Trolley vs. Pulley - Trolley is a pulley that moves along a cable or rope. A pulley is stationary and the rope or cable moves through or over it. The same device may be a pulley or a trolley depending on how it is used.
Wheel Size – 1-1/2” wheels or 2” wheels are the most common. 1-1/2” wheels use a smaller bearing than the 2” wheels. 1-1/2” bearings are much like skateboard bearings. They have low resistance and a high efficiency but do not last long under heavy use and heavy loads. 2” wheels have bearings that are bigger and more durable. They may not have the same efficiency, but will outlast the smaller bearings by a factor of 10. 1-1/2” wheels typically have a efficiency rating of 90+%. Most 2” wheels have an efficiency rating of 85%+. In the short term the smaller wheels will be faster but that will quickly change as the smaller wheel bearings get worn. There are also 4”, 6”, & 8” wheels that will be joining this review shortly.
Axle - All axles are stainless steel unless noted. Axle refers to the mechanics: Bushing, Bearing, or Double Bearing. 1/4" axles are typically used for 1.5" wheels. 3/8" axles are typically used for 2" wheel
Bearings vs Bushings – Bearings are small steel balls that are sealed in a closed ring. They are exposed to the sheave and the axle. The bearing has less surface area contact, and therefore it is more efficient and faster than a bushing. Bushings are longish cylinders that are also exposed to the axle and sheave. The bushings have much more surface contact and therefore less efficiency; typically only 50%-70% of a bearing wheel.
Size – length x height x width in inches.
BUSHINGS
BEARINGS
MBS – Minimum Breaking Strength – Shown in pound force (lbf) and kilo Newton (kN). 1 kN = 225 lbf.
Double Bearings – Used in many of the ¾” trolleys, 2 sets of bearings are used in each wheel instead of one. this lessens the load on each bearing set assuring long life and consistently fast rides. Efficiency is reduced in exchange for consistency and long life.
Speed rating – The speed rating is based on manufacturer’s recommendations or bearing specifications. You may travel faster but the trolley may be damaged or destroyed if speeds are exceeded. The bearings will probably overheat and fail.
All sheaves - (wheels) on the listed trolleys are steel. Aluminum wheels are only good for traveling on rope. These can be found in the rescue rope pulley section.
Back up – Some trolleys are equipped with backup loops or ‘ears’. Most loops are positioned so a second steel carabiner can be clipped to the trolley and over the cable in case of complete trolley failure. Double wheel trolleys are by nature ‘backed up’ with the second wheel and through bolt. Many commercial operations utilize the back-up system for added safety and insurance requirements.
Sides / Side plates - Aluminum or steel is used for the side plates. Aluminum is fine for most home zip lines and playground style zip lines. Steel sides should be used for longer, faster, and commericial zip lines. Because aluminum is a much softer metal than steel, aluminum can get 'chewed' up or 'ground down' if it comes in contact with the cable during the ride.
Loading and unloading - Loading the trolley on and off the cable is relitively simple. Most trolleys have split sides that makes it easy to slip over the cable. Some have swinging side plates which are still fairly simple to use but requires a bit of practice to be smooth. A couple of the trolleys have other systems than can loaded and unloaded without detaching from the passenger.
Rebuilding trolleys - Eventually every trolley will need rebuilding. Bearings are the wearing part and will fail over time. trolleys using bolted axles can usually be easily and inexpensively rebuilt. Axles secured with grommets usually cannot be rebuilt and must be repurchased. Typically bearing sets cost $25 - 40 per set and take only a few minutes to replace.
ZIP LINE TROLLEYS - BEST & WORST
Fusion Tesa Trolley
Size: 4.25”x3”x1.2”
This is the best Petzl knock off we’ve seen. The bearings are decent quality; and the steel good. The price is fantastic. In side by side run offs, the Tesa nearly kept up with the Tandem Speed in longevity and endurance, eventually lasting 78% of the life of the Tandem Speed. This is a great economy pulley for backyards.
Wheel dia. 1.5”
Max Cable Dia: 1/2”
Weight: 8.2 oz
Max speed: 50 mph
Sides: Aluminum
MBS: 24 kN. 5,000 lbf
Axle: Ball Bearing
Made in USA MFR: Fusion Climb
Petzl Tandem Cable
Size: 4.25”x3.25”x1.2”
This is the most basic of zip line trolleys. It is inexpensive and great for most backyard zip lines; fairly slow compared to most other trolleys.
Wheel dia. 1.5”
Max Cable Dia: 1/2”
Weight: 11 oz
Max speed: 40 mph
Sides: Aluminum
MBS: 24 kN. 5,000 lbf
Axle: Bushing
Made in France MFR: PETZL
Fusion Advent Speed Trolley
Size: 6.75"x4"x1.5"
Stainless Steel 304 heat treated body, designed for extreme and continuous service in permanently rigged challenge courses, commercial ziplines and eco-tourism applications. This pulley has 2 points of attachment both primary and back-up. Great for commercial operators by giving them the ability to replace bearings for extended use. This product is strong and reliable with sealed ball bearings & long wear alloy sheaves making it the ideal tandem pulley. The price makes this a good deal!
Wheel dia. 2"
Max Cable Dia. 1/2"
Weight: 1lb 11 oz
Max Speed: ?
Sides: Stainless Steel
MBS: 50 kN
Axle: 3/8" Single bearing
Made in: USA MFR: Fusion
Petzl Tandem Speed
Size: 4.25”x3.25”x1.2”
One of the most popular backyard trolleys; the tandem speed has bearings and good speed. This one is in use in some commercial operations because of it's super light weight and price. It will last for years in the yard or a few months on commercial lines. 1/2" cable will work but it is difficult to push the trolley on or off 1/2" cable. These are ideally suited for 3/8" cable. All petzl pulleys are not rebuildable.
Wheel dia. 1.5”
Max Cable Dia: 1/2”
Weight: 11 oz
Max speed: 50 mph
Sides: Aluminum
MBS: 24 kN. 5,000 lbf
Axle: Bearing
Made in France MFR: PETZL
Kong Pamir
Size: 4.5”x3.4”x1.2”
This is a fairly lame knock off of the Petzl models. Bushings make this one of the slowest trolleys available. These have no longevity and the bearings burn up in a short time. Oh yea, it is overpriced as well. It good for short home zip lines but why pay so much?
Wheel dia. 1.5”
Max Cable Dia: 1/2”
Weight:12 oz
Max speed: 35 mph
Sides: Aluminum
MBS: 30kN, 6,500 lbf
Axle: Bushing
Made in Italy MFR: KONG
SMC Pulley
Size: 4.5"x3.4"x1.2"
We were so excited to see a rebuildable low cost trolley similar to the Tandem Speed. This offers replaceable bearing rings and a replacement kit, allowing a lower cost zip line pulley to be possibly used for commercial applications. Unfortunately the bearings they chose were such low quality that they need to be changed almost daily. The Tandem Speed outlasted these by a factor of 30. Great idea-needs better quality.
Wheel dia. 1.5”
Max Cable Dia: 1/2”
Weight:12 oz
Max speed: 35 mph
Sides: Aluminum
MBS: 26 kN (5845 lbf)
Axle: Ball Bearing
Made in USA MFR: SMC
QuickSilver
Size: 5"x3.5"x1"
A new design from a new company. This is best described as a hybrid. It has 2" wheels, but it uses a bearing ring which contains smaller bearings than the normal 2" wheels; much closer in size to bearings used in 1-1/2" wheels. The Quicksilver uses two sets of these bearing in each wheel greatly extending the life. These will last two - three times longer than the 1-1/2" wheel models but less than half as long as the rest of the 2" wheel trolleys. The large clip-in hole holds three carabiners. Good only for 3/8" or smaller cable. Grommet axles mean these cannot be rebuilt. ** We have only tested one of these to destruction.
Wheel dia. 2”
Max Cable Dia: 3/8”
Weight:
Max speed: 120 mph
Sides: Steel
MBS: 45 kN, 10,000 lbf
Axle: Double Bearing
Made in USA MFR: Zip Line Gear
Mighty Mini
Size: 6”x4”x7/8”
Robertson really got a winner with this design. It is the SR71 jr. Based on one of the most popular commercial trolley designs, the mighty mini has strength, speed, and longevity. 2" wheels and larger bearings make this the least expensive professional grade trolley available. At just over 1 lb, it is easy to transport. It is completely rebuildable when it is time to replace the bearings.
Wheel dia. 2”
Max Cable Dia: 1/2”
Weight: 21 oz
Max speed: 90 mph
Sides: Steel
MBS: 84 kN. 19,000 lbf
Axle: Bearing
Made in USA MFR: ROBERTSON MTN
Micro Velocity
Size: 5”x3”x1.5”
The micro velocity trolley is great for home and commercial zip lines. it is light weight with steel sides and a small design that is easy to load and transport. The smaller wheels and bearings are the only things working against this good design. It comes up short on speed and longevity. Also the bent back-up loops can contact the zip line cable causing damage to the cable and trolley, especially a looser, saggy cable.
Wheel dia. 1.5”
Max Cable Dia: 1/2”
Weight: 11.5 oz
Max speed: 60 mph
Sides: Steel
MBA: 62.2 kN, 14,000 lbf
Axle: Bearing
Made in USA MFR: CMI
Petzl Trac P-24
Size: 4.2”x5.5”x3”
The Trac has a built in carabiner that eliminates the need for two hands when loading or unloading the trolley from the cable. The flaring design at cable level makes this one of the easiest to load on 1/2" cable. The best things about this are the one handed operation, It can be loaded on the cable while remaining attached to the passenger, and flaring side plates. There are some significant disadvantages however. The gate opening is very small with the trolley side plate is in the way. Clipping in bulky tethers and carabiners is almost impossible. The carabiner will far outlast the bearings. The folded up end plates at the front and back will drag on a loose or sagging line. The main concern with this zip line trolley is inversion. Should this trolley flip up-side-down while on the cable, usually when the passenger is about to jump, it will NOT right itself under load as other zip line trolleys will.
Wheel dia. 1.5”
Max Cable Dia: 1/2”
Weight: 14 oz
Max speed: 50 mph
Sides: Aluminum
MBS: 24 kN. 5,000 lbf
Axle: Bearing
Made in France MFR: PETZL
Kong Zip Evo
Size: 4.5”x6”x1.5”
This is a great trolley for shorter and slower ziplines. The aluminum body will wear and show that wear fairly quickly. it is great for hooking up to the lines without the possibility of dropping it. It hooks onto the lines without removing from the harness strap. The real downer to this one is that the bearings seem to wear out fairly quickly (very quickly). We tested three of these in Hawaii and three trolleys wore out in one or two runs:(
Wheel dia. 1.5”
Max Cable Dia: 1/2”
Weight: 14 oz
Max speed: 45 mph
Sides: Aluminum
MBS: 20 kN. 4,000 lbf
Axle: Bearing
Made in Italy MFR: KONG
Head Rush Impact Trolley
Size: 7.1 x 4.4 x 1.3 in
Engineered specifically for the zipSTOP Zip Line Brake system, the Impact Trolley provides smoother braking, enhanced rider experience, reduced cable wear, and decreased rider risk. Maximum operating speed is 75 mph (120 kph) and the suitable rider weight range is 33–330 lbs (15–150 kg).
The Impact Trolley can be mounted in various configurations including single or dual cable setups with primary and secondary clip-in options, and with or without the T-Handle Accessory or Hook/Catch accessory mechanism.
Our only critisism is the sides are made of aluminum and an aluminum carabiner is used to rest on top. But a steel carabiner would be needed to be a back up on a steel cable. A steel carabiner would mess up the aluminum side plates.
Wheel dia. 2"
Max Cable Dia: 5/8"
Weight: 1.2 lbs (544 grams)
Max speed: 75 mph
Sides: Anodized Aluminium
MBS: 17 kN (3,822 lbf)
Axle: Stainless Steel
Made in USA MFR: Headrush
Petzl Trac P-24 Plus
Size: 4.2”x5.5”x3”
The Petzl Trac Plus is exactly the same and the Petzl Plus just offers Double Bearing for a longer life. It has the same advantages and disadvantages as the Trac except it will last more than twice as long!
Wheel dia. 1.5”
Max Cable Dia: 1/2”
Weight: 14 oz
Max speed: 50 mph
Sides: Aluminum
MBS: 24 kN. 5,000 lbf
Axle: Double Bearing
Made in France MFR: PETZL
SR 71 Blackbird
Size: 7”x5.25”x1.5”
The SR-71 is a proven performer for zip line operations.; built from .101 thick 304 stainless steel. Unlike the competition it is assembled using machined axles which may cost more but give the SR-71 zip trolley unparalleled structural integrity. The SR-71 zip trolley uses an additional back up bolt should there ever be a catastrophic failure during use. The sheaves are case hardened to a 56-58 Rockwell and spin on ball bearings to provide excellent wear characteristics. Built to accept two carabiners. This is one of the most popular zip line trolleys ever made. The SR 71 is completely rebuildable when required.
Wheel dia. 2”
Max Cable Dia: 1/2”
Weight: 1lb-10oz
Max speed: 90 mph
Sides: Steel
MBS: 84 kN, 19,000 lbf
Axle: Bearing
Made in USA MFR: ROBERTSON
CMI Zip Trolley
Size: 6.25”x6”x1.5”
The original CMI zip line trolley: a true classic! Probably the oldest and best known trolley in the field, the design has not changed since its inception sometime in the 70's. Some have been in use since that time: over 35 years. This is the Sherman Tank of trolleys with a massive 1/2" central bolt, swinging side plates, and solid side plates It has a back-up hole for a steel carabiner. The main detractors from this trolley is only one carabiner can fit into the main clip-in hole. It is heavy to carry around and the swinging side plates takes practice to load and unload with only two hands.
Wheel dia. 2”
Max Cable Dia: 1/2”
Weight: 2lb-1 oz
Max speed: 90 mph
Sides: Steel
MBS: 62.2 kN, 14,000 lbf
Axle: Bearing
Made in USA MFR: CMI
SR71-3/4” Fat Cat
Size: 7”x5.5”x1.5”
Developed for the zip line industry and the increasing longer and thicker zip line cables being used. The Fat Cat uses two sets of bearings on each wheel. This greatly reduces the loads and increases speed and longevity. Available with or without back up loops. These are being used on 3,000'+ zip lines and holding up like you would expect from Robertson trolleys: extremely well. They are completely rebuildable and load easily on 3/4" or smaller cable.
Wheel dia. 2”
Max Cable Dia: 3/4”
Weight: 1lb-11 oz
Max speed: 120 mph
Sides: Steel
MBS: 84 kN, 19,000 lbf
Axle: Double Bearing
Made in USA MFR: ROBERTSON
Cobra
Size: 7.5”x6.5”x1.8”
The Cobra is probably the most durable and secure trolley available. 5 separate through bolts are installed for ultimate security. Two axle bolts, two 3/8" back up bolts, and one giant 1/2" central swing bolt assure integrity. All back-up bolts have protective sleeves protecting the threads from debris and damage. The main connection point will hold two carabiners. Three other back-up carabiner options give the most options and versatility of any of the super duty trolleys.
Wheel dia. 2”
Max Cable Dia: 1/2”
Weight: 2lb-5oz
Max speed: 90 mph
Sides: Steel
MBS: 84 kN, 19,000 lbf
Axle: Bearing
Made in USA MFR: ROBERTSON
Zip Tour Trolley
Size: 12.5”x11.5”x14”
Developed for the military, the Zip Tour trolley has one of the longest wheel bases (8") available. This provides stability and even wear as well as great place to clip-in for superman style rides. Optional handles help keep passengers facing forwards for those sometimes tricky landings. The zip tour trolley provides numerous clip-in configurations for a variety of passenger options. Weighing in at 4.5 lbs, this is not the best trolley for carrying around long distances or up big hills.
Wheel dia. 2”
Max Cable Dia: 1/2”
Weight: 4lb-8oz
Max speed: 90 mph
Sides: Steel
MBS: 72 kN, 16,000 lbf
Axle: Bearing
Made in USA MFR: ROBERTSON MTN
Zipline Trolley with braking system
Size: 22"x13"x4" in
The Fifth Dimension Zip Line Trolley was designed with both commercial and individual applications in mind. This product combines the three most important considerations of any zip line braking system: simple, safe and affordable. Not tested or reviewed yet.
This is a great system however it is not for big or fast lines. The brakes wear out fairly fast.
Wheel dia. 1.5"
Max Cable Dia. 1/2"
Weight: 6 lbs
Max Speed: 40 mph
Sides: Steel
MBS: 22 kN, 4,900 lbs
Axle: 3/8" Steel
Made in: USA MFR: Fifth Dimension
Cobra for ¾” cable
Size: 7.5”x6.5”x2”
The Cobra is probably the most durable and secure trolley available. 5 separate through bolts are installed for ultimate security. Two axle bolts, two 3/8" back-up bolts, and one giant 1/2" central swing bolt assure integrity. All back-up bolts have protective sleeves protecting the threads from debris and damage. The main connection point will hold two carabiners. Three other back-up carabiner options give the most options and versatility of any of the super duty trolleys. Each wheel has double bearings for long life riding fast on fat cables. The handle position make this a scary but doable trolley for ZipStops.
Wheel dia. 2”
Max Cable Dia: 3/4”
Weight: 2lb-12oz
Max speed: 120 mph
Sides: Steel
MBS: 84 kN, 19,000 lbf
Axle: Double Bearing
Made in USA MFR: ROBERTSON
Zip Tour ¾” cable
Size: 12.5”x11.5”x15”
Developed for the military, the Zip Tour trolley has one of the longest wheel bases (8") available. This provides stability and even wear as well as great place to clip-in for superman style rides. Optional handles help keep passenger facing forwards for those sometimes tricky landings. The zip tour trolley provides numerous clip-in configurations for a variety of passenger options. Weighing in at 4.5 lbs, this is not the best trolley for carrying around long distances or up big hills. as with all the Robertson 3/4" trolleys, this has double bearings on each wheel for reduce wear, longevity, and smooth rides.
Wheel dia. 2”
Max Cable Dia: 3/4”
Weight: 4lb-12oz
Max speed: 120 mph
Sides: Steel
MBS: 72 kN, 16,000 lbf
Axle: Double Bearing
Made in USA MFR: ROBERTSON
Canopy Tour Trolley
Size: 6.25"x19.25"x15"
Developed in response to the growing canopy tour industry, CMI modified its original trolley design to include the 15" drop handles and additional clip-in points. At 4.8 lbs, this is one of the heaviest of all the trolleys. CMI wheels and bearings have a long history of reliability. The extended handles give your passengers the ability to keep facing forward during the ride and landing.
Wheel dia. 2”
Max Cable Dia: 1/2”
Weight: 4.8lb
Max speed: 90 mph
Sides: Steel
MBS: 62.2 kN, 14,000 lbf
Axle: Bearing
Made in USA MFR: CMI
Falcon Mini Zipline Trolley (1 way)
Size:
Made from thick stainless steel, The Falcon Mini™ features a unique, ergonomic design that can handle speeds of up to 70 miles per hour. The anti-rollback feature prevents the potentially dangerous situations that can occur when a zip-line customer fails to reach the platform and rolls back onto the line and the delay that the rollback can cause when the customer needs to be retrieved.
Competitively priced and designed for midsize zip lines of up to 2,000 feet, the Falcon Mini™ is optimized to work well with or without external braking mechanisms such as the zipSTOP. This innovative trolley will accommodate a secondary pulley and can be used with or without handles.
Wheel dia. 2"
Max Cable Dia.
Weight:
Max Speed: 70 mph
Sides:
MBS:
Axle:
Made in: MFR:
Hammerhead
Size: 10"x5.5"x1.2"
A good trolley however it is not very condusive to braking systems. The wheels are in the front and back. This makes them easily damaged on high speed braking scenarios. The larger wheels makes this a very fast trolley. It has the ability to hook on three things to the bottom.
