Transportation Chain and Binders

[Huntshillhaus Farm]

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.

 

[jyoutz]

Here they are:

https://www.uscargocontrol.com/collections/made-in-usa-transport-chain-and-binders

Grade 80 Binder Chain (USA)

Not available in stores

 

[Robo 52]

There’s no need to be that excessive. A 5/16 grade 70 chain working load is 4700 pounds. Using 6 of those is almost 30,000 pounds working load of chain. A 3/8 grade 70 chain is going to rip off the trailer anchor point or bust off the tractor before the chain breaks. Using 1/2 chain on a compact tractor is a complete waste of money and effort to drag it out.

I don't consider it 'excessive' at all.
I never said anything about 'using 6 of those'. In fact I use two 3/8" chains at the rear and one 3/8" chain attached 4 times at the front of the load and sides of the trailer. And then another 1/2" link to the front - which as I said in my earlier post is 'overkill'. And as I said, use 1/2" IF YOU HAVE IT. I already have a length of 1/2" chain, so it's no additional cost to me. And an 18' length of 3/8", which I don't feel like cutting in pieces because I use it logging.
'waste of money'? Looking at several suppliers, 3/8" chain seems to be a little less than $1.00 more a foot than 5/16". So for roughly $10 you get more peace of mind with a 10' length of 3/8" than with 5/16". With a $15-20,000.00 tractor I'll go with spending an extra $10 anytime.
As someone points out above, your weakest component has to be 50% of total load. It's NOT cumulative for the whole load - when a side force comes calling all that is going to matter is the INDIVIDUAL capacity of the weakest link in ONE of your anchor-to-load transport chain components. For a 9,000lb tractor you're counting on one link of a chain made by some $1yuan an hour worker in China doing his job JUST right. Not worth a gamble imho.
If you're using trailer-bed tie-down anchor points then you're on your own.
'waste of money and effort'? Been 20 or so years since I did industrial time studies, but I would think the effort to pull out a 1/2" chain would even now STILL be just about the same as the effort it takes pulling out a 5/16" chain - and the cost/benefit ratio would have to be significantly higher with 3/8".
You do what you want, but where MY equipment and other's lives are on the line, I'll go with excessive every time.
Thanks, though for your opinions.

 

[CJONE]

After working at a oilfield company for MANY years [and the DOT pulling us over every chance they got] the only thing we used 1/2" chain for was pulling stuck trucks out that we couldn't get the dozer tail chain hooked to. 1/2 chain is just unruly to tie equipment down with! The only time we had to use it to be legal was a almost 100k ex that had to be hauled. The 5/16 G70 has a working load limit of 4700lbs and a breaking strength of 18800. You break that and you have WAY more serious issues. Never heard of the DOT derating to 1/2 of chain capacity. Now if they can't find the markings on the chain they will go to the lowest grade and use that for their calculations. I have seen a almost new 930 cat loader hit a railroad bridge and what was left of the front of the machine was on the trailer and the back half was dragging behind/side of the trailer still attached. 2 3/8" chains with 4 tiedown points. CJ

 

[Huntshillhaus Farm]

I don't consider it 'excessive' at all.
I never said anything about 'using 6 of those'. In fact I use two 3/8" chains at the rear and one 3/8" chain attached 4 times at the front of the load and sides of the trailer. And then another 1/2" link to the front - which as I said in my earlier post is 'overkill'. And as I said, use 1/2" IF YOU HAVE IT. I already have a length of 1/2" chain, so it's no additional cost to me. And an 18' length of 3/8", which I don't feel like cutting in pieces because I use it logging.
'waste of money'? Looking at several suppliers, 3/8" chain seems to be a little less than $1.00 more a foot than 5/16". So for roughly $10 you get more peace of mind with a 10' length of 3/8" than with 5/16". With a $15-20,000.00 tractor I'll go with spending an extra $10 anytime.
As someone points out above, your weakest component has to be 50% of total load. It's NOT cumulative for the whole load - when a side force comes calling all that is going to matter is the INDIVIDUAL capacity of the weakest link in ONE of your anchor-to-load transport chain components. For a 9,000lb tractor you're counting on one link of a chain made by some $1yuan an hour worker in China doing his job JUST right. Not worth a gamble imho.
If you're using trailer-bed tie-down anchor points then you're on your own.
'waste of money and effort'? Been 20 or so years since I did industrial time studies, but I would think the effort to pull out a 1/2" chain would even now STILL be just about the same as the effort it takes pulling out a 5/16" chain - and the cost/benefit ratio would have to be significantly higher with 3/8".
You do what you want, but where MY equipment and other's lives are on the line, I'll go with excessive every time.
Thanks, though for your opinions.

When I said the weakest component earlier, I was not saying it had to be 50% of the entire load, rather the sum total of the weakest component in each of the tiedowns added together had to make up 50% of the load. Not trying to nitpick, and obviously safety is worthwhile to you (as it hopefully is to us all), but to restate my point, the four individual 5/16 chains, rated at half their WLL, would be 2,350 each, or 9,400 altogether. They needed to cover 1/2 my tractor's weight, or 3,500lbs. Plus the 100% rating of the fifth chain straight over the bucket, and the sum total rating is now 9,400 + 4,700 = 14,100, or double the actual weight of my tractor and loader. Given that the actual break strength of the 5/16 G70 is 18,000, I feel like a total of 94,000lbs for my 7,000lb tractor is a fairly safe margin.

 

[3 Horse Ranch]

LOOK OUT when you want to break it loose 'cuz you're going to bust your knuckles or something worse.

Then you are using the wrong tool to tighten and loosen your binders.

 

[Robo 52]

When I said the weakest component earlier, I was not saying it had to be 50% of the entire load, rather the sum total of the weakest component in each of the tiedowns added together had to make up 50% of the load. Not trying to nitpick, and obviously safety is worthwhile to you (as it hopefully is to us all), but to restate my point, the four individual 5/16 chains, rated at half their WLL, would be 2,350 each, or 9,400 altogether. They needed to cover 1/2 my tractor's weight, or 3,500lbs. Plus the 100% rating of the fifth chain straight over the bucket, and the sum total rating is now 9,400 + 4,700 = 14,100, or double the actual weight of my tractor and loader. Given that the actual break strength of the 5/16 G70 is 18,000, I feel like a total of 94,000lbs for my 7,000lb tractor is a fairly safe margin.

I had no issue with what you said, think your comments were right on the money. I was responding to another poster's opinions.

Don't quite agree with your calculations above, tho'.

 

[Robo 52]

Then you are using the wrong tool to tighten and loosen your binders.

great 2 Timothy reference. Thanks! Love the hymn, too. One of my favorites.


With a ratchet binder you don't need a tool to loosen your binders.

 

[4570Man]

After working at a oilfield company for MANY years [and the DOT pulling us over every chance they got] the only thing we used 1/2" chain for was pulling stuck trucks out that we couldn't get the dozer tail chain hooked to. 1/2 chain is just unruly to tie equipment down with! The only time we had to use it to be legal was a almost 100k ex that had to be hauled. The 5/16 G70 has a working load limit of 4700lbs and a breaking strength of 18800. You break that and you have WAY more serious issues. Never heard of the DOT derating to 1/2 of chain capacity. Now if they can't find the markings on the chain they will go to the lowest grade and use that for their calculations. I have seen a almost new 930 cat loader hit a railroad bridge and what was left of the front of the machine was on the trailer and the back half was dragging behind/side of the trailer still attached. 2 3/8" chains with 4 tiedown points. CJ

Agreed. 1/2 chain is total absurd for securing a 7,000 pound tractor. It might be ok for a guy making 2 trips a year but for someone doing routine hauling that’s way too heavy to drag around. And completely unnecessary. If you can’t manage to secure a 7,000 pound tractor with 5/15 chain then I don’t think the chain is the problem.

 

[ROUSTABOUT]

All mines come from pawn shops. Which reminds me. I need to sell the 1/2" because I don't plan to use. I've got two 24' and several 10' all stored in milk crates. Heck I don't plan on living that rough of a life anymore.