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Ratchet Straps
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Peter_L



Joined: 10 Apr 2008
Posts: 2680
Location: New Brunswick. Canada.

PostPosted: Wed Apr 28, 2021 10:37 pm    Post subject: Ratchet Straps Reply with quote

These have become popular over the last decade. I have quite a few, from the small 2500 lb up to a couple rated at 15000. Depending on use, I have put 1/2 turns in them as it does reduce the noise/vibration.

Interesting test results here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifyJjQXOttE
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Keith D



Joined: 16 Oct 2008
Posts: 1127
Location: Upper Swan, Western Australia

PostPosted: Thu Apr 29, 2021 2:15 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Very interesting results. I have been known to use a knot to secure one end of the strap. Never again!
Thanks for that link Peter.

Keith
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alastairq



Joined: 14 Oct 2016
Posts: 1950
Location: East Yorkshire

PostPosted: Thu Apr 29, 2021 8:45 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I've used ratchet straps for decades.

In my experience it is rare that a strap has actually been subject to a load approaching its WLL.

I also taught load & load restraint courses to the military.

The military insist on the strap being flat , not twisted...However, it is possible to get a half twist.

More likely a hook will get pulled asunder before the webbing itself lets go.

In all likelihood, a proper strap [not the plastic teeny weeny things sold in bubble packs these days]...will have sufficient in the way of surplus strength to tolerate twists.

I use straps to secure my car loads on my trailer [probably overkill, seeing how, many cars are secured by others?] and sometimes use old webbing and knots.
The biggest 'danger' when using proper straps lies with getting cuts in the webbing.
Or having nasty fluids and substances affecting the webbing.

I have seen big straps let go when being used as strops for towing vehicles out of the muck....

I also used to give a new lease of life to old condemned straps [not the ratchets ]....from 'work', useful for tying stuff down, etc, in a lightweight, reduced stress environment.

But, bear in mind, I would be teaching these things from the viewpoint of health, & safety.
Not encouraging folk to ''do as they please''...
After all, training is also about covering an employer's backside in the event of a catastrophe?

Which is only right & proper.

[On the basis that, one can lead a horse to water, but one cannot make it drink.....not unless one nips round the back with a couple of half bricks?}
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Rootes75



Joined: 30 Apr 2013
Posts: 3788
Location: The Somerset Levels

PostPosted: Thu Apr 29, 2021 8:47 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

That is interesting.
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MikeEdwards



Joined: 25 May 2011
Posts: 2464
Location: South Cheshire

PostPosted: Thu Apr 29, 2021 9:35 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

alastairq wrote:
[not the plastic teeny weeny things sold in bubble packs these days]


I've used those to lift my engine out of the car before now without any trouble. The last time I used it there was a problem which I'm putting down it having been left with oil on it for a few years.

The ratchet and hook part of those is very spindly and horrible.
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ukdave2002



Joined: 23 Nov 2007
Posts: 4100
Location: South Cheshire

PostPosted: Thu Apr 29, 2021 6:01 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The strap test was interesting, but what about that vice!

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Peter_L



Joined: 10 Apr 2008
Posts: 2680
Location: New Brunswick. Canada.

PostPosted: Thu Apr 29, 2021 7:53 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

[quote="ukdave2002"]The strap test was interesting, but what about that vice!

Indeed !... Every home should have one, I will check Amazon. Smile
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Bitumen Boy



Joined: 26 Jan 2012
Posts: 1733
Location: Above the snow line in old Monmouthshire

PostPosted: Fri Apr 30, 2021 4:16 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

That was interesting, far more so than I thought it was going to be. Wish I had the time and cash to be messing around like that...

It's worth remembering that cheapy ratchet straps from market stalls or fleabay won't perform anything like as well as these... Shocked
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Peter_L



Joined: 10 Apr 2008
Posts: 2680
Location: New Brunswick. Canada.

PostPosted: Fri Apr 30, 2021 3:31 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

[quote="Peter_L"]
ukdave2002 wrote:
The strap test was interesting, but what about that vice!

Indeed !... Every home should have one, I will check Amazon. Smile


Re Huge Vice: He made it. Several YT Videos.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GO6quMSbEO8
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Penman



Joined: 23 Nov 2007
Posts: 4751
Location: Swindon, Wilts.

PostPosted: Fri Apr 30, 2021 5:49 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hi
You do sometimes see that people have knotted the tail end around the stressed part to stop it flapping about, I don't think that would affect the strength; but one of our drivers at work showed me a very neat way keeping control of the tail end.
He ratchets it up till he has about 2 more goes available then doubles the end of the tailback to where the strap is going round the winch, a couple of clicks on the handle then traps the tailend and finishes the pull on the working end., leaving a loop. this loop is then doubledback to where the handle is going to lie flat and the handle is just pushed down onto it to finally lock the handle and hold the tail end in place.
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roverdriver



Joined: 18 Oct 2008
Posts: 1210
Location: 100 miles from Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

PostPosted: Sat May 01, 2021 7:41 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I was quite interested in the video, mainly because I have never used straps. In my days of driving heavy vehicles we only had ropes, and managed quite nicely. In more recent times I only have a 6' x 4' trailer and still use ropes.
When roping on a collection of boards or pipe- in other words long items that will move around, I pass the rope under the load, loop it onto itself so in effect tying them all together ans well as securing with the same rope. I wonder how a strap would stand up to that situation?

Incidentally when I needed to lift the engine from by Model A Ford, and had no hoist, I fixed a rope to a rafter, and using a truckies knot (sheep shank) used that to pull the engine upwards.- the knot acting as a sort of doubling pulley.
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peter scott



Joined: 18 Dec 2007
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Location: Edinburgh

PostPosted: Sat May 01, 2021 8:56 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

But Dane, If you can make something bigger and stronger then you should do it. Just image that you wanted to take your vice with you and had an emergency stop! It could knock your block off.

Peter Wink
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alastairq



Joined: 14 Oct 2016
Posts: 1950
Location: East Yorkshire

PostPosted: Sat May 01, 2021 9:08 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

The manufacturer of UK military ratchet straps [vehicle use] is/was Spanset.

With regard to safety, Spanset would not guarantee the ratchet itself would stay 'locked' in use, if the spare strap was rolled up and pushed under the handle.
Once unlocked, the driver has, effectively, a 'loose load'.

What happens out there ''in real life'' is between the driver and the Magistrates.

Spare strap could be disposed of by rolling up and securing to the standing part of the strap using any sort of tiedown [string, plastics, etc]

It could also be rolled up as suggested above, and 'trapped' under the standing part before final tensioning.

The objective is not to stop drumming, but to secure the loose ends so they don't go over the side of the vehicle in transit.

There's nothing like being pulled over for introducing passing cyclists to Miss Whiplash?
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Fiat 126 BIS
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Bitumen Boy



Joined: 26 Jan 2012
Posts: 1733
Location: Above the snow line in old Monmouthshire

PostPosted: Tue May 04, 2021 1:40 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

roverdriver wrote:
I was quite interested in the video, mainly because I have never used straps. In my days of driving heavy vehicles we only had ropes, and managed quite nicely. In more recent times I only have a 6' x 4' trailer and still use ropes.
When roping on a collection of boards or pipe- in other words long items that will move around, I pass the rope under the load, loop it onto itself so in effect tying them all together ans well as securing with the same rope. I wonder how a strap would stand up to that situation?

Incidentally when I needed to lift the engine from by Model A Ford, and had no hoist, I fixed a rope to a rafter, and using a truckies knot (sheep shank) used that to pull the engine upwards.- the knot acting as a sort of doubling pulley.


Likewise I only use ropes for securing loads to a roofrack, I've figured out an effective combination of simple knots and find those much easier to deal with (in nice chunky rope) than the cheap and nasty ratchets I've tried in the past. Maybe better quality ratchets would be all right, but I'm tight as well as old school... Laughing Not had a load work loose yet and ultimately that's all that matters.
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