Chain or strap

Craig45 · Jul 30, 2015

My neighbor was pulling some logs out with his tractor and was having some trouble. He had the front of the log off the ground so it wouldn't dig in, but his tractor didn't have enough pull to get it up the hill. He ask me to come help and I brought my tractor over with a log chain and hooked up to his with two pulling the log came out slck. So my question, if a chain breaks will it just fall or will it snap towards both ends? How about a strap?

JMS/.MN · Jul 30, 2015

Strap is much worse, even if you"re not "gunning" it. Both can fly. What"s really bad is a steel hook on a strap. Cab window offers no protection.

fixerupper · Jul 30, 2015

Most times the chain will fly back a few feet and stop limp on the ground if it is being pulled straight. A strap is like a super rubber band and it will fly back farther but is lightweight so it can't do much damage. The problem comes when a chain or clevis the strap is hooked to breaks and the recoiling strap pulls the Chain or clevis back at 300 miles per hour. I have seen it happen twice and it is scary. Straps are very handy, I use one on occasion for towing but in the wrong hands a strap can be very deadly.

jon f mn · Jul 30, 2015

Just google broken tow strap to see how dangerous they are. A neighbor had the hook break on one, it came through the rear window, past his head, through the front window and folded over the muffler on a 4020 deere. That was the last strap they or our family ever used.

RBoots · Jul 30, 2015

At work we all have 8" straps in our trucks in case we get hung up, if not too bad. A 65,000 pound loaded tandem being pulled by another can really strain a strap. In the case where the truck is really bad, we use a 4" specially made recovery rope or a 40' 3/4" link chain, forget what grade it is, but its the strongest you could buy (120?). The worst part is when one of the tow hooks mounted on the truck (two 5/8 bolts and one 3/4 bolts mounting it to the frame) get pulled off or break. Easy to punch them thru the stainless tailgate on our trucks. We always try to pull rear to rear to use the box for a little protection. Have also seen chains through tractor windows as well.

Ross

Bernie/MA · Jul 30, 2015

I had a chain break while pull-starting a tractor. The same pedal was the clutch and brake (Fordson F) so when it started I pushed it out of gear. My daughter saw me gaining on the truck so she hit the gas as I was slowing to a stop. Her end put a dent in the top of the truck cab. My end landed on the hood about 2 feet in front of the steering wheel.

Mo in NE tex · Jul 30, 2015

Either one will fly when broke, follow the rule of "off-Roaders" and always lay a blanket, old coat or something on the strap or chain, it will cause it to drop down to the ground if broke and slow the kinetic energy created.

ditchwitch · Jul 30, 2015

If im working with a tractor i always use a chain. I dont trust a strap. They stretch to much. Kinda gives me the willies.

Nick167 · Jul 30, 2015

I use a chain and haven't had problems yet I also have 2 lifting straps with just loops in the end I haven't used them for skidding logs but maybe look into something like that

newhollandnut · Jul 30, 2015

Not really an answer to your question as everyone has covered it pretty well but 99 times out of 100 I prefer steel cable. They also make choker cables just for pulling logs the have like a bullet that hooks back into a slide device on the cable. A lot less likely to come unhooked and a lot easier to slide under logs

notjustair · Jul 30, 2015

They won't fall limp to the ground. There is far too
much energy to dissipate there. When I was much
younger I had an acquaintance find himself six feet
under after the chain came through the back
window of the tractor. His wife was a widow at 23. I
got to buy new door glass on the 4440 from a
straight pull. I still use chains for everything. When
it's my time I will be called up. I try to be as smart as
I can in the mean time.

SDE · Jul 30, 2015

Local guy died when a hook broke and hit him in the back of the head.

Both can be deadly.

David G · Jul 30, 2015

I do NOT pull with straps, to dangerous. I get along fine with chains, but to not jerk them.

John B. · Jul 31, 2015

They say what's really dangerous is when you hook a strap to a chain. If the chain breaks the strap can really catapult the chain a far way...

dpendzic · Jul 31, 2015

I have broken chains and straps---they will fly in either direction depending where the break is--if the break is toward one end it will fly in the other direction---strap will fly further as it is more elastic

Super Steve · Jul 31, 2015

you have to use good judgement. If its just a little tractor stuck on wet grass, I will grab a chain. If its the combine buried to the axles being pulled by a tracked cat, I use a 6" strap. You also need to know the difference between a TOW strap and a RECOVERY strap. A tow strap has hooks on each end and is meant to TOW a disabled vehicles off the road. A recovery strap is meant to pull stuck vehicles or equipment, it will have sewn loops on each end.

01gentdc · Jul 31, 2015

just broke a aged strap ,, pulling out the haybine out of a septic sink that is always a little wet this year soupy ,, but it did it after I tied it together on the 3rd attempt,, didn't want to go a mile to get a chain ,,, those straps can kill , been known to go thru the rear and windshield of a tractor and narrowly miss the operator ,,.. don't use them when you are really stuck ,,, and if you do have to ,, hook it low so all the kinetic energy (should ) stay low ,.. I used a 1070 case pulling out the 730 and a 1190 ihc. I would not try that with a DC case .in fear of the backlash if the strap broke

Billy NY · Jul 31, 2015

I can say from experience that a piece of a link, hook or hardware from a snapped chain has enough energy to kill or seriously injure.

I was on a site job where these 2 industrious greenhorns got a vibratory roller stuck in deep mud, they tried to take a short cut from the haul road, which was dry. I was working nearby and a flying piece of link or metal hit and put a nice dent in the upright or column of the rops on the caterpillar D5 I was operating. A noticeable thud, it put a dent in it, that's enough to kill.

You may want to re-think your methods, towing heavy logs and creating high tensile forces on your rigging can be very dangerous for the above reason, or worse if the tractor flips back. We just had a post about a tragic fatality recently here, heavy log with some really dangerous rigging, strap, log tongs etc. It can go very wrong, very quickly, with deadly results. Tractor with ROPS and a seat with a belt is going to drastically reduce the risk of injury, you must buckle up in the seat for it to work though.

You can put a thick blanket over the chain, it will absorb energy, but I would not want to be near anything under that much tension, inspect your rigging closely for defects, and don't exceed its limitations, if you do, it will show you no mercy at all.

Chris in SK · Jul 31, 2015

Your neighbor needs to learn the difference between a cheap arse tow strap and a properly rated recovery strap. A recovery strap has no hooks to break.

Chris in SK · Jul 31, 2015

I’ve used both, but will usually use a recovery strap. I’ve been involved in some pretty hard pulls….700+ hp (2 x 4WDS) pulling. Used rated recovery straps and heaviest shackles available. Thread the strap through a couple of small tires, or put blackets / jackets across the strap or chain. Short rope choakers at each end if you’re really unsure about the strength of the part you are hooked on to. I’d never pull anything with one of those cheap tow rope/straps with the hooks on the end!

jon f mn · Jul 31, 2015

So how do you hook to the tractors? Sooner or later you need to be hooked to steel and anything can break, even drawbars and axles. If it's hooked to a strap when it breaks you could get hurt.

Wesley Stephens · Jul 31, 2015

I have used chains and straps, and sometimes both in combination if I needed more length. I have had chains break and I am thankful there was never as much as a close call, but there could have been for sure. Both are dangerous when something under a lot of tension suddenly lets go, so I definitely use a lot of caution when using either one. They can most certainly kill you. A few years ago, a young guy got killed at a beach not far from here when a strap broke that they were using to pull a stuck vehicle out of the sand. As others have mentioned, the steel hook on the end flew off and it happened to hit him in the head. I have no idea of the rating or quality of the strap. Either way, when you are pulling something use your head and if it seems to dangerous it is. There is always a way to do something without getting hurt, though it may be difficult or expensive. I have gotten away with doing stupid stuff a lot of times without getting hurt and as I get older I am less likely to take chances, but no matter how experienced or skilled you are with equipment, you will find yourself doing something you shouldn't from time to time. Anyone who says they don't either doesn't do anything or is blowing smoke.

oldtanker · Aug 1, 2015

A few years ago my BIL stuck a tractor and used is IH 1586 to recover it. On the first attempt the log chain broke and snapped back. It went through the rear window of the cab and just missed one of my nephews so chains, straps and cable can kill or maim. In this case the problem was my tight wad BIL who's chains are all in very poor shape.

I have both a tow strap and recovery strap plus chains.

Rick

Bill(Wis) · Aug 1, 2015

Absolutely. Straps will stretch. Chains not so much. I've seen a quite a few chains break pulling out rocks and they just fell to the ground. But, if hooked to something that stretches, a lot of tension will propel the chain quite some distance. A strap can be the thing that stretches. I never liked pulling things with the Allis Chalmers system with the big spring incorporated in the drawbar. (WD)

fixerupper · Aug 2, 2015

(quoted from post at 19:43:27 07/30/15) They won't fall limp to the ground. There is far too
much energy to dissipate there. When I was much
younger I had an acquaintance find himself six feet
under after the chain came through the back
window of the tractor. His wife was a widow at 23. I
got to buy new door glass on the 4440 from a
straight pull. I still use chains for everything. When
it's my time I will be called up. I try to be as smart as
I can in the mean time.[/quot

In my post I said MOST times the chain will fall limp on the ground. In retrospect I should have worded it different. I too have seen a chain fly if the two hitching points aren't parallel. I've seen a chain fly sideways when it was wrapped around something with a large diameter and the hook let go. When I was on the harvest I had to be constantly vigilant of the young inexperienced crew members then they hooked a chain to a stuck combine or truck. I have had to stop the pulling vehicle in the middle of the pull till the young bystanders backed off. It is never a completely safe situation.

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