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Actual no/low stretch Tow Strap; Who makes a good one?

Yellow Cake Kid

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Hi,
I have been looking around for a good quality no-buckle/no-hook Tow Strap, and am perplexed by the many vendors that present detailed explanations of the difference between static low stretch polyester Tow Straps and elastic nylon Recovery Straps. These vendors expound the idea that you should never tow with a Recovery Strap, and then describe their elastic 100% Nylon products as Tow/Recovery straps.

I have a Recovery Strap and now I want a high quality Tow Strap with no metal hardware installed.

I found one quality oriented product explicitly offered as a tow strap at Factor 55: https://factor55.com/product/standard-and-extreme-duty-tow-straps/
They acknowledge that they sell tow straps and recovery products as separate items.

Most of the other 4x4 enthusiast vendors, do not seem to offer actual Tow Straps but you have to figure out that the straps they list as "Tow Recovery" are not for towing by reading the details and specs etc.

It seems like the most common Tow Strap options are sold as mystery meat commodity products sold at discount car parts stores.

I found a few 4x4 "tree saver" straps made of low stretch material but they tend to be short.

I found a few 4x4 winch extension straps made of low stretch material but they tend to be long.

Are there any other high quality medium length low stretch straps available that you know of?


Thank you!
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Sheepjeep

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just go to the hardware store and get one there for half the price they will be just as good as what factor55 sells
 
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Yellow Cake Kid

Yellow Cake Kid

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For example; there are a couple tow straps on the Home Depot website that I consider mystery meat imports with Working Load Limits suitable for a Fiat 500 rather than a loaded down Jeep, and break ratings at 1/3 the spec listed at Factor 55.

Thank you.
 
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Yellow Cake Kid

Yellow Cake Kid

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I found this website which advertises made in USA tow straps:

https://usaratchet.com/2-inch-recovery-strap-towing.html

They offer a 2" x 25' tow strap that is double layer polyester. It's working load limit is an impressive 6,665 pounds but the breaking limit is calculated at a 1:3 ration for a break strength of 20,000 pounds.
The Factor 55 offering lists a similar working limit but tests for a 1:5 ratio with breaking limit of 31,000 pounds.

It looks like USA Ratchet sells 5 different grades of bulk 2" webbing, and uses one of the mid grades for the Tow Strap product.
 

brewski

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With a tow strap I wouldn't be as concerned about quality of the manufacturer as I am adamant with when it comes to recovery gear. When towing w/ a jeep the forces are pretty low and as long as the strap isn't frayed and rated for the weight then you should be fine. If you're going to use it a lot then I would be more concerned about the quality for how well it will wear. As suggested home depot, etc is probably just fine to get one from

I have a tow strap I've used once in some 10+ years. I use my recovery gear a lot.
 

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Yellow Cake Kid

Yellow Cake Kid

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Thanks for the suggestion. I agree that towing a free rolling vehicle requires much less capability than freeing a stuck vehicle.

However, my primary interest in a high quality tow strap is for it's use in controlled recovery when I do not want to use a snatch rope.

We have a lot of instances where stretch and tug is not the best option for safety reasons that have to do with space limitations for either the pulling vehicle, the pulled vehicle, or often times both vehicles.

I was in this situation the past Saturday, and want to be better supplied the next time it happens.

I am willing to spend the money on the Factory 55 product, but I wanted to learn if there were any other similar good options.

Thank you.
 

sourdough

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I have run with cheap yellow 20K straps for years and years. No issues, ever. I have never liked Kinetic Energy (snatch) ropes and seen a lot of scary failures. I have/use a wench and accessories for controlled recoveries. KE straps, like fancy 55 hooks will never be part of my kit.
 
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Yellow Cake Kid

Yellow Cake Kid

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Yellow Cake Kid

Yellow Cake Kid

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I have run with cheap yellow 20K straps for years and years. No issues, ever. I have never liked Kinetic Energy (snatch) ropes and seen a lot of scary failures. I have/use a wench and accessories for controlled recoveries. KE straps, like fancy 55 hooks will never be part of my kit.
I hear you. I have used all sorts of gear with the thingamajig fittings that are now safety rated "you're-gonna-die", but I used that stuff safely, carefully, and with discipline.

I want to treat myself to a real nice strap, and so I am wondering who else makes some.

Thank you.
 
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Yellow Cake Kid

Yellow Cake Kid

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It's a rigging web sling. Just get a construction rigging (as in crane) sling with the same standard:

Something like this:

https://www.westechrigging.com/sling-ee-2230.html
Thank you. The Liftex 2 Ply 2" x 30 ft Eye & Eye Pro-Edge Web Sling you linked to seems like a very similar product as the Factor 55, as the dimensions and specs seem nearly identical.

A good like to like comparison

Thank you.
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