Treemagineers and DMM are not resting on their laurels! The Hitch Climber is a classic and considered an essential piece of equipment for tree climbers. Even 'company' buyers, who are notoriously slow to invest in innovative new products, are buying this configuration for their workers. They recognize the productivity and efficiency gains accrued by its use.
The original Hitch Climber sheave runs on a bushed spindle - producing almost no friction but not quite as good as bearings. The new Rapide sports pre-lubricated, sintered bronze bearings mounted on a heat treated 174PH stainless steel spindle - now the sheave runs as smooth as a babies bum!
This makes the Rapide even more efficient than the original Hitch Climber by keeping the friction constant. Treetools will have these for sale as soon as we can get our hands on some - thanks to Drew Bristow (of DB Tree Rope Saver fame) for researching this product for us.
