Chain size question for super stakes

Ok I’m converting all my anchors over to super stakes and wanting to know the best size chain to use. I’m thinking MB #2 straight link but not sure if I should go up to #3. I pulled 30 traps yesterday and broke off 5 I had attached with 3/32 7x7 cable so wanting to give chain a try. I can’t find the working strength of the mb #2 or #3 but I’m thinking both are substantially stronger than 3/32 cable. I’m thinking #2 should be more than enough but wanted to check to see what others are using before a buy a bunch of chain.

#2 is plenty, assuming nonwelded attachment points, theyll fail well before the chain will. Welded attachment points, its a matter which weld is weakest.

#2 works the best for me. If I ever have one break when I'm pulling them up, it's usually my weld that has broken but have never had one break with a catch.

I prefer the #3 myself...one time purchase.

I use both cable and chain. WolfFangs with the cable and super stakes with the chain. I go back and forth on which I like best. Have never had either fail me. I build the cable stakes myself for very little, vs a sizeable investment for good chain and stakes. With the frost in the ground, I can just clip and go. Chained stakes are a pain to pull. Every year, I struggle to decide. Would really prefer to go with one.

#3. One time and your done. I’ve had #2 American fail. Twice. #3 has never let me down. Plus a 1/4” quick link fits in it easy.

I use the finned superstakes with chain and retrieval cable. I have had MB #2 Twist Link chain fail a couple of times. The failure was the weld on an actual chain link and not at the attachment point. I have not had a failure with MBs pre made superstakes with #2 straight link chain.

When you say fail, is that from animals or from pulling the stake.?

One broke driving the stake and one broke pulling. #2 MTP chain. Unfrozen ground.
Run #3 MTP chain now and welded 5/8” lock washers for connecting to the stake head. Never had a problem. Works awesome.

My failures with the #2 twist link were from animals. I have the retrieval cable for pulling so there is no stress on the chain when pulling. I actually pulled the stakes with the retrieval cable after the failures and the S hook and a few links of chain were still attached.

SteelTraps (here on Tman) uses #7 chain and pulled them with his truck.

When I used SuperStakes I had #2 US made chain, but I dug most of em up with a spade shovel in this sand. Did break a few with my homemade pry bar puller.

I have a bunch still with #2, but as anchors need replaced or as I setup new traps, I'm going strictly with #3. I've broken quite a few pulling them out that had #2 chain, only had 1 or 2 break with #3, and that was from using the truck to pull them out of frozen ground

I run finned super stakes. Used to use a retrieval cable but since I went to the bigger chain I pull with a puller. No problem in our dirt here.

I've broke a few with #2 pulling them with a puller in frozen ground. Never had a coyote break #2

Cable is cheaper, just saying.

I was thinking of splitting one side of a link with bolt cutters then welding it back together. Do you think a S hook or lock wash would work better?

Lock washer much...much...much better.

Don't think I'd try the re-welding a link

I like #3 chain. Pulling the chain stakes out of hard ground can really stress #2 chain, even break it sometimes. Most trap chain on coyote traps is #3, I don't see a reason to go smaller with the stake chain.

I just ordered 100 grade 8 5/8” lock washers. Have 100ft of mb#3 chain coming as well. What I don’t use on the stakes I’ll use on a few drags I’m going to build.

Question : are you flattening the lock washer out and weld the seam or are you leaving it offset and welding the shoulders on both sides of the offset seam? I hope that makes sense.

Whatever size chain you use, buy quality. I bought some from a dealer and the links broke on several. Lost at least a half a dozen traps!!!!

Used lock washers for years. Think I got the idea from swamp wolf. I use just grade 5. 5/8” for chain rigs and 3/4” for double trap rigs. Take the coating off with vinegar and water. Stabilize with baking soda and water. Not sure if these steps are necessary but makes me feel better.
Then bend and attach to chain and weld.

I run #5 chain, I was really wishing for something else once this winter. I was pulling traps and had one I had driven through a root. I didn't have anything in the snowmachine to cut the chain with, and couldn't pull it with a puller, cut a 15 foot pole about 6" in diameter and with two of us on that pole and all that leverage we still couldn't break the chain or a weld (I didn't know I was that good a welder ). Finally ended up digging down and around about a 10" root with a shovel head (broke the shovel earlier that day) and chopping through the root to retrieve my trap.

Thats why i like cable. I have some chain ones but i worry about jamming one under a rock or tree root so im picky about when to use those traps, even with the retrieval ends. Rather be able to cut and run instead of breaking something or huring myself trying to horse an anchor up

Yep, #3 hear too. #3 fits the puller better too.

#3 chain here also. S hooks welded shut. If they don't come out with the puller ... go after them with a larger masonary drill bit.

It seems to me that secret to chained stakes is augers to get them back up.
I quit using them because I couldn't budge them with a puller most of the time.
I might just give augers a try. I like the all in one set up of chained stakes.

I'm using cabled wolf fangs now and they will pull with a puller most of the time but some do bend or cable breaks.

I always wonder when someone says earth anchors are to hard to pull if they could shallow up how deep they drive them in. When it comes to holding a critter the force of holding power is more critical than depth. I can usually guage how much holding power the soil has by how many times I have to hit it with hammer. If it's really tight soil I don't go as deep.

Good point!

When I was running chain I drove them until the shock spring was in the hole. Stock mtp chain length. Definitely deep.

Now with cables I still want the cable loop buried and definitely will be shortening cable length.

Dang it, this thread has got me going to try a few change up things on how I anchor. Why can't there be just one perfect anchor rig. LOL

In most of my soil, 8” is plenty. I do things a little different and don’t bury my stake in the trap bed, but outside and can pull the loop of the cable tight when I bed the trap. To go 12” or even 18” in this clay isn’t necessary.

All this talk on chain got me wondering why trap chain numbers ain't the same as chain industry numbers so I did some looking and think I got it figured out.

MTP#5HD matches up with chain 2/0, #7HD most closely matches 4/0 so using that and chain site charts it looks like MTP#2 is actually #2 chain and #3 is actually 1/0.





BTW, it looks like #2 is the smallest link you can get a 6ga/3/16 HD j-hook through easily.

I got 14" of chain on my earth anchors and usually only use 10 to 12" of it

I started with #2 American and chain break when i pulled traps. Then I went to #3 American and was still breaking some chains when i pull traps. The last batch of stakes i did up was with MTP #5. So far none of the #5 has broken on me.

I broke one #2 chain pulling. In hard 100% pure black Iowa soil...May of been a lil frozen. 99%of the time I think #2 would work

I always wonder when someone says earth anchors are to hard to pull if they could shallow up how deep they drive them in. When it comes to holding a critter the force of holding power is more critical than depth. I can usually guage how much holding power the soil has by how many times I have to hit it with hammer. If it's really tight soil I don't go as deep.[/quote]

Yes, but we have wolves and cougars and in the early season bears here. So they have to be pretty solid if you don't want your trap gone if you pinch a big critter. I like earth anchors because I trust them to hold. Pulling can be a pain at times, and I've cut a few chains, but usually I can bust the S hook if I get enough leverage. Upgraded some traps to welded cold links instead of S hooks, not sure if that was such a great idea.

Here is what I had built. # 7 chain welded to bullets. MB # 2 chain stakes are about 35 a dz plus shipping. So if i pay 55 a dz and shipping I concider it money well spent. Havent broke on in years. And I pull them with truck. Would consider sell some it anyone wants to PM about them

Thought I’d update this tread. Had some hard lessons learned this morning. So I had 12 traps out for predator control and I took them up this morning. Out of 12 super stakes with #2 machine chain I busted 8 off in the rock hard clay even after digging them half up with a pick axe. So things I’ve learned.

1) Try to pull your equipment after a rain or before a drought.
2) Just because you have 20” of chain on your anchor doesn’t mean you have to drive the anchor that deep. 12 to 15 inches would have been plenty.
3) alway bring your drill and auger. Not sure it would of helped but it might of.
4) #3 chain will be on all my equipment going forward.
5) My new stake puller is a beast!
6) Disposable anchors and drags have there place. I’ll be building lots of each.

On a good note I had three traps that somebody tried to steal. It would of taken much a man or a truck to pull them. They had nether !