As all Arborist's, we're faced with a daily challenge in the tree industry, whether it be from pruning to a removal, a climbers attention and focus needs to be on the job at hand.
Installation of a line being the first and foremost priority of a climbers day, can at times be a tricky task and one which can be time consuming, not to mention frustrating- when trying to reach the correct height or indeed retrieval of a throwbag through tight crotches and large amounts of accumulated bark.
With an ever increasing amount of products on the market, we were invited to trial and test the '
Throwpod' on behalf
of Trevor Douglas at Treegear.
It is immediately apparent that the Throwpod has been designed with a very different approach to existing shot weighted bags. Its streamlined shape, solid body, hi-viz tip and small eye look to be a refreshing sight. We look forward to putting it to the test!
Working in the Dandenong Ranges we are often faced with massive trees, sometimes with no branches below 30 metres or more.
Our choice of tree was a large dead Mountain Ash (Eucalyptus regnans) which we felt would be a good tester for the Throwpod, due to their height, large spaces between branches and densely clogged crotches, thus putting it through its paces.
A few common problems we have is the bag not reaching its target or if it does, it does not come down due to not enough weight and friction also the bag getting stuck.
We place the Throwpod into the Big Shot and send it for a crotch at approx. 30m. 'Now we're talking' with no lag and relative ease, its accuracy pinned the height and location of the shot first hand!
Most of all we liked the throwpods ability to be pulled through multiple densely clogged crotches without getting stuck and bringing the Throwpod to the base of the tree with ease, yet again another very impressive result in comparison to its rivals.
However on a few attempts the Throwpod did hit the arms of the Big Shot as we fired it up, this being the only criticism on our trial, maybe if it was slightly smaller it would work better.
Our conclusion, well it's a huge thumbs up from Matt Lee and Dave Coleman at 'Ranges Tree works' and it's a must have item in our kitbag, anything to make our working day just that little easier is a big plus and at a relatively good price we won't go without it.
Climb safe...... :D
