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Ratcheting or Snap Binders?

DMiller

Senior Member
Joined
Feb 21, 2010
Messages
16,430
Location
Hermann, Missouri
Occupation
Cheap "old" Geezer
Have used both and own both where both have a place of use.
Prefer ratchet binders to over center flip binders. Know two that have lost teeth one broken nose several close calls where the user was taking flip over too tight initially ‘saving time’
Anytime take a shortcut are setting that stage for failure.
 

Flat Thunder Channel

Senior Member
Joined
Apr 24, 2020
Messages
378
Location
Ohio
I do not have much experience with either, but I will say I dislike the cam over center binders. Everytime I use them I have difficulty achieving the desired clamping force. It's usually too loose or ungodly tight. It could just be my lack of experience encouraging the issues. My typical loading practice is to chain the front and ratchet strap the vehicle/equipment towards the rear of the trailer. I prefer using big ratchet straps on almost everything, but will be buying some ratcheting chain binders in the future. I think my ratchet straps work fine, but would like a couple chain binders for the heavy/dirty stuff. I like those peerless units someone posted. The folding handle looks convenient, but what keeps them from loosening? Typically the handle rests on the deck to help lock them from unscrewing?
 

kshansen

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 11, 2012
Messages
11,128
Location
Central New York, USA
Occupation
Retired Mechanic in Stone Quarry
Just doing a quick read on this subject reminded me of the time an outfit came to pick up a used Symonds Cone crusher the company sold.

Forget what model it was but they were loading it in a shipping container and it just fit side to side so that gives you an idea it wasn't something that you could put in the back of an F-250! I was the one running the overhead crane to put it in from the top.

As I recall they blocked up the four corners on wooden blocks the proceeded to put on the ratchet straps to hold it in place. To be generous I would say they were maybe 1 1/2 wide straps and one pulling in each of four directions! No one in the shop said anything as I believe we had been told to only load it as requested. Well I know there were some exchanges of looks but nothing said till the truck left the shop.

Never heard anything after it left the quarry but several of us said we hoped the driver didn't have to touch the brakes too hard on the way to where he was going. Also hoped for smooth sailing on the container ship it was going on. I know if that load was only going to the other side of the quarry it would have had good strong chains and binders holding on the truck if not bolted to the work frame built out of eight inch pipe and bolted on cross braces.
 

Old Doug

Senior Member
Joined
Oct 16, 2013
Messages
4,484
Location
Mo
I had to put some stuff in shipping containers before. One time we put a jaw crusher in one it just fit very tight took all day to load it and when the doors would close that was it. I wondered what the driver thought that came and got it and if it made it were ever it was headed over seas. Another time we shipped a compresser,drill and alot of spare parts. I loaded 1 container with the compresser and spare parts then the drill went in another one i think it had to be taken apart. We had a lot of 1/4 cable that we used to secure them with.
 

Tugger2

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 22, 2018
Messages
1,366
Location
British Columbia
1/4" cable probably works the best with those tie down lugs they hide in the corners of the containers. I shipped one of my cranes from Montreal out to the Coast . I was ordered by the railway to pay these guys to tie it down . I had to step in when they wanted to weld my nicely stacked boom sections together.My comprimise to them was to pull the pins and slide some easy fit round bar thru them and tack stoppers to the bar. Back then it was 4 grand for them to do what i do all the time.
 

Don.S

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 28, 2016
Messages
397
Location
Montreal Canada
Ya but the Montreal tax had to be made somewhere so that those guys could give a brown envelope to someone for the work they recieved from you. Or so i have heard that is how it works there.
 

ac715

New Member
Joined
Jun 20, 2020
Messages
1
Location
Mississippi
I use 10 snap binders for the 14,000 pound backhoe. 1 on each corner, 2 in the middle, 2 on each bucket. Assume good body position, only pull down to tighten, don't stand on the trailer, and don't stand in line. Then repeat as needed with a full face helmet with Lexan over the small oval eye hole for final pulldown.
I'm not in any hurry.
 

Willie B

Senior Member
Joined
Jan 2, 2016
Messages
4,039
Location
Mount Tabor VT
Occupation
Electrician
I'm not a fan of snap binders. They work OK on rubber tired equipment, but on a crawler they seem always to be too loose or too tight. I've a good friend, trucking machines & marble is a part of his duties in a family excavating business. We were once on the school board together.
He showed up one night looking like somebody had beat him with a piece of pipe. He was chaining a block of marble. Put his foot on a tire using a cheater pipe. I don't know what slipped, the end of the pipe took him full in the face. It was NOT a pretty sight!

Ratchet binders are slow, but they have a lot more travel. One can stop & check after a few miles & give them a little more tighten.
 

skyking1

Senior Member
Joined
Nov 3, 2020
Messages
7,465
Location
washington
I'm kinda the opposite. I use ratchets these days, but I do like snaps on iron equipment. Things on rubber, they loosen up so the ratchets are nice for pulling over after a couple of miles and just tightening a bit.
I took a hit almost 30 years ago from a cheater on a double stack of trench boxes. They had tightened up going down the road instead of loosening.
I found a real cheater that lets go properly on the side of the highway. I'll use my snap binders too.
https://www.lodimetals.com/40-combi...lU42Win1uDRVQw5JPgIWNq8ShsM9YW7RoCkWoQAvD_BwE
 

Tags

Senior Member
Joined
Feb 19, 2012
Messages
1,610
Location
Connecticut
The risk of getting hurt, not worrying about having a cheater pipe, and the ability to easily snug something up if it gets loose, has made me change over to all ratchet binders for the last 25 years, I have yet to stop and say "Boy, I wish I had a snap binder". If someone thinks it takes "too long" to tighten a ratchet binder, you should probably find another line of work. :rolleyes:
 

Pops52

Senior Member
Joined
Jan 19, 2016
Messages
293
Location
Penn Valley, CA
Occupation
Worn out lowbed driver "retired"
Several companies will only let you use ratchet binders only, Exxon is one of them if your on the property and have those snap binders they wont let you use them to secure anything
I suppose they have that right. I'm not sure I like someone telling me how to use my tools though........
 

Mother Deuce

Senior Member
Joined
Jul 17, 2016
Messages
1,603
Location
New England
Broke a imported snap tying a 977 to the trailer. Binder to track short chain to trailer. I memorably drove my right index finger
into the trailer rail with the binder jack at about the speed of sound. Broke my finger in three places and the last bit of it looked
like something that had taken quick ride in the cuisinart. Turned into a ratchet fan nearly instantly. The treatment was worse than
the injury on top of it.
 

Pops52

Senior Member
Joined
Jan 19, 2016
Messages
293
Location
Penn Valley, CA
Occupation
Worn out lowbed driver "retired"
A related story, early 80s, my co worker & I were moving a drilling rig. Parked side by side we were chaining down pipe bins. I threw a 20' x 5/16 over the top while John was yelling something. I looked his way and when I looked back toward my chain, the hook came rolling back over the load. (It was noisy and I didnt hear the chain) Hook hit me on the upper lip, broke my right frontal off and knocked me right to the ground. Bleeding profusely from the split lip. Held it tight with 1 hand and paper towels and headed off the hill. 72 pete, no power steering, 5x4. ALWAYS keep your eye on the chain!!
 

Jimothy

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 2, 2022
Messages
88
Location
Ontario
Occupation
Digger
Just wondering what every ones to secure machines down? The person i was working for used ratcheting chain binders. While it may be a little slower to use than a snap binder, it is a lot safer.

Two people i know have gotten their faces hit when the snap binder didn't want to stay. One has permanent damage to his teeth while the other had his nose cracked.

Who uses what?

we only use ratcheting for equipment just cuz if we tie down the load at our site and it get sent somewhere else we don’t know where or who will be unloading it we’ve had guys get hurt from the snappers ( luckily not bad ) we only use them for specialty situation where we have to support utility lines and other things that might be tied up for longer but not moving equipment
 
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1693TA

Senior Member
Joined
Feb 27, 2010
Messages
2,687
Location
Farmington IL
Occupation
FAA Radar Engineer, (Retired)
I use both a lot. Usually with rubber tired equipment that "wiggles", I'll use ratchet types. Most times I use the snap binders but I do use the extension handle designed for use with them like shown here: https://www.amazon.com/DC-Cargo-Mall-Combination-Flatbeds/dp/B088P5P4PQ/ref=sr_1_4?crid=21XH4ACKMCI9T&keywords=chain+binder+bar&qid=1641159852&sprefix=chain+binder+bar%2Caps%2C260&sr=8-4.

Never have had one "pop me", but I'm not one to go for the "Nth" degree of tightness. Don't mind throwing another one on if I question the securement of the load. I've never lost anything so may be doing something correct.

upload_2022-1-2_15-47-59.jpeg

upload_2022-1-2_15-48-27.jpeg
 

suladas

Senior Member
Joined
Jun 30, 2016
Messages
1,731
Location
Canada
I'm amazed snap binders aren't outlawed everywhere. They are of no benefit and are way more dangerous, haven't used one in at least 10 years and would never use one again, no reason to. While it's annoying having to lube up the ratchets every once in awhile it's well worth it to ensure stuff is tied down better and it's a lot safer.
 
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