That big oak in Springfield taught me to double-check my rigging

I was taking down a 60-foot white oak last fall, and my main rigging line snapped on a big limb over a client's shed. I had used a 5/8 inch line I thought was fine, but it had some hidden wear from a job the month before. We had to drop the rest of the limb free and it put a hole in the shed roof. Anyone have a go-to method for checking old rope before a big cut?

3 comments

3 Comments

alicemurphy2mo ago

Just eyeball it and send it, checking every inch is a waste of time.

aaron_mitchell2mo ago

Totally, I've seen that go wrong. Buddy of mine used some old rope to tie down a tarp over his firewood, looked fine from a distance. Next big wind, the whole thing went flying because one spot was frayed down to like two threads.

xena_bailey182mo ago

Check every inch of old rope, because hidden wear can cost you a roof. Ignoring that is how you end up with the mess you described, not some "eyeball and send it" plan from @alicemurphy. Taking five minutes to inspect beats paying for a new shed.