Tractor Pulling Tool Preferrence

[Mace Canute]

I recall one time years ago at work when I was driving across an open stretch during a snow storm. The "road" was blown in but it was soft enough that I could drive through it but so thick that the poor old Ford ingested so much it died on me so we called a tow truck to haul me out. Of course he didn't have a winch, just a wheel lift and he couldn't get in to pick me up so another co worker tried to give me a pull with a tow strap to get me out to where the tow truck could hook up but couldn't move me. Then we hooked up a tow strap to the tow truck and he proceeded to try to tow me out, him thinking he could since his truck was a 4X4. We attached the strap to the factory tow hook on the front of the Ford and he gave it a tug, no go, so he backed up and gave it a harder tug. This time the tow hook snapped off the Ford and went shooting towards the tow truck. It launched with an upward trajectory, blasted through the light bar on top of his rig and kept going! It happened so fast we didn't even see it happen, just heard a bang! When the tow hook failed and when it hit the light bar, there was so little time between the two events, it sounded like just one bang too. It's fortunate that it didn't happen to go through the back window of the tow truck and decapitate him.

We had quite a few incidences of vehicle damage (windshields, grills, and radiators and fans even) because of tow straps failing when they guys tried to get a stuck vehicle out, fortunately no one was ever hurt but the potential was there. It didn't take long before their use was banned.

 

[Mark Page]

I mark my recovery straps each time I use them. After 6 uses they get replaced. I alway leave a good bit of slack before I start the pull. I want to build up a head of steam before the strap comes up taught stretches and pulls out the stuck vehicle.
I've seen people try and pull a stuck vehicle out with just a pull and it rarely works. On one occassion a Camry was really hung up in snow bank created by a county plow. Guy tries to pull it out with a chain and p/u. He gets stuck too. Using as jerk strap, as they're called around here, got them both out in a few minutes using my Ram and a recovery strap.
It's a heck of lot of fun.

 

[CJONE]

Spent alot years pulling semis out of the mud. I always use braided poly/nylon ropes that "supposidly" did not recoil. Yea OK. They do. So I started braiding a kill rope, 25' 1/2" nylon rope into the end of the big rope. That way if/when the hook breaks or loop fails most of the energy is absorbed by the small rope. It works very well. I actually broke the small rope 1 time but it did it's job. CJ

 

[RaydaKub]

Spent alot years pulling semis out of the mud. I always use braided poly/nylon ropes that "supposidly" did not recoil. Yea OK. They do. So I started braiding a kill rope, 25' 1/2" nylon rope into the end of the big rope. That way if/when the hook breaks or loop fails most of the energy is absorbed by the small rope. It works very well. I actually broke the small rope 1 time but it did it's job. CJ

Can you give some more details about your kill rope? Pics maybe? From the sounds of it, you wrap up one end of it, but how do you know which end is going to break first?:confused3:

 

[Mace Canute]

Even big chains can break and recoil violently.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sPnzjGNEXFo]Breaking of rig anchor chain. - YouTube[/ame]

 

[pat32rf]

I too have seen pieces ripped off by both chains and nylon. I still prefer large nylon with secure fasteners. IE- large clevises with screw pins. (1" is a good start sizewise)
With nylon I can "start gentle", then increase the force as needed. I can also tighten up with a winch, sretching the nylon, then feed in a bit of tire traction from the stuck vehicle if needed. This is a method I often use when I have one or more pulleys (snatch blocks) on a winch cable and the winch is getting pretty well loaded down. It often makes the difference as you can maintain the force for a few feet when you have 40' of 1" nylon stretched by a 8000lb winch (at the stall point) that has 2 or three pulleys on it. The winching vehicle at a time like this normally gets anchored to a large tree.

 

[Baby Grand]

Even big chains can break and recoil violently.

Breaking of rig anchor chain. - YouTube

Dang, Mace. That looked bad.

 

[RoyJackson]

Dang, Mace. That looked bad.

Yeah it does...looks like the guy who sat down near the end must have had a close call...

 

[jpm1]

My preference is cable then big chains. I skid a lot of logs and my winch has 180' of cable. Its easier to drag a cable than a chain and a lot lighter too. I know i should get straps for tow jobs but old habbits die hard. Yea i have broke cables and chains before and its not pretty in fact darned dangerous but thats the way we roll. . .John

 

[rsewill]

Yeah it does...looks like the guy who sat down near the end must have had a close call...

He sat down because he didn't want anything running down his pants legs.