Recovery safety, minimizing connections

What is that everyone has the hate for the Factor 55, I have Flatlink E and it has worked well for me ??

What is the exact purpose of it being there? How would you use the winch if the Flatlink was removed?

A good practice in rigging and recovery is to have only as many connections as is needed.
 
  • Like
Reactions: rasband
I believe they started off as a ripoff of the Safety Thimble, but unlike the Safety Thimble, they add an additional connection point for ease of hookup.

F55 did eventually rip off the Safety Thimble. But the Flatlink and similar products are all shackles, not thimbles. The difference between the two is the start of why this all matters.
 
  • Like
Reactions: derekmac
IMO anytime I see a device like this with degree markings and other, I see a marketing strategy designed to attract a specific audience. Nothing takes the place of real world experience. Not slamming those who do use this device but many times people get a false sense of confidence using equipment such as this. Mr. Blaine, comments?
What is the false sense you speak of ?
 
What purpose does the Flatlink serve? What would you do without i
I would use the hook that it came with, I just got tired of the hook having to be connected to a D-Ring connected to my bumper, or letting it just flop around. It may not be a "Safety Thimble" so I guess it add one piece to the recovery.

So do you consider the Factor 55 Splicer or Flatlink Splicer = to the Safety Thimble
https://factor55.com/product-category/splice-on-shackle-mounts
 
What is the false sense you speak of ?

The included angles on the device as well as the basic function. A rule of thumb is to have the least amount of connections between the hook and the load. Nothing replaces real world experience or basic rigging fundamentals. That was the point I was trying to emphasize. Watch the Litebrite video and see if you can identify anything you see that is wrong from a basic rigging or safety stand point.
 
Last edited:
Why do they call it the "splicer"..... anyway, as has been stated several times, the fewer the connections the better, less potential for failure. Something else to consider, the splicer, the safety thimble, the hook that came with the synthetic line, all require the rope to be bent around a radius. The sharper the radius the more the rope is "stressed" (ie. potentially weaker). Think about the individual strands of the rope, when they are bent around a radius, the inside strands travel a shorter distance (ie. are not loaded) than the outside strands (ie, over loaded). So with this thought in mind the radius that is incorporated into the end link can become a weak spot. What I like about the safety thimble is you can inspect the rope around the radius.....
 
As a total newb to recovery setups, is there a good read somewhere that would explain all of this and bring me up to speed? My recovery experience has been limited to "hook yank strap to second vehicle and tug".
Thanks.
 
There are several threads on here with good info and lots of opinions. I am unaware of a single resource that is informative enough to be a sole source.....
 
Billa Vista's Recovery Bible is from a while ago, but everything still applies and the relatively recent move towards synthetic soft connections fits right in.
 
Why do they call it the "splicer"..... anyway, as has been stated several times, the fewer the connections the better, less potential for failure. Something else to consider, the splicer, the safety thimble, the hook that came with the synthetic line, all require the rope to be bent around a radius. The sharper the radius the more the rope is "stressed" (ie. potentially weaker). Think about the individual strands of the rope, when they are bent around a radius, the inside strands travel a shorter distance (ie. are not loaded) than the outside strands (ie, over loaded). So with this thought in mind the radius that is incorporated into the end link can become a weak spot. What I like about the safety thimble is you can inspect the rope around the radius.....

Good points. A properly sized thimble will reduce the stress in the cable/rope going around a radius.