I’ve noticed some swaged snare ends and disposable stake loops get tighter when I catch a big coon. To me, this means the ferrules aren’t as tight as I’d hoped. I’ve gotten into swaying after getting complaints from my wife about the noise.

For those of you who swage, have you noticed slippage ?

How about smashed ferrules with hammer and anvil or vice ?

I had slippage when I used a hand swagger( the one where you use a wrench) but no slipping when I bought a bench mount.
Smashing with a hammer is how I started but I had more ferrules kinda crumble instead of smash.
I also have used a chisel w/ hammer and put an X on the ferrules with no slippage.

I have a hand swagging tool mounted on my bench. I have never had one fail. I use it to swagge earth anchors, cable extensions ,and snares. Never seen a loop get smaller, 3/32 has held both cougars and bear. I do use shock springs.

wws

I use 3/32 cable on wolf fang type and swage the ferrules with a swaging tool that looks like 18"bolt cutters.

I pull a lot of them. I have doubled some over like a horseshoe (with the tractor loader ) and have yet to have a swage fail or slip.

Every failure has been cable failure

Only thing I would think about using pounded ones on is a coon or other small critter

Of all the ferrules I've attached to cables vis both methods only problem I had was ferrules "breaking" when pounded with hammer on vice, guess 1 tap to much, always triple crimp when using swagger.

I use 3/32 7x7 cable for all my earth anchors and snare extensions, too. Three crimps each. Maybe my swager is worn out. Is there any way to adjust them to crimp tighter?

Don't own/use a swagger but I have bought snares that have been swagged...no issues. I pound mine but am only beaver snaring/ drowning rigs with cables... except when I throw one around a tree for an anchor on dry land. I used cable stakes for years and again pounded mine. Out of thousands of cables utilized throughout the years, my only breakages have been when pulling stakes out and when cables were rusted.

never had slippage on any i crimped with the bolt cutters but have noticed a few that have tightened up a bit after a catch that where already preassembled

I make all my cable stakes with a bench swagger with no problems. When pulling, the j hooks will open before the ferrules fail. Good enough for me.

I don't need a lot of crimped anything, so never bothered with a swagger, just pound them till the cable flattens a little....never had one slip when pulling them, and never broke a ferrule...but I don't pound them with enthusiasm....lol

Back when I used earth anchors I started out hammering them shut.

I never had one fail on an animal.

I would however pull the loops out on a good percentage while pulling them. Probably over 25%.

Than I got a bench swagger.

I don’t think I’ve ever had one fail. I’ll break chain, open j-hooks in a millisecond if they aren’t welded shut, shear the anchor end, fold the anchor end, but the ferrules hold.

Make sure you use the ferrules sized for the swagger.


If I buy hardware store ferrules from the local store they don’t work “right” in my ARM swagger.

I started out with Iowa disposable stakes when they first came out. I went with 1/8” cable from the start. I’ve always hammered my ferrules on stake cables, drowners and snares and other than a few I got a bit enthusiastic with and cracked, I’ve never had one separate. I always inspect them as soon as I’m done with the hammer to check for cracks. And after you build several hundred you get a feel for how much hammer action you need on each size.

I have had deer take 1/16” snares apart but always at the loop end as I use a single ferrule at the breakaway. I have no objection to them coming apart with a deer. I’ve never had a coyote or bobcat take one apart at the ferrules. I will say I have an Amberg crimper and tried it this year on the 1/16 single ferrules at the breakaway. I think I like it but need to get more time afield with those snares. They did let one deer go for me by the ferrule at the breakaway coming off the cable. Which is what they’re supposed to do.

If I was building snares to sell I would get a swager just because the finished product looks more professional. No more effective than hammered ferrules. Just look better.

I hammer everything flat. Then I have a chisel that I have flattened end. Then I hit the ferule with the chisel end.

Swager Tool, 100%!!!!!!

High quality, 7x7 cable, 95%. 1x19 cable 5%.

Hammer is my method, here. Never had crumbled or slipped ferrules that were beaten shut, by me. 1/8” 7x7 with double and single ferrules, depending on intended application. I most commonly make cables for anchoring, not much else.

I've seen both fail, yet I never have the ones I hammer fail, and the only time I ever used a swagger was when I borrowed one of the bolt cutter type from a friend one year. And I never had any of those fail. Now I don't use a lot of cable, and I certainly don't claim to know what I'm doing. But from my experience I would say it is something in the process that is causing the failures, not the method.

My bench swager has a bolt which can be adjusted to account for normal wear and tear over time as well as for dialing the correct pressure for ferrules that the Dime Stores sell to the Indians.
You need to be careful not to adjust that bolt too tight or you will break the jaws.

Sounds like I can have confidence in either method having sufficient holding power from the amount of replies stating no failures with hammered

Good to know as I have been leary of hammered ferrules not holding as well as a swaged ferrule

Snare ends are hammered, snare extensions and cable stake are swaged.

Hand swaged on all the snares and anchors , I've got 3 different ones to cover all sizes that I use with out any problems , I've seen and heard of hammered ends sometimes failing when they are needed not to so I don't take that chance .

As far as holding an animal, coyote. Etc. either one will work. Snares or cable stakes or extensions.

Swag. A properly swagged cable, using proper sleeves and stops is superior to hammering. Hammering, (pounding), damages the integrity of the cable, as cable gets its strength from the many small strands of steel making up the cable itself. Different cable types are made using different configurations of the small steel strands such as 7X7 being seven small strands making 1 strand, then seven of those strands of seven making up the 7X7 cable. 1X19 of the same diameter uses 19 strands total, which are thicker than the small strands that make up a single strand, one of seven of those that make the 7 of 7.
When a sleeve or stop is mashed onto the cable, it disrupts the strand configuration, weakening the tensile strength of the cable. When crimping, or swagging, the cable is very slightly compressed, and the result is almost no loss of strength.
Another thing to consider is the sleeve and stop material: Copper is harder than aluminum and has a better tensile strength retention when properly swagged and also is much more resistant to micro-cracks than aluminum. It is also much better under temperature extremes.
While most trappers use aluminum because it "flattens" easier and is readily available, and with proper swagging will be far and away strong enough for our purpose, cable selection and terminal end considerations are the critical components.
How do I know so much about these things? Because part of my job as a facilities integrity contractor for a regional air carrier in Southeast Alaska for ten years included constantly replacing very large bi-fold hanger door cables.
I also became a lift strap expert when two new hangers were built and the enormous bi-fold doors used 10 and 14 lift straps, with each strap rated for 24,000 pounds.
Yes, those steel doors here HEAVY!

Use mostly drags now but I pound all my ferrules closed for the last 5 years. Never had one fail.