Chains Straps or Chains (or is this too personal?)

[dgood1]

Fraying is not the only thing to watch out for on straps. Having the straps exposed to the sun, chemicals or abrasives such as sand can break down the fibers without much visual damage.

I am sure that there are many items that I have missed such as ozone.

Yes I know that chains can rust, but that can be easily seen.

Trying to keep people thinking.

 

[Gfranklin]

Just a comment on binders. I know three people that I met socially at different times. One had a steel plate in his head, the other had a significantly restructured jaw and part of his face and the other used a strange fingering on his guitar due to 4.5 digits. The common denominator? - cheater bars on those overcentering lever-type chain binders. I do know one was a logging truck and my guess is the other two weren't compact tractor hauling but I couldn't shake the thought. When I got my tractor and trailer, I went over to the ratcheting chain binders and flinched at the price as I bought them. The pain from the flinch didn't last long though.

Greg

 

[Gary_in_Indiana]

Good points, Don. I seldom have mine outside unless they're being used so environmental damage like that to which you refer is minimized. I store them out of the weather. If they get wet during use I let them hang straight to dry out before putting them back in the toolbox.

I've seen someone get straps out of their toolbox that were put in there wet. It was winter and they were stiff as steel. I loaded up and left while they were still trying to melt theirs in the truck cab. /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif/w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif/w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

 

[Alan L.]

I now use the regular chain binders because they are easier. I'm usually tired and hot at the end of the day and I got frustrated farting with the straps. Too hard to figure out how to get everthing just right where the strap wouldn't be cut and would be tight. Sometimes they were hard to get off too.

I put baling wire on the binders to keep them from popping open, but I don't use a cheater bar at all. Much easier and quicker than the straps.

I will check into the ratcheting kind though.

 

[Turfman]

So where do you run them?

Chains, with regular binders, don't use a cheater bar. D-rings on the front and into a stake pocket on the back.

On the rear of the tractor I insert a big clevis ring into the draw bar. The front goes thorough the pipe in the frame for the FEL. That's where my dealer said they put them when they transport. When I'm hauling my landscape rake in the front of the trailer, with the FEL bucket upside down and resting on it, the FEL frame pipe is to high to easily run it through there, so I run it over and behind the frame bar that is in front of the grill that joins the two sides of the frame together. I'm not happy with this because it beats up the frame piece. I'd like to use a clevis here to, but there is no place to put one.

Where are you guys running your chains and straps?

 

[Von]

Re: So where do you run them?

Turfman,I run my chains thru a clevis on the drawbar in the back and a clevis thru the front frame on the front. I had to drill a large hole in the frame front for the clevis to fit. (See photo attached) I have been using some old chain and binders that my grandfather gave me years ago. Broke one binder, and the chain has been spiced together many times, and of unknown grade. So I went out and got two 20' grade 70 5/16" chains and two ratchet binders. I was hualing around over 20 grand worth of equipment with junk chain and binders because I was too cheap to spend the $100.00 to get the good stuff. What conviced me to do it was when I broke a binder. The pin where it hinges wore right out. Thank god it happened when I was putting it on, and not while transporting the tractor! Buy the good chain and binders now and you will have them for the rest of your life, and will not have to worry anymore!

 

[Gary_in_Indiana]

Alan,

I use straps for the very reasons you prefer chains. At the end of the day I'm hot and tired and don't feel like messing with heavy, loud, dirty chains. My straps are light, clean and don't sound like a load of bolts in a metal box when I toss them on my diamond plate trailer bed.

I have eleven D-rings so finding an attachment point is simple. My sleeved axle straps make contact with the loaded vehicle (my straps do not). I pull the excess strapping through the ratchet and then ratchet it tight. I only need to use the ratchets on one end because the other doesn't need to be ratcheted down, only strapped down. <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.mrproducts.com/combotiebacks.htm>Tie back straps</A> are ideal for this. With those, especially, I find straps far quicker to use.

 

[Gary_in_Indiana]

Re: So where do you run them?

<font color=blue>"I was too cheap to spend the $100.00 to get the good stuff"</font color=blue>

Look <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.mrproducts.com/combotiebacks.htm>here</A> at the bottom of the page to see what $85 will buy you.

 

[Von]

Re: So where do you run them?

Gary, Those are nice, but they only have a working load limit of 3300 lbs. Where the chains I got have a working load limit of 4700 lbs. Plus I don't have to worry about cuts or fraying with the chains. I keep them inside, so rust and dirt will not be a big issue for me. Total cost was under the $100.00 for all and they will last me for ever, I can't say that about the straps. (see attached photo)

 

[hosejockey2002]

I spent about a year and a half moonlighting as a truck driver driving a 10 yard dump. About half the time I hauled equipment on a 3 axle tag trailer. We used over center binders and used a big cheater bar to get them tight enough. I hauled a 4 yard loader that weighed about 35,000 pounds and with 4 chains and binders it was still hard to get it secured well. The scary part was releasing the binders. I was lucky that I never was injured. When I bought chains and binders for my own tractor I spent about five bucks apiece extra for ratcheting binders and it was money well spent. I've got close to a hundred bucks into my two chains and binders, but I can drive with a smile because I don't have to fret about whether my machine will stay on the trailer or not. This is definitely NOT an area to skimp on.