As I mentioned a few months ago, I am in a paid partnership with Home Depot as part of their influencer tool review program. As part of this quarter’s surprise tool sample package, I received a 4-pack of Husky tie-down straps.
They’re 1″ x 12′ ratcheting tie-down straps with 500 lb working load rating and 1500 lb breaking strength.
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I have a few S-hook tie-downs like this, but I prefer continuous webbing straps. Hooked straps work better when securing loads to anchor points. I don’t have a pickup truck, and don’t recall the last time I needed hooks instead of continuous webbing.
My tie-down experience has mostly involved securing around two items using ratcheting straps, such as lashing equipment to a hand truck, and other configurations of that nature.
In other words, I received the tie-downs and wondered what the heck I was going to do with them.
Last week, I donated a lot of tools, old tool samples, and misc equipment to the local high school. One of the things that I wanted to bring was a plastic job box, but it wouldn’t fit in the back of my SUV. I had different options available to me, and decided to put it on top of the car.
So I dug around, pulled out these Husky tie-down straps, and used two of them to secure the job box to the roof rack. I’ll spare you the details.
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Most of my experiences with cheap tie-down straps aren’t very remarkable. Small and light duty straps are somewhat slower to get started, slower to adjust, slower to loosen. They work fine, but small ratcheting straps can be a little clunky.
I expected the same from these.
However, to my surprised and delight, these Husky tie-down straps didn’t feel clunky, but they didn’t WOW me either. They simply secured the load I needed to have strapped down and immobile, and without undue delay or fiddling.
In that respect, they’re good. They didn’t get in the way of the task, they simply facilitated it without annoyance, frustration, or curse words.
At the store, I would have ignored these, not giving them a second glance, as I don’t find as much need for S-hook tie-downs. I like one-piece straps.
But I made them work.
I’ll likely test these straps a bit more, as something tells me they’ll come in handy over the next few months.
To sum up my experience and first impression: I don’t normally use tie-down straps, let alone S-hook styles but these came in, I had a use for them, and I liked their great ease of use. They were quick to set up, and quick to take down. I found these ratcheting straps to be easier to disengage for removal than others I’ve used in the past. They are a little larger, though, but I think it’s mainly due to the design of the handle.
You probably can’t beat the price, either – $10 for a 4-pack. A quick Google search shows that comparable ratcheting strap 4-packs sell for ~$12-$20 on average.
Price: $10
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If you try them out, I’d be curious to hear about how well they hold up for you over time.
Thank you to Husky and Home Depot for the review sample!
DB
I’ve been using these for the past few weeks and they work great, the rubber overmold is nice and the release mechanism is smooth.
Rob
Point of note: Break strength is 1,500 lbs, not 15,000.
Rob L
I was going to mention the same thing.
Stuart
Thank you!
Harrolldean
These are the straps I use and I would give them a similar write up. My only complaint is after extended use, when I try and lock them back (open?) to undo the straps, the “teeth” don’t always stay in the notches, so then it stops allowing the strap to unroll. I have to fiddle with it a bit to get it to stay in place, then it’s fine. I’ve never had one break. I do sometimes with they were a tad bit longer, but 85% of the time, the length is fine.
maxwasatch
I’ve had that happen with every set of these I’ve had/used, regardless of brand.
Granted, I’ve never bought nice ones, but I think it is just what happens over time.
The yeti
Have a set in my truck. They are great. Love the storage bag they stow away in.
Could be longer and thicker.
Seeing i got mime free. I can not complain
KeithinKC
I have a couple sets of these. One in the truck for securing loads and one in my trailer for strapping this to my e track rings.
They are definitely a huge upgrade to the old cheapie orange straps I used to use. The ratcheting mechanism is far superiror to the smaller straps and I have far fewer instances where the strap material itself gets “bound up” in the ratchet.
Overall they are pretty solid for light use. I wouldn’t trust them for big loads on the flatbed, but for things that will fit in a half ton truck, they seem perfect.
MC703
S Hook vs “continuous webbing”- what’s the difference? Trying to find examples of “continuous webbing” on Amazon without luck. Thanks!
Frank D
Continuous webbing is, I think, just a term to describe the strap material being woven into the long strap … versus perhaps being made differently. Afaik, all the straps I have used over the decades, whether simple lashing straps or ratchets, tow straps, … all have been continuous webbing … with the heavy duty ones having stitching on the edges along the length of to help keep it serviceable with so e fraying, damage, …
No hook, half s hook, perpendicular hook just depends on the application … like tying a surfboard on top of a roof rack, versus tying down a several hundred or thousands of pounds to a trailer.
Tom
I use these in my truck, the S hook is perfect for the bed anchors. They come with a drawstring storage bag too, which is nice.
Bolt
Ive got some harbor freight retractable straps that I use all the time for light loads. They’re spring loaded so they just snap back when you’re done saving a bunch of time when putting them away.
JP
One thing I always look for in these straps is a soft loop included on the loose or longer end, this is useful because when strapping down motorcycles or dirt bikes (my main use for these straps) you can use the soft loop by wrapping the hook first around the forks and then hook the hook into the soft loop, creating a larger loop that is what is actually holding onto the forks instead of having to use the hook itself on the handle bars or something which isn’t as secure and can cause damage.
So, when I saw these straps, I looked at the packaging to see if these had those extra soft loops, and it didn’t appear they did, so I skipped them
It makes no sense to me why these aren’t included on every strap made, it can’t make it any harder to produce and it likely would easily double sales of the straps as this is one of the main reasons guys buy these type of straps
Can you confirm these do NOT have the soft loops?
IJK
In situations like that, i just make my own loop/knot in the strap. Just need to make an allowance for a reduced load rating when I do that.
OBDave
They don’t have it, and that’s something that I definitely like to see myself when securing my motorcycles and quads.
z2w
My friend got a pile of these for cheap one day, and they’ve been great. Cheaper than I’ve ever seen before, and they seem to do the job fine.
Our one complaint is the packaging. The first time we went to use them was to haul a motorcycle from a craigslist sale. It was a few weeks ago around the tail end of the entire northeast being a frozen block of ice, and wrestling the straps out of the packaging in the cold was just horrific. The packaging seems to have some flawed or overoptimistic theory about how it’s meant to be opened, which only makes matters worse because you’re not sure if you should trust your gut or try to figure them out.
Maybe this is what it feels like to be frustrated by Ikea instructions…
Matthew
That was my only complaint with these as well. Felt like I was breaking into a vault to get the packaging to release. Maybe I was too tired/frustrated by the day’s events but I do remember more curses from opening the packaging than actually using the straps (which are great for the price).
Bruce Dillahunty
What I want to see is an example of the kind of straps you normally use and how you use them… from the description, I’m not imagining it.
You must have a different use case than me…
Stuart
I can’t show past usage examples, but can keep in mind to take photos the next time.
Normally it’s keeping things secure to carts, or vertical stacks secure to dollies. Or as described, lashing a large plastic box to a roof rack.
Bruce Dillahunty
OK, if you think of it, please do… Sounds like a trick I need to learn 🙂
Sorry, wording on my earlier comment seems a little harsh on a re-read – not at all what I intended!
Thanks!
Brad D
I had a cheap ratchet strap break on me hauling my riding lawn mower. After that I went with these Kinedyne straps: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AM207JU/
The ratcheting is superb and does not jam like the cheap ones. I can use the handles with gloves on. I don’t think I will ever go back to the cheap ones. It kind of sucks paying $16 for one, but I think it is worth it.
Fixitman1121
IMO, Costco or Sam’s club has a much better value option. You can pick up a 4 pac for ~$20. They are wider, sturdier and longer. Nothing is more frustrating than being 6” short when strapping something down.
RCWARD
For the price these things are great and do the job just fine.
MtnRanch
I have not seen an S-hook ratchet strap that would not have been 10 times better with a carabiner on it instead of an S hook.
Anybody else ever get tired of having S-hooks fall loose while trying to hook up ratchet straps? The carabiner seems like an obvious solution and it’s worked great on the few straps I’ve converted.
IJK
Probably a cost thing. Actual load rated, climbing/rigging grade carabiners aren’t cheap. I have bought a few of those myself for the very reason you’re talking and it does make a world of difference.
firefly
IJK is right, carabiner do work however they aren’t as cost effective. If you are getting tired of those S hook falling off there are a few alternative out there already: first look for strap with a safety s-hook. They are just like the regular S hook with a simple locking mechanism. It work very well. I wish all S hook come with those latch.
If you are serious about tie down. A better alternative would be either using an ETrack or LTrack. Those thing are so much better! They do require that the vehicle/trailer and strap to be properly equipped.
processwrench
yea that’s why i usually run a spring clip right through the loop where the s hook is sown. the one in the link is 580 lb rated, so it derates the strap a bit.
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Everbilt-7-16-in-x-4-3-4-in-Stainless-Steel-Spring-Link-42924/205883111
For bikes this is what you want.
https://www.amazon.com/KTM-DOWNS-RATCHET-HOOKS-U6910048/dp/B00CJCQDK8
MacLean
Biggest issue I have with 1″ straps is the length of material between the hook and ratchet. Some are very long -12 to 18 inches and that can make using these on carts and hand trucks difficult or impossible.
Second issue is moisture and water resistance. Try strapping a load down and driving on a wet road. Does the rachet work a week later without maintenance…or do you need to apply WD40 after every use or day. Case in point…I have the tail end of a 330′ roll of field fence ratchet strapped to a post…going to finish stretching out that section soon…but my guess is the two months in Oregon rain will have ruined the ratchets.
Last issue…and I have not seen anything different from any manufacturers is the hook…I want a hook oriented parallel withe strap, not rotated 90 degrees.
And storage is an issue…anyone have ninja tricks for rolling and storing their collection of straps? I roll mine and have a couple 18″ cheapo plastic toolboxes full of an assortment of 1, 1.5 and 2″ straps. One lives in the pickup. Two are in the garage and are grab and goes for the trailers or tractor.
Fixitman1121
when I secure something to a hand truck I usually use the really cheap cam-lock straps so there is no issue of the lead length.
Moisture is something I have never seen any product totally overcome. But I do still have a set of snap-on (from Costco) staps that I left outside over winter in Government Camp Oregon and they are still quite functional.
If you have a Costco you can pick these up for less than $20. https://www.amazon.com/Goodyear-Ratchet-Tie-Down-pk/dp/B007D2JVJ4
the hook is oriented correctly.
firefly
Moisture will attack metal. I have found that the larger 2″ strap with the larger ratchet part will hold up better overtime because it’s just larger overall. So with a bit of oil they will fend off the water fairly well. Proper maintenance such as letting them to be air dried and applying some oil like you have already done should keep them around for a good while. For smaller strap a cam buckle type are much simpler in design hence less likely to bind/fail under those condition.
The type of hooks that you are looking for is called Snap Hook or Industrial Snap Hook. Personally I don’t care much for them but they do exist. I have migrated my tie down to either e-track or l-track and I have found them to be much superior.
For storage and quick set up/tear down nothing beat an auto retractable strap. They have gotten a lot better overtime and they are fairly reliable now. The retractable mechanism is obviously another point of failure however. They do make ratchet that allow you to rewind them manually. Though for small tie down strap those auto retract ratchet work very very well. They are extremely convenient to use.
Coach James
I put each strap in an old sock and keep them in a cheap canvas tool bag. That way they stay untangled but are still in one place.
michaelhammer
I bought this set before Christmas and they are holding up well. I use them to secure loads on the company truck and to lash staging to ladders. They have worked flawlessly for me. They have gotten soaked for days at a time in sleet, snow and rain, no issues. I have never done anything to maintain them. I don’t think you can get a better strap at the price point. My only complaint is that the lead is too long on the ratchet.
Pete
Being in the special event industry that does tents we bought 800 of these to supplement some of our specific tent straps for our smaller tents where the weight ballast is only 800lbs.
I can give a though report that these work fantastic. Unless they get run over lol.
OBDave
I have a set of these in my Jeep, and another set of the 750 lb version in my truck – having been using the China Freight orange cheapies for years, these are miles ahead in my book. Despite not having the extra loops (mentioned above for motorcycle use), I’ve found them both incredibly useful and plenty strong – I often have to go buy 12′ rolls of carpet and when I’m too lazy/cheap to get the 454 Chevy out of the yard these things have done great securing loads to the roof of my ZJ. I think I paid closer to $20 than $10 for them too, so after a year of use I’d say they’re a steal and I’d buy another set if my first set wasn’t still in such great condition.
Note: these things like “rain,” “snow,” and “moisture” some of you guys speak of are only faraway myths down in SoCal – I can’t speak to how these straps would perform under truly adverse conditions.
John
I use this type to secure motorcycles mostly. Would like to see someone come out with a version that has a secure “D” ring in a loop with no “S” hook. I never use the “S” hook on handlebars.
Andrew
I wonder if these are the same straps available during the holiday season. If so, I like them quite a bit and actually have been looking around th various stores in my area for another set. Good quality.
OBDave
I’ve been able to find them year-round in the hardware section, in most stores somewhere near the gate hinges and whatnot…
Steve
If you find some decent retractable straps you’ll drop this type in a box in your shop and never get them out again until your boys wonder off with the good ones. Retractables cost more but reel up and store on their own so you don’t have the tangled mess. I get most of mine at Walmart but sometimes you have to look around a bit.
Steve
I totally agree with the smarter Steve in front of me. Retractable straps cost a bit more but I won’t buy the loose kind any more and I wouldn’t pick up a cam lock off the road. Never seen a cam lock that would stay tight like a ratchet. Frog Lube, One Shot, or WD40 anti-rust-specialty-stuff will do a good job of handling the weather.