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When do you retire a belay carabiner?

Original Post
Chris M · · Hailey, ID · Joined Oct 2009 · Points: 945

So aside from dropping, missuse, etc. what are people's thoughts on when to retire a belay carabiner that has groves from repeated lowering/rappelling/belay duties?

Aaron Martinuzzi · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Apr 2008 · Points: 1,485

i replaced mine not long after i noticed grooves in the biner from rappeling and stuff. the mere fact that i could tell there was less metal there than when I bought it was reason enough. plus (i think), the grooving increases the amount of surface area of the carabiner that the rope interacts with. more surface area = more drag, which i'm not into when using an auto-block device.

Richard Radcliffe · · Erie, CO · Joined Apr 2006 · Points: 225

Here's a related question for you techie types. Obviously a 'biner with rope grooves in it is less strong than when it was new because there's less metal present. But what about the effects of heat? Does the repeated heating and cooling in that one spot have a greater (or any) effect on strength than the loss of the metal?

Buff Johnson · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Dec 2005 · Points: 1,145

Richard, it'd have to be dramatic, so much so that you'd notice the physical damage. Same thing with strength, the minor grooving isn't a huge concern, nor is dropping a biner, all those other misnomers, etc;

what is a concern is repeated high impacts &/or impacting a biner dramatically in a manner it wasn't intended. You'd really be able to see the physical damage. It's when gear isn't inspected or subjected to high impacts & then put to use -- that is a problem.

MHanson · · SLC, UT · Joined Dec 2005 · Points: 0

Just as a matter of practice, I tend to retire it from belay biner duty every couple of years, or when the grooves get noticeably large. probably a little over cautious, but thats the one time you trust just one biner and ten bucks really isn't that much.

Tim Stich · · Colorado Springs, Colorado · Joined Jan 2001 · Points: 1,520

I have noticed that once you get grooves going, the rope will tend to snag more frequently when you are paying out slack for a lead belay. So lately I have been flipping the carabiner to use the smaller end.

If only that damnable pawn store owner would let me buy that locker without having to get the chalk bag and harness.

Greg Barnes · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Apr 2006 · Points: 2,060

This is my current belay biner - I should retire it soon. But this is a fat Jake locker, which is thicker than most lockers. And a few years ago I sent one that looked like this to Omega Pacific for testing, and it broke above the rated strength. Not advisable to let a thinner belay biner wear this much.

Current belay biner.

Crag Dweller · · New York, NY · Joined Jul 2006 · Points: 125

i wait until it fails. i usually have to replace my climbing partner at about the same time.

Josh M · · Denver, CO · Joined Aug 2008 · Points: 210

a while back, BD did a failure test of anchors that had rope grooves in them.
( web3.bdel.com/scene/beta/qc… )

it wasn't an exhaustive study, by any means. but there was an interesting thought that smaller grooves actually keep failure at bay by "seating" the rope and not letting it pull from odd angles.

not sure if the same thing applies here, but food for thought.

Jim Amidon · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jun 2001 · Points: 850

New Belay Biner $15

Torn sheath on a rope, $200

Cut rope from worn biner........

Funeral expense.....

Chris M · · Hailey, ID · Joined Oct 2009 · Points: 945

Thanks for that link Josh- it is just what I was hoping for. It seems that even with a 25% reduction in metal, there is actually a gain in breaking strength- not that I am going to file down all my carabiners so they are stronger... It seems that the bigger issue here is when the groves create an edge that is sharp enough to cut/damage the sheath of the rope. The old Reversos seemed to get a very sharp edge from rope wear that I was always worried about.

ShibbyShane · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jan 2009 · Points: 15

Damn Greg, that biner has seen some use!

B 2 · · SLC · Joined Oct 2008 · Points: 5

ccmski,
The BD study uses two different shuts to conduct their tests. The old one which is grooved has a d shape which naturally makes it align with the axis better than the newer rounded one so their tests comparing the two are insignificant IMO.

To extend the life of your belay biners and your atcs, you can do what it appears greg does and alternate threading the rope through different sides of your belay device.

chris21 · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Apr 2009 · Points: 125

Petzl rates their biners to wear down to half of the original diameter for rappelling use before retirement.

you should check the manufacturers recommendations on when to retire your biner.

Rob Kepley · · Westminster, CO · Joined Dec 2005 · Points: 1,005

What's a Petzl Attache cost these days? About 12 bucks???

Evan1984 · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Aug 2007 · Points: 30
Rob Kepley wrote:What's a Petzl Attache cost these days? About 12 bucks???
For what it's worth, I find the Atache biner to wear through very fast. I have several that have wear similiar to that Jake biner from a year's use.

My BD pear biners seem to last much longer.

I replace mine when my partner starts complaining.
Sam Feuerborn · · Carbondale · Joined Aug 2009 · Points: 810

I just replaced mine after it'd worn about 1/4 of the way through , i cant say that there are any sharp edges that im worried about it was more just how much it had worn through. I replaced it with a BD rock lock, those seem to take the wear and tear pretty well.

Geir www.ToofastTopos.com · · Tucson/DMR · Joined Jun 2006 · Points: 2,751
Crag Dweller wrote:i wait until it fails. i usually have to replace my climbing partner at about the same time.
hilarious!
T. William · · Avon · Joined Oct 2008 · Points: 80

I was looking down at my atc during a dog session and noticed that the walls were very thin from rope wear. Like butter knifes holding my rope.

T-Bob · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Feb 2006 · Points: 50

A side note to this discussion is that I've noticed BD biners whear considerably faster than Petzl. I get to replace my lockers for free from work most years and noticed I get about twice the life/use from the Petzl babies. It's not the amount or conditions of use as these are fairly consistant for me.

Scott McMahon · · Boulder, CO · Joined Feb 2006 · Points: 1,425

GEAR WEARS OUT?!?!? WTF?? :O)

Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

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