Age old question

[caterpillar guy]

Well the printed part is sort of correct in that the limits are close to right except the 4 inch straps are rated at 5000 and if he added the 1/4 inch chain to the brush mower it would then be allowed as legal since he would be adding the extra chain and chains strength to the mix. Though I do not know anybody that used 1/4 inch chain hauling machinery unless it was to hold the tarp straps in place while in transit. Now both he and Barnyard explained better what I meant by the half limit on the chain to one side versus all the way across the trailer and hooked on both sides. There are some places I see hooked to that have no rating like track pads are not rated and neither are machine frames and such. The tie down locations on equipment are rated and for that purpose so are to be used for tie downs. The rub rail is not for tie downs though we all used them for straps since there is no real good place to tie down to with them. I used to wrap them so the strap was pulling up on the flat hook while also giving it a curved surface to pull on instead of the squared corner of the rub rail. Yes there was legislation passed and repealed about using the rub rail for securement and after more research found that the number of issues with accidents and damaged securement equipment to the rub rails they rescinded that foolishness. As for a dry Tractor shipping weight that would be without oil fuel or coolant in the tractor and nobody today would be shipping their tractor that way in a used or driveable state. So a dry weight is pretty meaningless to this discussion. Ballasted or unballasted would be pretty likely form though. I would not hook to the frame rails of the pressed steel mmodels as they can be bent by using them for tie down locations when the guys start using pipes on their snap binders. The method I used was to hook in the cultivator bracket on the front with a shackle for the chain or even hook in under the frame on pretty ones so the hook marks would not show if no other place was available and even used the front pedestal to chain to with padding so as to not mar the paint. I have had no place to hook but the front end of the drawbar under the belly to hold the front end down in the past with several tractors on the load and very tight together. With inches between them they never moved and no place to go if they did as tight as I had them on therewith tires rubbing or pushed tight with chains. I also use the snap binders on the front if possible and snap them tight with the ratchet binders already hooked but not tightened up then would tighten them up so I didn't need a pipe on the snaps. Though I did carry a short 18/ inch pipe for if I needed to use it to loosen or tighten one along the way without having them rechained with all the binders . Also if using the hook around a stake pocket you can by hooking the hook back to the main line adjust the chain so you don't have to pull so hard to get them tight and not be loose. Much easier than pulling your guts out to get it down tight.

 

[caterpillar guy]

As for the bolts in the tractor I have never seen any part like that rated nor the axle housing either . Though since the drawbar was designed to be pulled on in a rearward and downward position I'm going to not worry about that and use it with no real concern along with most logical places of substantive material and no I'm not going to hook on to the lower radiator hose like we had a kid do one time cutting wheat to pull a stuck truck out once .

 

[john in la]

4 inch straps are rated at 5000

Just like you can buy G70 and G43 chain you can buy straps rated for more weight.
The standard they use for unmarked straps is 1000 lbs per inch

if he added the 1/4 inch chain to the brush mower it would then be allowed as legal since he would be adding the extra chain and chains strength to the mix

I can agree with that.

I do not know anybody that used 1/4 inch chain

It was just an example of what could be used

While I did not want to get this deep the part of full chain rating and half chain rating can get complicated.
You do not need to run the chain to both sides of the trailer to get full chain rating.
As long as the chain has two contact points with the trailer you can use full chain rating.
Such as one stake pocket on one side of trailer to load and back to a different stake pocket on the same side of the trailer.
This allows you to have 4 point contact with loads over 10,000 lbs and still use smaller chains for heavy stuff.

Next week we can talk about tying down loads that are not on wheels such as pallets or lumber loads if you want to or how you can get a ticket for unsecure load in a box trailer. I got one of those tickets a few years ago with a sealed drop and hook trailer.

 

[catengi]

For what it's worth I just went through this with a JD 620 narrow front. Not sure if links to this forum will work but my thread is here

John Deere 620 NF Tie Down Points

Hello all, In a few weeks I'll be making a trip up to Ohio to purchase and haul back to NC a John Deere 620 from my uncle. It has the narrow front end so I'm curious how you all tie down these tractors to the trailer. As far as I know there's no built in tie down points so if I have to...

forums.yesterdaystractors.com

I ended up creating my own front brackets out of some steel plate and weld on D rings that bolted to the front frame. I didn't like the thought of tying off to the front pedestal. I used one chain on either side and then in the rear I used two chains wrapped around either side of the rear axle. Overkill for sure, but I liked the redundancy of having four chains in the event one broke or loosened.

 

[caterpillar guy]

With a dozen chains on the truck and 6 tractors on the deck it is sometimes hard to carry enough chain and binders to tie it all down and especially if you are not at home when you come into these types of loads. I carried a dozen chains and binders with a couple spares along with about 15-18 straps when I was on the road and ran out of pieces a few times like when you get a load of transformers you needed at least one strap per plus an extra on each end. And NO chains allowed per shipper. As for the pedestal you have a shaft of an 1-1/2 or more than that for most all models of tractors with narrow fronts in those old tractors and it will take more than the bolts in the drawbar that was being concerned for in the discussion. along with being between the wheels it can't veer off sideways from the wheels turning if the chain is tight. Straps just don't get it for tractors the stretch in the straps lets them bounce working on the straps and I don't care what is said about them not doing that I have seen it when I had to use one to get to a place to buy a chain one time. As for the bolting on the welded plates with D-rings is fine as long as the bolts are big enough to handle the load of the D ring since everything comes down to the weakest link in the system. I would think that 2 3/4 bolts of even Grade 2 would be good or 4 1/2 inch in grade 5 adequate for the job. Much less would be to light for my liking, then I over build everything anyway.

 

[T in NE]

Get the handbook from JJ Keller.
Cargo securement handbook
it has instructions for how to tie down different types of freight, and how to determine how many chains/straps you need for flatbed.

As far as where, I'd tie to the frame in front, and drawbar support or axles in back. And no one gets a ticket for being tied down too well.

 

[flying belgian]

Get the handbook from JJ Keller.
Cargo securement handbook
it has instructions for how to tie down different types of freight, and how to determine how many chains/straps you need for flatbed.

As far as where, I'd tie to the frame in front, and drawbar support or axles in back. And no one gets a ticket for being tied down too well

Get the handbook from JJ Keller.
Cargo securement handbook
it has instructions for how to tie down different types of freight, and how to determine how many chains/straps you need for flatbed.

As far as where, I'd tie to the frame in front, and drawbar support or axles in back. And no one gets a ticket for being tied down too well.

I have hay customers that haul great distances. I always tell them,,,better to spend 10 minutes more tying down than to have to worry and think about what's going on back there for the next hour.

 

[504]

Just to add to the posts, I am a big fan of ratchet straps with chain hooks on the ends. The chains won’t rub through against the trailer but will take the paint off of a trailer queen. The ones I use are DOT rated for 3330 lb each , working load. I prefer a 4 point tie because if it is good enough for the military to use on equipment it is good enough for me. The chain ends are grade 70,way over kill for the straps

 

[CONSERVATIONMAN]

well, I thought i did a good job of tying down before i read this. So 1 question for a start
"If the chain goes from the trailer to the load (tractor) and back to the trailer you are allowed to use the full 4700 lbs.
But if the chain only goes from the trailer to the load you have to reduce the chain capacity in half to 2350 lb"

WHY?

 

[caterpillar guy]

Problem with ratchet straps is they give a bit as you drive allowing things to ever so slightly bounce under the strap. A chain will not allow this if you put them on correctly. For tractors just hook to the frame on each side pulling forward or rearward. Just so there is a similar angle to the back end of the tractor. It also has a lot to do with how many you have on the load. IF you load 5or 6 on a trailer it gets a bit more involved to tie down, and not have chains or straps rubbing on other tractors. I typically just use one chain at each end hooking to the tractor with the middle of the chain and ends at the trailer. Now hook a binder to the loop in the middle and back to your line from the side of the trailer this will give a 4 point tie down with one chain each side then the same in the rear. You have to be careful of hooking to the frame on the pressed steel frame on the Deere frames you can bend them if not careful. If you hook to them do it by a cross member in the frame or onto the cross member. That is why I like the cultivator bracket on the front a shackle and the chain is solid.

 

[john in la]

well, I thought i did a good job of tying down before i read this. So 1 question for a start
"If the chain goes from the trailer to the load (tractor) and back to the trailer you are allowed to use the full 4700 lbs.
But if the chain only goes from the trailer to the load you have to reduce the chain capacity in half to 2350 lb"

WHY?

Why?

Because some pencil pushing bean counter figured out some long equation and convinced some law maker to write it into the law.
But if I had to guess it most likely fits in with snatch block type logics.
Just like you can double the capacity of a cable by using a snatch block you can double the holding capacity of the chain by running the chain back to the trailer.
I do not make the laws or try to figure out the reason for a law.
I just abide by them and let someone above my paygrade figure out the complicated problems.