Grade 100 chains

Oxbow

Well-known member
I just bought my first grade 100 3/8" chains. I got 4 @ 15' long with grade 100 Crosby (made in America) grab hooks that are pinned with a roll pin rather than cotter pins. OUCH, expensive, the hooks were actually more expensive than the chain. A bit over $600 for the 4 of them.

We noticed immediately that there was not stretch to them that we could get out of the grade 70 3/8" when binding down tight.

We are going to replace the rest of our grade 70 chains with these as needed in order to increase the working load limit and require throwing less chains on a load to meet DOT requirements (I still scratch my head over getting full credit for anchoring from trailer, over load, back to opposite side of trailer as opposed to cross chaining - that should be a thread in and of itself).

I should probably buy 4 - 1/2" grade 100's for 4 corner chaining of excavators, but will wait until more of the grade 70's need to be replaced. I have yet to have DOT officers do more than take a glance at how we have chained our loads down, and they have never added up the WLL of the chains to see if we are in compliance, but I am sure our day is coming.
 

C R A F T

Well-known member
I just bought my first grade 100 3/8" chains. I got 4 @ 15' long with grade 100 Crosby (made in America) grab hooks that are pinned with a roll pin rather than cotter pins. OUCH, expensive, the hooks were actually more expensive than the chain. A bit over $600 for the 4 of them.

We noticed immediately that there was not stretch to them that we could get out of the grade 70 3/8" when binding down tight.

We are going to replace the rest of our grade 70 chains with these as needed in order to increase the working load limit and require throwing less chains on a load to meet DOT requirements …………………….

So What is the min requirement chain grade ???? that you guys have to comply with …… here it's still Gr 70 …… now I have not checked but with the 100 chains/hooks, What about the cinches ??? ….. it still goes back to the weakest link ??? …. are you using the cam over types or are you required to use the ratchet swivel ones ??? ….Just curious … comparing notes from here to there … thanx
 

td25c

Well-known member
I dont know Oxbow?We still tie down equipment with grade 70 3/8 chain on the lowboy. Grade 80 & 100 are for overhead lifting . No doubt there is a noticeable difference in strength going from 70 to grade 80 or 100. Dont know if DOT will care if its grade 100 or not. I was under the impression that DOT went from the number of chain & tie points on a given load.I understand your idea about using the grade 100 chain with less tie down to haul the same load as G70 chain .
 
Last edited:

Oxbow

Well-known member
Just have to be sure your tie points are rated for that kind of weight
They are all D rings on an Aspen lowboy. I don't know if they are rated or not.

So What is the min requirement chain grade ???? that you guys have to comply with …… here it's still Gr 70 …… now I have not checked but with the 100 chains/hooks, What about the cinches ??? ….. it still goes back to the weakest link ??? …. are you using the cam over types or are you required to use the ratchet swivel ones ??? ….Just curious … comparing notes from here to there … thanx
Our cam over binders are 7/16 or 3/8 (Lebus) and rated in excess of the 3/8 grade 100 chains. We also use ratchet binders and have ordered some equal to the WLL of the grade 100 chain. Our rules allow no minimum chain grade, but we are only allowed the working load limit of whatever chain we are using. If the tiedowns are rated less than the chain then that is what they calculate.

I dont know Oxbow?We still tie down equipment with grade 70 3/8 chain on the lowboy. Grade 80 & 100 are for overhead lifting . No doubt there is a noticeable difference in strength going from 70 to grade 80 or 100. Dont know if DOT will care if its grade 100 or not. I was under the impression that DOT went from the number of chain & tie points on a given load.I understand your idea about using the grade 100 chain with less tie down to haul the same load as G70 chain .
In the DOT manual they say that if your chain is not tagged with the working load limit, then they look for the stamp of the chain grade. The following are the ratings for various grades of 3/8 chain:

Grade 30 proof coil = 2650 lbs.
Grade 43 high test = 5400 lbs.
Grade 70 transport = 6600lbs.
Grade 80 alloy = 7100 lbs.
Grade 100 alloy = 8800 lbs.

Perhaps I am wrong, but the way I read the Federal Motor Carrier Handbook, the WLL of the weakist component (including tie down points as Tiny mentioned) determines the credit given.

I believe the grade 100 will last longer as stretched and bent links should not occur as easily.

CRAFT, as I understand our rules, one must have the aggregate WLL (working load limit) equal to half the weight of the machine. You get full credit for an individual chain only if you attach from one side of the trailer, through or over the item being tied down, and attached again on the other side of the trailer. This we (my company) never do for our main tie downs on a piece of equipment. I much prefer four corner or cross tying, but then one only recieves half credit for the WLL of the chain. We do tie down booms/buckets with one chain attached to both sides of the trailer, but not for our primary tie down points. We will also use just a binder from the inside of excavator tracks to the frame rail of the trailer, but primarily just to satisfy DOT WLL requirements.

Tiny has another thread going regarding whether or not to tie things down such that they will take the trailer with them or not. My thoughts are to tie in such a way that they cannot start moving on the trailer. If the trailer wrecks there are probably greater concerns!

I am sure I am incorrect on some of these details, but over the last 35 years I have learned what works for me.
 
Last edited:

clintm

Member
good luck finding a DOT officer that is capable of understanding the difference in the grades of chain. make sure you talk slow while explaining them. I got into a heated Q&A in a csa points class with a DOT officer/instructor about chains attached to both sides of trailer and binders on tracks no chains he finely shut up when I explained about the shorter the chain the less weak links.
 

td25c

Well-known member
You should get along fine with the grade 100 chain Oxbow,it's pretty tough compared to the G 70 transport chain . Strange thing in my experience is I never have tore up a tie down chain on a lowboy while hauling equipment.In my case it's when the tie down chains get "borrowed" off the lowboy for other tasks.LOL ... Dad grabs a 10 foot Grade 70 3/8 chain off the lowboy cause the nieghbor called with a combine stuck up to the axils .Then after they pull the hell out of it my 10 foot chain comes back at 11 foot long. Thats my Dad. I love him.Just wish he would grab the 5/8 G 100 chain out of the wrecker or the 1 1/4 inch chocker cable for the cowboy stuff . Leave my lowboy chains alone!:D
 

Oxbow

Well-known member
good luck finding a DOT officer that is capable of understanding the difference in the grades of chain. make sure you talk slow while explaining them. I got into a heated Q&A in a csa points class with a DOT officer/instructor about chains attached to both sides of trailer and binders on tracks no chains he finely shut up when I explained about the shorter the chain the less weak links.
Fortunately clintm the FMCS handbook contains a chart specifying the various WLL of chain by grade/size. To be honest I am not sure about the regulations in regard to attaching binders directly from the machine to the trailer, but the guys running our local Cat dealer lowboys do this, so I expect that it is permissable.

You should get along fine with the grade 100 chain Oxbow,it's pretty tough compared to the G 70 transport chain . Strange thing in my experience is I never have tore up a tie down chain on a lowboy while hauling equipment.In my case it's when the tie down chains get "borrowed" off the lowboy for other tasks.LOL ... Dad grabs a 10 foot Grade 70 3/8 chain off the lowboy cause the nieghbor called with a combine stuck up to the axils .Then after they pull the hell out of it my 10 foot chain comes back at 11 foot long. Thats my Dad. I love him.Just wish he would grab the 5/8 G 100 chain out of the wrecker or the 1 1/4 inch chocker cable for the cowboy stuff . Leave my lowboy chains alone!:D
Yeah td25c, I learned a long time ago that chain of any type is not ideal for removing stuck pieces of equipment. I ended up with a piece of 3/4" with which I braided eyes into the ends - this and a couple of large clevis's work much better for extracting equipment. Our county equips all of their blades with a length of large diameter rope - maybe 2 to 3". This seems to work quite well as one gets a bit of stretch out of it.
 
You should get along fine with the grade 100 chain Oxbow,it's pretty tough compared to the G 70 transport chain . Strange thing in my experience is I never have tore up a tie down chain on a lowboy while hauling equipment.In my case it's when the tie down chains get "borrowed" off the lowboy for other tasks.LOL ... Dad grabs a 10 foot Grade 70 3/8 chain off the lowboy cause the nieghbor called with a combine stuck up to the axils .Then after they pull the hell out of it my 10 foot chain comes back at 11 foot long. Thats my Dad. I love him.Just wish he would grab the 5/8 G 100 chain out of the wrecker or the 1 1/4 inch chocker cable for the cowboy stuff . Leave my lowboy chains alone!:D
LOL ! I see we have the same father ! :cowboy
 
Top