Strap and Chain Safety

   / Strap and Chain Safety #1  

Suburban Plowboy

Platinum Member
Joined
Jul 31, 2018
Messages
761
Location
FL
Tractor
Kubota L3710
I bought a heavy 30-foot strap for my tractor, for pulling things. I also have a chain. I would never use a rope, because from my boating experience, I know a nylon rope can stretch 40% of its length, snap, and strike like a whip. Really bad things have happened when nylon lines have pulled metal cleats out and hurled them at people.

Question: do I have anything to worry about with straps and chains? The strap has slipped off under tension, and it does not seem like my tractor has the power to stretch it and turn it into a whip.
 
   / Strap and Chain Safety #2  
You ALWAYS have something to worry about!
What are you pulling?
When I pull logs horizontal I use a chain. Ropes and straps degrade over rough terrain. When I pull trees down I use ropes (but NOT nylon ropes for heavy pulls). Rescue ropes, 1/2" virtually no stretch.

Lots of people write about getting used rescue rope for free. I'm not that lucky, I buy them from CMS by the 50lb box for $75. Sale - Rope Miscellaneous Sections | CMC PRO
they say "short lengths" but I've gotten 3 boxes, all were mostly lengths over 30' up to about 125'.
 
   / Strap and Chain Safety #3  
There are two types of straps out there one for general work/towing that WILL STRETCH and one for (off road) recovery that WILL NOT STRETCH.... What kind did you buy..... And you can break any strap!.... Most have a working load and then maximum load that they will fail at.... Generally failure load is like 4X working load.....Read the tag on your strap for its working load and max failure rating....

Dale
 
   / Strap and Chain Safety #4  
There are two types of straps out there one for general work/towing that WILL STRETCH and one for (off road) recovery that WILL NOT STRETCH.... What kind did you buy..... And you can break any strap!.... Most have a working load and then maximum load that they will fail at.... Generally failure load is like 4X working load.....Read the tag on your strap for its working load and max failure rating....

Dale

Actually, the recovery straps are the ones that stretch.

Tow straps vs recovery straps - Off Road Recovery Guide
 
   / Strap and Chain Safety #5  
Long ago I worked at a factory where we used lifting straps. Not nylon - rated at 10,000 pounds. Unfortunately the leather cover on the loop on the end of one strap got nicked. I was advised that it could no longer be used and had to be thrown away. That was around 15 years ago - that strap still works fine for me. Its 12 feet long and just right for pulling Uber heavy items.
 
   / Strap and Chain Safety #7  
The beauty of straps is that you can do slack pulls. Dont do this with chains. If your useing a strap make sure you use shackles on each end attached properly.
 
   / Strap and Chain Safety
  • Thread Starter
#8  
Someone asked what I was pulling. Two things come to mind.

Hurricane Irma blew a tall live oak over on my farm. I would say it was 30" wide at breast height. I cut through it near the base and put the strap on the base to pull it off the stump. That was pretty heavy.

I also had a mysterious chunk of wood sticking up in my yard. I assume it was part of a root. I put a loop of the strap over it and yanked on it with the tractor. The strap slipped off under tension, but it didn't fly at me. It just fell slack. I tried again, and the wood came out. It snapped pretty violently.

I didn't think about using a shackle. I put the strap through its own end loop. This was not very kind to the end loop, which has some fraying now.
 
   / Strap and Chain Safety #9  
Something laid on the strap or chain that your pulling with can be used to help absorb energy and keep them from popping around quite so violently if they break. What ever you use needs to be something that can absorb energy. Large floor mats, another large rope or chain laid loosely, Blanket and a wet one is even better.
 
   / Strap and Chain Safety #10  
Something laid on the strap or chain that your pulling with can be used to help absorb energy and keep them from popping around quite so violently if they break. What ever you use needs to be something that can absorb energy. Large floor mats, another large rope or chain laid loosely, Blanket and a wet one is even better.

Yeah.... Most 4WD recovery instructions for winch use recommend heavy rug/mat/"apron" (winch line dampener) filled with rocks so if cable or if shackel or strap breaks cable does not fly like a whip and decapitate somebody...

Dale
 
 

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