Lifting straps or chains

[coolhl7]

Which is safer for lifting heavy items with the FEL, straps or chains of equivalent ratings?
most of the "towing" chains I see specifically warn against using them for lifting but I figure that is CYA litigation protection...
all advice appreciated. Thanks

[johnk]

I would say if there are no sharp edges both should work at there ratings. If it's rubbing on a sharp edge and near capacity I would vote for the chain to be the one I want.

[wushaw]

Chain gets my vote, If you do use straps be very careful.

[Defective]

I've usually kept both around and use what seems appropriate for the task at hand. Straps if the load needs protection from marring. Chains otherwise.

Keep straps in a sunlight & weather proof container when not in use.

Keep both clean and inspect often.

NEVER get under the load...EVER!

[DieselPower]

One is as safe as the other in the same load rating. Each has it's own specific advantage though. Straps are light and very easy to work with but can be easily cut. Chain is very heavy and hard to work with but are very cut resistant.

One of my best friends owns and operates a towing company and I have gone out with him on many recovery's over the years where he lifted everything from cars to 18 wheelers with straps. When properly used they are as safe as a chain.

Here's a picture of him using his heavy wrecker to do a vertical lift with straps to advertise for a local car dealer.

[3RRL]

Both have their place but my vote goes for chains too.

[N80]

I don't know much about this but when I worked on a line crew we always used straps for everything, from power poles to car-sized switching equipment. At TBN there always seems to be a bias against straps but I see loads on 18 wheelers tied down with straps, including brand new tractors. I see huge industrial loads being moved with straps all the time, more so than chains. I guess, as someone said, it depends on what you are lifting.

[Darla]

Chains are rated for specific use. Our shop is required by our insurance company to use only grade 80 or grade 100 chain for any overhead lifting. We also have some super heavy recovery straps that are rated for tens of thousands of pounds. However, they are very expensive and a job will be lost if someone uses one of those and it gets cut by any sharp edge. For a loader, the leading edge of a FEL bucket would certainly count as a sharp edge and can easily cut a very heavy duty strap when under pressure.

Depending on what you're doing and what capacity your lifting machine has, the appropriate grade 80 or grade 100 chain is what OSHA and insurance companies would tell you. As our insurance agent says, a failure in such a situation is costly at the minimum and all too often fatal. So you decide. An appropriate strap can lift an entire semi truck, but if the strap encounters a sharp edge, you'd lose your strap, semi, and whatever was under the semi. Now we don't have a really big shop, but all our overhead gantrys have 1/2" grade 100 chain.

[AlanB]

Depends on the application as said above. In our tractors toolbox we keep a couple small chains as well as a 3' basket sling and a strap.

Definetely place for both, and we try and treat everything as if it is about to fall at any moment.

[TwinWillows]

Probably over 80% of the time I reach out & grab my chains. That's for either pulling or the light lifting I need to do. If pulling, I'll drop in a shackle on my draw bar & hook the chains there. I/we do very little lifting & what we do is mainly light ackward stuff. Since we bought our pallet forks I'll tend to put almost everything on a pallet & then move it.

Like the others have said, use rated rigging straps or GR 80 or 100 chains for lifting. Don't forget to use USA forged hooks & shackles as terminal tackle. The real lifting gear will all have the manufactures name stamped on it along with their strength & capacity. China/India are not "manufactures" and if so stamped are sure indicators of low quality/counterfit hardware.