Taz Lov2 Rope Access Device, Rope Solo?

I'm an arborist, I have a TAZ love2, I ONLY use it for ascent competitions where attaching to the rope is part of the timed event, in all other sceneries (work or play) I much prefer my Hitchhiker2.

Interesting observation: it's been approved for 2 years in the comps I climb in & attend and I've yet to see anyone lower on one after a long ascent... It's not easy to hit the sweet spot, especially after expending all your energy on the climb up. All of us just let the safety guys belay us down (by lowering the anchor hub).

I’m interested to see of Rock Exotica will adapt the akimbo for roped soloing. We’re fortunate enough to have one, it feeds and descends like a dream.

I’m surprised arborists are the only ones thinking along the lines of ascent/descent in one device. Following Petzl’s recommendation of multiple devices for example, would not get you away from wasps or other calamities very quickly. 

Does that device still lock if you accidentally grab it?

I know that's something Petzl has talked about before, since your natural instinct is to grab in front of you when you're falling so it has to guard against that. It's one of the reasons Petzl doesn't recommend the shunt for rope soloing backup. The other being you falling + if the shunt was pushed against the rock it could "unlock" the cam. 

The akimbo, like most of the ascent/descent devices used in arboriculture collapse into a neutral position on ascent. I don’t think you could collapse it against the rock. The chest harness tending point on the amimbo is designed with a wire gate (9 o’clock to the rope in the pic) so if you go unconscious you detach from the tending point. Without this gate the device can collapse if an unconscious user flops backwards with their chest harness clipped in. I see this mode of failure as the biggest determent to this device for soloing, and it’s annoyingly easy to detatch from the tending point unintentionally.

This device allows you to fine tune the friction the device applies via spinning the bollards closer to  or further from the rope. With a high friction setting, it may be possible to lightly panic grab the device and not depress the upper segment, but I’m not sure how it would play out in practice. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7b0dhV08Qk

seems like an interesting device for top rope solo.  Anyone have an update?

Works great for top rope solo, especially for doing laps.
Curious if anyone is using it for lead rope solo. I'm currently using an Eddy for LRS, but would like to simplify things by using the same device for both.
Thinking to test it out tomorrow... 

How is it for rappeling between laps? Dunno where i read it but i think i heard its got a sensitive lever/lowers kind of fast compared to a grigri.

Works great for doing laps. The sweet spot is a fair bit smaller and more sensitive than a GG but there are things that can be done while learning it to protect yourself and slow it down till you get use to it. Some of it probably has to do with the rope it is paired with . I'm currently writing a blog post review of the Lov2 and should have it done by early next week. I'll post a link when it's done.

Fantastic, thanks for the reply. Look forward to the link.

(Can anyone see the photo and link? I edited it and only this line shows in the thread)

Taz Lov2 for Top Rope Soloing - A Review and User Experience

The holy grail of TRS devices would be a device that allows me to freely climb with no slack build-up; be able to quickly lock-up when needed; and be able to rap whenever I desire without having to switch devices. Well that device is now here - it’s the TAZ Lov2. It’s not perfect in all these functions but good enough for me that it’s “the answer” for most situations. With the Lov2 the "sum" is greater than the "parts" (individual functions) and yields a device without peers.

I’m well into my second season of using the Lov2 and am quite happy with it’s performance in most situations. I’ll summarize my experience up front and then get more into the details. The Lov2 is the only all-in-one-dedicated-device that ticks all the boxes for TRSing for me. There are other devices that outperform it in a speciic function. However there is no other device that combines all the TRS functions into one device and performs at the level of the Lov2 without having to switch devices for rapping.  

I think an apt analogy is that it can be considered the Silent Partner of the TRS world. It's high quality and bomber construction inspires confidence. What's the "price" one has to pay for this?! It's big, heavy, and expensive - though none of these prohibitively so.  It is specifically  designed and tested for doing all the functions required for TRS (ascending, fall arresting, and descending) and does all of these functions at a fairly high level. None of the other devices that I know of meet all these criteria. I’ve used the Revo, various GGs, and the Eddy hoping that they (either in stock or modified form) might be the all-in-one-device of my dreams - but they all have major downsides. I dare say, I'm going out on a limb here, that even as the Silent Partner has developed a cult following in the LRS world, the Lov2 could have the same potential in the TRS world. However, just like the SP, it probably won't happen till it’s no longer available and people are scrambling to try and get one. The caveat here is the remote possibility that a newer device is designed and marketed that will outperform it.....however I wouldn’t hold my breath.

PROS: Does it all (feeds well/locks-up relatively quick/decent rapping); great for doing laps; repeatedly working a section of a route; hanging top-outs; down-climbing; high quality/bomb proof construction that inspires confidence

CONS: Weight; size; price, rapping takes a bit of getting use to 

So, that’s the brief summary of my experience…but the devil's in the details. For all the salacious details of the device with lots of photos; how I've set it up; back it up; when I would and wouldn't use it; and some tricks I've learned in using it; see my blog - it's too long to post here:

https://sicgrips.blogspot.com/2020/06/taz-lov2-for-top-rope-soloing-review.html

Great post SICgrips, thanks!  Following the discussion on FB.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/RopeSolo/

Any further word about how this device is for lead?

suggest you check the facebook lead rope solo group. there was more discussion about it there i think.

SICgrips wrote:

The holy grail of TRS devices would be a device that allows me to freely climb with no slack build-up; be able to quickly lock-up when needed; and be able to rap whenever I desire without having to switch devices. Well that device is now here - it’s the TAZ Lov2. It’s not perfect in all these functions but good enough for me that it’s “the answer” for most situations. With the Lov2 the "sum" is greater than the "parts" (individual functions) and yields a device without peers....The Lov2 is the only all-in-one-dedicated-device that ticks all the boxes for TRSing for me. There are other devices that outperform it in a speciic function. However there is no other device that combines all the TRS functions into one device and performs at the level of the Lov2 without having to switch devices for rapping.   None of the other devices that I know of meet all these criteria. I’ve used the Revo, various GGs, and the Eddy hoping that they (either in stock or modified form) might be the all-in-one-device of my dreams - but they all have major downsides.

Have you tried the Vergo? It also offers these abilities, but in a much smaller, lighter, and less expensive device. Also lets you climb, hang, rap, or ascend the rope. The feed isn't perfect (doesn't match the microtrax), but is adequate with 1-2 lbs of weight on the end of the rope. Vastly better than a GriGri. Haven't used Taz, so can't compare to that. Anyway, Vergo is a worthwhile device that is conspicuously absent from your comparison list. 

Can't directly compare as I've only used the Cinch in the past which I didn't care for because of a combination of feed, difficult rapping, and design issues (my subjective issues). Size and weight are definitely an issue for some. For me it's not an issue compared to the advantages. However YMMV

Anyone been using this device lately and put some mileage on it?

Got a Goblin/Spoc/Vergo combo, which let's you climb on the perfect feeding Goblin, then attach the Vergo above the Goblin when you're ready to come down. Gotta be the best combo for going up, with the convenience of a device able to go on a weighted rope for the descent. I use a Spoc as a back up on a tether, just in case, which actually is nice because it has an audible clicking sound when moving up the rope that the Micro doesn't have. This is nice so you can focus on climbing without having to look down to see if everything is tracking well.

This is probably as expensive a setup as the Lov2 alone, but the Goblin is all Stainless, and won't need replacing for practically every. Based on BetaClimber's youtube video, the little black plastic piece is critical to the Lov2 functioning, and it seems like it would wear out quickly and need replacing. It'd be great if that part was cheap and easy to get.

RRR wrote:

Got a Goblin/Spoc/Vergo combo, which let's you climb on the perfect feeding Goblin, then attach the Vergo above the Goblin when you're ready to come down. Gotta be the best combo for going up, with the convenience of a device able to go on a weighted rope for the descent. 

Intriguing. I've used the Vergo a decent amount, but have never tried installing it on a weighted rope. Does it install easily on a fully-weighted rope? Or does it take some unweighting to get the rope in?

Mikey Schaefer wrote:

Anyone been using this device lately and put some mileage on it?

I've put something like 40-60 pitches on it. It's the cat's ass as far as I'm concerned.

Couple notes:

• It raps just fine, despite some people complaining about a smaller sweet spot for rappelling. I haven't had an issue with it at all, and I'm fairly average size/weight. A Freino biner doesn't work great with it, despite some suggesting it might. It doesn't twist ropes like a grigri either. 
• I use a petzl torse to keep it high, with a little string through the little hole above the clip in point, and it works great. I'm sure any chest harness would be fine.
• I used to use a locker draw with a micro below the Lov as a backup, but I rarely do now. It always catches great and I've never had any issues, regardless of the terrain.
• It's all steel, so it's heavy but robust. I live in the sandstone desert, so sandy ropes are an issue. Before I got a grigri+ I'd go through a grigri every couple of years. I expect this to last a while. 

Honestly, if I could figure out how to lead belay with it it would be the perfect all in one device, especially for the multipitch system where the follower TR solos.