Wolf Fang vs. Super Stake earth anchors

Which ones do you like better?

I personally like the finned super stakes, 16" of MTP #2 twisted chain and a welded S hook and a 12" retrieval cable. Before I went to that setup I was using wolf fangs and had decent results, but I feel that with my current setup it is quicker, the drivers last longer, and I have reused the same anchors over and over.

Have both and bought wolf fang as many Super Stakes I could not retrieve. But you can't get the Wolf Fangs in the ground with a foot or three of frost. I have destroyed many "hardened drivers" and even some hammers with these and frost. With Super Stakes I can predrill a 1/2 inch hole and get them in. The are not coming out until spring however.

So my staked canine and bobcat traps wear Super Stakes. I relegated the Wolf Fangs for water trapping where I think the actually hold in muskeg better.

Grandpa, his reply is probably better suited for you than mine. I would assume his climate is similar to yours, here in Ky my biggest problem retrieving is rocks and roots.

Horse apiece...I guess I like the super stakes better, because I feel they are a little easier to work with.

Don’t deal with frost, but when clay dries it might as well be cement. In normal weather I can use a drill to retrieve my super stakes. In extremely dry weather I either have to leave them until we get a good bit of rain or go around and drill as deep as I can and keep adding water in the hole until I can drill down far enough to get them out. In known proven spots I leave them with a stick and orange tape through the quick link. I had the regular cheap driver that lasted for 2.5 years and recently bought the heat treated driver.
Never tried Wolf Fangs, so far I haven’t had a reason to.

This is how I am about wolf fangs I don't have a thing against super stakes I just have used wolf fangs and haven't had a reason to change

Super stakes.

Wolf fangs are cheaper but useable if make a pilot hole a superstake i feel as yukonal a horse apiece. A driver for a wolf fang can be made for about 6 bucks and bit of your time angle grinder and a welder.

I tried super stakes on chain last year. It was the school of hard knocks for me. I predrilled all my holes with 7/8 bit. They broke in half or the welded S hooks would pull apart. I had the best luck with a few I bought on cable, but did fight the cable when bedding the trap. If I didn’t get it drove in deep enough or if it pulled up a few inches when making sure it was solid. Pretty frustrating to a old rebar guy like me. I’m giving them another try this winter and changing a few things when I drive them. I hope I can make them work. Really nice not carrying all that weight around.

You can try what I'm doing this year I'm driving pilot holes first then my stakes are going to be hybrid. Meaning that they will be half cable and half chain. This way you don't have to deal with the cable sticking up in the bed and you don't have to fool around with those s hooks straightening out

Pound it in until you can’t see the cable anymore. I went from 18” to 12” All I leave showing is the swivel. The critter will set it when he’s caught. I’ve never ever had one pull up a super stake, even in straight sand. Tried using the wench on the 4-wheeler and it picked the back tires up off the deck. Never had one break driving in either, but most all of mine are cable and not chain. Even had a trap under 3” of water and thought it would be easy to pull up...still had to drill beside the joker to get it out. We go from NO rain for two solid weeks to 5” in two days, lol.

Grandpa I went to super stakes 3 years ago and wouldn’t never change. Run 18” of chain with welded s-hooks and quick link to the trap I have only broke one in 3 years. I am south of you and deal with the same conditions. I can pre-stake locations and save time when it comes to setting traps or I have the stakes already attached to the trap so I can just grab and go. When it comes time to pull if it won’t come right out I just unhook trap from the chain mark the stake with a piece of bailing twine for retrieving in the spring. Wrecking bar will pull the right up in the spring with no problem. I have never used the Wolf fang but I don’t think they would hold up very well in rocks or frozen ground around here.

I liked the chain for the bedding factor, but broke too many chains or welded s hooks while retrieving. 12” 1/8” cable worked better for me.

The soil conditions in the area where i am are pretty complicating really for a lot of types of anchors. I don't know as one would work best straight across the board. I have been using chained wolf fangs with longer chains and have been really happy with it in most conditions. With 2' of chain I have no issues with dropping an anchor in straight dry sand and knowing it will hold. If I run into rock or roots or hard pan i can just stop whenever i want. The holding power is great. I do dislike trying to set new anchors through the frost line though. I can see the advantage of a super stake in that element where you can pre drill the hole and it drives easy through that. When I have tested in the past with super stakes and S-hooks I have found the s hook itseslf takes a hard punishment when driving due to it being wider that the stake head itself. Where on a fang they sit together on a super stake they are different shapes and take pressure different. I think I am going to be working with lap-link and making chain links to use on super stakes and s hooks for fangs this year. We get frost lines deeper than one can physically drive a wolf fang through and predrilling them does work some but it is not as ideal i don't think. A combo will be my best bet i believe. We will see of course.

You can try what I'm doing this year I'm driving pilot holes first then my stakes are going to be hybrid. Meaning that they will be half cable and half chain. This way you don't have to deal with the cable sticking up in the bed and you don't have to fool around with those s hooks straightening out[/quote]

Thanks

Last year I went to super stakes with 16in of chain. In past years, I used wolf fangs on 16in of cable. Both worked real well. The Fangs, I made them myself. So when there was frost on the ground, I would just clip and go as they cost about 50 cents to make. The super stakes I pulled with the winch on my sxs. If I couldn't pull, I unhooked trap and tied a flag on and pulled in the spring. The chain bedded much nicer. In frost, I drilled a pilot hole with my rotary hammer drill and a 1in bit.

I used 12" and the occasional 18" earth anchor on 3/32" cable for 32 years, but we stopped production of our earth anchors a couple years ago, so I went with what I have to use in very hard dirt anyway, super stake 16" chain with 5 links cut off. You do have to test the S-hook after you drive it.

Blessings
Mark

Thanks[/quote]
No problem

Hey Mark what exactly was your earth anchor sorry if it's a dumb question I just never knew you made an earth anchor

You guys that are having a hard time pulling the super stakes...drill down beside them, on either side, with a 9/16" masonry drill bit to loosen up the soil. They'll pop right out then. Even in frost.

Thanks for the tip!

Nice tip Al thanks

No worries Artrapper. The closets resemblance on the market would be the Iowa Stakes made by Sterling fur in Ohio. They would work well also. I haven't checked in a while what all they make or sell.

Mine were cut square from 1/2" black pipe stock and we punch pressed one end, welded a nut in the middle, and ferruled 3/32" cable to the nut in varying lengths.

Mark

Do you think welding a nut on the side has any advantage over just drilling a hole below the depth of the driver head. And then just running the cable through the hole then pushing It out through the top of the anchor then crushing on a stop.

I've had the best luck with super stakes, 18" of chain. For me they drive better that wolfs in rocky ground

Those who use wolf fangs Is there a reason the ears are bent over like that?
That anchor was my design and I found that by leaving the ears sharp and pointy they held better.

Would the cable get injured by the driver rod Beav?
I'm trying to picture the rig you're describing.
The nut is welded but as is everything, not 100%.
I always give a tug to test, and set the anchor.

I just drilled a hole the size of the cable through the anchor. The hole was below the depth of the driver. Once you put the cable through the hole and shoved It out through the driver hole. You crushed on a stop. Then pull the cable back Into the anchor body. No damage to the cable.

Gotcha. Never did that. It may be slick.
These super stakes are so rugged and so slick and fast, and versatile to boot...
I use the dickens out of them.

I do have to watch the S-hook bottom however. In gravel composition, they take a beating.
I could never use a piece of flat stock or round stock in most of my ground, except the SandHills of Nebraska perhaps.

Hope all is well in WI Beav!

Mark

Helps kick them horizontal when you set them.

I'm not understanding you.
Once that wolf fang has been driven 14" Into the ground I don't see It ever becoming horizontal bent tips or not.

Maybe I'm a little slow this morning, but once you pull up on the trap after driving the stake in, doesnt the stake go horizontal? Once you first pull up on it there is definitely an inch of play and then it is rock solid. And when you try and pull them out with a stake puller, every stake has come out horizontal.

In rock hard frozen January Nebraska soil I like the super stakes or earth anchors on cable, and they dont come home with me in february. I only use them where I'm hoofing it in about 1/2 mile or more to save weight. Otherwise I double stake with rebar if less than half mile walk in.
Pilot holes are a must and you need a big hammer in frozen ground.
Wolf fangs are like a real heavy version of berks and pilot hole a must in winter. I like those in softer soil or water sets. I use them on snares too. They often dont come home either in February just clip the cable just below the ground level chip it down a bit to get low and cut them free.
I tried pulling in winter...and that's why I quit using chains too. I'd rather be out cable and an anchor than leaving chain and anchor in soil.
I have a couple pond dams that must have a couple dozen anchors and cable in ground there. No one is going to plow those up (pond dams) and they are cut low so not an issue for mowers either. A little iron back in soil I guess.
Jim

I didn't say the anchor didn't turn In the ground when pulled. I was asking the reason for the bent over tips on those anchors.

And I'm betting In most heavy clay soils those anchors don't go to far In a horizontal position. I'm sure there Is some movement past the vertical position but going to a horizontal position Is a bit of a stretch. In light soils and sand I'm sure there Is more movement.
I just want to understand the bent over ends.

You know I developed that anchor and I really could care less If some one copied It. And the ones I built worked just fine without the tips being bent over. Just asking.

Sorry beav I reread everything and see what you were saying now.

Hey don't be sorry I'm just looking for an answer.

Chained Super Stakes all day!

I've used chained superstakes for a few years. Once in a while, the s-hook would break while driving. I started using cold shuts to attach the chain to the end.

Still use rebar when the ground gets frozen hard.

What is a cold shut? I dont think i am familiar with the term.

Google "cold shut chain link"

I use Super Stakes and really like how they work for me. I use chain also but just reweld the chain link shut after attaching it to the Super Stake. Two years now in all sorts of ground and haven't had one break yet.

When you pull up on the earth anchor the bent tabs help pull it back to the horizontal position

I think the 5/16" fit the eye on the super stakes. I squeeze them shut in my bench vise and weld them shut.

Maybe. But I would rather have sharp points digging Into the earth then those rolled over ends.

I prefer super stakes especially in the rocky Arco desert, they just drive better for me.