So I decided to prove my R1s would not get stuck..

[gpreuss]

To all newbies. If you have not been stuck real bad, you have not lived yet. But, plan on it so you can make it less painful. Assuming you have anchorage in the area (such as strong trees), block and tackle equipment can save the day. Be aware that nylon rope with snatch-blocks is then like a major sling-shot. Chain breakage at the stuck tractor can fly a long ways, so paint them yellow or orange to aid in finding them. Make sure standers by are aware of the dangers. It pays to have cleat-like fittings on the puller vehicle if you are using nylon ropes. In the Navy the rule was "Never stand in the bight of the rope". Bight means the "U".

This is all great advice! I was using a snatch block with the winch - in truth it was not up to the task at hand. I need a heavier winch. I also clamped a 2' x4' piece of 3/4" plywood to the ROPS to protect the operator of the tractor (my son) in case something broke.
Nylon rope is a really poor choice for a block & tackle - it stretches way more than other ropes, and can make a powerful whip-lash when it breaks, in addition to putting metal fittings into orbit!

An interesting story - about 15 years ago they were building a large ship in Spain. The ship was pretty big - about 900' long, 100,000 tons displacement. They tied it up to the pier with a 50/50 mix of wire rope and nylon line. A storm came along. The wire rope does not stretch, and was only half enough to hold the ship, so it broke while the nylon was stretching. Then the nylon was only half enough to hold the ship, so it broke too. The ship then charged over to the only bridge across the bay, and took it out, forcing traffic to take a 40 mile scenic route around the bay for a year or so.
Thanks,
Gil

 

[quazz]

They don't get stuck often but when they do they get really stuck.

It reminds me of my first 4WD truck. I thought "Great, I'll never get stuck again". Wrong! I got stuck more because I pushed the limits and when I did get stuck it was much worse than with my car.

 

[Kingcreek]

To all newbies. If you have not been stuck real bad, you have not lived yet. But, plan on it so you can make it less painful. Assuming you have anchorage in the area (such as strong trees), block and tackle equipment can save the day. Be aware that nylon rope with snatch-blocks is then like a major sling-shot. Chain breakage at the stuck tractor can fly a long ways, so paint them yellow or orange to aid in finding them. Make sure standers by are aware of the dangers. It pays to have cleat-like fittings on the puller vehicle if you are using nylon ropes. In the Navy the rule was "Never stand in the bight of the rope". Bight means the "U".

^Read this again. Good advice.^
I was driving one day years ago and saw a neighbor with a combine that was "just a little stuck" in the field. He was by himself and hooked up his 1 ton 4x4 pickup. His nylon strap wasn't long enough to reach from firmer ground so he used a length of log chain at the combine. We pulled into the field to offer some help at about the same time he gunned it and gave a big yank. The chain broke at full stretch and rocketed toward the truck. When he felt the sudden loss of tension he did his first smart thing and ducked down flat on the front seat. The chain split his tailgate in 2, took the pump off his behind the cab aux fuel tank, then went through both rear and front glass stringing the nylon strap right with it and out into the field in front of him.

 

[jcummins]

Years and years ago when I was a teenager, I got an 8N stuck like that.

I put everything I had between the tires and the mud trying to back out. Nothing worked. And I was sweating it....my Dad wouldn't like it.

You will never guess how I got it out. I took a whole bunch of toe sacks, tied them together end to end so it was about 8 foot long. Jammed the end down in back of the tire, and out it came. Talk about a relieve teenager.

 

[Benhameen]

The mud in my neck of the woods has no bottom, its all old river bottoms. Once you're stuck you're stuck!

Got my 2wheel drive JD stuck in it once, with no one around to help me get it out. Ended up have to use 2 very long tow straps and a come a long while the tractor turned the wheels in 1st gear. I believe it was 2 plus hours to get myself out.

Live and learn, I guess...

 

[quazz]

^Read this again. Good advice.^
I was driving one day years ago and saw a neighbor with a combine that was "just a little stuck" in the field. He was by himself and hooked up his 1 ton 4x4 pickup. His nylon strap wasn't long enough to reach from firmer ground so he used a length of log chain at the combine. We pulled into the field to offer some help at about the same time he gunned it and gave a big yank. The chain broke at full stretch and rocketed toward the truck. When he felt the sudden loss of tension he did his first smart thing and ducked down flat on the front seat. The chain split his tailgate in 2, took the pump off his behind the cab aux fuel tank, then went through both rear and front glass stringing the nylon strap right with it and out into the field in front of him.

Holy crap!!!!

 

[cerlawson]

King creek got it right. As an example at my cabin area a building under construction had a load of trusses come in by semi, driving forward down the muddy driveway from the road. In the mud of course he could not back out. I offered to "try". I hooked up a double block at the truck trailer and one at a tree, making a five part pulling line. Nylon was at least 3/4" diam, maybe larger. When the 3/8" chain broke, it sailed out over the roadway and over a 200 feet wide field into the woods. To this day I have never found the chain. Forgot to use a painted one of course. Maybe it is up in a tree.

 

[tjd7869]

only thing i will use nylon strap or rope is for trailer load securing or light lifting, after 400lbs its metal cable or chain. and i always use twice safe work rating or better for what i am doing my L210 weighs in around 2000lbs my com-along and log chain has a safe working rating for 6000lbs. situations were your stuck in the mud actually take more pull than the static weight of your tractor because your not just pulling your tractor forward but also up and against the ground. you could sit down and do math for hrs to figure out what weight rating you need for your situation, or just simply go with something strong enough to hang twice your equipment in the air.

 

[BAP]

Anything can break pulling a stuck vehicle out, creating a deadly weapon. I know, I have an eye that doesn't work right and plates holding my eye socket together, and a quarter sized chunk of my skull pushed in, from a broken chain. I was pulling a stuck ten wheel dump truck out with a large John Deere 4 wheel drive tractor and the chain broke coming thru the wind of the tractor and knocked me out. I now am disable from those injuries from vision issues, memory issues, and a brain injury. So what ever you do, use the proper size chain or strap and be extremely careful because anything can happen. I was lucky, I lived. I have heard of instances where the person didn't.

 

[Bluegill]

I learned the hard way trying to pull a truck out with a chain. I only use large nylon strap or rope now. I use chain for lifting & winching...

 

[85Hokie]

Anything can break pulling a stuck vehicle out, creating a deadly weapon. I know, I have an eye that doesn't work right and plates holding my eye socket together, and a quarter sized chunk of my skull pushed in, from a broken chain. I was pulling a stuck ten wheel dump truck out with a large John Deere 4 wheel drive tractor and the chain broke coming thru the wind of the tractor and knocked me out. I now am disable from those injuries from vision issues, memory issues, and a brain injury. So what ever you do, use the proper size chain or strap and be extremely careful because anything can happen. I was lucky, I lived. I have heard of instances where the person didn't.

BAP,

very sorry to hear of your injury, I had a student bout 20 years ago pulling a 4 x4 truck out the mud with a dozer, the shackle broke, came through the rear of the dozer, hit him in the head, left him as a vegetable...... if nothing I have learned from situations like that, try never to pull in a exact straight line and always ASSUME something bad is going to happen!

The last snow we had here, son need the car out of the driveway.....17 years old and less than zero on being pulled out......I got the 25D out, 20 feet of chain and then got ready to tell him to give it a little gas and so on........

I scratched that thought and told him to put in in N and do nothing .....pulled him 30 feet onto blacktop and I felt good that nothing bad happened!

 

[skeets]

Yes I have seen damage time and time again out on strip jobs, some with some very devastating results. Mostly though just busted windows or torn up cabs, and a few torn out rear ends and drive lines, mainly due to the size of the equipment. Always use the heaviest chain and hook you can get,,,, now all chains are created equal trust me on this,,,make sure they haven't been cut, ground on, or some how abused, and if you don't have them GET THEM, and don't think for a second it cant happen to you, cause it only takes a heart beat. Over 30 some odd years I have filled out to many accident reports and had to do investigations in to the whys, and how's it happened.
I never like talking to the coroners,, they always want to show you pictures,,, yeah I know what it looked like I was there before they got him out,,,yuckkkkk
Anyways be safe and always try to think of the what if's, it might safe you or someone else from getting hurt or worse

 

[cerlawson]

Now comes the question, which is best: Nylon or steel chain? Both are elastic to different degrees. There also is steel cable, which is elastic same as chain (Modulus of Elasticity at 29 million lbs/cu. in.) . I'd vote for chain only, but some times the distances are long. The longer the distance, the farther it goes when it breaks. In other words, long springs are more dangerous than short ones. Higher modulus of elasticity is worse than lower value.

 

[Lil Foot]

Back in olden times when I did a lot of four wheeling in my Landcruisers, I came upon a guy in a toyota 2wd pickup buried to the top of tires in mud. He asked for help, then proceeded to laugh at my 100+lbs of 7/16" chain, (nobody needs chain that big!) then he insisted I hook on to a rear spring shackle. (maybe 3/16" X 1 1/4" X 4" plate) I refused, saying I would just pull the shackle off, but he was insistent that that was the only place he would let me hook on. I drove away. Later that after noon we came back to see if he got out. He hadn't moved, and sitting behind him was a Dodge 4wd truck with about 30' of 1/4" chain & the toyota spring shackle stuck in his radiator & wrapped around the fan. Thank god no one was in the line of fire when the shackle let go. I took his girl friend back to town to arrange a tow truck. I've probably seen something like this at least 100 times, and people seldom listen & have to learn the hard way.

 

[BotaDriver]

Now comes the question, which is best: Nylon or steel chain? Both are elastic to different degrees. There also is steel cable, which is elastic same as chain (Modulus of Elasticity at 29 million lbs/cu. in.) . I'd vote for chain only, but some times the distances are long. The longer the distance, the farther it goes when it breaks. In other words, long springs are more dangerous than short ones. Higher modulus of elasticity is worse than lower value.

Depends on what you're doing. I think if you're pulling vehicles out, I'd get the BIG BUBBA ROPE and be done with it. There is a video that I'm trying to locate where 2 35 ton off road dump trucks are doing a tug of war with it and couldn't break it.

For everything else I use a chain rated for the task at hand.

 

[Kingcreek]

I prefer a nylon strap with suitably strong clevis attachment at each end. I sometimes drape a length of heavy chain over the strap at midpoint to stop it from whipping if it breaks.

 

[zoomy]

A neighbor of mine who spent 12 years as a load master in the airforce said the safest materials for pulling and lifting are old fashioned hemp rope and chain. The twisted hemp will not stretch as far as the braid on braid, which will store more energy. The chains individual links that will dissipate energy quickly in a random none linear way. In any case he told me that the attach points should always have a higher capacity than the tow/lifting material.

 

[mike paulson]

I luv the way the mud packs in the tires and makes slicks out of them...

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

Gil,
You were having too much fun playing in the mud so I thought I would join you.
This is a low section of my fine driveway, went to heck with the deep freeze.
Normally it's frosted down about a foot or less.
This year it's over 2 feet deep of solid ice, I have pulled the top off trying to get it to thaw and drain, It's down 2 feet now and the bottom is still frozen solid.

It only took a few shovels of mud and about 10 min to get her out.

Out and about again, I did give it a bath after this!

 

[gpreuss]

I certainly was not so lucky. You did look well and truly stuck! I'm thinking Bluegill is right - the FEL sunk the front end, and killed traction in the rear. I've been doing a lot of running around with a trailer, picking up pine branches after pruning, and piling and burning them. Having the FEL on or off makes a world of difference even with 250 lbs of liquid and 140lbs of iron per rear tire!