A few random thoughts after looking at the photos and website...
(By the way, all of the systems are easy to find with Google with photos for all... took all of three queries in three tabs, and a couple of clicks. And he does give installation instructions for his as captions in the photo area -- not the greatest organizational scheme and not very "printable" to carry with you for reference as say, oh... a product MANUAL might be... in PDF format... but anyway... I won't complain too badly about that... I could make my own PDF in about 20 minutes.)
- His "single" anchor system seems to compare favorably to The Claw. They're within a few pounds of each other on almost all of the tie-down sites by his own table.
- His single system: $146. The Claw: $84.95, and the Claw includes 25' of rope. His "Deluxe" version includes the rope, but that's $226 and includes a ton of carabiners and other stuff to "fuss" with since you have a metal cable to attach to a rope at the bottom end of this "system". To get to his highest numbers on his table, you have to go to his Deluxe 5-Kit system which is: $292. The Claw is about $207 cheaper than his Delux 5-Kit and $61 cheaper than the equivalent kit from him.
- Nothing works in sand. Makes sense. AvWeb/Aviation Consumer didn't test in different soil types and said so after their tests. This is the only testing I've seen done that was, and that's helpful in a limited way. Beach sand sucks, of course. LOL!
- His "system" looks fussy. Why would I need to adjust the rope tension with an adjustment on the cable between the tie-downs if I can just pull the rope tighter? Annoying. Just pull the rope.
- Double anchor system looks nice for big pull weights, but just like AvWeb/Aviation Consumer's tests last year, all testing seems to have been done straight up with a come-along in his case, or an engine hoist in AvWeb's case. Actually, you can't tell how he did his tests from the text, and there's no photos of the tests or video. Maybe he pulled sideways on his (as his photos show would be the correct installation) and straight up on The Claw and the the FlyTies.
- The FAA AC about tie-downs doesn't recommend tie-downs be directly below the aircraft tie-down points. Angles help here. Out and away from the aircraft forward for the wing tie-down points, and out a bit from the tail behind. Levers. Fulcrums. So if any of these tests pull straight up, to me, they are completely useless, since they're not "real-world".
- With AvWeb/Aviation Consumer's video you can SEE how they tested all of the things they tried. And they admit that straight up isn't right for some of the systems. This guy didn't even shoot photos or video of the competitors or his own tests. That seems fishy.
- FlyTies are $109.95 by comparison, by the way. And two pounds lighter than The Claw with its bigger tie down things. (Claws, I guess they'd call them. That or The Claw's included hammer weighs about 2 lbs. See below.
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- His 5-Way Deluxe system weighs 11.8 lbs. The Claw, 8 lbs including a hammer they give you (LOL--are we all THAT lazy, we can't go get a good hammer at Home Depot?), FlyTies say 6 lbs, no hammer.
- Generally, I think his chart just sold me on The Claw as the most inexpensive and also the "80/20" solution.
- Seen too many "screw stakes" mangled by just pulling on them myself, and in certain types of soil they're a real bear to get in and out. You'd think that's a good thing (hold better) but I'm talking about rocky soil where the thing ends up all mangled from hitting rocks while being screwed in.
- We're tied down off-airport or at an airfield where there aren't adequate tie-downs a maximum of two weeks per year, right now -- usually less. So that makes a fancy $292 "system" seem a bit unnecessary.
Anyone ever had to put in a wind damage claim with an Aviation insurer? Just curious.
Wondering if they'd accept anything less than a buried concrete block "dead-man" as a "proper tie-down" when it came time to turn in the claim.
That's the only thing that counts, at the end of the day, really -- what would the insurer say is an "adequate tie-down".
Would they quote the FAA AC and say tie-downs have to be rated for whatever's in the AC, or would they accept any of these gadgets on a sandy beach?
It's all relative... I suppose... but this guy helped me see how effective The Claw is and how inexpensive it is. I doubt that was his intent! ROFL!
But it was a neat chart, and somehow I'm jealous that he figured out a way to turn a couple of stamped pieces of stainless steel, some stainless steel tent stakes, and some mountain climbing gear, into a wicked way to write off a bunch of back-country airstrip trips for the business he started selling that stuff, along with a nice bag he had his company name printed on. You gotta love American entrepreneurs! Now, the sales will pay for his gas, too!
Brilliant! Why didn't I think of that?
