Pulling with Snatch rings vs. X-Rings vs. Blocks

[Arb23]

I have made some 3/4" Tenex Tec soft shackles. 2' diameter ones. Used them to pull a road grader out of a ditch that was buried deep in mud. Have no idea what the breaking strength is however. Most reports I have read on breaking soft shackles turn out to be about 150% of the breaking strength of the rope used. Remember, you have two legs of rope in the soft shackle. I also have made some 1/2" Tenex Tec ones, but again no data on strength for you. They have held up fine for what I have used them for, which is mostly snatch rings and winching trees out that are hung up.

Nice - thanks. I've got some tenex-tec I'll play around with. Regular tenex seems like it could work nicely too.

 

[Shadowscape]

@Arb23 You just need something you can 1) make a Brummel splice type of thing where you go through the middle of the rope for the loop end, and 2) which is optional, able to bury the ends of the rope down the center. That bury is optional and for cosmetic looks only as it serves no purpose in the strength. It is past the knot. A lot of people, including a bunch of commercial ones heat shrink them to the rope legs on the outside. Just have to remember to slide the heat shrink on the legs before you start making the knot. See figure below:

 

[Bart_]

That integrated guide takes care of the whole "sling popping out of the X ring groove" kind of reversed now, but same issue. Wonder if that's patented? Of course that never stopped a couple home brew one off's before.

 

[Ragnar]

Nice - thanks. I've got some tenex-tec I'll play around with. Regular tenex seems like it could work nicely too.

Nothing wrong with Tenex or Tenex Tec. Not as strong as Amsteel but better bend radius and cheaper per lb of break strength. Unless limitied by weight or size, Amsteel doesnt offer much for me

This one is 3/8" Tenex. $3 in material..... 1/4" Amsteel would have been $4.50.

You can also make soft shackles out of any rope. I still use a button knot, just dont bury the legs.

 

[Brocky]

@Arb23 You just need something you can 1) make a Brummel splice type of thing where you go through the middle of the rope for the loop end, and 2) which is optional, able to bury the ends of the rope down the center. That bury is optional and for cosmetic looks only as it serves no purpose in the strength. It is past the knot. A lot of people, including a bunch of commercial ones heat shrink them to the rope legs on the outside. Just have to remember to slide the heat shrink on the legs before you start making the knot. See figure below:
View attachment 87134

The buries increase the diameter which does bump the break strength up from just two sections of cord, the eye is the weak link.

 

[Shadowscape]

The buries increase the diameter which does bump the break strength up from just two sections of cord, the eye is the weak link.

If they are not buried you still have four sections. They just are held in place with heat shrink, which I'm not sure is as strong, or stronger than being buried. Doesn't really matter because as you say, the loop is the weak link in the system, and breaks in all the tests I have seen. Used properly one point of contact should be where the buried (or not buried) legs are. Close to the knot. It doesn't affect the break strength, but it aligns the loop and knot to best placement for not slipping off. Although I have seen many tests where the points of contact have gone around the entire soft shackle and never have I seen one slip over a knot, no matter how it was used. But the people who make them say to place the load at that location.

 

[LordFarkwad]

Nothing wrong with Tenex or Tenex Tec. Not as strong as Amsteel but better bend radius and cheaper per lb of break strength. Unless limitied by weight or size, Amsteel doesnt offer much for me

This one is 3/8" Tenex. $3 in material..... 1/4" Amsteel would have been $4.50.

You can also make soft shackles out of any rope. I still use a button knot, just dont bury the legs.

Anyone tested the knotted version from the videos against spliced ones? I've wanted to muck with soft shackles, but didn't want to be fiddling with splicing. So, the idea in that vid looks pretty attractive.

 

[Ragnar]

No data, but with a button knot, my WAG is same percent of cordage break strength as amsteel (150-200%). No idea with the other knots but probably less.