During my house move I used ratchet straps to secure a book-shelf on a roof of my car. That was well secured and worked out perfect. But the second time I have tried using the same straps, they did not want to release. After examination it turned out that the release mechanism got very tight and I could not rotate the drum backwards with hands. (I could on the new ones).
Also I spoke to my friend who works in Oil and Gas industry, offshore. He said that they discard the tie-downs after one use.
Surely I should not throw away ratchet strap tested for 800kg-load after securing with it a 20kg-book shelf for 10-minute journey on a car.
So the question is: should I just apply some WD-40 to the strap mechanism, try taking it apart and fix it. Or these things are really intended to be used once?
Best Answer
Don't spray it with WD-40. It might lube it up enough to get it moving, but the oils in it will attract dirt and debris which will eventually lead to binding. If you want to try giving it a shot of lube, use a dry type silicone spray.
Ratchet straps are not typically a disposable item, but cheaply made straps can be easily broken. If you're handy, you might want to give fixing it a shot. Look for things that look out of place, bent, broken, or bound up. Sometimes the ratchet can become bound up with the strap itself, and can be fixed with a bit of yanking and cranking. Without knowing the exact type of strap you're using, it's difficult to give more accurate repair instructions. So you'll just have to mess with it until you've fixed it, or given up.
If you decide the strap is beyond repair, and you need to purchase a new one. Buying a higher quality strap, should insure a longer more useful product life. Just remember, higher price does not always equal higher quality. Handle and inspect the strap in the store as much as you can. Try operating the ratchet, releasing the ratchet, tugging at the straps, etc. to try and gauge the quality.
Note:
Most ratchet straps do have the ability to destroy themselves, over tightening the ratchet can permanently damage it.