The One Tool Every Tractor Owner Needs (And Probably Doesn't Have)

If you own a tractor, and a toolbox — I'd bet there's one tool missing from it that you didn't even know you needed. It's not a wrench, not a socket set, and not anything you'd find at your local hardware store's hand tool aisle. It's a 36-inch industrial webbing strap, and once you see what it can do paired with a set of pallet forks or a loader bucket, you'll wonder how you ever managed without it. In this video, I'll walk you through a job I tackled on my property — one that I genuinely could not have finished without this strap and my tractor. I had a 6-foot electric fence ground rod driven deep into the earth at an angle, and I needed to get it out. That meant vice grips, a sharpshooter shovel, a lot of sweat on a hot day, and eventually the realization that I needed a smarter approach. What happened next is exactly the kind of real-world tractor problem-solving content I built this channel around. What You'll See in This Video: How I used a 36" industrial webbing strap and pallet forks to extract a buried 6-foot ground rod Why angle matters when pulling something from the ground — and how to think through it before you start A real talk about the safety risks involved when you're putting serious tension on a strap (this is important — don't skip it) Why I'll never look at this strap as anything other than a permanent fixture in my tractor toolbox About This Strap I first encountered these straps when I went to work at a dealership. Every forklift had one. Every skid loader had one. They're an industrial tool, and they're built like it — heavy webbing, with ratings of 6,400 lbs vertical, 5,100 lbs choker, and 12,800 lbs basket. I'm not an engineer, but I know it handled the job. I keep a 36-inch and a 6-footer on hand. If you only get one, get the 36. You'll reach for it constantly — loading a bush hog onto a trailer, picking up heavy equipment, securing awkward lifts. Once it's in your toolbox, you'll start seeing uses for it everywhere. I want to be upfront: I'm not getting paid by any manufacturer to tell you this. If you want to grab one through my Amazon affiliate link below, I appreciate it — you'll pay the same price I did and Amazon throws a small kickback my way. But if you'd rather find one at a local industrial supply house, do that. Just get one. A Note on Safety I talk about this in the video and I want to mention it here too. When you're putting this kind of tension on a strap or chain, there's real energy stored in that system. I watched a video once of a man who was killed when a receiver hitch failed under tension and came back through his windshield. That kind of thing stays with you. I kept it in mind throughout this job, and you should too. Be smart, keep people clear of the load path, and don't rush. Also Mentioned in This Video: 🎬 Watch my video on loading a bush hog with these straps — link in the cards above Links: 🔗 36" Industrial Webbing Strap https://amzn.to/4uXtlNP 🔗 72" Industrial Webbing Strap https://amzn.to/4uRwBdA If you're new here, Ask Tractor Mike is all about real-world tractor use, acreage ownership, and the kind of practical knowledge that only comes from actually doing the work. Subscribe if that's your kind of content, and hit the bell so you don't miss the next one. #TractorLife #AskTractorMike #PalletForks #TractorTips #AcreageOwner #ElectricFence #TractorTools #SmallFarm #RuralLiving #TractorOwner LINKS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT... Tractor Mike Website/Fun Store: https://asktractormike.com/products-f... Support the Tractor Mike Channel:   / tractormike   Amazon Affiliate Page: https://www.amazon.com/shop/tractormike Contact us at: [email protected] Copyright 2026 Tractor Mike LLC