My trapping partner experienced 6 ferrule failures so far this season. All were hammer smashed and he made them himself. He’s not new to the game but he’s lost confidence in hammered ferrules. Over the last 15 years, I’ve only had a handful fail. One was smashed—-one I made, and the rest were swaged. I still use disposables periodically.

I’ve returned to cross-staking and started using the pipe dream set. Both have worked well. The partner says crossed stakes might cause tractor tire punctures if we can’t get them out before the ground is plowed in the spring. Three years ago I had to leave some because the ground froze too deep, but pulled them before the tractors started rolling.

From your experience, how prevalent are ferrule failures ?
Also from your experience, have you ever heard of metal trap stakes puncturing tractor tires?

U haven't had such an issue. Secondly, I find cable stakes so much easier

I build my own and I hammer smash them and haven't had any failures yet.

When he told me of the failures, we both wondered if he was using ferrules for 3/32 on 5/64 cable.

I hammered ferrules for a couple decades and did have one failure.That was before earth anchors.I have used a swager for several years and no failures so far.

Are your failures from catches or when pulling anchors?

That could be bad,for sure.I personally use 1/16" ferrules on 5/64" and the difference between them and 3/32" is obvious.These days,I use a1/16",one hand crimper for the 5/64" and it goes faster than a hammer or bench swager and gives a consistent crimp,every time.

I use 1/8 cables

I have had a few failures. Not enough percentage wise to make me quit using them altogether but it sure hurts when it happens.

Normally I use all chain stakes with welded S hooks, but this year I rigged some with 1/8th cable and chain on the top side. I pulled 24 sets 2 days ago. 2 failed when pulled. All hammer crimped with 1/8th ferrules . I'm certain they won't fail with yotes but I sure don't like loosing my Super stake ends. Both were in hard clay ground.

All chain stakes now.

It is a difficult year to pull cable stakes due to the early onset of the ground freezing. I broke one 3/32 cable doing so

i have been useing them 2 seasons ,the only time i have ferruls fail is when i try to pull with the steak puller.i have started useing the dirt hole auger to drill along side of my cable steak and they come out easy.

Zero failures with furrels. Swagged or hammered. Wolverine and otter. No slippage, either. Something else is amiss, if they are properly done.

The cable stakes advertised are showing 3/32 or at least that’s what they’re saying. Partner drills out when pulling doesn’t remove them. It’s during the pullout that the ferrules failed.

We’ve been using z-stakes. They’re similar to wolfangs. Z-stakes have an extra hole so you can put in a removal cable. It’s a lot of cable to mess with but you can remove them with a puller or crowbar. This year we’ve just been drilling them out rather than messing with the additional cable. Still, he had failures.

Given the choice on cable stakes, I prefer to use the Berkshire heavy duty. With clay soils or semi-frozen ground, I find a pilot hole helps a lot. They’re about half the width of a Wolfang /Zstake and hold equally well. It is just my opinion, however.

Ztrap makes a quick link release so you can unhook a stuck cable anchor from the trap and dig it out later. I use them with traps I can’t cross stake with 24-inch rebar.

We’re going to have to look at how he’s crimping his ferrules and what sized cable he’s using. I know he doesn’t like extra cable sticking out of the ferrules and they may have been too short.

Ferrules are cheap. You could always double them up

I dig out all my cable stakes. They were not designed to be pulled, they were designed to hold. That is my 2 cents.

I've had a few but after inspecting the cables snapped at the ferrule from being hammered to flat. I also had one the cable ripped the ferrule open on the side. but that required a truck.

X2

I've never had one fail on a catch. Pulling them with a stake puller is a different story.

We bought a couple dozen last year and had three fail with a coyote in the trap and several more fail when we pulled the rest of the sets. Not sure if the guys we bought them from didn’t crimp them well or what. Now all of our predator traps have chain stakes with welded s hooks

I pound my ferrule flat and haven't had one fail yet on coyotes here. I use loop with double ferrule to attach at both the earth anchor and at the opposite end to the rivet on swivel st end of trap chain. Pogos, Berkshire's, earth anchors, I've done them.all this way and pounded ferules hold fine for me.
Jim