Snatch Strap

[Mc4by]

I have been hearing some divided opinion about how many times you can use a snatch strap.
What do members do in terms of life-span for the strap?

[PeeBee]

As long as the strap is in good mechanical condition, is not affected by UV degradation and the stitching is good, there is no number of lifetime cycles that are relevant from what I know. I threw my last strap out after it became frayed from abrasion over rocks, and was showing signs of UV fading, but the stitching was all good. I also took good care of my straps by washing them after each weekend use, usually on a gentle washing cycle, when the wife was not home - that last point needs to be taken seriously as they hate mud and stones in their washing machine!

[MudRunnerTD]

IMO if you used your snatch strap for 20+ recoveries it has done its job and should be refreshed. It will have lost a significant amount of elasticity which is the whole point. They are cheap, they are dangerous, buy a new one.

[PeeBee]

IMO if you used your snatch strap for 20+ recoveries it has done its job and should be refreshed. It will have lost a significant amount of elasticity which is the whole point. They are cheap, they are dangerous, buy a new one.

On what basis do you come to that number? If a strap is used within its design rating its working within its elastic limit and should be fine unless it fails in the areas i mentioned above i reckon. I take your point they are cheap, but have not seen any literature to support 20 cycles and throw it away. maybe it it is getting flogged hard and its actually stretched permanently then you would have a damaged strap. You could easily measure it to check but I would say that very few people would measure a new strap then monitor its length over time either.

[MudRunnerTD]

On what basis do you come to that number? If a strap is used within its design rating its working within its elastic limit and should be fine unless it fails in the areas i mentioned above i reckon. I take your point they are cheap, but have not seen any literature to support 20 cycles and throw it away. maybe it it is getting flogged hard and its actually stretched permanently then you would have a damaged strap. You could easily measure it to check but I would say that very few people would measure a new strap then monitor its length over time either.

Hi Phil, as a Club Level driving and recovery instructor i always used the 20 use rule when teaching new members.

It is reasonable that 20 uses in a controlled lab would see little to no degradation of performance, in the real world it is no where near that.

By virtue of the need to recover, a snatch is most often dumped in the mud and grit. Extended to full tensile length while covered in mud and dirt and functions well. Regardless of washing in a machine it is reasonable that penetration of the fibre with grit is certain. Every time this strap is used it will tighten and rub in internal grit. It is unreasonable to wait for the fibres to frey or look damaged. I have seen a snatch strap Break during a recovery more than a dozen times. It is very average when they let go.

Playing with fire. A sling is very different to a snatch. A snatch is very difficult to inspect for internal damage. It is impossible to determine if the strap was damaged when it reached full elasticity.

A 20 recovery snatch is an Old Strap. Buy a new one.

[PeeBee]

Hi Phil, as a Club Level driving and recovery instructor i always used the 20 use rule when teaching new members.

It is reasonable that 20 uses in a controlled lab would see little to no degradation of performance in the real world it is no where near that.

By virtue of the need to recover, a snatch is most 0ften dumped in the mud and grit. Extended to full tensile length while covered in mud and dirt and functions well. Regardless of washing in a machine it is reasonable that penetration of the fibre with grit is certain. Every time thia strap is used it will tighten and rub in internal grit. It is unreasonable to wait for the fibres to frey or look damaged. I have seen a snatch strap Break during a recovery more than a dozen times. It is very average when they let go.

Playing with fire. A sling is very different to a snatch. A snatch is very difficult to inspect for internal damage. It is impossible to determine if the strap was damaged when it reached full elasticity.

A 20 recovery snatch is an Old Strap. Buy a new one.

Thanks Darren, nowhere is a cycle limit noted in either the ACCC Product Safety Publication or the Federal register of legislation for Recovery Straps Regs 2010. This may be an oversight, however I know first hand as to how detailed and long winded the process is to get a compliance document registered, having participated in two such activities, hence would wonder why a cycle limit would not be included if such data could in fact be validated scientifically. These documents outline the manufacture, labelling and safe use of the recovery strap. One thing of significant note to mention is the reduction in strap capacity once it gets wet. I would have liked to see some type of statement regards maintenance of straps such as cleaning and removal of debris, however this was not present, reasons unknown. I would implore all readers to have a scan of these docs at the very least.

At the end of the day, the user must engage their brain and assess if the strap is fit for use, however this can only be done in the field by visual inspection and/or if you can validate the strap has stretched above its original length and not returned to its design length, use that also as part of your assessment. Additionally check for obvious mechanical damage such as fraying, tears, cuts, heat and melt affected areas and integrity of stitching.

If the user wishes to change their strap after 20 uses, it can do no harm however is not necessary from what i can tell, if you follow some common sense rules and only adding more waste to landfill and depleting the wallet. Thats it, i'm done.

Just to be sure, I rang ARB in Kilsyth and asked the question regards total use cycles and their reply was two pronged. 'They would love it from a sales potential, but hate it from a product life perspective. They do not know of any cycle period for disposal, and go by the general conditions listed above. Hope this helps.