tree saver straps or points for snatch blocks

[rebocardo]

The tree saver straps they advertise are always six feet long. These are too small for my needs, I need at least eight feet or more to use for attaching a snatch block or for a deadman line at the base of a tree.

Do you think using a tow strap (2" x 20 feet) rated at 18,000 pounds with loops on the end would be good enough. Or would it stretch too much and end up being unsafe?

I am only using a 6k winch on snatch blocks so the max. pressure on the line will be very little. My main use is to pull over some trees at the hinge, once it is cut, that I do not want to be around when they go over.

Plus, might be nice to have if I have to extract myself with a winch if I ever get stuck off-road.

[Kevin]

That sounds a little on the long side if you are using it in a basket fashion and if you choke it you'll lose more than half its strength.
You might have enough to take a wrap on the tree though.

http://www.lifting.com/capacities/Synthetic_Slings.html
http://webriggingsupply.com/pages/catalog/materialhand/slings/nylon-eyeeye.html

[slowzuki]

You can get slings as Kevin mentions and choker or basket them (basket is prefered for strength)

Just make sure it is as short as possible and much stronger than your cable.  Always realize if a portion of your rigging breaks and nylon straps are in the system they will recoil.  This is normally fine as they don't weigh much but if a shackle or snatch block is attached it can fire the weight pretty fast.

I have a picture of someone who connected 2 yank straps with a shackle.  The stuck vehicles tow point broke and the middle shackle fired through the back window, through the drivers seat hitting the drivers shoulder and out the front window, dragging both straps with it!
Ken

[rebocardo]

I have seen that picture of the strap going through the back window and then the windshield of that Jeep. It looks pretty brutal.

That is the reason for asking, I do not want to do something stupid and have something break because it is not being used as designed.

Thank you for the URLs! It looks like they have what I need.

One reason I like having 1/8 inch steel plate behind my cab. Besides holding the logs and stuff back, it is thick enough to stop a steel hook.

I do not want to use it choker fashion. I want to run/wrap it around the base of the tree (once or twice if needed), run a shackle through the end loops and attach a block to the shackle.

[Frank_Pender]

If you use a stump as an anchor point always notch the stump for the strap, you are useing, to keep it from slipping off the stump.   A fella in my area did not notch the stump as he was in a hurry.  He was a real highballing logger anyway.  The cable choker came off when the line got tight and the block he was useing came right at him and took off half his rear end.  He finally got to walk, but only through shear guts and detrmination and much drug rahb there after.  The real challenge Ihad with all of it, wasthe fact that I had to go through the ordeal as a thrid party because he doughters were my students at the time of his carelessness. :'(

[rebocardo]

Thank you for the heads-up on the stump and notching it. I will remember that if I ever have to use a stump.