Tow rope recommendations

Vikes79

Vikes79

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Looking for recommendations on a bigger tow rope for my larger equipment, trucks tractors etc.

I currently use a 20’ Ericsson 9000lb wll tow strap that I carry in my smaller truck but it’s not nearly enough to pull out my dually and camper or my tractor with blower on it.

I’ve used the strap on way heavier loads but often those conditions were such that the pulling vehicle often was not able to provide full power due to traction out side of the preliminary bump.

I’m thinking that something around a 20k wll will be what I need....maybe even 25k.

Im don’t need a boutique tow rope either. I need something that’s going to work, reliable and somewhat reasonable in cost too.

I won’t be using metal hooks, and need to get a few soft shackles too.

Advice is appreciated!
 
TxDoc

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You are just pulling a vehicle down the road?

If you mean to extract from the mud or sand when stuck, you may be better off with a kinetic rope like a Bubba Rope. A tow rope only stretches about 10%-15%, whereas a kinetic rope will stretch around 30%.

Much more gentle pull and no hard jerk. Less likely to damage either vehicle. One time damage from a tow strap could have paid for a kinetic rope.

Smaller vehicle can extract a heavier vehicle.

Costs more than a tow strap, but in this case you get what you pay for.

Better to cry once than to cry often.

But, by all means, buy what best suits your needs, expectations, and wallet.
Sent from my moto z4 using Tapatalk
 
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Vikes79

Vikes79

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I got all kinds of trailers and equipment for hauling items / vehicles on the road.
 
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DDDonkey

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I have a couple of the erickson 30K straps myself, I bought the a few years back for $30 each at Cabelas on sale. I wend with the bigger ones for peace of mind.
 
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toddvdh

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The yankum straps are expensive. The soft shackles are also expensive.

The first time you use it and feels how awesome it is, you will wish you had bought one sooner.

I think the heaviest thing I pulled out was a 29,000 lb forklift out of the mud up to the frame. It took 2 or 3 jerks from my f250 (on gravel). I couldn’t believe it.

You don’t want it oversized, because then it won’t stretch and bungee.

edit: This is the rope and 2 quick links I have. The 30’ version.
 
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Vikes79

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That’s cool but break strength is not the same as working load limit. Typically on average WLL is 1/3 BS.

if I have my Toyhauler on my Dually stuck (very possible in spring / winter) dead weight truck plus loaded trailer is going to every bit of 25K.

I think if I go with a kinetic rope I’d size it around 80k BS as I wouldn’t always need to free my camper.

It is sure hard telling which ropes are made in America and which are imported.

I see plenty of references about even Bubba ropes being imported on Cabela’s etc.
 
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Bastardchild

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I paid $100 for a 7/8" kinetic snatch rope off of Amazon or Ebay, cant remember. Cant remember the name, its in one of my bed build vids for my old P5 that I posted on here. Rated at 28,600 lbs. Figured thats overkill for snatching out a sxs. I even had to use it once when I was on call at work. Had to drive the standby bucket truck home, built on a Dodge 5500 4x4 chassis. Sunk the standby truck on my father in laws property to the frame, 4x4 didnt help. I was on standby so I had to get it out. Tractor didnt budge it. He took me down to my house and I got my 4x4 gmc 3500 extended cab and my snatch rope off of the P5 and went back up there to his house. He got behind the wheel of my dually and I got in the standby bucket and he snatched and snatched and snatched like 10 times until the 4wd in the bucket truck started actually digging and trying to help claw its way out. I thought for sure I would break that rope that evening but I didnt care, I was on call and one call woulda paid for a new rope anyway. There wasnt a strand harmed on that rope. Its a 7/8" x 30' long kinetic snatch rope rated at 28,600 lbs. I highly recommend one.
 
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I paid $100 for a 7/8" kinetic snatch rope off of Amazon or Ebay, cant remember. Cant remember the name, its in one of my bed build vids for my old P5 that I posted on here. Rated at 28,600 lbs. Figured thats overkill for snatching out a sxs. I even had to use it once when I was on call at work. Had to drive the standby bucket truck home, built on a Dodge 5500 4x4 chassis. Sunk the standby truck on my father in laws property to the frame, 4x4 didnt help. I was on standby so I had to get it out. Tractor didnt budge it. He took me down to my house and I got my 4x4 gmc 3500 extended cab and my snatch rope off of the P5 and went back up there to his house. He got behind the wheel of my dually and I got in the standby bucket and he snatched and snatched and snatched like 10 times until the 4wd in the bucket truck started actually digging and trying to help claw its way out. I thought for sure I would break that rope that evening but I didnt care, I was on call and one call woulda paid for a new rope anyway. There wasnt a strand harmed on that rope. Its a 7/8" x 30' long kinetic snatch rope rated at 28,600 lbs. I highly recommend one.
I watched a little nissan hardbody pickup yank a big ass Ram Dually out of a ditch with one of the kinetic ropes. I had never seen one before and thought I was going to get to watch this guy rip the backend of his truck off. He had backed up almost all the way to the stuck truck and just hammered it. Ram started coming out and the little Nissan that could carried on
 
Bastardchild

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I watched a little nissan hardbody pickup yank a big ass Ram Dually out of a ditch with one of the kinetic ropes. I had never seen one before and thought I was going to get to watch this guy rip the backend of his truck off. He had backed up almost all the way to the stuck truck and just hammered it. Ram started coming out and the little Nissan that could carried on
Yeah they are hard to beat. I have gotten about a million dollars worth of use out of mine that I paid like $100 for. I even used it yesterday helping a friend get a truck out of the woods. His winch cable wasnt quite long enough so I grabbed the 30' snatch rope and a couple shackles and that made it long enough to reach. Its a pretty good investment.
 
Vikes79

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I paid $100 for a 7/8" kinetic snatch rope off of Amazon or Ebay, cant remember. Cant remember the name, its in one of my bed build vids for my old P5 that I posted on here. Rated at 28,600 lbs. Figured thats overkill for snatching out a sxs. I even had to use it once when I was on call at work. Had to drive the standby bucket truck home, built on a Dodge 5500 4x4 chassis. Sunk the standby truck on my father in laws property to the frame, 4x4 didnt help. I was on standby so I had to get it out. Tractor didnt budge it. He took me down to my house and I got my 4x4 gmc 3500 extended cab and my snatch rope off of the P5 and went back up there to his house. He got behind the wheel of my dually and I got in the standby bucket and he snatched and snatched and snatched like 10 times until the 4wd in the bucket truck started actually digging and trying to help claw its way out. I thought for sure I would break that rope that evening but I didnt care, I was on call and one call woulda paid for a new rope anyway. There wasnt a strand harmed on that rope. Its a 7/8" x 30' long kinetic snatch rope rated at 28,600 lbs. I highly recommend one.

I took your advice in combination with that it would be rare for me to have my 40’ toy hauler in a situation of being stuck. (ie 1” will cover what I need)

I found this on Amazon that seems to have good reviews.


Considering I got a $100 Amazon gift card for Christmas I decided to get it and some comparable capacity soft shackles.
 
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Good choice! I’m not familiar with that brand, but I am a fan of 1”x30’ ropes. I’ve used them to pull empty semi’s at around 33,000 lbs.

Couple of thoughts:

1.) Rule of thumb, get a rope rated for 3x what you are going to pull.
2.) Keep them clean, if muddy, hand wash or light rinse. If you power wash, sand and dirt can be embedded into the strap and act like sand paper. Possibly causing a failure.

Sorry about not finding this thread earlier.
 

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