Huntshillhaus Farm
Bronze Member
- Joined
- Aug 1, 2018
- Messages
- 67
- Location
- South Central Missouri
- Tractor
- John Deere 2150, Husqvarna Z554
If you're into trying to meet federal standards (I realize that's not everyone's goal), the Federal DOT regs say each chain/strap counts for 50% of the least rated WLL component in the tiedown - chains/hooks/binders/straps/etc, unless the tiedown crosses the piece of equipment to another tiedown on the trailer, in which case it gets 100% of least rated device in the tiedown. The combined rating of all those tiedowns must be at least 50% of the total weight of the piece of equipment in question.
So what does that look like in practice?
My JD 2150 tractor is 6,000ish pounds wet, with a 900lb FEL, coming to 6,900lbs, so let's call it 7,000lbs. Since it's under 10,001lbs, it doesn't need four separate chains with binders; I can get by with one crossing in the front, and one in the rear, with a binder on each. With 5/16 chain, the rating is 4,700, the hooks are 6,600, and the binders are 5,200, making the individual tiedown rated at 4,700lbs. If I use one on the front and one on the rear, I get to claim 100% of the tiedown rating since I am coming off one place in the trailer, threading through the tractor, and returning to another anchor on the trailer. The two tiedowns together then equal 9,400lbs, plus the one required for the FEL, bringing the total to 14,100lbs, which is more than enough to cover the 50% weight rating of the tractor which is 7000/2 = 3,500lbs.
Confused yet? I am.
Now if I went with a four-chain/binder rig to each corner of the tractor, the individual 4,700lb tiedowns are only worth 1/2, so 2,350lbs each. Multiply that by four, and your total corner chain rating is back to 9,400lbs, and the FEL cross chain is 4,700, which equals 14,100lbs total, the same as before. While chaining this way is recommended for equipment below 10,000lbs, it is required for anything 10,001lbs or more.
If we went with 3/8 chain, the rating jumps to 6,600lbs (x3 chains [on the same tractor]) = 19,800lbs.
If we went with 1/2 chain, the rating jumps to 11,300lbs (x3 chains) = 33,900lbs.
Key points to remember:
Single-point tiedowns are rated at 50% of the least-rated piece of the rig.
Double-point tiedowns (with no slack chain) are rated at 100% of the least-rated piece of the rig.
Sum total of all tiedowns must be equal to or greater than 50% of the total weight of a single piece of equipment.
Four separate corner chains with four independent binders are recommended for all load, but are only required for pieces of equipment 10,001lbs or more.
So what does that look like in practice?
My JD 2150 tractor is 6,000ish pounds wet, with a 900lb FEL, coming to 6,900lbs, so let's call it 7,000lbs. Since it's under 10,001lbs, it doesn't need four separate chains with binders; I can get by with one crossing in the front, and one in the rear, with a binder on each. With 5/16 chain, the rating is 4,700, the hooks are 6,600, and the binders are 5,200, making the individual tiedown rated at 4,700lbs. If I use one on the front and one on the rear, I get to claim 100% of the tiedown rating since I am coming off one place in the trailer, threading through the tractor, and returning to another anchor on the trailer. The two tiedowns together then equal 9,400lbs, plus the one required for the FEL, bringing the total to 14,100lbs, which is more than enough to cover the 50% weight rating of the tractor which is 7000/2 = 3,500lbs.
Confused yet? I am.
Now if I went with a four-chain/binder rig to each corner of the tractor, the individual 4,700lb tiedowns are only worth 1/2, so 2,350lbs each. Multiply that by four, and your total corner chain rating is back to 9,400lbs, and the FEL cross chain is 4,700, which equals 14,100lbs total, the same as before. While chaining this way is recommended for equipment below 10,000lbs, it is required for anything 10,001lbs or more.
If we went with 3/8 chain, the rating jumps to 6,600lbs (x3 chains [on the same tractor]) = 19,800lbs.
If we went with 1/2 chain, the rating jumps to 11,300lbs (x3 chains) = 33,900lbs.
Key points to remember:
Single-point tiedowns are rated at 50% of the least-rated piece of the rig.
Double-point tiedowns (with no slack chain) are rated at 100% of the least-rated piece of the rig.
Sum total of all tiedowns must be equal to or greater than 50% of the total weight of a single piece of equipment.
Four separate corner chains with four independent binders are recommended for all load, but are only required for pieces of equipment 10,001lbs or more.