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Chockstone Forum - Gear Lust / Lost & Found

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SUM descender

DSPIES

24/01/2009
7:47:34 PM

Has anyone used one of these?
http://www.faders.es/productos/?offset=1&tip_id=0&fam_id=15&accion=inicio&&idioma=eng

always interesting to hear first hand reports from ppl who have actually used new gear. (maybe its not that new)
Anyway, always interested to hear what ppl have to say.
another link to the user manual:
http://www.faders.es/imgs/faders/SUM-EN.pdf

cheers
david

muki

25/01/2009
12:33:03 AM

They are OK, but the handle that releases the lock on the load could come into contact with the chest of
the belayer (when bending forward) and prevent it from locking, the position of the devise when used is
important.
Much better than an eddie (they can jam the rope) if a pear shaped biner gets used and rotates to bring
the small end of the carabiner into the point that it attaches with the devise.
None of these auto locking devises is a cure for bad belaying, on the contrary, I find that the hand comes
of the brake rope all too often when seeing them used around the crags !
Constant vigilance/readiness should be the modus operandi of everybody & the belay system or devise.
Safe climbing everyone!

slackjaw

25/01/2009
8:56:29 AM

Are they any better or any worse than a grigri?
Thinking along the lines of rope solo as I'm using a modified grigri at present and wondering if the rope may feed any easier with the SUM,
Also I'm using a 9.6mm rope which sometimes keeps slipping through the grigri if its not weighted sharply.

devlin66

25/01/2009
9:57:06 AM

I have had a play with one on a top rope solo set up and it's the bomb for that. A friend of mine has used it for lead solo and says it works well as well. I don't like it for belaying. I find the lowering action uses too much effort and I can't say I have ever really suffered the problems with a Gri-Gri that proponents of the Sum talk about.

muki

25/01/2009
11:33:08 AM

On 25/01/2009 slackjaw wrote:
>Are they any better or any worse than a grigri?
>Thinking along the lines of rope solo as I'm using a modified grigri at
>present and wondering if the rope may feed any easier with the SUM,
>Also I'm using a 9.6mm rope which sometimes keeps slipping through the
>grigri if its not weighted sharply.

the Gri Gri if modified correctly should feed like a dream, are you sure that you have done a full mod?
I'm using a new 9.4 and the rope still locks down well, even with the factory coating that is slippery.
How much do you weigh ? that is often a factor when using an Auto belay.

I feel that the Sum is well thought out, but still has some teething problems that could be fixed next
generation.

slackjaw

25/01/2009
5:38:44 PM

Pretty sure its the full mod as its done according to a thread on this forum, it feeds fine but just wanting to know if the SUM may do the job any better, I'm not worried about spending a dollar or two if it does.
I weigh around 80kg, don't know how much of a factor that is, but I see that the SUM is designed to be suitable for use with thinner ropes than the grigri

muki

25/01/2009
7:23:10 PM

Yes the Sum is rated for use on thinner ropes, but I've still had no problems with the Gri Gri on 9.4

dave h.

27/01/2009
2:25:33 AM

I found it easier to lead belay with the SUM. As someone who doesn't lead belay with autolockers often I think it's easier than the Grigri for that.

But I think it's a poorer descender than the Grigri. Much jerkier, although this is only based on a mate and myself mucking around with one in a shop...

dfinnecy

27/01/2009
8:56:14 AM

I've had one for a few years. My wife uses it to belay me and I have used it occasionally
to belay.

We use fat ropes which lock up in a Sum and that makes lowering very difficult. Amy
has mentioned she sometimes feels like lowering me is harder than climbing!

Descending on it is totally miserable.

You have to be careful with some pear biners because it could be possible for the lever
to lodge in the biner, locking it open.

If I was in the market to buy again I would go with a Gri Gri. We use it since we have it
and I believe it is totally safe when used correctly.

There are 9 messages in this topic.