OT: Old Tow Strap

Other then pulling metal out of the sand (or mud) this is not a metal related post.

You can see pictures here:

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I’m looking for an old strap I bought about 30 years ago. I actually bought three of them.

I know. I know. You may want to tell what you use. You can if you want. I may even have some of what you use, but for the purpose of this post I just don’t care.

I still have one left in good condition. I broke one pulling out trees, and one got partially soak with paint by an employee behind the seat of one of my service trucks.

It looks and feels like braided nylon rope, except it’s not a round rope. Its two flat pieces of thick strap about an inch (or a smidge more) wide that are braided together every 1-1/2 to 2 inches. They are neat because you NEVER have to tie a knot in them, and they do not come with a big thick loop on the end that can be hard to get through tight places.

You can snake it through a tight space easily, and then complete the loop by lacing it through itself 6-7 times. It sounds odd, but it does not slip out. If you need a longer pull you can lace two of them together end to end by lacing one through the other. No matter how hard you pull the connection comes apart easily when you let the tension off. Before any of you all say I am full of it. Remember. I have had them for

30 years, and I’ve used them this way many times.

I loaned one to somebody once (JUST ONCE), said “DO NOT TIE A KNOT IN IT,” and showed them the correct way to make a loop. They brought it back with a loop tied in one end. The next time they needed to borrow a tow strap I told them I didn’t have one they were able to use.

They were not super cheap back in the day, but they can’t have been crazy expensive either. I wasn’t making much money back then, and I still remember buying three of them. One for each service truck I had at the time. I don’t recall exactly what the rated load was, but I remember being surprised by how heavy it was.

Anyway, do any of you know if they still make these and where to buy them?

Reply to
Bob La Londe
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Maybe this "SpeedStrap"?

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Reply to
Leon Fisk

Speedstrap is the closest I have found, but the weight rating is lower. Maybe a difference in safety standards in 30 years since I bought the first ones.

Reply to
Bob La Londe
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Seems they have different sizes. Maybe this one?

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"SpeedStrap Big Daddy Weavable Recovery Tow Strap 2" x 30' – Heavy Duty

14,000lb Break Strength – Emergency Towing Rope for Offroad 4x4, Jeep, Truck, Buggy, Boats"
Reply to
Leon Fisk
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Similarly, have you noticed how gravity has gotten stronger over the decades, stairs have gotten higher, typefaces in newspapers and books has gotten smaller...

Reply to
danny burstein

No, but I have gotten older, and safety standards have changed.

Reply to
Bob La Londe

I have abiut half a dozen of them but they have loops in them at both ends. Virtually i They are about 8 feet long.dentical construction.Can't remember where I got them but they were from some "materials handling" application - think "lift slings", not "tow straps". They would be wrapped around bundles of pipe or shannel or wood or whatever - one end through the loop at the other end, then the loop slipped over the fork of a fork-lift to pick the stuff up.

Reply to
Clare Snyder

And my legs have grown longer (when puting on my socks and shoes)!!

Reply to
Gerry

I do recall they had a lift rating, and I did use them to lace a cradle to lift the boulders my neighbor placed around his mail box and around his flag pole. Mostly they got used for pulling over the years. I hate to put down the numbers I remember, because I am sure they must be wrong, but I seem to recall 10K snap strength and 20K rolling load. It sounds odd now reading it back. I don't recall the lift rating, but I am sure it was less.

I happened to be working at Tool & Supply at the time, and I was there when the company salesman was pitching them to the store owner. Maybe some of what I recall was his sales hype.

I was working at Tool & Supply and starting my contracting business at the same time.

Reply to
Bob La Londe

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