So I was up in a silver maple in Cincinnati yesterday and my main line got stuck

I was about 40 feet up, trying to lower a big limb with a block and tackle. The rope just jammed in the pulley (you know, the kind with the plastic sheave). I had to free climb down, get my second rope, and set a whole new rigging point from the ground. Took an extra hour and a half in the heat. Anyone have a trick for keeping those pulleys from binding when the load shifts sideways?

2 comments

2 Comments

ivancoleman1mo ago

Honestly, those plastic sheaves can be a real pain when the rope goes off angle like that.

ninam861mo ago

My old man's logging crew used those plastic sheaves for years without a single failure. The key is proper rigging, not the material. We ran 3/4 inch line at a 15 degree angle daily and they held up fine. Cheap metal ones can gall and seize up way faster in my experience.