I always thought a 3/4-inch rope was overkill for most rigging, but a 40-foot limb drop in a tight Charlotte backyard last Tuesday proved me wrong.

I used my old 5/8-inch line for the job and it snapped under the load, so what size do you guys actually trust for heavy, controlled lowering?

2 comments

2 Comments

ryan6531mo ago

That 5/8-inch line snapping is a wake-up call. Most guys forget to check the rope's material age before they check its size. Sun rot and internal friction damage from past jobs weaken it way more than people realize. I'd trust a solid 3/4-inch line for big lowers, but only if it's less than two years old and stored inside. The real factor nobody talks about is how many times it's been shock-loaded on smaller jobs. That hidden damage is what fails when you really need it.

nora_wells581mo ago

Yeah I always just looked at the thickness before. Never really thought about the shock load history, that's a solid point. Makes me wanna go check my own gear now.