Rope Jack
Details
Mechanical Advantage tool for pre-tensioning static lines, light lifting and cabling. The Rope Jack is small and light enough to be carried aloft by a climber. The handle length limits excessive loading to avoid rope damage.
Under no circumstances should a cheater bar be used to increase leverage as it may damage the unit, the rope, or severely injure personnel. It is designed to be used by only one individual using one hand only; it shall be removed before any 'shock' load is applied; it shall NOT be used for heavy or dynamic loads as there are other tools available for those applications. It can attach mid-line and can run virtually any length of rope. The MA is approximately 5:1 - no pulleys, no extra rope, minimum weight, minimum friction, quick, easy on-off, works well 'topside', too. The CMI Rope Jack is used to remove slack & stretch for lowering and to lift the tips on light limbs without having to break out the big guns. It is NOT for heavy loads. Cams, even 'untoothed' like a Rescucender and Gibbs, have been shown to shred a rope with high loading. There are much better tools for the heavy work.
The rope jack is approved for life support use as long as another form of progress capture device is used in conjunction with the device. Never use the Rope Jack by itself for hauling human cargo. The CMI Rope Jack is approved for static ropes from 3/8-5/8" diameters. Testing has shown that a single person can generate somewhere between 300-80O pounds of force while using the Rope Jack. Testing revealed CMI ascenders will strip the sheath of brand new 1/2" rope at roughly 1500lbs). To remove a load from the Rope Jack, pull the handle and allow the trailing cam to loosen, then pull handle again and allow the forward cam to loosen. Releasing the Rope Jack will take a little practice. The Rope Jack should be relieved from tension a little bit at a time off each cam.
Features & Benefits
- Approximate MA is 5:1
- Rope capacity: 3/8" - 5/8" static ropes
- Use to pretension lines
- Use for light lifting
- Made in the USA
Safety Considerations
- NOT for heavy loads
- Do NOT Shock load
- Do NOT use a cheater bar to increase leverage
Ratings & Reviews
1 review
It works but was not for me
by John
I got this a few years ago, tried it for a while, and eventually sold it. I had trouble learning how to safely release the tension and finally decided I needed something I could not get wrong. For some people this might work great, but it was not for me. I have an Aztek Elite I can easily take into tree that works better for me and is more gentle on ropes. CMI makes good gear so problem may have been just me.
