Arbormaster Lightweight harness.

dov

I'm looking at the Arbormaster lighweight harness. Anyone got experience with them?

Cole

......i say go buy a tree motion

Eric Frei

Would that be the copy of the Buckingham that some well known Melbourne people do ... you know, copy others products? Rumour has it that the products only had USA patents not Australian so they got copied. Maybe same for bigshots and cambium savers sold too? Just the grape vine talking.

__________________

dov

They're on a well known Melbourne arbor website anyway... but the arbormaster harnesses seem pretty good regardless or their lineage. The only harness I've worn before is the Arbormaster Pro. Great harness but I don't like it. Too big and cumbersome for me.

Looking around though I fell in love with the Sequoia and I've ordered one from Wesspurs. Soooo many tool loops! Got to get a couple of Caritool spring gate thingys to go with it. They look great for dangling a rope off etc. as you climb. I wanted a nice light and smallish harness as I'm mainly used to free climbing, only using a harness when I have too.

Eric Frei

I believe the same people use the USA name Arbormaster but trademarked it here and stop others using it. They were challenged I think by USA but some technical anomally meant they won, perhaps the name wasn't trademarked here by the Yanks.

So in essence they copied the products and pinched names.

Not the sort of people I'd spend my money with in hind site ... I say hind site as I did buy off them when I was ignorant to this matter.

__________________

Cole

id buy the petzl if i was you the arbormaster looks pox as, plus you can get the SRT shoulder straps etc for the petzl

TrevMcRev

Much better choice on the Sequoia over the other one.

You'll probably find that your order from the US will cost almost the same as here anyway. $365USD + probably $50USD shipping plus foriegn conversion surcharge on your credit card and that credit card companys always slug you a few extra cents on the currency conversion.

You may have saved $20 from buying one local (with us anyway)

As long as it turns up! It should though...

Gunslinger

Do you have a photo or a link to that saddle?

Apocalypsse

Arbormaster Pro>Light weight. But most definitely Petzl>Arbormaster. But you must remember they are 2 different style harnesses, one has the saddle and the other has the 2 leg straps. You need to try both out before buying.

Cole

hey dov NO offence buddy but damm you fall under the typical first harness buyer heading."Got to get a couple of Caritool spring gate thingys to go with it. They look great for dangling a rope off etc."...you would get along great with our new guy adam he said the exact same thing to me about the sequoia. theres local places that you can go try heaps of saddles/harness on, tree gear have stacks of good stuff you should have gorne to trev and he could have pointed out the pros cons of diffrent saddles, plus hes your local bloke and save $20 thats a six pack..

"I'm mainly used to free climbing, only using a harness when I have too"

im not sure what people mean what they say this can you elaborate..

MTS247

I was wondering about the free climbing also

__________________
"Just cause i don't use it, don't make it wrong!"

TrevMcRev

I gave away a FREE Sequoia on saturday!

All you had to do was out down your name & email for a shot at winning...

Tree Gear|Arborist Supplies Tree Climbing Equipment - VTCC Giveaway

dov

Ok. Yes, I'm a first time buyer, but I probably have an advantage over your Adam in that I know what I DON'T want and have a pretty good idea what I do want. I DON'T like fumbling around with a caribener behind my back when I'm busy up a tree. The Caritools actually look easy to use and reasonably secure and at such a small price, it's worth getting a couple to try them out. At least for that application of dragging a rope up with me it looks great.
I like the idea that the Sequoia has static tool loops, nice webbing caribener loops, static anchor points for my flipline. It also fits closely to the body, lacking a large seat. The lack of a solid seat and the 'split leg' style of it should give me more freedo of movement in the tree. Everything on it sits nice and close with no floppy belt out the front like some harnesses. The buckles mean I shouldn't have to do so much adjusting each time I wear the thing also. Most of all, it has to be light. The Sequoia is about 1.5kg. Lovely.

Knowing myself as I do, comfort is not my first priority. I generally don't really even notice minor discomforts, but hate things that restrict my free movement. Being quite able to adjust to most things quite rapidly, I opted for the Sequoia instead of spending even more time trying on harnesses. I got i from Wesspurs cos I could get it for almost half the price of Australia stores.

Secondly, DON'T PISS ON MY PARADE. Yes, I'm excited to finally get some decent gear. If I wasn't excited I'd probably decide to change industry cos if I find I'm bored, I don't stick around. I love climbing and cutting trees though. It gives me a wonderful feeling and I'm steadily growing in experience with it.

My first employer in tree falling was an arsehole (bit of a GI Joe if you get my drift - always trying to show how tough he could be) who didn't like letting me use his harness much and never taught me how to climb with ropes, so I just got used to climbing without the use of any restraints for most trees and quite enjoy climbing that way. I've met some tree fallers who do things the same way and others that seem to want ropes and harness to prune a rose bush. I used the phrase 'free climbing' to indicate that I do not normally use any restraints whatsoever when climbing. I do look forward however to having a nice, light harness that I can throw on when I need to.


I'll post back once I've done a job or two with the Sequoia.

Apocalypsse

Do you free climb to remove/prune or just free climb to practice?

Also the Caritools I find rather useful, I have 2 to stick the saw (200 & silky) and they work a treat.

arborjockey

The problem with light is that it becomes a comfort issue. my 1st harness was a black diamond rock climbing harness i got for $35.00. light harnes's are not made to hang in. Their more for fall protection only. I dont know how anybody climbs with out a rigid seat. if you try saddles out make sure you hang in it for a while. Good luck wait did you say comfort wasnt an issue?? never mind get whatever looks cool

dov

Well, actually I don't usually use harness or rigging for anything. Sometimes I'll put up a rope for slinging branches down if needed. As I said, the guy who started me off in the industry was a bit of a GI Joe, always out to prove how tough he was and only really ever proving what a wanker he was. Fallout was, he never let me use a harness unless I had solid arguments that it was required and >7m high, few hand/foot holds and wind gusts up to 45-50kph was not good enough it seems to him. The strange thing is that he used a harness a LOT himself... Needless to say I have nothing to do with him now except via solicitor or registered post.

dov

Well, with the US and AU dollars almost at parity, WesSpurs was pretty darn cheap and shipping wasn't too bad. I might get a Gibbs Klimair adjuster from you sometime. I'll use a prussik til I have the money to spare. If I feel I need a harness for a job I like to be able to double tail my flipline.

TrevMcRev

I'd be interested to know what it owes you all up once you check your statement & see what the bank actually drew out inc foriegn currency transaction fee & how they short change you on currency conversion. I reckon it would be close to $450AUD

If the AUD stays where it is we might get down to that anyway with the next buy...

Before the $ fell i had Sequoias at $429

I'm sure you'll enjoy the harness, from what you've said i don't think you could have made a better choice

Cole

thanks trev all this harness and rope talk lately makes me want to buy some new gear.....hahah ill check your website now and make my new selection

dov

As far as I can figure out, the harness was around $450 AU all up. Cheaper by $50 than anyone I've found in Australia. $50 more to spend on gear. Which I did.

dov

Just got my gear from WesSpurs. Man I can't believe how nice the sequoia is. The caribener loops (in the webbing around the harness) aren't quite as easy to use as I'd hoped, but I'll get used to it. Everything else is fantastic. Incredibly comfortable on the ground. Going to have a bit of a climb in it tomorrow if the rain lets up. It is without doubt the most comfortable harness of any sort that I've ever worn. You know you've got it on, but it just seems to fit nicely everywhere and is very light. Fits real snug and close to the body too, so it won't get in the way while climbing.

I also got the Yale sports flip-line. Really very nice and light even at 15'. Well worth the extra money. The only heavier item I got were the climbers. The Buckingham steel ones with the extra big leather pads. Praise God I got a job that would pay for all this so early in the business. Very happy!

dov

Did my first climb with the new harness and flipline. I tied a prussik for the flipline so I can double tail. Was really good and I felt a lot more secure than I used to with my ex bosses PPE.

Attached Thumbnails

 

arborjockey

Looking good buddy. Dont be scared to lean father back then what seems comfortable. You havnt finished buying your gear though WHERES YOUR HELMET

dov

Don't usually wear one in a tree. Make sure my ground crew wear them. They're the poor bastards who might have something fall on them...

You actually seem to have a helmet half worth having in a fall. Most tree fallers I've seen wear builder style helmets without any chin straps and wide brims at the front or back. Worse than nothing - a potential hazard in a fall.

Willard Holmen

I think you mean Buckingham's Arbormaster Glide Lite harness. Buckingham is a major sponsor of Arbormaster Training Inc in the US. I have no experience with the harness but from info of it being only 3 lbs. 9 oz. I feel its too lightweight to be an effective durable work harness.
The harness to check out is the new Buckingham Ergovation. I took a training course last year and the instructor [Current Canadian tree climbing champ] had this Buckingham harness but at that time it was a prototype with no name. I was impressed by it.
I'm about ready to retire my 10 yr old Buckingham Traverse and I am going with the Ergovation with the bosun seat attachment.
Buckingham has been in business since 1896 so I feel its a superior product.
Willard.

dov

There's a business over there that trades as Arbormaster. I bought a Petzl Sequoia in the end and love it.

Cole

hey willard hows things mate, i brought two ergovations last week both with the SRT strap and one hard batton seat, ive done a training course with ed carpenter from north american training solutions, he designed the ergovation along with buckingham and his sister who is a cyropractor, trust me i own 7 harnesses, and ed carpter sells that harness like its freaking hot real estate, so i went out and got one the next day, after coming straight from a tree motion its a bulky feeling harness although its only 300 grams heavier so none the differnet, not bad though overall i thought it was going to be better than the tree motion but not for me ull love it.

MTS247

You really do need a helmet.

__________________
"Just cause i don't use it, don't make it wrong!"

dov

I'm looking at getting a proper climbing helmet, but they're just so expensive.

I guess it isn't such a huge priority for me though. Any fall that I'd really need a helmet for I probably don't want to survive anyway!

Willard Holmen

Its not the fall you need to worry about, its the piece of wood or butt of a branch that falls and spears you in the head.