The DMM Pinto and DMM Pinto Rig pulleys were described as 'Cocoon killers' by market pundits when they were first launched - and there is some truth in this claim.
But German-based ART are not resting on their laurels. They have come out fighting the DMM/Treemagineers onslaught with a revamp of an old chestnut, the Cocoon 2 pulley - creatively titled the Cocoon 3.
Prior to the Pintos, the ART Cocoon was the pulley of choice for home-made rope savers. Such was the market demand, DB Tree, with support from Treetools, had enough volume to produce an aftermarket 'cone' to help with retrieval of rope savers using the Cocoon pulley.
The updated Cocoon 3 sports a larger diameter sheave, up from 22mm to 30mm, and runs on permanently sealed SKF bearings so it should be a joyride in descent.
The threaded 'ball nut' on the Cocoon 2 is replaced with a non-threaded cap, secured with two hex screws. The cap, secures a connecting bar which allows for the attachment of a sling without the need for a carabiner or other hardware.
Apparently, ART research suggests the sling is replaced so infrequently, the cost of the fancy threaded 'ball cap' was not worth the engineering involved to manufacture it. The trheaded ball cap has been dropped in the favor of the more economic hex screws.
Have a look at the picture below and you can see the direct comparison between the two models.
One obvious difference in the central side profile is the shaved-off flat sides rather than the ball-shape on the Cocoon 2. And the non-threaded cap is slightly smaller.
We have not eyeballed the final product (the Cocoon 3 should be in the Treetools store late next week) but it appears the bottom becket has been beefed up a little (hint: the Cocoon 2 does not like to be dropped on the becket).
Otherwise the specifications between the two seem identical: EN 1891A rope ≤14mm, 22kN, EN 12278. Price wise, the Cocoon 3 may be able to get closer to the Pinto Rig.
