Tow rope or chain.

[4570Man]

I read some "misconceptions" on these pages.

First is an expression that a chain will "snap" and whip if it fails. That's not true, a chain drops like a rock when a link or pin fails. It's the STRAPs that retain the energy. The straps and poly rope (recovery stretch ropes are the bad ones), when the attachments fail, launch what ever is attached at high velocity. Often directly at the vehicles involved.

Now, chains are NOT for Jerking!

Stuff breaks when you do that.

Straps "soften the jerk", but at a risk of how things are rigged. I once pulled the entire bumper off my daughter's Isuzu Trooper getting her out of a snowy ditch. That gal!

You DO NOT need a snatch rope to pull a BX out of mushy ground with a side by side!
But you do need to make your attachments BULLET PROOF!

A broken rope is nothing

A failed three pound "Hook" , may be lethal!

A chain definitely will spring back when it breaks but not as bad as a strap. If whatever the chain is hooked to is stretched a little bit and springs back when the chain breaks it can whip a lot worse. I still prefer chains for pulling over straps. Straps can have a tremendous load rating but that only applies when the strap is brand new and undamaged. If the strap is knotted, sun faded, improperly hooked, or partially cut the strength is drastically reduced. A chain holds up a lot better to less than optimal conditions.

 

[bcp]

If a substantially weaker part of a chain fails, it falls. If there is no "weak link 'fuse'," the chain stretches until failure, then recoils at high speed.

Many decades ago I was trying to drag an uprooted stump to the side of a clearing, using two old 1/4 inch chains, one around the stump, the other from the stump to my front tow hook. It snagged, the chain broke, and recoiled into a pile on my hood and cracked the windshield. Upon examination all the links were stretched. Should have driven back to the house for my good chain.

You can watch chains recoil here:

Bruce

 

[dj1701]

Every tractor should have a good tow hook front and rear. The op should get a front receiver that bolts to the frame. Use it to move trailers and as a tie down point on the trailer. Here is one from Heavy Hitch:

Front Receiver Hitch for Kubota Sub-Compact Tractors - Heavy Hitch - Compact Tractor Attachments

That looks nice, but won't fit on mine because I have a Kubota BX 80 series quick hitch.

 

[Too many Kubotas]

I read some "misconceptions" on these pages.

First is an expression that a chain will "snap" and whip if it fails. That's not true, a chain drops like a rock when a link or pin fails.

That misconception didn't apply to me.

Many decades ago I was trying to drag an uprooted stump to the side of a clearing, using two old 1/4 inch chains, one around the stump, the other from the stump to my front tow hook. It snagged, the chain broke, and recoiled into a pile on my hood and cracked the windshield.

That's basically what happened in my case, except the (5/16 ?) chain reached up to the roof, too.

 

[Too many Kubotas]

I have plenty of 1/2" chain, which could've been attached pintle hook to pintle hook, but used a strap instead since it's just kinder to the vehicles involved. And maybe because I learned a lesson from the incident described above.

With one 16,000 lb. Unimog somewhat firmly planted, another one was used to free it. Couldn't really extract the stuck one by itself since there was a dozer blade instead of the normal bucket on the front. That's a 40" tire that's barely above the surface, by the way.

It's situations like this that prompted me to install an 18,000 lb. winch on the stuck one. With a wireless remote it's relatively easy to get things unstuck, even while operating whatever is stuck. Usually the skid steer.

And if that doesn't work, the more recently acquired M936 should be able to get most anything unstuck. Thankfully haven't needed that one yet.

 

[kozal01]

I read some "misconceptions" on these pages.

First is an expression that a chain will "snap" and whip if it fails. That's not true, a chain drops like a rock when a link or pin fails. It's the STRAPs that retain the energy. The straps and poly rope (recovery stretch ropes are the bad ones), when the attachments fail, launch what ever is attached at high velocity. Often directly at the vehicles involved.

This is just not accurate at all. I have witnessed many broken chains whipping and causing damage/ injuries.

 

[m7040]

When it is a difficult stuck vehicle I will use this tow strap. It absorbs the energy and stretches and snaps back and multiples the towing force and jerks the stuck vehicle back a little. Sometimes have to do it a few times but it allows a smaller vehicle to perform beyond its weight class

 

[Joel/ak]

Soft shackles are all I use, I do have steel ones also but hardly use them.

I do have a HD jerkstrap but also mainly use a kinetic rope. Seems to be easier on the vehicles vs the sudden jerk.

I also have a hitch that is basically a shackle you put in the receiver. Good anchor point and if it rips your receiver off, your very stuck

Even self recovery is easy if you have a good anchor point

 

[2manyrocks]

Whichever system (rope, strap, chain) you end up choosing, yanking creates much higher forces than a steady pull.

 

[LouNY]

With the kinetic ropes a good yank is what makes them work so well. And neither rig gets a sudden hard jerk.