Good Rigging Control System (GRCS)

Good Rigging Control System (GRCS)

The aluminum rope brake on the GRCS provides a large surface for taking wraps making this tool the ultimate in controlled lowering. The aluminum rope brake dissipates friction heat, and the heavy duty fairleads ensure proper line angles. Using the aluminum rope brake, the GRCS has a Working Load Limit (WLL) of 2,000 lb.

The Harken capstan winch on the GRCS has two settings providing a 44:1 and a 22:1 mechanical advantage, and a dead-lift rating of 3,000 lb. Multiple fair leads position the rope on the winch drum to keep operation tangle-free. The 2-speed self-tailing winch allows a single ground person to lift, lower, and lock off tremendous loads quickly, safely, and without tying knots. In 2012, the GRCS was updated with an improved winch, the Harken 46 Arborist. It has a taller drum, allowing for a full 5 wraps with a 3/4" lowering line. The self-tailer has been changed to accommodate the larger diameter ropes used in our industry. The new version was found to be just as tough and provides even more pulling power!

The GRCS attaches firmly to the tree trunk with a 20' cinch strap tightened with the included 36" tensioning bar. Rubber pads on the mounting plate protect the tree from damage and ensure a good hold for the unit. If protecting the tree is not a concern, an additional visor mount is available which can be placed in a kerf cut into the tree to help keep the unit positioned correctly when rigging very heavy loads.

The GRCS Story, from inventor Greg Good

In 1997 we had a contract to remove a dead silver maple tree growing over a house with a tile roof. The job site made crane access impossible, but trees adjacent to the silver maple offered rigging points for moving pieces of the silver maple away from the roof. The only thing needed was a way to hoist the limbs gently up and away from the tile roof. We were running just a two man show at the time so we needed to empower the ground man. This job gave me the impetus to act on an idea I had about using a yacht winch for tree rigging. I certainly wasn't the first to do this, other arborists like Glenn Riggs in Philadelphia had worked with winches, but in the pre-internet days arborists often worked in their own small orbits and information wasn't shared as it is today.

I acquired a Harken model 44 self tailing winch and bolted it to a thick aluminum plate with the idea that the aluminum plate could slide into a mounting bracket which would strap to a tree. The mount was cobbled together from steel plate and angles that we had lying around the shop.

We did did the silver maple removal and realized that having real mechanical advantage available on any tree we were working on was something good.

As we gained experience rigging with the winch, it became apparent that fairleads on the mount to prevent turns of the rope from crossing over on the drum were necessary. Each time we did a job using the winch we found new ways to use it. Before long we were using it on every job.

ANSI Z133-2017

The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) has released the ANSI Z133 safety requirements which apply to arboricultural operations.

The full ANSI Z133 safety requirements are available on our tree care standards page.

Customer Reviews

Add your own review