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

Chocolate Thunder

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Thank you for the link. That company seems dedicated to quality, and that rope seems like a very nice product.

Thank you
I have not had occasion to use mine yet, but the quality seems to be there. Everything in my recovery kit from them seems to be of good quality and relatively reasonably priced compared to the more expensive option that is a popular choice. The soft shackles are great as well, and cost less than their reptilian or country boy competitors.
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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.
IIRC (Its been a while since I took a rigging class)
EE = Eye to Eye (Looped ends)
2 = 2 Ply
9 = Class 9
2 = 2" Width of Web
30 = Length

That total strength they reference is the vertical rated load (working load limit) times a factor of safety. In this case 5x. In reality its the opposite, 31k divided by a factor of safety of 5 to identify the safe working load.

You may not see the max listed on a real sling because it shouldn't be used in the field to calculate anything.
 
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Yellow Cake Kid

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Yes, the same code as the EE2-92x30 label on the F55 tow strap.

Thank you for pointing this out.
 

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I was eyeing the Bubba Rope Black Ops Tow Strap. Even though they specialize in kinetic rope, I trust that it's high quality and rigorously tested.
 

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Yellow Cake Kid

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That strap is made of Nylon, and features stretch capabilities, which makes it a good example of the mixed message marketing I was speaking about in the OP.
 

BillWorkbench

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I have a yellow one from Harbor Freight, I have used it twice and both times it worked. No stretch at all in that thing. Anyway, it's still in the Jeep ready for the next time I need it.

The reason I am adding this to the conversation. I think most things of this ilk are made in the same factory in China and are of the same quality. They are repackaged as high and low quality. I guess that's why you asked, to try to figure out which is the best and you can rely on.

I figure if the Harbor Fright strap breaks, I need to call Matt. He'll get me out.
 

Mikester86

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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

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The Bubba Rope?...
I trust that the Bubba Rope Black Ops Tow Strap is a top rate quality product, and I am open to the idea that a little bit of stretch might be helpful in some tow instances.

I was just pointing out that it is offered in a marketplace where contemporary conventional wisdom seems insistent on the premise that stretch = recovery and no stretch = tow.

Thank you.
 

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Chocolate Thunder

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You do NOT want a tow rope to stretch. That’s a recovery rope/strap. If it stretches it is not for towing and shouldn’t be used for it.
 

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I trust that the Bubba Rope Black Ops Tow Strap is a top rate quality product, and I am open to the idea that a little bit of stretch might be helpful in some tow instances.

I was just pointing out that it is offered in a marketplace where contemporary conventional wisdom seems insistent on the premise that stretch = recovery and no stretch = tow.

Thank you.
Yeah the description says "Nylon webbing has 6% stretch for controlled shock absorbing towing."

So it might be OK. That's significantly less stretch than a snatch strap.
 
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Yellow Cake Kid

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Follow Up-date:

I really appreciate having learned that the Factor 55 Standard Duty Tow Strap is a fairly standard lift sling primarily manufactured for and used by the heavy lifting rigging industry.

This info let me search out and compare several manufacturers' examples of these products, which enabled me to understand how different construction options and features are made available and priced accordingly.

What I realized is that the Factor 55 strap is competitively priced for a made in USA certified strap, that has been thoughtfully specified for the purposes of towing vehicles. The basic industrial straps are offered at rigging supply shops for a little less, or a little more than the Factor 55 tow strap. Common upgrade options seem to require a special order price quote. For example; the extra protection on the eyelets is an option available from any of the rigging industry strap companies, but it is not easy to find an "off the shelf" strap with this feature for sale at an advertised price. The Factor 55 strap was conveniently outfitted with this feature and ready for sale.

I ordered a Factor 55 Standard Duty strap from Northridge 4x4 on Friday afternoon and it arrived on Monday morning with free shipping. From my perspective it seems like a cost effective purchase, because I was specifically searching for a trustworthy made in USA strap.

The product itself seems to be made with good materials and assembled with great care. The stitching is tight and right. I am impressed by the straight lines, and even spacing. There is none of the sloppy wandering that seems to occur on the budget straps.

Now I get to store it in the Jeep and hope to not need it too often. :)

Thank you for all the helpful suggestions.
 

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You do NOT want a tow rope to stretch. That’s a recovery rope/strap. If it stretches it is not for towing and shouldn’t be used for it.

As CT said, you do not want to use a tow rope for stretch.... They could fail quite spectacularly.

Factor 55 website said:
PRODUCT DESCRIPTION
Factor 55 Tow Straps – Standard Duty and Extreme Duty 2 inch wide Double Ply 30 foot long straps. Tow straps are designed for pulling or towing vehicles. Tow straps should not be confused with “Dynamic” recovery straps like “Snatch” straps or Kinetic Recovery Ropes. Dynamic straps are designed to store large amounts of kinetic energy in the stretch of the rope, tow straps on the other hand do not store this quantity of energy. A properly designed tow rope should be made of a low stretch 100% polyester and allow for little to no stretch and allow vehicles to be towed for greater distances than Dynamic Nylon straps. Because towing a vehicle often results in the tow strap making contact to the ground, the abraded low energy storage tow strap will not recoil as severely if a strap failure occurs.
You will see nylon straps with up to 12% stretch. Even those can be pretty harsh when tugging on them.

You'll find Kinetic ropes with up to 30% stretch, which will be easier on equipment and give you that little extra boost when trying to recover a vehicle.
 
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