Watching a crew in Charlotte use a speedline to clear a backyard completely flipped my view on rigging.

I was sure setting up a zip line for every branch was overkill, but after seeing them clear a pin oak over a garage in under two hours without a single ground impact, I'm sold. What's the most efficient rigging setup you've seen for tight spaces?

4 comments

4 Comments

wade_anderson21d ago

Speedlines are great, but a good old fashioned high lead with a porty can be just as fast (and way cheaper to set up) if you've got the right anchor point.

murray.pat21d ago

Remember when Dave's porty snapped mid-lift?

ray61321d ago

Wasn't it crazy the first time you saw a speedline really cook? I had the same moment watching a crew clear a maple between two houses, just floating every piece right over the roof to the chipper. For super tight spots, the slickest setup I've seen used a block in a neighboring tree as the high point, running the line back to a portable winch on the truck. It felt like magic, no dragging brush at all.

taylor.jessica13d ago

Snapped mid-lift? That's a nightmare scenario right there. Just picturing a big piece of wood free-falling because a porty gave out. Makes you double-check every piece of gear before you even think about loading the line. What did they have on it when it broke?