Spent $180 on a new climbing rope and it just saved my back on a big oak job

I had this old rope for years, it was stiff and heavy, and I kept putting off buying a new one. Finally bit the bullet and got a 150-foot static line for about $180. Used it yesterday on a big pin oak removal in the city park. The difference was crazy. The new rope was so much lighter and easier to handle, especially when pulling big limbs. My old rope would have been a fight every time, but this one ran smooth through the blocks. I wasn't nearly as tired at the end of the day, and my back doesn't feel like I got hit by a truck. Has anyone else had a tool upgrade that just made the whole day easier like that? Looking for other gear that's worth the cash.

3 comments

3 Comments

craig.tessa1mo ago

My buddy waited until his old rope snapped a few feet from the ground on a simple pine job, which is kind of what @eva_thompson10 is getting at. He spent the next day buying a new one, saying the scare was cheaper than a hospital bill. Some upgrades you just don't realize you need until it's almost too late.

gibson.mark1mo ago

My upgrade moment was a new handsaw. I was using this old rusty thing that would bind on every other cut. Finally bought a decent one after I spent more time cussing at a branch than cutting it. The new blade just zipped through wood, it was almost embarrassing how much easier it was. I guess my stubbornness was the only thing holding that old saw together.

eva_thompson101mo ago

Yeah, but what made you finally decide to spend the money? Were you just sick of the old rope, or did something specific happen?