Belly Strapping Tool Ideas

Rankee tools sells an extendable pole just for this. It's 30 bucks or so. I like it cause it collapses down to 38 inches so easy to store when not in use.

 

This is the perfect tool. Buy this extendable paint roller at Lowe's. You can throw a strap over the top, reach through and grab the strap, pull it through, and then push it back over the top. Takes less than ten seconds to get that belly ready to get in the winch.

The first picture shows how I stow it. The second picture shows the roller head. It fits a 4" strap perfectly. It's handy for pulling chains through forklift slots. It also has different head attachments that I use for setting v-boards or edge protectors.

 

It is handy but won't fit through a lot of loads. Guess it just depends what you haul.

 

The small roller works much better. Turn up the end so strap hook will not slide off.
Cut off the roller stuff so all you have is the metal rod.
Wood broom handle with the threads and screw the paint roller in. I put a wood screw into the handle to keep it from turning .

 

There are some models with pretty thick handles. The one I have seems to only be sold at Lowe's. I have two of them. The one not pictured I sawed off the plastic "forks" on either side of the roller head, specifically to get through a layer of plastic pipe. You KNOW they band beefy dunnage to those...

For oil patch work I always use oak 4x4's at least for the deck layer. If I haul small diameter drill pipe or casing I might end up throwing oak 2x4's on the upper layers. The paint roller does very well with that.

BUT, as you say, sometimes you get a narrow gap. I have had a few head scratchers, but most of my loads are set up to use the paint roller. If it is going to be too tight for that, then I use the time honored tradition of throwing my strap before the piece goes on the deck, then throw either end over the top and proceed to hook and then winch.

 

The base that screws onto the handle won't fit through a lot of stuff I haul. Some stuff I can't even fit the hook through, have to get the strap end through.

 

Well, that sucks.

 

I've never pulled anything id want to use a strap on that the hook won't get through. What kind of weird #### are you loading?

 

Decking loads, depending on how they are loaded, are one of the biggest pains to get a strap through. Especially when the left and right hand sides don't line up well.

 

I get those oddball loads too.
PVC pipe is another. This place has 1" strap to pull belly straps though, but not enough layers for this load.