Gear Review: Carolina North's Rope Ratchet Tie Downs

By: Marc Anthony

I recently tested some tie-down products manufactured by Carolina North Manufacturing and found them to be of great use! The Rope Ratchets are made tough with outer casings made from #6 – 33% Glass Filled Nylon with interior mechanisms of Die Cast Zinc. The rope is Solid Braided Polyester or Polypropylene and the hooks are Zinc Plated Steel. They come in 5 different sizes from 1/8″, 3/16″, 1/4″, 3/8″ and 1/2″.

These are all ratchet types rope that have different degrees of holding power depending on the size of the unit and the job required. As noted, they all utilize a braided nylon rope for greater strength rather than rubber or single strand rope. The ratchet mechanism is the key for holding tension and securing your objects safely. By ratcheting the tension of the braided rope, there is no chance of stretch or the type of failure associated with rubber bungee cords. Unlike rubber, nylon rope won’t degenerate due to ozone exposure created by electric motors found in or around shops, equipment, etc.

Simple to use, just hook the two zinc plated steel hook ends around the object to be secured and pull the loose end until its tight. When you pull the rope tight the unit makes a ratchet sound and then automatically locks when you release tension. Once tight you simply tie off the loose end. When you need to undo there is a handy Thumb Release Lever in the side. Best way is to put tension on the loose end and then push up on the Release. When pressed it releases all of the tension immediately allowing the rope to loosen and be easily removed.

If you would like to see a video on how they work, CLICK HERE :

Prices range from around $8.99 on up and are priced differently and incrementally as the sizes change. Carolina North also makes a hoist called the Hang ’em High with a 2:1 ratio that’s great for hoisting game up to 250 lbs, game feeders, or anything else that needs to be lifted. They retail around $22.00 but can be found on different websites offering different pricing.