# You may not know this handy tip.



## Cabinetman (2 Jul 2021)

We probably all use ratchet straps but not everybody including me new this simple tip to make life easier.
My son learnt this and passed it on to me, and the other day I had a guy collecting a car on a dolly, which he does all day every day and he didn’t know it and was most impressed when I showed him. It’s one of those "of course, how stupid" moments.
So this is how I always used to do it, Putting the strap through with the ratchet in the open position like this.




Whereas if you close the ratchet and then feed the end through you can pull on it to tighten it before you start to operate the ratchet. 




Ridiculously simple but makes quite a difference particularly when trying to undo it again as you don’t have as much strap wrapped around the barrel of the ratchet. Ian


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## Just4Fun (2 Jul 2021)

I had to think a while to understand your first photo. I have always used the other method, though I can't remember if someone showed me that or if I just happened to do it that way.

The bit that always gets me though is removing a ratchet strap. Yes, I know it is a quick & simple process but it never seems obvious to me and I usually have to faff around until I work it out, yet again.


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## Rorschach (2 Jul 2021)

If you use your first method, doesn't it all get tangled up when you are "ratcheting"?


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## AJB Temple (2 Jul 2021)

Damn. I wish I had known that before. I often run out of capacity on the spool.


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## Daniel2 (2 Jul 2021)

Rorschach said:


> If you use your first method, doesn't it all get tangled up when you are "ratcheting"?



No, it just leaves the tail behind the handle.


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## Rorschach (2 Jul 2021)

Daniel2 said:


> No, it just leaves the tail behind the handle.



I thought it might get in the way while you are ratcheting.


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## Cabinetman (2 Jul 2021)

Rorschach said:


> If you use your first method, doesn't it all get tangled up when you are "ratcheting"?


 Not really but it’s also possible to spool strap from both ends, This makes it difficult to unwind later.


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## Cabinetman (2 Jul 2021)

AJB Temple said:


> Damn. I wish I had known that before. I often run out of capacity on the spool.


 Ha ha, yes it’s one of those stupid why on earth didn’t I realise that before moments. Ian


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## artie (2 Jul 2021)

Good tip, I found this out accidentally a few years ago.


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## Cabinetman (2 Jul 2021)

Bump in time for the weekend.


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## novocaine (2 Jul 2021)

Just4Fun said:


> I had to think a while to understand your first photo. I have always used the other method, though I can't remember if someone showed me that or if I just happened to do it that way.
> 
> The bit that always gets me though is removing a ratchet strap. Yes, I know it is a quick & simple process but it never seems obvious to me and I usually have to faff around until I work it out, yet again.


See the gate on the left of the first picture? Pull it then push the handles back past the locked open position. Now pull the strap and watch it freewheel.


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## WoodchipWilbur (3 Jul 2021)

It had never occurred to me to do it like your first picture!. Now I'm disappointed - I don't get a nice Handy Tip!


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## Oraclebhoy (3 Jul 2021)

When I was 17 I worked at a parcel company that also did long distance haulage.
I was shown how to strap and rope everything by the older chaps there, 
Didn’t matter the shape or size, a few well place ropes and it wasn’t moving.
sadly I’ve forgotten most of it as I left when I was 22 after a shoulder injury.
But this rings a bell.


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## clogs (3 Jul 2021)

I'm now 72, when quite young my fav Uncle tought me a few things about ropeing and sheeting...
he started his working life on horse drawn carts for the railway.....
still use a knot tought by him......good memeories......

over the years have met many people who cannot fathom a ratchet strap.....
my fun is to watch em when they try to loosen them......lol.....

for u guy's in the UK, have been told that due to H/S a lot of places can only use a ratchet straps once...
then they are disposed of.....so a few should find thier way out onto the open market.... cheap


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## novocaine (3 Jul 2021)

clogs said:


> for u guy's in the UK, have been told that due to H/S a lot of places can only use a ratchet straps once...
> then they are disposed of.....so a few should find thier way out onto the open market.... cheap



Sorry but nope thats bullshit. There are some single use lifting slings but not ratchets.


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## artie (3 Jul 2021)

clogs said:


> for u guy's in the UK, have been told that due to H/S a lot of places can only use a ratchet straps once...
> then they are disposed of.....so a few should find thier way out onto the open market.... cheap


I used a pair for the best part of 20 yrs.


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## redhunter350 (3 Jul 2021)

clogs said:


> I'm now 72, when quite young my fav Uncle tought me a few things about ropeing and sheeting...
> he started his working life on horse drawn carts for the railway.....
> still use a knot tought by him......good memeories......
> 
> ...


Frank I’m 77 and still have fun with ratchet straps, son & grandson keep trying to teach but much happier with a rope and the “haystack “ or waggon drivers hitch, never fails and so easy


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## novocaine (3 Jul 2021)

For thise who dont know. I was taught this by my father. Very useful for when only a rope is available.


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## paulrbarnard (3 Jul 2021)

WoodchipWilbur said:


> It had never occurred to me to do it like your first picture!. Now I'm disappointed - I don't get a nice Handy Tip!


Me too. The first approach never occurred to me.


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## Cabinetman (3 Jul 2021)

paulrbarnard said:


> Me too. The first approach never occurred to me.


The ratchet assemblies are often left in the open position as that is how they are when you open the cams to remove the strap and it just seems easier when they’re open like that to feed the strap back through that way next time.
As I’m sure you know habits are strange things easy to get into and not so quick to get out of – I had been doing it wrong for years ha ha


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## captain faffer (3 Jul 2021)

I have used both methods for many years and both work the same as in amount of strap on the ratchet you are left with. as you pull tight then ratchet. I seem to now always use the closed ratchet then thread the strap way though. Some folk say thats wrong as a chap said the exact thing yesterday and used the open ratchet method.


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## Cabinetman (3 Jul 2021)

captain faffer said:


> I have used both methods for many years and both work the same as in amount of strap on the ratchet you are left with. as you pull tight then ratchet. I seem to now always use the closed ratchet then thread the strap way though. Some folk say thats wrong as a chap said the exact thing yesterday and used the open ratchet method.


 Hi Captain Faff actually no, because as you are able to pull it much tighter so you’re not going to end up with as much strap on the drum and I’ve looked but can’t see what the chap said there yesterday but I can assure you that this is the right way to do it – with the ratchet closed to start with. Ian


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## Ozi (3 Jul 2021)

novocaine said:


> Sorry but nope thats bullshit. There are some single use lifting slings but not ratchets.


I hate to say it but I found single use ratchet straps for the first time at work this week - utter madness not health and safety but our transport supplier does not reuse vehicle pallets or the straps that they use to hold down bodies so it's a "cost saving". Here's hopping I can have some of the wood. The ratchets can only be described using words that this site will auto correct. It could make sense if by not returning the pallets the lorries were being used for other work on the return journey but according to the driver he was just going back empty


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## Cabinetman (3 Jul 2021)

Sounds pretty crazy to me Ozi, if they insist on buying a new pallet every single time I don’t think they’re going to be in business long which is probably a good thing with that attitude. It’s just sheer waste.


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## Inspector (3 Jul 2021)

We once got a shipment from overseas and the truck driver cut the straps off under orders from his boss. They were 2" wide and there was a couple dozen. I just wanted a few to tie stuff down in my Nissan pickup so could never load anything heavy enough to come close to breaking them even if they were compromised 70% of new. Bugged me a bunch but there was nothing I could do about it. Fortunately they are cheap enough now that I have a couple dozen of all sizes. I hate the things I'm hauling shifting.

Pete


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## Jonzjob (3 Jul 2021)

I've used ratchet straps for as long as I can remember and I've never heard of anyone ratchet them by starting with the handle open?

I always carry a pair in the car and they are rolled onto the closed ratchet and secured with a rubber loop cut from a tyre inner tube. That's the best elastic band you will ever find and the ones I'm using now I cut about 35 or 40 years ago, probably longer.

I also have an extra long pair, about 5 metres long that I made up myself. Easy to do on SWMBO's sewing machine by using strong thread and double sewing everything. Cheap to do and I have put a hell of a lot of pressure on them over time with no sign of any failure.

I use the ordinary ones as clamps for box assembly. Just cut a right angle wooden block to go on the corners and it makes the perfect clamp for any size box or frame.


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## Cabinetman (3 Jul 2021)

Jonzjob said:


> I've used ratchet straps for as long as I can remember and I've never heard of anyone ratchet them by starting with the handle open?
> 
> I always carry a pair in the car and they are rolled onto the closed ratchet and secured with a rubber loop cut from a tyre inner tube. That's the best elastic band you will ever find and the ones I'm using now I cut about 35 or 40 years ago, probably longer.
> 
> ...


Well Jon, you have now! Quite a few of us numpties, me included have been doing it the hard way for years!
I think you said it perfectly when you said that you put yours away properly with a nice elastic band around them (yes they are good aren’t they) you see us lazy beggers just left them in the position they were when we finished with them – open, and it just seemed obvious to load them again that way, Doh!


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## peter spratt (4 Jul 2021)

clogs said:


> I'm now 72, when quite young my fav Uncle tought me a few things about ropeing and sheeting...
> he started his working life on horse drawn carts for the railway.....
> still use a knot tought by him......good memeories......
> 
> ...





clogs said:


> I'm now 72, when quite young my fav Uncle tought me a few things about ropeing and sheeting...
> he started his working life on horse drawn carts for the railway.....
> still use a knot tought by him......good memeories......
> 
> ...


I as an agency driver and have worked for hundreds different firms I can tell you that each lorry has only one set of straps and are jealously guarded by the regular drivers one use straps? Nonsense


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## pe2dave (4 Jul 2021)

novocaine said:


> For thise who dont know. I was taught this by my father. Very useful for when only a rope is available.



The other one is a bowline on a bight? (Learned in the scouts - from a lorry driver)


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## novocaine (4 Jul 2021)

pe2dave said:


> The other one is a bowline on a bight? (Learned in the scouts - from a lorry driver)


Thats your starting knot. Right in the middle of the rope. Then you send each end diagonally over the sheeted load to be tied off. Been so long now since i used a rope i cant remember half the knots to be honest.


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## MikeJhn (4 Jul 2021)

I keep mine in my estate car under the rear floor rolled up around a closed ratchet, never occurred to me to open them and thread the end through, if using them on the roof rack of a car never leave a loose end flapping it will take the paint off the car whilst wind driven driving along and flapping against the paint, always tie them back on themselves.


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## hairy (4 Jul 2021)

clogs said:


> for u guy's in the UK, have been told that due to H/S a lot of places can only use a ratchet straps once...
> then they are disposed of.....so a few should find thier way out onto the open market.... cheap


On a construction site we used to get cut and bent rebar delivered in ton bags which were deemed to be single lift, (labelled as such) many H&S eejits would insist that wherever they got put initially was where they stayed. So offload a lorry when you start a build then that 20 odd tons stays put. (If the market suggested an imminent price rise on steel and you had the room you might get multiple lorry loads at the start) So how do we get it up to the next multi storey floor slab we're building then?
More to the point, if they really are single lift, how do we get them off the lorry at all?


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## Noel (4 Jul 2021)

clogs said:


> for u guy's in the UK, have been told that due to H/S a lot of places can only use a ratchet straps once...
> then they are disposed of.....so a few should find thier way out onto the open market.... cheap




Not true. If it was you'd see shiny new straps on every tied down load you see on the road.


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## bourbon (4 Jul 2021)

I got taught how to make a dolly knot, before I became a scout leader. I just couldn't get it, despite the guy showing me umpteen times. After about a week. I saw him writing an invoice out, Then it clicked, He was left handed! Got it straight away after that. So when I became a scout leader and was teaching knots. I made sure that I could show left and right handed. ( Also blindfolded, so I could teach visually impaired scouts)


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## Stevekane (4 Jul 2021)

Noel said:


> Not true. If it was you'd see shiny new straps on every tied down load you see on the road.


Im fairly sure Ive seen non returnable ratchet straps on brand new crated motorbikes, they strap them down to a wooden base and drop a box over the top,,the crates and straps are non returnable to Japan I guess. The big ratchet straps used to secure loads to lorries are really quite a different animal, being massively built in comparison to the ones used to tie your suitcase to a roofrack. BTW whilst I have a good selection of ratcheting straps my go to straps are what I call sailboard straps, 1 inch webbing with an alloy buckle that has a spring loaded cam in it, just press the cam to open it, feed through the tail end of the strap and pull down tight, the cam grabbing every last millimetre and you can get them more than tight enough,


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## Titan_uk (5 Jul 2021)

Jonzjob said:


> I've used ratchet straps for as long as I can remember and I've never heard of anyone ratchet them by starting with the handle open?



Depends on the strap. With built in hooks, easier on a wagon to use open, insert from the back and have the strap hanging down to tug on, especially if it's long then you don't have to tug upwards and it isn't flopping over you as you ratchet


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## Noel (5 Jul 2021)

Stevekane said:


> Im fairly sure Ive seen non returnable ratchet straps on brand new crated motorbikes, they strap them down to a wooden base and drop a box over the top,,the crates and straps are non returnable to Japan I guess. The big ratchet straps used to secure loads to lorries are really quite a different animal, being massively built in comparison to the ones used to tie your suitcase to a roofrack. BTW whilst I have a good selection of ratcheting straps my go to straps are what I call sailboard straps, 1 inch webbing with an alloy buckle that has a spring loaded cam in it, just press the cam to open it, feed through the tail end of the strap and pull down tight, the cam grabbing every last millimetre and you can get them more than tight enough,



No doubt there's plenty of disposable/temporary versions about but every curtain sider/flat bed etc you see on the road does not use "one use" straps as the OP suggested.


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