Chain grab boundary strainers vs come alongs

Help Support CattleToday:

Tonka

Member
Joined
Jan 15, 2018
Messages
24
Reaction score
0
what are the benefits of chain grabs vs come alongs ?
For the average farmer not fencing every day can a guy do a good job with a set of 5 ton come alongs on fixed knot fence ?
 
We are fence contractors and we pull the majority of our fence with 2 one ton come-alongs and a stretcher bar.

Chain boundary strainers are a bit dangerous IMO. If the chain gets twisted the dogs wont walk up it right and if you let go of the handle it can smack you in the head or elsewhere. You also will have to guide the dogs up the chain when the springs break off, which they eventually will if you use them enough.

Come-alongs are much easier to use, just attach one end to your brace post, the other to the stretcher bar, and crank away. We have no issues getting our wire tighter than heck. Plus they are easily available at any farm store. Attach a wire grip to them and they make great barb wire stretchers. Or use them in place of straps when tying down a load.

In certain circumstances we will pull with a tractor using a chain. Curling the bucket gives the ability to pull the top or bottom by itself to ensure straight and tight wire. This is usually reserved for very long runs or situations where we need to pull past the brace. I have a picture of pulling 949-6 fixed knot Toughstrand with the tractor but unfortunately not the come-alongs.


K41n5N3.jpg
 
Chain boundary strainers are no more dangerous than a come along. This world is full of what if's.... What if the come along breaks? A short handled inline chain strainer is considerably more likely to get away from you and knock a few teeth out than a boundary strainer is. The Strainrite boundary strainers that we carry have swivels on each end, so having a twisted chain is not an issue, and the handles are fixed and long enough to give plenty of leverage. If you break a spring, then fix it. It'd be no different than losing a spring from a come along, right? Will come alongs work? Absolutely. Are boundary strainers better? In my opinion, yes, they are. Less storage space, just as versatile, no cable to wear out/rust/break, fewer moving parts to keep lubricated.........
FWIW, a pair of one ton come alongs are maxed out at 4,000 pounds of load. On a 949 HT net wire, that is a maximum of 444 pounds per line wire, which is right in the sweet spot. Go to an 1147, 1348, 1660, etc and it takes more power to achieve proper tension. I think I'd rather have a little bit left in the tank.
 
Farm Fence Solutions":2aybgitd said:
Chain boundary strainers are no more dangerous than a come along. This world is full of what if's.... What if the come along breaks? A short handled inline chain strainer is considerably more likely to get away from you and knock a few teeth out than a boundary strainer is. The Strainrite boundary strainers that we carry have swivels on each end, so having a twisted chain is not an issue, and the handles are fixed and long enough to give plenty of leverage. If you break a spring, then fix it. It'd be no different than losing a spring from a come along, right? Will come alongs work? Absolutely. Are boundary strainers better? In my opinion, yes, they are. Less storage space, just as versatile, no cable to wear out/rust/break, fewer moving parts to keep lubricated.........
FWIW, a pair of one ton come alongs are maxed out at 4,000 pounds of load. On a 949 HT net wire, that is a maximum of 444 pounds per line wire, which is right in the sweet spot. Go to an 1147, 1348, 1660, etc and it takes more power to achieve proper tension. I think I'd rather have a little bit left in the tank.

They make a two ton come a long.
Everything rolls up in one package. Not a bunch of pieces and chains to mess with. Come a long is far superior than the chain strainer.
Fwiw I've gave the chain strainer a fair shake.

Springs and cables can be replaced as well. And how in the world do you come up with less space to store.??
 
callmefence":smtt2le9 said:
Farm Fence Solutions":smtt2le9 said:
Chain boundary strainers are no more dangerous than a come along. This world is full of what if's.... What if the come along breaks? A short handled inline chain strainer is considerably more likely to get away from you and knock a few teeth out than a boundary strainer is. The Strainrite boundary strainers that we carry have swivels on each end, so having a twisted chain is not an issue, and the handles are fixed and long enough to give plenty of leverage. If you break a spring, then fix it. It'd be no different than losing a spring from a come along, right? Will come alongs work? Absolutely. Are boundary strainers better? In my opinion, yes, they are. Less storage space, just as versatile, no cable to wear out/rust/break, fewer moving parts to keep lubricated.........
FWIW, a pair of one ton come alongs are maxed out at 4,000 pounds of load. On a 949 HT net wire, that is a maximum of 444 pounds per line wire, which is right in the sweet spot. Go to an 1147, 1348, 1660, etc and it takes more power to achieve proper tension. I think I'd rather have a little bit left in the tank.

They make a two ton come a long.
Everything rolls up in one package. Not a bunch of pieces and chains to mess with. Come a long is far superior than the chain strainer.
Fwiw I've gave the chain strainer a fair shake.

Springs and cables can be replaced as well. And how in the world do you come up with less space to store.??

It's just my opinion. It really doesn't make any difference to me how everyone else does it, but I know what works for us and was simply sharing my thoughts. I used the one ton come alongs as reference, only because that is what had been mentioned in the prior post. We build an extraordinarily high volume of net wire fence for a small crew, and I'd like to think that it's because we have figured out a thing or two about efficiency. It doesn't make it the only way, it just makes it my way. It is easy to see that my boundary strainers take up less room in the tool box than a pair of 4 ton come alongs, and I sure don't see where it's a problem keeping track of the pieces. My point, with regard to losing a spring in a come along vs losing a spring in a boundary strainer, is that either one can easily be repaired. I have spoken with the OP, and my recommendation to him was to use the come alongs that he already has, since he isn't planning on building fence every day for the next 20 years.
I have a wall full of 2 ton come alongs, and they are free to a good home. Haven't scrapped a set of boundary strainers yet. To each his own.
 
Farm Fence Solutions":1m9cbj6o said:
callmefence":1m9cbj6o said:
Farm Fence Solutions":1m9cbj6o said:
Chain boundary strainers are no more dangerous than a come along. This world is full of what if's.... What if the come along breaks? A short handled inline chain strainer is considerably more likely to get away from you and knock a few teeth out than a boundary strainer is. The Strainrite boundary strainers that we carry have swivels on each end, so having a twisted chain is not an issue, and the handles are fixed and long enough to give plenty of leverage. If you break a spring, then fix it. It'd be no different than losing a spring from a come along, right? Will come alongs work? Absolutely. Are boundary strainers better? In my opinion, yes, they are. Less storage space, just as versatile, no cable to wear out/rust/break, fewer moving parts to keep lubricated.........
FWIW, a pair of one ton come alongs are maxed out at 4,000 pounds of load. On a 949 HT net wire, that is a maximum of 444 pounds per line wire, which is right in the sweet spot. Go to an 1147, 1348, 1660, etc and it takes more power to achieve proper tension. I think I'd rather have a little bit left in the tank.

They make a two ton come a long.
Everything rolls up in one package. Not a bunch of pieces and chains to mess with. Come a long is far superior than the chain strainer.
Fwiw I've gave the chain strainer a fair shake.

Springs and cables can be replaced as well. And how in the world do you come up with less space to store.??

It's just my opinion. It really doesn't make any difference to me how everyone else does it, but I know what works for us and was simply sharing my thoughts. I used the one ton come alongs as reference, only because that is what had been mentioned in the prior post. We build an extraordinarily high volume of net wire fence for a small crew, and I'd like to think that it's because we have figured out a thing or two about efficiency. It doesn't make it the only way, it just makes it my way. It is easy to see that my boundary strainers take up less room in the tool box than a pair of 4 ton come alongs, and I sure don't see where it's a problem keeping track of the pieces. My point, with regard to losing a spring in a come along vs losing a spring in a boundary strainer, is that either one can easily be repaired. I have spoken with the OP, and my recommendation to him was to use the come alongs that he already has, since he isn't planning on building fence every day for the next 20 years.
I have a wall full of 2 ton come alongs, and they are free to a good home. Haven't scrapped a set of boundary strainers yet. To each his own.

I don't want nothing for free.
I have a chain strainer ill give you for that wall full of comealongs
 
callmefence":1immng4m said:
Farm Fence Solutions":1immng4m said:
callmefence":1immng4m said:
They make a two ton come a long.
Everything rolls up in one package. Not a bunch of pieces and chains to mess with. Come a long is far superior than the chain strainer.
Fwiw I've gave the chain strainer a fair shake.

Springs and cables can be replaced as well. And how in the world do you come up with less space to store.??

It's just my opinion. It really doesn't make any difference to me how everyone else does it, but I know what works for us and was simply sharing my thoughts. I used the one ton come alongs as reference, only because that is what had been mentioned in the prior post. We build an extraordinarily high volume of net wire fence for a small crew, and I'd like to think that it's because we have figured out a thing or two about efficiency. It doesn't make it the only way, it just makes it my way. It is easy to see that my boundary strainers take up less room in the tool box than a pair of 4 ton come alongs, and I sure don't see where it's a problem keeping track of the pieces. My point, with regard to losing a spring in a come along vs losing a spring in a boundary strainer, is that either one can easily be repaired. I have spoken with the OP, and my recommendation to him was to use the come alongs that he already has, since he isn't planning on building fence every day for the next 20 years.
I have a wall full of 2 ton come alongs, and they are free to a good home. Haven't scrapped a set of boundary strainers yet. To each his own.

I don't want nothing for free.
I have a chain strainer ill give you for that wall full of comealongs

Come and get em. They're all yours.
 
Farm Fence Solutions":1aiy93rg said:
callmefence":1aiy93rg said:
Farm Fence Solutions":1aiy93rg said:
It's just my opinion. It really doesn't make any difference to me how everyone else does it, but I know what works for us and was simply sharing my thoughts. I used the one ton come alongs as reference, only because that is what had been mentioned in the prior post. We build an extraordinarily high volume of net wire fence for a small crew, and I'd like to think that it's because we have figured out a thing or two about efficiency. It doesn't make it the only way, it just makes it my way. It is easy to see that my boundary strainers take up less room in the tool box than a pair of 4 ton come alongs, and I sure don't see where it's a problem keeping track of the pieces. My point, with regard to losing a spring in a come along vs losing a spring in a boundary strainer, is that either one can easily be repaired. I have spoken with the OP, and my recommendation to him was to use the come alongs that he already has, since he isn't planning on building fence every day for the next 20 years.
I have a wall full of 2 ton come alongs, and they are free to a good home. Haven't scrapped a set of boundary strainers yet. To each his own.

I don't want nothing for free.
I have a chain strainer ill give you for that wall full of comealongs

Come and get em. They're all yours.

How many is there again?
 
callmefence":2vewgcy3 said:
Farm Fence Solutions":2vewgcy3 said:
callmefence":2vewgcy3 said:
I don't want nothing for free.
I have a chain strainer ill give you for that wall full of comealongs

Come and get em. They're all yours.

How many is there again?

Several parts machines. None that function, but a couple of them are easy fixes.
 
Farm Fence Solutions":2osuwra2 said:
callmefence":2osuwra2 said:
Farm Fence Solutions":2osuwra2 said:
Come and get em. They're all yours.

How many is there again?

Several parts machines. None that function, but a couple of them are easy fixes.
:lol2:

I'll pass.
Those boundary strainers must be well made if you've never worn one out.
We can wear out a hammer in a month. .... they must be easy on the hands to.
 
callmefence":14zekug3 said:
Farm Fence Solutions":14zekug3 said:
callmefence":14zekug3 said:
How many is there again?

Several parts machines. None that function, but a couple of them are easy fixes.
:lol2:

I'll pass.
Those boundary strainers must be well made if you've never worn one out.
We can wear out a hammer in a month. .... they must be easy on the hands to.
Tell the truth your scared to leave TEXAS.
 
True Grit Farms":3icuewb8 said:
callmefence":3icuewb8 said:
Farm Fence Solutions":3icuewb8 said:
Several parts machines. None that function, but a couple of them are easy fixes.
:lol2:

I'll pass.
Those boundary strainers must be well made if you've never worn one out.
We can wear out a hammer in a month. .... they must be easy on the hands to.
Tell the truth your scared to leave TEXAS.


I aint scared grit. I'm just fine right here.

Since I need a couple of pallets of bw
I was actually weighing the travel costs against value of a wall full of comealongs and freight charges.
 
callmefence":bfh7o206 said:
True Grit Farms":bfh7o206 said:
callmefence":bfh7o206 said:
:lol2:

I'll pass.
Those boundary strainers must be well made if you've never worn one out.
We can wear out a hammer in a month. .... they must be easy on the hands to.
Tell the truth your scared to leave TEXAS.


I aint scared grit. I'm just fine right here.

Since I need a couple of pallets of bw
I was actually weighing the travel costs against value of a wall full of comealongs and freight charges.
Get up there next week and meet us at the farm show.
 
True Grit Farms":3etmpm77 said:
callmefence":3etmpm77 said:
True Grit Farms":3etmpm77 said:
Tell the truth your scared to leave TEXAS.


I aint scared grit. I'm just fine right here.

Since I need a couple of pallets of bw
I was actually weighing the travel costs against value of a wall full of comealongs and freight charges.
Get up there next week and meet us at the farm show.

What farm show when.
 
callmefence":3lp075ve said:
True Grit Farms":3lp075ve said:
callmefence":3lp075ve said:
I aint scared grit. I'm just fine right here.

Since I need a couple of pallets of bw
I was actually weighing the travel costs against value of a wall full of comealongs and freight charges.
Get up there next week and meet us at the farm show.

What farm show when.
The National Farm and Machinery Show is in Louisville Kentucky next week. A bunch of us are meeting up on Friday for lunch. Some of us will met up on Thursday also. There's a lot of stuff there for the cattlemen, way more than at the NCBA convention. I would of figured FFS would be there the way he likes to sell stuff.
 
True Grit Farms":3ngneuz7 said:
callmefence":3ngneuz7 said:
True Grit Farms":3ngneuz7 said:
Tell the truth your scared to leave TEXAS.


I aint scared grit. I'm just fine right here.

Since I need a couple of pallets of bw
I was actually weighing the travel costs against value of a wall full of comealongs and freight charges.
Get up there next week and meet us at the farm show.

He was almost ready to come visit, and you have to go and spook him. :lol: I do have a couple of pretty nice come alongs that were damaged beyond what was acceptable for use at the coal mine. I straightened the handles right out.
 
That would be interesting. I'd like to see Kentucky. Like alot of Texans it's were my ancestors came from. And I like to meet you guys.
Just got the new fence tractor yesterday.


My new shaver grand slam is supposed to be here Tuesday. I've got alot going on right now. But I'm gonna grind on it . Maybe if everything goes well and the wife's willing.
Whatever I appreciate the invite.

Btw i sell stuff to. I just got in a fresh load of pipe. I've got about 1500 second hand tpost. And a guy owes me a wall full of broken comealongs.
 
Farm Fence Solutions":d366m3ix said:
True Grit Farms":d366m3ix said:
callmefence":d366m3ix said:
I aint scared grit. I'm just fine right here.

Since I need a couple of pallets of bw
I was actually weighing the travel costs against value of a wall full of comealongs and freight charges.
Get up there next week and meet us at the farm show.

He was almost ready to come visit, and you have to go and spook him. :lol: I do have a couple of pretty nice come alongs that were damaged beyond what was acceptable for use at the coal mine. I straightened the handles right out.

I don't spook.
Just don't have to leave to the county to make a living, that's all. :D
 

Latest posts

Top