Ratcheting load binder

[Richard]

My neighbor works for some large rental company and brought me 2 load binders (the ones that snap at your fingers) and also a single ratcheting load binder.

He's supposed to be bringing me two or three more ratcheting type. The one I in fact HAVE is (if memory serves) a 1/2 inch range, verses the smaller variety. I think it would work on a 3/8 to 1/2 inch chain.

He said they're swapping these out for some kind of straps because "these have become illegal" /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

I inquired further about "illegal" and he said something about broken knuckles at work and they've gone to the other kind.

So, (I've not fully clarified yet) he might mean they are "illegal" because the WORKPLACE is swapping them out, verses illegal from the perspective of the LAW.

Soooooooooooooooooo

Anyone have any clarification about that?

If I indeed get my hands on a full set (defined as 4) for myself and there's more available, does anyone have any interest in my making inquiry to him about how much they might cost?

Both the knuckle buster kind and ratchet are evidently available

I'm not suggesting he'd be willing to do this, nor able to do this (though I think he would happily do it if they're available) He's told me they're in a large bucket for the taking as his company wants to get rid of them.

I'd be happy to help him and his company and if anyone here can benefit as well, then power to TBN /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

These are US made as best as I can tell and though they are beat up, they seem to be perfectly functional.

One downside, he promised me "mine" ummm...... perhaps 5 weeks ago, so he's kinda forgetful. If anyone has an interest and HE has the interest/ability to acquire them... I make NO promises as to how long nor how frustrating it may be to complete the deal.

I'd be happy to take them to the local UPS store & have them boxed up & shipped.

I promise that the $593,205,104.08 that I charge for each one will go to a worthy cause /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Seriously though... I have no idea what shipping might be, so that might bugger the deal, but the offer is here for anyone that has the interest to find out.

 

[Darren]

I haven't heard that they're illegal. I still see lots of trucks on the highways hauling equipment secured with chains and binders. Straps are fine for stuff that won't cut or wear through a strap but chain is the ticket for the heavy stuff.

I hope that rental yard isn't using straps for heavy equipment.

 

[Richard]

I think his rental company has to do more with commercial scaffolding as he's always talking about these projects where they're working a couple hundred feet in the air and then taking down the scaffolding... /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif (not me, ever!!)

Amazing to me that what one person doesn't blink at doing will paralize another.

(insert paralized face of me here)

My suspicion is that his company has banned the binders since they've had too many cuts/bruises and their safety department is angry with them. Seems they've had too many "reportable offenses" but rather than a reportable offense being an "accident" where someone is actually being hurt, it is (thankfully) just someone busting up their knuckles with the snappy kind of load binders.

I think that's the deal, so the company said fine, we'll get rid of those knucklebusters and use the more friendly straps.

 

[slowrev]

I have heard that the knuckle buster type of binders now require a locking device to keep the handle from jumping loose. DOT stuff..

 

[markct]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( I have heard that the knuckle buster type of binders now require a locking device to keep the handle from jumping loose. DOT stuff..
)</font>


maybe it wasnt a law till recently, but its always been common sense and common practice, some tie them with wire and some wrap the tail of the chain around them, i usualy liked to wrap the chain around the handle, but i know of a couple proffesional truckers who like the wire method, those things can snap open from bouncing if they arnt tight so its always good to secure the handle. and with a bit of common sense and care you will never hurt yourself with them, keep you fingers outa the pinch points and keep yourself clear of the handles when opening them and you will never have a problem, they are much faster than ratchet turnbuckle binders and just as good when used properly. i have both types and rarely use the ratchet turnbuckle ones, just too slow and tedious

 

[Darren]

I use the heavy cable ties to secure binders and lock (trap) hooks on safety chains. That nullifies vibration. The tie isn't coming loose. That along with stopping and checking to make sure something else hasn't loosened gets me down the road safely.

 

[mccormickDave]

I can definetly see why a company would want to switch to something safer, especially if they have employees who do not receive proper training on the use of the non ratcheting load binders. For several years I had between 8 to 12 summer employees working under me for a landscaping company and I made it a policy that no person other than myself was to open or close the binders. What seems like easy, common sense to a lot of us, is often new and difficult for someone who has never secured or unsecured a load before. One of the things I tried to stress and demonstrate to the workers was to make sure to pull the binder toward them when securing and when releasing not to grab the handle, but put the palm of the hand under the handle and push up. I have also found a cheater bar to be worth its weight in gold for securing and unsecuring, just make sure not to exceed capacity of binder and chain.

 

[Phred]

The flip kind are dangerous, but if you wrap the excess chain about them the primary danger is in install/removal. A lot of guys use a helper bar to get them really tight.

Nothing wrong with the ratchet type. In fact this is what I use and its the best way IMHO.
Straps just do not cut it when you have a heavy load.

One time when I was in denver, I happened to walk past about 2 feet of broken heavy duty strap lying on the side of the street. It still had the hook on the end and it was obvious that it had worn through.

I have never found part of a chain lying around or had one break on me yet.

Fred

 

[Yankee]

"The flip kind are dangerous, but if you wrap the excess chain about them the primary danger is in install/removal. A lot of guys use a helper bar to get them really tight. "

The heavier the load, the tighter the chain needs to be (within limits, of course) as heavy equipment can really work the chain. There's no reason to really crank on a binder on a smaller piece of equipment like my CUT, though.