com/store/catalog.asp?item=9012

You'll need at least one Port-a-wrap. I often use two of them at the same time. A second port-a-wrap is often used with a control line, to prevent removed pieces from swinging wildly after being cut loose.

My favorite rigging rope is the Sterling Atlas, in 9/16". I have larger and heavier ropes, but I don't use them often.

You'll do well with several CMI heavy duty loop runners, and a few steel rigging carabiners. I prefer the Big Dan.

For some form of mechanical advantage, the Maasdam rope puller or the fiddle blocks will serve you well.

And don't forget to get a few tenex "Eye and Eye" rigging prusiks for attaching your mechanical advantage system to your rigging ropes.

Hope this helps.

Joel
 
If you go the CMI route you might want to consider taking them apart and grinding the inside edge with a nice smooth radius. What they have from the factory is a little sharp and can damage a rope if it gets loaded wrong. I have had this only happen once in almost ten years of rigging so IMO it's and odd occurrence.
Those ISC mini 1/2 blocks are badass!
 
Rope pullers are cheap and very useful.


Do you need a block and porty at this point for removal work? Is it worth buying this stuff before you have use for it. I suppose shipping to hawaii takes some time. Its really necessary when you need it, but maybe putting so much into bigger rigging gear might be putting the cart before the horse. A lot is species and market dependent.


Do you have a throw line or two, and 2-4 weights? This is something you can skill-build with at will, like going to the backyard tree and practicing for 10 minutes a day.
A bigshot or apta?
Slings and biners? These can be used for many things: speed lines, rigging redirects, light weight rigging points, girth hitched into a step for positioning, boquet rigging, munter hitch for light lowering.
Foot ascender/ Rope walker?
 
The Isc Blocks are the way to go for sure. The DMMS are perfect, but a but beyond what is necessary and tough to justify cost wise.

Only the LARGE buckingham or or normal size ABR portawrap is worth having IMO. The smaller ones are pretty useless to me.

You can get different 5/8 cordages and they will have different tracers? ie. Husky from All Gear and Stable Braid from Samson have the same jacket but different tracers.

A rig and Ring is a retrievable basket config, rigging point. It wont choke on the stem, but works anywhere there is a union. http://www.treestuff.com/store/catalog.asp?category_id=1809&item=9012
 
ISC spring block. I've put more thought into this than a guy probably should.

Let's use these two blocks as representative examples of all screw lock and spring locks, both by ISC.

IMG_20160410_111528951.jpg

This is my main gripe with all screw lock blocks. The upper axle necks down for the threads, halving the diameter of the shaft where the threads engage the cheek plate. This wouldn't be an issue if the full diameter shaft, which the upper sheave rides on, and contends with the most force, shoulderd into the cheek plate. But it doesn't. The shoulder is too small and at best engages 1/4 of the cheek plate. This limited engagement surface is further undermined by the chamfer on the shaft shoulder. So basically in a design load situation, everything is ridding on the threaded portion of upper axel which is machined into the main shaft at more or less a 90 degree angle.

IMG_20160410_111628059.jpg

The threaded ring on the opposite cheek plate is held in place with three welds.

IMG_20160410_114517026.jpg

The ISC spring blocks use a consistent diameter axle all the way through and have full engagement with the reinforced cheek plates.

IMG_20160410_111712044.jpg

The spring block is bulkier, however it weights a bit less. Both are 100KN/20KN.

IMG_20160410_115156838.jpg

To be fair, the ISC Spring blocks are held together with roll pins, which could shear off if you had a huge side load, like if the block were to get pinched on a stub with a big negative load. . . that cold be bad. I'm willing to take that trade for the beefier upper axle arrangement. Also, this Stein/ISC screw lock may not be representative of all screw locks.

IMG_20160410_130217996.jpg

8)
 
I've been using these CMI block and pulley for 15 yrs now and they've served me well, 40K, 16K. lbs. 3/4".

Going through my rigging kit as I wait for spring startup.
For a basic kit its important to have a good selection of loop,eye , whoopee, loopee , spider leg slings. Large stainless port o wrap, heavy screw lock biners.
1/2", 9/16" and 3/4" X 200 ft stable braid rope. My rigging rope I use the most surprisingly is a 200 ft 11 mm Blaze SRT climbing rope.

20160410_141522.jpg 20160410_140955.jpg
 
I've got 12 blocks at my beck and call. 4 of them are the 1/2" mini blocks from ISC. Those get used the most often. I've got 3 CMI 3/4, 4 ( 2 large&2 medium) ISC , and one Kong 3/4. I don't use the Kong at all. You can do a lot with 1/2".
 
They really are. I've locked up two smaller pullies setting 2:1's with my winch. My little red Pinto has been bulletproof in this application.
 
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