SAFETY WARNING: Using Loader to Lift with Chains

[MChalkley]

Wen - So somebody besides me goes along with the theory that overkill is a good thing! /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif I'm as much of a nut about chain as I am a lot of other things - therefore, my chain of choice for pretty much everything is 3/8" G100 alloy, with a working load around 9,000 lbs and a breaking strength around 35,000. If I break that, I deserve what I get. Besides, it would sure make an interesting story, provided I live to tell about it. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

By the way, with all the talk about chains breaking and flying around, I thought I throw my experience in. I've seen chain break quite a few times (mostly while being pulled by a 'dozer) and I've never seen 3/8" grade 70 or better chain snap back with any appreciable force or travel more than 6 inches or so. I have seen smaller and/or cheaper chain snap back with enough force to do considerable damage, as has been reported by several other posters. But, if you use larger chain, and the good stuff, you're not going to break it in the first place, and if the unthinkable should happen, from my experience, it won't whip around or snap back dangerously. If anyone else's experience disagrees with mine, I'd sure like to know about it. Getting hit by a flying 3/8" chain could ruin your day.

MarkC

 

[W5FL]

Harv,

I remember one of the early OSHA agricultural bulletins stated that Fresh Wet Cow Manure was slippery. Wonder who needed to be told not to step in it? Wonder how much trouble they had attaching the warning decals to the cow?

 

[gerard]

Wen,
Beleive it or not I think that one came about when a man placed a ladder against the house early in the morning while the manure he placed a ladder foot on was frozen. As the morning warmed up the manure thawed, the ladder slipped and down he went. This was circulated for awhile as one of the ridiculous examples of our overly litigious society and reluctance to hold people accountable for their own actions.

 

[scruffy]

Ian, using that 4x4 for bracing your loader is like rolling dice in a crap game in Las Vegas! What type of wood is the 4x4 cut from? How is the grain? Any knots in it? Any cracks? How much does your bucket weigh (including frame)? What is the deadweight in other words.
The above questions are why a heavy grade steel pipe (not cast iron) is preferable, more so on both sides of the bucket, as well as blocking the tractor tires so there is no possibility of any roll to lose the effectiveness of the pipe bracing.

 

[Anonymous Poster]

I use a 3/8 chain for everything. It is heavy and cumbersome and I think Mr. Atlas could pick up my L35 by the chain and spin it around with no chance of busting it.

Of course since Murphy still lives here, there's alway the chance of one bad link so I still assume the worst and act accordingly.

So far the 3/8 hasn't let me down.

 

[ejb]

I actually busted a section of 3/8 chain not that long ago, didn't even pull it that hard...what had happened was a few weeks earlier I had pinched one of the links of the chain in between my FEL bucket and the FEL frame and it put a slight kink/nick into the chain (just enough to weaken it I guess)...didn't think much about it until it snapped when I was pulling over a tree....nobody was hurt luckily.

 

[Harv]

Wen -

You may have opened the door for other amusing warning labels here. The slippery cow patty one is a hoot. /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

I'll keep my eye out for others, but offhand the best one I saw was on some prescription pills I received a few years ago which included this on the label:

"CAUTION: Chew orally before swallowing."

You don't even want to think about the alternatives...

 

[gordon]

1. I would never say that lifting with a chain isn't dangerous. anything you do with the front end loader involves risk not just chain lifting. When you use the front end loader you change the center of gravity of the tractor. So other issues also come into play when discussing this. Ballast, ground level, bumps etc and also ground speed. To name a few.

2.Alot of this comes from experience and the knowledge of using a tractor. Also what to expect from a given action when using the tractor and how to react when an action goes bad.

3.Sad but true even the pro's make mistakes or have things go bad when working. One can never be to safe it only takes a second for a simple chore to get out of hand.

4.Some Weekend tractor people are actually at more of a risk than a professional---Why? The most dangerous thing in the world---lack of knowledge. But what is the best way to overcome that---seat time.

5.I'm very relieved to hear that the lawyers never try to talk a client into a lawsuit or give the client the belief that you could or have the fair right to sue at the drop of a hat----sorry my mistake.

Gordon

 

[gordon]

The time I broke out my rear window on the tractor I was using a chain that was too light for the job and what was even worse I had no idea what the breaking strengh of the chain was.-----live and learn-----

After that no more junk-cheap-low dollar chains for me. The good thing was only two things were hurt that day, my ego and my rear window. 3/8 chain is all I use now and have had no problems since. Knock on wood.
Gordon

 

[Rowski]

Question about dragging stuff with loader. Is it possible to pull the loader assembly off the tractor by hard pulling. Example: instead of pulling out stumps (2"-4") using the draw bar, pull with the loader as you mentioned by hooking the chain under the bucket. I know there are a lot of variables to factor (traction, weight, type of tree, etc.) but generally speaking.

Derek