banding materials

[Ricker]

Been reading and learning for quite sometime, great site filled with good people. I am always adding  to my tool list when I can and am looking at banding tools, any thoughts on  metal versus composite or cord strapping material? thanks 

[Kbeitz]

The best banding that I have used was a green thick plastic.
I think it was even stronger than steel...
It was even very hard to cut.

[WV Sawmiller]

Ricker,

   Welcome to the FF. What are you planning on banding? I assume pallets of lumber. If so will the bands be in direct contact with the lumber? If so how will you prevent rust issues? Fiber looks like it would stretch more but if the wood is green either will loosen as the wood dries and shrinks. If kiln dried this should not be as much of an issue. If you have spacers of some kind keeping the band from direct contact with the wood the rust concerns may be alleviated.

   I would think fiber would be cheaper but metal looks like it would be more expensive. I don't currently band anything so I am not an expert - just expressing an off the cuff suggestion. Free advice is worth what you paid for it.

   Good luck.

[terrifictimbersllc]

I've used the 3/4" Kubinec poly strapping.  Bought the banding, buckles, and a simple strapping tool.  No real comparison other than that 40 yrs ago I did use 1/2" steel banding with a roll, cart and banding ratchet/crimper.  Both do the job but the poly seems a little less investment and maybe safer and just as good.

Search on "Kubinec" you'll find 3 threads here.  probably also on "steel strapping" or "steel banding" for some discussion.

[4x4American]

I got the Kubinec recently myself.  It was the cheapest I could find.  So far it does the job, although the simple tool I got with it leaves more to be desired

[Magicman]

Welcome to the Forestry Forum, Ricker.  The only experience that I have is with ULINE products, and they work very well.

[sandsawmill14]

we use the 5/8 metal banding  if its green lumber it cant be left in the stack long enough for rust to matter or it will stain and then rust wont matter ;D :D but i will agree the 1200 buck ratchet/crimp will hurt :-\ they make cheaper ones but not having to keep up with the crimper or buy the sleeves is worth it to me and they will last for years

[outpost22]

I got lucky and a friend bought a storage unit at auction. In it were banding ratchet and crimper. $30.00 later it was mine. I then priced the parts out new and they came to over $400.00  :-[
I use the steel bands.  They seem to do the job. I don't care if my framing lumber gets stained or not.  I don't band my siding (1x) or oak.  The metal banding is expensive, more than I imagined it would be.

[kderby]

The poly strap w/buckles is reusable if you can tie a knot.  It is less money and no issue with stain/rust.  I have dropped bundles of slabs off the forklift forks and it held up to that.  It is a small cost for banding material compared to re-stacking imploded units of lumber or slabs.  The poly can be tightened after the unit has dried or moved and settled.  Try that with steel.

No sharp edges and disposal for the poly is like throwing away string/rope.  The steel sits out in the scrap pile creating a tangled mess.  Steel is what the old timers had before they invented poly.

Whew that was easy.

Mine comes from Continental Western Corp.  3/4 inch and buckles.

Kderby 

[longtime lurker]

We use both steel and poly strapping.... 90% of the time we use poly, and if I could convince the railways and the government to allow something other then steel we'd be 100% poly, but they likes steel.Poly is just all around easier to live with, and if you get the right grade of strap (Signode High Strength Tenax for example) it's nearly as strong as steel anyway.

Be aware that not all ratchets, clamps and clamping tools are compatible with different grades of strapping material, even in the varying poly and plastics.

[Chuck White]

Welcome to the Forestry Forum, Ricker!

[Seavee]

Welcome to the forum

[drobertson]

Steel banding here,  the rolls vary in price, and go by the pound, last roll ran 100 bucks, the tensionor ran 450 if I remember right, the crimper not that much, the banding will stain the hardwoods, but they don't stay banded long enough to stain from what I've seen, most everyone around here uses the steel banding,   

[Philngruvy]

I use Uline poly strapping.  It is very inexpensive, easy to use, no sharp edges to get cut on.  The used longer pieces can be reused if you are that frugal.  Very easy to dispose of the waste.  No staining.

[Deese]

Ricker---Welcome to the Forestry Forum  8)

[sandsawmill14]

i just checked on the banding tool i have (fromm a337 sealess combination tool)  $1495.00 i hope the one i have last's a VERY long time    i cant believe they have went up almost 300 bucks in just a few years  :-\

[Ricker]

Thanks for the info, poly was what I was thinking on getting since I am want to have something for slab wood and the occasional customer that requests it and I figured with all of the experience on the forum you'd steer me in the right direction. 

[Ohio_Bill]

I use ¾ inch polycord from uline with buckles and there tensioneder tool

[YellowHammer]

I use the heavy green embossed poly "Lumber" banding with serrated crimps for when I don't want things ever coming loose, or I'm transporting stacks on the road.  I also use the 1/2" orange Kubinec buckle bands for when I'm moving pallets of wood around here, or when customers needs a little cordage to tie up their loads.
And sometime I don't use any banding at all. :D   I don't recommend it.

 

[sandsawmill14]

yh  im glad i dont do stuff like that ;D more than once a week :  but on the bright side you dumped that stack the neatest i ever seen not a board or sticker out of place :D :D :D

[Brucer]

I used to use steel strapping. I switched to Kubinec 3/4" poly with buckles 7 years ago and found it was far superior to the steel. The U-line product looks like it's just as good.

[paul case]

I tried the kubinec strapping and buckles. If you do very much it will save some money to switch to the heavy green and clips, however I have had to go to steel on my slabs. I got tired of rebundling the ones that the varmits had chewed the straps off.

PC

[Dewey]

Call E.A Buschman Lewiston Maine...  Local Run great service and fair pricing...
I use Polly as well  . I use two different widths...  Lightest for around mill moving and heaviest for over the road shipping...

[YellowHammer]

yh  im glad i dont do stuff like that ;D more than once a week :  but on the bright side you dumped that stack the neatest i ever seen not a board or sticker out of place :D :D :D

Yeah, banding is one of those things that is very easy to skip, then at the worst time, it will bite you.  I dumped a load off my tractor, a couple years ago, that was banded with the green poly, and the whole pack hit the ground, and not a board moved.  I was able to recover it with minimal effort.

I pick up lots of packs from other businesses, and I know when I see it banded in steel, it will be solid as a rock, same thing with the thick green poly, but when I see it banded in the thin brown 600 poly, it will shift some.  I started using the buckles when I got a few packs with them on, and they seemed to be very solid.

[Brad_bb]

Kubinec 3/4"
Pro's
-Low initial cost for the manual tool
-Very strong and made quite tight with manual tool
-Very portable
-Will not stain wood
-Buckles and straps are usually reuseable lowering your costs. 

Con's
-Is slow to apply when you first start, you will get faster, but slower than a clip that gets crimped like on steel strapping
-Critters(mice) can chew through, but that has only happened to me one time in a stack, so not a concern of mine.