throw line reel.

fatdog

I have seen somewhere this guy had his throw line on a reel that looked kind of like a wire reel with one side of removed. Has anyone saw anything like this used to keep there throw line on instead on a bag or one of those boxes ?
fatdog

Eric Frei

That's Jim aka Tree Machine .... I'll PM him for ya.

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Tree Machine

What questions do you have?

I use all different methods of shotline management; Faltemeiers, a bucket, and even a stick for the old, worn-out line I can't seem to part with.

As well, it seems like I've purchased every kind and style and weight of throwbag, throwball and unconventional objects that can be attached to a line and thrown or bigshotted. Actually, not every one, but 17 at last count.

And throwline. There's just not a single one that I don't have some degree of experience with.


Any question might be a three-part because the weight, the line, and the system to manage it all really need to be addressed.


I can cut through the last decade of field testing with all these different methods and just go right to my favorites. However, just know that what you're gonna get is simply my honest opinion on the matter, nothing really scientific about it except straight-up personal experience.

I'll answer any questions, completely and honestly. I have about a hundred images and some video I've put into quicktimes and .wmv's so I can go on fo days, but I'm not selling or promoting the thing and I don't want to so to get the info, you need to keep the questions coming.

fatdog

tree machine, Ekka said you would be the man who would most likely know about a reel that I have seen somewhere for throwlines. It looked something like a reel that wire comes on but one side didn't have the flange on it. I think it would be useful with 1.75 fling-it line. Right now I'm using a folding cube.But like most of us always looking for something better.Also have a few different lines that I use at different times so storage is always good. Any other ideas are welcome.
fatdog

Tree Machine

I have two PC's and a Mac, and shotline reel images on all three. I took about 4 hours compiling all the images from the different machines and I came up with 107 pictures dating back to 1998. And a couple short videos and a more recent longer video showing in detail how to build one.

I also went back to another 'site' for the 'Arborist' to dig back to other threads where the reel has been discussed, and over at the 'house' where they summoned me in and squeezed until I spilled the beans. THAT time the shotline reel was discussed in great depth before an unfortunate database crash erased every picture that I had posted.

If you wish, you are free to visit these other sites and search under the keyword 'shotline'.

However, it is here with the Ozzies and the Kiwis and the rest of the Arborist community worldwide that I feel most comfortable in offering the full disclosure on this really effective, exclusively 'Arbo' tool. You'll get the scoop here, better than anywhere else, if that's what is wanted.

In going back through all the images, video and past threads, this has allowed me to relive the enjoyable experience of developing the reel. The difficulty I am having is trying to summarize ten years of development and field-testing.


I don't know whether you'd like a whole offering of images of all the different prototypes through the years, and modifications developed along the way, or just get to the current model and skip the history.

If you want to go the 'lots of pictures' route, I'll just caption the photos briefly and let the images do the talking.

In the meantime I am trying to get the video work into both quicktime and .wmv formats so no one is disincluded from viewing them. It's cool stuff.

This image is two Winters ago.

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Drouin Tree Service

Looking forward to this thread T/M

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Eric Frei

I'm for the current, not so much into history and it's not like the schools teach future, maybe if they did the world wouldn't be such a buggered up place and China might produce something non toxic!

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Tree Machine

OK, that takes out 105 of the 107 pictures. You make this all too easy to share.
Detail will be really minimal, there's no need to write hardly anything if there are no pictures.

fatdog

Yea, that kinda looks like what I was looking at before. Got any more photos or Video of it in use?
fatdog

Drouin Tree Service

Interesting to see the creation of this fine device,i have a cube but cant say im THAT impressed with it.

Rock on T/M

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Gunslinger

I've been using an old lather's tie wire reel that I found on a construction site. Although it's not perfect it works far better than a bag. I bought a cheap strap to attach it to the saddle. Currently I'm building a prototype for a new line reel which will eliminate many of the shortcomings of my present setup.

Tree Machine

Stay tuned.

The clear advantage with your current reel is a fairly fast retrieval time. It becomes faster as the diameter of the reel goes up (to a point) and the closer the handle is to the center of the reel (also up to a point). Another advantage, small size but the advantage here is only in that of a small footprint, compact stowing, a small space taken up and if you were to carry it on your saddle, small would be an advantage over large.

Of course 'small' and 'large' are relative terms.

The shortcomings on your setup, and please correct me if I'm wrong, is that you have to pull line out onto the ground, out of the reel, before a throw or shot. I can also see the possible 'bait casting reel' effect which would be if a noobie employee (certainly not yourself) got all rambunctious pulling line and pulled too hard, the drum inside could over-rotate faster than the line could expell, causing a birdsnest inside.

That's a really cool approach, Slinger. Thank you for sharing that. If you share any other drawbacks, it gives us issues to solve.



I was editing the 'build' video over the last couple nights so I am ready to drop it in when it's time comes up. I'll be posting pictures tonight.

Gunslinger

Part of the design is to have it as light and as compact as possible. This would include making the spindle part capable of holding up to a certain amount of throw line and not much more. Say a standard hank of 2.2mm @180' feet. Biggest problem with my current wire winder is that the 180' currently wound on it only utilizes a small portion of the spindle which makes it overly large and bulky. It does do the job however.

Gunslinger

You're certainly correct in your assumptions and some of your points have been entered into the new design. Unwinding the line on the ground isn't that much of a problem if you consider what happens when you pull a big bird's nest out of the throw line bag. My initial thought came from spending a large amount of time untangling a mess when up in the canopy and trying to use the throw line to get to a higher crotch.

cut-right

I am looking forward to all of this throw line info. I only started using a big shot and throw line about 4 yrs ago, about when I really got started as a full service tree company. I use a plastic 1 gallon milk container. Doesnt usually tangle but I hate to feed the line back in. I was planning on buying a folding cube. Like to check out the reel idea. Thank you for the upcoming information. Ekka, still love the web site, this website that is. I get on about once a week or two, but some weeks when things slow down in the dating side of my life I am catching up on the latest gossip/news.

Again I appreciate all of the information and the time people spend with the posts and pics and vids and all. ( Looking for a new throw line storage method) I am in North Carolina. Beer for all. Andy

Tree Machine

Don't mind if I do. Glad to have you here, Andy.

Gunslinger, thank you for bringing your idea forward. Our industry is always looking for a better way and sharing ideas moves things forward faster.



The very first shotline winder I ever made was 1998, and it was from an electrical cord winder made by the Woods company, a company no longer in business. Actually they were bought up by another company.

I got real lucky on this first try as there are many different styles of electrical cord reels. I have some upcoming pics of ones that DON'T work, and I'll explain later why, but this one worked out very nice. Beginners luck. The big advantage, and the main thing I was striving for, was that you could throw or fire the BigShot directly off the reel at full velocity and nail 60 foot shots, or slightly more directly off the reel. This concept is identical to a spin-cast fishing reel, except our line is a bigger diameter, our 'lure' is between 8 and 14 ounces and we 'cast' pretty much straight up.

I used this reel for about 6 months before I chose to look for something better.

That's a lie. I ran over it with the truck and was forced to make a new one.

treevet

Been using these for many years. Can find them in some hardware stores. Usually have 3 or 4 of them. They will crack in the winter. They are meant for elect cord. I drill a small hole on outside of inner reel and insert throw line and tie knot on inside. Use your finger like the guide on a open face fishing reel to feed in, peel out and try not to backlash. This ain't rocket science.

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newguy18

eewww,you put cream in your coffee?I gotta have mine black,with chunks in it.

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old schooler

treevet

That's tea Bill, I'm English for God sakes

newguy18

I'm half english but i don't drink tea,i don't like it.I drink coffee by the mason jar.

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old schooler

treevet

You're a wildman!

newguy18

Drinking a pot of coffee within a half hour,almost as much fun as powrslidieng my truck at 60mph.wooohooo!!!!!

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old schooler

treevet

You've got issues....I know some therapists

newguy18

yep issues with sane driving and doctor's advice.Dave slaying trees is kinda theraputic.

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old schooler

treevet

newguy18

Dude,just messing around,shoulda used the laughing smilie.I like trees,palms are a differnt matter though.

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old schooler

treevet

just breaking your chops

newguy18

Okay,yeah i'm definatly wild,I should try and sleep as i gotta go up with the horses at 7 am tommorrow so they can get thier feet trimmed,as much treework as i've done for the farrier i would think i'd get the horses feet done for free for life.O well not my horses,not my money.I made that damn volvo run,man i hate that frikkin car.Oh well i get the boat and title on friday.Maybe i can go see Brent and Marlene and go ice fishing.

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old schooler

treevet

sleep and coffee don't mix too well bill. typical night for me...lift some weights, watch a little tv (world series tonite) screw around with computer a little, and read a little. Last night I was up until 2 sharpening saws for a crane job today. Up at 6 15 every day including sun. I am always tired.

Tree Machine

My apologies for not following up in a timely manner.


I'll try to photoshop any extraneous objects out of the reel pictures.

Here's the first attempt at 'modifying' the reel for better performance. Pretty high-tech, eh?
Actually, that's another lie. When I ran over it with the truck, it broke the base plate so I used black duct tape to 'fix' it.



The reel didn't do too bad, actually. Knocked a chip out of the drum lip, but mostly the otherwise round drum got knocked out of round and at one point in the rotation the inner drum would rub on the outer drum. The line would catch on the missing chip area so I would have to un-reel the line by hand onto the ground before throwing or firing. Even when the reel was at it's optimum, I was only getting 40 or 45 feet max straight off the reel. A time later the reason for this became clear.

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