Watch out for straps

A couple of years ago I was prepping my backyard for a shop and decided to use the H1 and straps to remove a "shed"... Bad idea... especially since the "shed" had a 3footx8" concret footing and was framed using 2x4s as well as 4x4's and anchored to the concret every foor to foot and a half.

Here is the video
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_OtWudm1ZFU[/media]

I was pulling out some large bushes/small trees using the deuce and a chain. Once, instead of using first gear, low range, I used second gear, low range and give a big jerk. The chain broke and the hook took off like a bullet. Luckily, it didn't hit anyone. We never did find it.

I try not to do stupid stuff like that anymore.

that would hurt.

Yeah this is the second time I used the hummer and straps to demolish a structure... First time was a bigger building(a house) that went without a hitch... but the house was in very bad shape and obviously wasn't built like the shed.

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gj34FKYOXDY[/media]

Friend of a friend ended up with a towing hook through his chest like that. Careflight ensued. He made it as far as I know. Details are sketchy. But yes, stay the heck away.

I've had chains break on me when pulling stuff on the farm with tractors but thankfully they didn't hit anything. A guy I know had one break and come up through the rear window of the tractor he was in. It hit him in the head and gave him a concussion.

Be glad it didn't get ya. Keep in mind physics on stuff like that. Getting higher up on the structure might have helped.

Back a few years a coworker (coworker A) had a car that for some reason he wanted a coworker (coworker B) to tow some short distance in the parking lot (would not start ??? don't know for sure why now). So coworker A hooked a chain with a hook to his vehicle and coworker B hooked the other end of the chain with hook to his vehicle.

Coworker B then attempted to move the vehicle of coworker A when the hook that coworker A had hooked over the edge of his bumper slid to the end of the bumper, came loose and shot through the back window of coworker B's SUV. Fortunately the hook and chain did not hit coworker B once it had entered the vehicle.

Coworker A had lots of trouble understanding loads and shifting. He went through three back windows in the company pickup truck before learning to tie the wheeled gang boxes down to keep them from moving. No: coworker A did not lose his job, he had a special relationship with the company owner.

Be safe out there, the streets are filled with coworker As making deliveries.

how may times do you see people stand by a winch cable or chain/snach strap getting some body unstuck. this is the MAIN reason winching is DONE from INSAID THE CAB

But yet when using a wrecker winch it is done from outside the cab. You have to pay attention and be ready to duck and it is a good idea to put something on the cable or chain to roll up the slack that is made when it breaks. An old coat or something and never jerk a chain either. Slings or straps will take more jerking or snapping than chains or cables.

Glad no one go hurt in the first video. People don't realize how much force a snapped chain or strap can carry. A strap is better since it is lighter and softer.

gijoe said:

But yet when using a wrecker winch it is done from outside the cab. You have to pay attention and be ready to duck and it is a good idea to put something on the cable or chain to roll up the slack that is made when it breaks. An old coat or something and never jerk a chain either. Slings or straps will take more jerking or snapping than chains or cables.

Click to expand...

Also, not all straps are yank straps. It pays to know your equipment.

73m819 said:

how may times do you see people stand by a winch cable or chain/snach strap getting some body unstuck. this is the MAIN reason winching is DONE from INSAID THE CAB

Click to expand...

The sad part is when someone steps up and asks everyone to get out of the danger zone he automatically gets labeled "that guy"

Personally I'd rather have "that guy" on my recovery crew than most of the drunken idiots that you see at the ORV areas.

Yeah, after this incident I have alot more respect with recovery equipment.

The setup here was 6" 50,000lb strap around the shed attached using a clevis to a 2" strap(that still was around the shed and fed through the 6" strap to the truck. The 2" strap was weather worn. The only items that went through the house was all strap(2" and the 6" loop... no clevis)

My son witnessed this: Flushing man dies in freak accident - TimesLeaderOnline.com | News, Sports, Jobs and Community Info for Belmont County - Times Leader

gimpyrobb said:

Also, not all straps are yank straps. It pays to know your equipment.

Click to expand...

THIS!! Huge difference between lifting slings and recovery straps. I can't view the video as my network admin has determined that youtube is like porn but I would like to add this. The strap did nothing wrong. Chains that break do nothing wrong. Both are inanimate objects incapable in making sound decisions. I would watch out for the way others rig and either tell them if they are making an error or accumulate great distance from them. I prefer recovery straps to chains for most recovery work but there are places you just have to use a chain. Any chain or strap can look adequate, know what you have before using it!

tom2147 said:

My son witnessed this: Flushing man dies in freak accident -

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Unfortunately this wasn't a "Freak Accident". It was entirely predictable. If I was the owner of a park like this I would refuse to allow anyone to do their own towing due to liability concerns unless they could some how provide proof of their competence AND that their equipment was adequate for the job at hand. Most people have NO idea how much of a load that a stuck vehicle can be!

It's a wonder that the cable/strap/winch manufacturers and vendors haven't been sued right out of business over how they sell to anyone and yet provide no realistic information or understanding of how to safely use the equipment that they're providing. I just looked at a "3,000 lb" winch at HF. The cable on it was tiny I'd be surprised if it really would hold 3,000 lbs. It might but I'm sure there would be no safety factor!

The videos in this thread are proof that most people don't know what they're doing when it comes to towing, etc. In both cases they tried to pull the buildings from their bases. That's their strongest point and right were they're attached to the ground or concrete. They should have attached the straps to the top so that they're have the leverage to tear the house apart and not simply pull it off it's base. I noticed one of them even pulled down a tower that was attached to one of the buildings. It's a wonder that it didn't collapse and fall to one side and hit someone! In the timber industry tall, thin trees like that are called "Widow Makers", and for good reason!

KsM715 said:

The sad part is when someone steps up and asks everyone to get out of the danger zone he automatically gets labeled "that guy"

Personally I'd rather have "that guy" on my recovery crew than most of the drunken idiots that you see at the ORV areas.

Click to expand...

There was a thread on here mayeb a year ago about straps, chains, and recovery. It has some good info.
http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce/50353-tow-chains-duece-2.html#post574548

I never use straps because they are too delicate and don't last. Two chains with a tire in the middle works very well for snatching. As long as your chains have the proper capacity and are inspected regularly then you shouldn't be breaking them. Quality chains have a 5 to 1 safety factory on their working load limit. A strap breaking is much deadlier than a hcain since they store kenetic energy. Chain's don't stretch like a strap.

And to prevent chains from flying upwards, point the open end of the hook to the sky. I saw that on Dirty Jobs when Mike was with recovering a stuck HMMWV!

"I never use straps because they are too delicate and don't last. Two chains with a tire in the middle works very well for snatching. As long as your chains have the proper capacity and are inspected regularly then you shouldn't be breaking them. Quality chains have a 5 to 1 safety factory on their working load limit. A strap breaking is much deadlier than a hcain since they store kenetic energy. Chain's don't stretch like a strap."



All wrong. wow. What would rather have hit you a chunk of steel or nylon?
A tire ? really ? what happens when that rips in half and then the chain comes at you ?

Also NEVER EVER USE A TOW BALL AS AN ATTACHMENT POINT! they can bust off and become deadly projectiles!