Shackles - How to Choose

[viben]

Replacing a number of shackles - but how to choose the right ones?


For example, West Marine offers a myriad of options, ranging from their house brand at $5.75, via $8.49 (Suncor) to $27.99 (Wichard) for a simple 3/16" stainless steel bow shackle with screw pin.


Home Depot, on the other hand, offers similar shackles starting at $2.67.


What are the criteria that justify these price differences?

[psk125]

Safe working load is a major criteria to consider with shackles. If Home Depot can't tell you what the safe working loads of their shackles are, perhaps you don't want to use them to hold up your mast, even if they're cheaper. How shackles are made also makes for a difference in price. Some are stamped - flat steel is bent into a U shape, with holes in the legs for the clevis pin. These are not as strong as cast steel shackles of the same size. (Wichard's are generally cast - that's why they're more expensive.) Stainless steel also comes in different alloys ("316" is a common one for marine use) that have varying attributes as to strength, rust resistance, ability to take an edge, etc. These affect pricing too. You can also get galvanized shackles. These are often used for moorings since they don't have to look pretty, and are supposedly checked yearly for corrosion & wear, so they can be replaced. Plain steel shackles, which might be used in construction, will likely rust quite quickly on a boat, so are probably not a good choice. The closure of the shackle also affects the cost. A simple clevis pin with a cotter pin is cheap. A stamped screw pin is more (they also have to thread the leg of the shackle as well as the pin) and a cast pin is more. Captive pins - ones that don't come apart from the shackle but still slide through one leg to open- also cost more to be machined. A simple shackle ends up not being so simple. A lot can depend upon it.

[Tillsbury]

Also, search this forum for instructions for making soft shackles and consider making them yourself. I have removed a dozen or more stainless steel shackles from my boat and have them just lying around. It's unlikely I'll need them again.

[Jim Cate]

These are not as strong as cast steel shackles of the same size. (Wichard's are generally cast - that's why they're more expensive.)

Actually, aren't the strongest shackles forged rather than cast? Both in s/s and carbon steel!
And some of the best s/s shackles are investment cast 17-4ph metal, precipitation hardened after casting. Lots of snap shackles made this way because of fairly high precision in the casting and great strength/weight ratios.

But agreed that the stamped strap shackles are not very good in any way other than price!

Jim

[Benz]

Home Depot is buying serious quantities of the cheapest ones they can find; West Marine is trying to balance quality with a price point that will still sell, and buying in far smaller amounts.
Wichard is trying to make as much as possible on each piece, knowing that their products are high quality and hoping people will appreciate that. You can trust the load ratings on stuff sourced from West Marine; I'd be leery of anything of that sort from Home Depot.