It broke about 1/3 of the way from the Suburban to the pulley on what looked to be an old repair link. The chain was about 15 ft long. I had one end of a 50', 1/2" cable attached to a tree, then back thru the pulley, and the other end on my tractor's drawbar. The tractor has loaded rears and a loader so probably weighs well over 6000 pounds. The load on the chain and truck would have been double the load on the cable and tractor so the pull force was probably well above what an 11,000 lb Mahindra could generate on a direct pull.
Log chain - HF vs. TSC
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boggen
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*been there done that* chains can and will whip just like ropes and cables.
i have a dent in back of the s10 blazer back door from a chain breaking and wipping back into it. when i tried to pull out some bushes.
555c TLB, a few weeks back, trying to pull a root ball of a tree up and out of a creak area. snapped the only thing that saved me, was i hooked off to edge on FEL, and pulled at an angle. if i was pull straight back, i would most likely not be here typing this up. that chain wipped back in some waving effects.
over the winter. i need to get the trailer out, so i hand dug around tires, and worked my way to the front with the 555c TLB clearing the 2 to 6 feet snow dirfts. got things what i though was cleared. hooked s10 blazer up to it. and got it stuck. ran short chain between tow hook on blazer to hook on top of bucket of the 555c TLB, chain poped, thankfully it snapped near blazer and chain all snapped back into bucket. if it snapped near hook on the bucket. i would most likely would of needed a new windshield. and had a few dents in the hood to fix on the S10 blazer.
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not chain related, but rope and cable.
setup a small drag harrow to pull across a lake to remove most of the moss. using long heavier duty nylon rope. i would assume approx 300 feet of total rope. made from 3 or 5 individual ropes. i would always put a smaller size rope near back of s-10 blazer. so if it would snap, hopefully the smaller lighter duty rope would snap first. a couple times it did, but once it broke near drag harrow. 300 foot of stretched rope, is no funny matter. thankfully i pulled at an angle like i normally do, and it all just whipped pass rear end of the s10 blazer.
a few years back using nylon rope to pull some bushes. rope got cut by a branch and came whipping up pass side rear view mirrors. ((thanking my lucky stars i didn't have my head out of the window.))
trying to pull some large branches and logs up out of the woods were i would not even dare to drive tractor down into. whipping of that cable was enough to say ok, time to pickup things and forget about those branches for good. the cable snapped through a 2+" other branch on other tree and still had plenty of force to take out me or another branch if it wanted to.
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just when you think you are well below the load strength of the chain/cable/rope. you normally are, but something happens. and that is when things can go quickly wrong.
the oh POO factor normally hits me when i get in the driver seat, when i am about to pull something, which makes me double think and then get back out and double check everything one more time. and make sure i can pull at an angle vs direction chain/cable/rope is hooked up to. so if it does snap. it will be less likely flying directly back into me.
i have a dent in back of the s10 blazer back door from a chain breaking and wipping back into it. when i tried to pull out some bushes.
555c TLB, a few weeks back, trying to pull a root ball of a tree up and out of a creak area. snapped the only thing that saved me, was i hooked off to edge on FEL, and pulled at an angle. if i was pull straight back, i would most likely not be here typing this up. that chain wipped back in some waving effects.
over the winter. i need to get the trailer out, so i hand dug around tires, and worked my way to the front with the 555c TLB clearing the 2 to 6 feet snow dirfts. got things what i though was cleared. hooked s10 blazer up to it. and got it stuck. ran short chain between tow hook on blazer to hook on top of bucket of the 555c TLB, chain poped, thankfully it snapped near blazer and chain all snapped back into bucket. if it snapped near hook on the bucket. i would most likely would of needed a new windshield. and had a few dents in the hood to fix on the S10 blazer.
==================
not chain related, but rope and cable.
setup a small drag harrow to pull across a lake to remove most of the moss. using long heavier duty nylon rope. i would assume approx 300 feet of total rope. made from 3 or 5 individual ropes. i would always put a smaller size rope near back of s-10 blazer. so if it would snap, hopefully the smaller lighter duty rope would snap first. a couple times it did, but once it broke near drag harrow. 300 foot of stretched rope, is no funny matter. thankfully i pulled at an angle like i normally do, and it all just whipped pass rear end of the s10 blazer.
a few years back using nylon rope to pull some bushes. rope got cut by a branch and came whipping up pass side rear view mirrors. ((thanking my lucky stars i didn't have my head out of the window.))
trying to pull some large branches and logs up out of the woods were i would not even dare to drive tractor down into. whipping of that cable was enough to say ok, time to pickup things and forget about those branches for good. the cable snapped through a 2+" other branch on other tree and still had plenty of force to take out me or another branch if it wanted to.
=============
just when you think you are well below the load strength of the chain/cable/rope. you normally are, but something happens. and that is when things can go quickly wrong.
the oh POO factor normally hits me when i get in the driver seat, when i am about to pull something, which makes me double think and then get back out and double check everything one more time. and make sure i can pull at an angle vs direction chain/cable/rope is hooked up to. so if it does snap. it will be less likely flying directly back into me.
I once read about tying a nylon rope(1/4 inch?) to the end of a chain, then threading it through a chain link about every foot until reaching the other end of the chain where it is tied again. Supposed to keep the chain from flying if the chain breaks. The rope probably breaks harmlessly after suppressing the chain break, if the pull isn't stopped in time.
Never tried it or heard of it, except the one article. Anyone else?
Bruce
Never tried it or heard of it, except the one article. Anyone else?
Bruce
JB4310
Super Member
Sounds like a plan, leave enough slack in the rope, and the rope shouldn't break, but would prevent the chain from flying back.
How about the fire hose trick,put the chain inside a fire hose, or wrap the hose around the chain in a few spots. Anything thrown over the chain around midway should do the trick.
JB.
Dr_Zinj
Veteran Member
I'm constantly aware of that possibility. Chains, cables, ropes, and belts under tension enough to break are almost worse than an IED going off underneath you.
LittleBlueTractor
Gold Member
I had the same question and it didn't take me long to find this:
MSHA - Metal and Nonmetal Mine Fatal Accident Investigation Report
Don't know if it's "as bad", but it's bad enough.
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Reading that account will cause me to be more carefull with chains. Maybe I was just lucky when I broke one pulling out that truck. I always say: "I would rather be lucky than good", and I have been more times than I can remember. I still feel safer with chains than straps or cables. It appears that the chain in that account was not properly loaded and the failure resulted in part from contact of the failed link with a push bar. I wonder how many more fatalities there has been since 1998, when that one occurred, compared to from failed straps and cables.
SandburRanch
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A re-enactment of the hitch showed that the failed link was most likely in contact with the outermost bottom corner of the steel push bar at the rear of the trailer. The loading on the failed link would have been in direct tension from the pull of the chain and bending from the reaction caused by the corner of the push bar. These two combined effects caused the link to bend inward on the side in contact with the corner of the push bar. These forces resulted in the failure of the link along its side.
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It seems to me that same type of bending force could be exerted on a chain link to some extent by doubling back through a clevis albeit possibly a lesser force. It sure gives something to consider.
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It seems to me that same type of bending force could be exerted on a chain link to some extent by doubling back through a clevis albeit possibly a lesser force. It sure gives something to consider.
JB4310
Super Member
I know you linked this story to show that chain can indeed fly back and kill.
And I believe it's possible for it to happen to anyone.
But the circumstances involved in that accident are unlike anything we would encounter with or tractors.
225 HP dozer pulling a stuck 158,000 LB load with a chain rated at 12,000 lbs.
1/2" chain to the back of the head, he probably didn't feel a thing.
JB
Diamondpilot
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While a strap can hurt you it probably will not kill you. You may be wish you were dead but that's another story. Chain on the other hand has a lot of mass and can easily kill you.
I pull stuff all the time. I had a friend who sunk a boat. He was trying to pull it up on shore with a Suburban and a tow strap. He broke the tow hook on the Suburban but not the strap or the boat.
Another friend broke the grill and radiator on a brand new 1/2 ton GMC trying to move a small Mini-Barn. He was using a strap and it pulled lose, did not break, from the barn and snapped back toward the truck doing damage.
I personally broke a strap with a 4x4 Ranger back in HS pulling shrubs for a lady. My buddy was standing right by the strap when it snapped and I saw him nearly jump on the roof of the house. I laughed at the time but now see how serious it was.
I have a friend that got her leg nearly take off and a piece of meat about the size of a hot dog bun ripped out of her leg when they were pulling a 16'x75' House Boat that was not running. They were using a piece of 3/4" nylon rope and it broke and snapped back to the boat hitting her in the leg.
2 farmers in my area have been killed by chains in the last 5 years. One was pulling a stuck 4 wheeler out of a mud hole with a F-150. He had a chain hooked to the hitch and it broke coming though the rear window hitting him in the head and killing him.
Another was pulling a stump with a large tractor and a chain. Again it broke hitting him in the head.
I have personally broke 2 chains. One as done pulling fence post with my tractor. It luckily broke 6 links from the tractor. The other was actually not me but we had 2 tractors and a dozer hooked to a stuck 20 ton Drag Line. The chain on the dozer broke at the hook on the Drag Line end and snapped back hitting the dozer. I quite right then and there. 2 large 8 wheel tractors got it out the following summer.
When I pull with any of my pickups I only hook to the passengers side tow hook and only pull backwards so I can see whats going on. I also pull at a angle so if it was to snap it will fly at a angle away from me. I am the only one in the truck.
When I pull shrubs and stumps with my tractor I literally back up over them, then hook up the chain as short as possible. Sometimes its only 1' from the draw bar. That way if the chain breaks it is not long enough to hit me.
Chris
I pull stuff all the time. I had a friend who sunk a boat. He was trying to pull it up on shore with a Suburban and a tow strap. He broke the tow hook on the Suburban but not the strap or the boat.
Another friend broke the grill and radiator on a brand new 1/2 ton GMC trying to move a small Mini-Barn. He was using a strap and it pulled lose, did not break, from the barn and snapped back toward the truck doing damage.
I personally broke a strap with a 4x4 Ranger back in HS pulling shrubs for a lady. My buddy was standing right by the strap when it snapped and I saw him nearly jump on the roof of the house. I laughed at the time but now see how serious it was.
I have a friend that got her leg nearly take off and a piece of meat about the size of a hot dog bun ripped out of her leg when they were pulling a 16'x75' House Boat that was not running. They were using a piece of 3/4" nylon rope and it broke and snapped back to the boat hitting her in the leg.
2 farmers in my area have been killed by chains in the last 5 years. One was pulling a stuck 4 wheeler out of a mud hole with a F-150. He had a chain hooked to the hitch and it broke coming though the rear window hitting him in the head and killing him.
Another was pulling a stump with a large tractor and a chain. Again it broke hitting him in the head.
I have personally broke 2 chains. One as done pulling fence post with my tractor. It luckily broke 6 links from the tractor. The other was actually not me but we had 2 tractors and a dozer hooked to a stuck 20 ton Drag Line. The chain on the dozer broke at the hook on the Drag Line end and snapped back hitting the dozer. I quite right then and there. 2 large 8 wheel tractors got it out the following summer.
When I pull with any of my pickups I only hook to the passengers side tow hook and only pull backwards so I can see whats going on. I also pull at a angle so if it was to snap it will fly at a angle away from me. I am the only one in the truck.
When I pull shrubs and stumps with my tractor I literally back up over them, then hook up the chain as short as possible. Sometimes its only 1' from the draw bar. That way if the chain breaks it is not long enough to hit me.
Chris
