Chains or Straps?

[RobJ]

Thrown off the trailer? Yall must drive a lot faster than me. I bet I'd have to take a hairpin at 50 to get mime to roll off...with no straps. And don't tell Snowridge if I take it to my BIL's house about 3 miles away, I don't even tie it down, just lock the brakes and lower the BH. Little used county road and I never get over 25-30. If I have to slam on the breaks, with a load is more of a fast slow down...I have a solid bulkhead on my trailer that'll stop it. Actually on these trips or trips down to the river bottom, about 3 miles also, I ride it up on the bulkhead.

Flame suit on!!

 

[scott_vt]

Afternoon Michael,
I think that both straps and chains have their place in the hauling world ! I have a set of straps that I use to haul my 2 old Farmalls, these tractors dont weigh that much, the 42 A is only about 2300 lbs and the 49 Super is probablly about 2600 lbs and the straps work fine and I dont scratch the "purty red paint" as Soundguy mentions. If I was going to haul the Massey, 5000 plus I would use chains, Im not worried about scratching any paint on that tractor ! As others have said old cut up fire hose is a good way to go also. Keep in mind that if you use chain, its a good idea to stop a few minutes into your trip to retighten your binders, they can and will loosen up !

 

[laurencen]

75% of the time I use straps when pulling my enclosed trailer, it works with the rops down and everything is under cover and out of sight of sticky fingers, when using the flatbed I go "strapless" and use chain, on one end I have 10 inch J hooks, these are about 6 inches wide, tow trucks use them over axles and plases they should not, I slip some rad hose over them and they do not scratch up anything, not sure why I use both methods but chains do look more macho,

 

[LBrown59]

Thrown off the trailer? Yall must drive a lot faster than me. I bet I'd have to take a hairpin at 50 to get mime to roll off...with no straps. And don't tell Snowridge if I take it to my BIL's house about 3 miles away, I don't even tie it down, just lock the brakes and lower the BH. Little used county road and I never get over 25-30. If I have to slam on the breaks, with a load is more of a fast slow down...I have a solid bulkhead on my trailer that'll stop it. Actually on these trips or trips down to the river bottom, about 3 miles also, I ride it up on the bulkhead.

Flame suit on!!

It's not a question of how you or i drive it's the matter of the other guy.

Read Dargos thread and see what happened to him when his straps broke .

 

[kurtga]

I have an old L2350 Kubota and 2 Bobcat skid steers, I most often use grade 70 chain and ratcheting load binders. I have used 2" straps on occasion. You must be very careful about abrasion on the straps. If you do use straps, be sure to use quality ones with a high WLL. There are many cheap straps out there, avoid them!

 

[EastTnFarmboy]

Here is a link to some very good and detailed information regarding the proper use of tie downs.Kinedyne, providers of high quality engineered cargo control systems.

I have used both, but the straps are certainly more convenient. Attached are pictures of the way I did it recently on an 1,100 mile round trip.

(The **small files are for those without high speed access.)

 

[Rara Avis]

I think that both straps and chains have their place in the hauling world !

Ditto...

 

[RobJ]

It's not a question of how you or i drive it's the matter of the other guy.

Read Dargos thread and see what happened to him when his straps broke .

I did actually. For those interested the link is http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/owning-operating/53683-ratcheting-tie-downs-broke-transit.html

First, glad Dargo came out ok and no one was hurt. But his tractor weighs 7000#. Mine is about 2000#. Second is the mystery of the tractor rolling off the trailer, but not all the way, causing the trailer to start swinging which IMO caused the most pucker factor. Also with the trailer swinging wildly to the left and right, the tractor remained on the trailer. and Dargo mentioned if the tractor didn't start to exit the trailer, he might not ever known that they broke.

Everything has it's limits. As was also mentioned in the thread, you can get a super strong chain, then you could break the anchor points from the trailer, pull parts off the tractor.

Rob

 

[Soundguy]

Hmm.. I've done a few things that would get me maimed or kille dbefore.. but.. I hafta say.. that if my tractor goes on my trailer.. it at LEAST gets straps if i'm hitting the asphalt.. No matter how far I'm going. it only takes one bad driver to plow into me to make my poor tractor come of fthe trailer and maybee kill somebody else.. while I wouldn't be at fault for the accident.. I'm sure some insurance company/lawyer for the deceased's estate would be wondering why no straps and chains were found in the wreckage...

Not a question i'd like to answer on the stand.. " Um yes your honor.. the 10 minutes it would have taken me to tie that load down might have saved that pregnant mother.. " etc.

I got time to strap it down... or I'll just hafta be late...

Soundguy

Thrown off the trailer? Yall must drive a lot faster than me. I bet I'd have to take a hairpin at 50 to get mime to roll off...with no straps. And don't tell Snowridge if I take it to my BIL's house about 3 miles away, I don't even tie it down, just lock the brakes and lower the BH. Little used county road and I never get over 25-30. If I have to slam on the breaks, with a load is more of a fast slow down...I have a solid bulkhead on my trailer that'll stop it. Actually on these trips or trips down to the river bottom, about 3 miles also, I ride it up on the bulkhead.

Flame suit on!!

 

[RobJ]

Not a question i'd like to answer on the stand.. " Um yes your honor.. the 10 minutes it would have taken me to tie that load down might have saved that pregnant mother.. " etc.

Now we are after pregnant mothers? I remember a recent thread where you said it was a bus load of orphans. Oh yes, bus full of orphans and nuns when the tractor trumpet broke. That's funny.

That's ok, flame suit still on.