Binders - Which Kind?

[Scotty Dive]

I have a 16 foot trailer and from time to time I put my jeep or my tractor on it. Currently I use rachet straps on all 4 corners - something like 14400 pounds per strap if I remember correctly...but a while back I learned a lesson and had one of the straps rub on a bush hog and almosty went through during a tow.

Anyway - Want to upgrade to binders and chain. which is best ....ratchet or regular binders....I see Harbor freight has some of both...any good?

 

[s219]

After using ratchet binders, I'd never use the toggle type again.

 

[Raspy]

I like those HF ratchet ones too. So easy to suck it up a bit more after the load settles a bit and you don't have to safety wire the handle.

 

[Tomtint]

I have both the ratchet and threaded binders. The chain ones are deffinatelly more hastle

 

[kenmac]

I like /use ratchet binders

 

[Gary Fowler]

I got the 9200 # rating rachet ones that Harbor freight has and they worked really well for tightening up my chains. The price was just a few bucks more for the heavy duty ones compared to the 5200# ones so I thought better larger than smaller. I use 3/8" grade 70 chains so I wanted a 2X safety margin for the binders.

 

[Quickster2]

Durabilt ratcheting binders used for several years. Go to Truckntow.com or awdirect.com for lots of good information.

 

[Diamondpilot]

I prefer the boomer type but I am sure the ratchet ones are really good also. I just never really used them and the few times I did it seem to take three times as long to load and chain down. I have the Harbor Freight ones and they have worked really well for 15 years now.

As for chains its tough to beat Lowes. They have 20' 5/16" trucker chains for right around $25. What I did was buy two and cut them in half. You can then get 4 more hooks and have them set up for mid chain binding or do as I do many times and put the boomer directly on the trailer and boom the chain tight. The hook end goes on the tractor or whatever you are hauling.

Chris

 

[JESSE1]

I use both the breakover and ratchet type binders. Some of the breakover binders I use are at least 40 years old, high quality steel made by Crosby Lebus in Longview, Texas. The ratchet binders I use are also made by Crosby Lebus. Not cheap by any means but definately will hold a load. I tie down one end with the breakover binders and use the ratchet on the other end. Four binders and four chains, crisscrossed.

 

[Red Horse]

Durabilt ratcheting binders used for several years. Go to Truckntow.com or awdirect.com for lots of good information.

Big 10-4 on AW Direct- And Scotty Dive-not sure where you are in CT but AW has a big warehouse right off the Berlin Turnpike-check their website. Got my ratchets and chains there- they have USA stuff too!

And wouldn't have any binder other than ratchets-makes tightening up so much easier and you don't have to worry about a pipe slipping off and taking your teeth out!

 

[Diamondpilot]

Big 10-4 on AW Direct- And Scotty Dive-not sure where you are in CT but AW has a big warehouse right off the Berlin Turnpike-check their website. Got my ratchets and chains there- they have USA stuff too!

And wouldn't have any binder other than ratchets-makes tightening up so much easier and you don't have to worry about a pipe slipping off and taking your teeth out!

You still have your teeth? I knocked mine out the first time I used mine.

Chris

 

[DK35vince]

For years I loaded/unloaded equipment every day using the flip over/snap style binders.
A lot of my friends and co-workers keep telling me how dangerous they were and I should be using the rachet binders.
Paid no attention to their warnings till a binder handle slipped out of my hands and fractured my skull.
An ambulance ride and a stay in the hospital made me start using rachet binders.

 

[case245]

rachet binders i have a reg binders i cant use them with use of one hand rackets are the way to go get the harbor fright binders just to make sure you take em apart and clean the shavening out of them before you use them i learned the hard way

 

[94BULLITT]

I have a couple of these from lowes and some older ones that are the same style. For hauling your jeep straps are fine, you may want to get a set of axle straps.

 

[Ken45101]

I have a 16 foot trailer and from time to time I put my jeep or my tractor on it. Currently I use rachet straps on all 4 corners - something like 14400 pounds per strap if I remember correctly..

Just an FYI: most straps are marked for breaking strength, NOT Working Load Limit, which is typically 20% of the breaking strength.

 

[kneedeep]

My trailer manual says not to use the ratchet binders- over tighting will bow the trailer in time and can cause stake pockets to break under road stress. It also says to go through stake pockets and hook to trailer frame. I found a cheater pipe at a Kangaroo Fuel Stop that has a end that will release the binder without creating a flying club.
My brother is warehouse/shipping manager for a local steel company and they don't use the ratchet binders.
He says they are hard to tighten and will work loose on mixed steel loads if it shifts. They also get stolen off the loads all the time!

 

[kneedeep]

My trailer manual says not to use the ratchet binders- over tighting will bow the trailer in time and can cause stake pockets to break under road stress. It also says to go through stake pockets and hook to trailer frame. I found a cheater pipe at a Kangaroo Fuel Stop that has a end that will release the binder without creating a flying club.
My brother is warehouse/shipping manager for a local steel company and they don't use the ratchet binders.
He says they are hard to tighten and will work loose on mixed steel loads if it shifts. They also get stolen off the loads all the time!

 

[Gary Fowler]

My trailer manual says not to use the ratchet binders- over tighting will bow the trailer in time and can cause stake pockets to break under road stress. It also says to go through stake pockets and hook to trailer frame. I found a cheater pipe at a Kangaroo Fuel Stop that has a end that will release the binder without creating a flying club.
My brother is warehouse/shipping manager for a local steel company and they don't use the ratchet binders.
He says they are hard to tighten and will work loose on mixed steel loads if it shifts. They also get stolen off the loads all the time!

Are you saying that breakover binders wont get loose if the load shifts? Not likely! Any tie down method will loosen if the load shifts, which is why you are supposed to check the binders or whatever a few miles down the road after everything settles in and then again every 100 miles or so.
As for over tightening, I would think that boomers would tighten move than necessary as you only have a chain link to adjust where one link might be a little loose and the next link really tight needing a big cheater. Sure you can likely put more pressure on a rachet if using a cheater pipe, but dont do that as the handle is long enough to put plenty of tighteness on the chains. Nothing is idiot proof and the driver needs to have some common sense when it comes to loading and securing.
I am more inclined to think that the reason that company uses boomers is because they are cheaper not better.

 

[Scooby074]

I got a set of "Tie Down Tamers" from Erickson. Love them. They work real well to keep those annoying strap "tails" under control. Only takes a few seconds to roll up the unused straps. Cant say enough good about them they really neaten things up.
But they are nylon (10,000 lbs breaking) and if you run them over a something sharp without protection they will fray.


Review showing them in action,

Chains are excellent but come with their own problems. Unless needed for load capacity, careful nylon strap placement should get you through.

 

[George2615]

I use ratchet binders as well. I have manual binders but switched to the ratchet type. It doesn't take too many times getting hit in the jaw, teeth or head to realize there must be a better way.