Why does nobody talk about using a ratchet strap for a tricky limb pull?

I was working on a pin oak in a tight backyard in Cincinnati last month, and a big limb was hung up on a power line. We couldn't get the bucket truck in. On a whim, I hooked a 2-inch ratchet strap to a solid trunk about 15 feet away and cinched it down on the limb. Gave it a few cranks and the whole thing popped free cleanly, no damage. It took maybe 10 minutes total. I'd always reached for a come-along before, but this was way faster for a medium job. Has anyone else found a simple tool that saved the day like that?

3 comments

3 Comments

bettyperry1mo agoProlific Poster

Seriously? A ratchet strap for a power line hang up. That sounds like a good way to get a limb launched right back at you. Just because it worked once doesn't make it a good plan. Those things can snap or slip. Seems like a quick fix that could go real wrong real fast.

the_robin8d ago

My old boss in Dayton had a rule about straps and come-alongs. He said a strap stores energy like a spring, so if it slips or the anchor fails, it whips back hard. A chain come-along just drops. That's why we always chained the hook to the strap's anchor point as a backup. Saved my truck bed from a flying strap hook once when a nylon anchor strap snapped.

hernandez.brooke1mo ago

Ever have one of those ideas that seems brilliant until you say it out loud? I was so proud of my ratchet strap trick I told my crew foreman. He just stared at me like I suggested using a garden hose to put out a grease fire. I guess the potential for a surprise limb launch didn't cross my mind in the moment.