Steel vs Soft Shackles: How to Choose the Right Connector for Heavy Recovery

When you're out there pulling stuck equipment or moving heavy machinery, the shackle you choose isn't just another piece of gear - it's what keeps everything connected when things get serious. These little connectors link your recovery straps to whatever you're using as an anchor point, and that connection better hold.

I've seen operators debate steel versus soft shackles, but the truth is, both have their place. If you're hauling farm equipment through muddy fields, recovering a loaded dump truck from a ditch, or dealing with industrial gear that's gone sideways, the shackles you pick can make or break the job.

There's no magic answer here. Steel and soft shackles each do certain things really well, and other things not so much. It comes down to what you're pulling, where you're working, and how much risk you're willing to take. Get it right, and you'll have a smooth recovery with everyone going home safe. Get it wrong, and you might be dealing with damaged equipment, blown schedules, or worse.

Soft shackles have come a long way. Modern materials and construction techniques now allow them to rival, and in some cases outperform, steel shackles at the same load ratings.

Key innovations include:

• Cordura® sleeves and built-in protective guards to resist abrasion

• HMPE and UHPE fibers rated for up to 500+ tons of force

• Industrial-grade soft shackles used in cranes, shipyards, agricultural recovery, and heavy-vehicle towing

• New coatings that improve UV resistance and minimize internal fiber wear

The debate between steel and soft shackles isn't a battle - it's a balance. Each type offers clear benefits and potential drawbacks depending on your recovery scenario. It all comes down to matching your equipment to your environment, load, and safety priorities.

Soft shackles are not a gimmick, they're engineered tools trusted by farm operators, fleet managers, roadside recovery crews, and industrial rigging teams.

Steel shackles continue to dominate in heavy, sharp, high-impact settings where absolute ruggedness is non-negotiable.

In many cases, the best recovery kits include both, giving you the freedom to adapt on the fly. Choose smart. Recover safe.

Here's what most operators don't realize: using the wrong shackle isn't just about getting stuck longer or breaking gear. It's about catastrophic failure that can send metal flying, destroy equipment, or seriously hurt someone. I've seen recovery jobs go sideways fast when someone grabbed whatever shackle was handy without doing the math.

The problem is, matching shackles to tow straps isn't straightforward. Your strap might be rated at 100,000 lbs, but that steel shackle stamped "10 tons" looks way too small. Except it's not - if you understand how the ratings actually work.

Tow straps and shackles use completely different rating systems, and that creates dangerous confusion:

• Tow straps are rated in lbs MBS (Maximum Breaking Strength) - the point where they actually fail

• Steel shackles are rated in tons WLL (Working Load Limit) - their safe working capacity with a built-in safety factor

That 10-ton steel shackle? It actually has a breaking strength of around 120,000 lbs because manufacturers build in a 6:1 safety factor. So it can absolutely handle your 100,000 lb strap safely. But most operators don't know this conversion, so they either overbuy expensive oversized shackles or - worse - underbuy and create real danger.

Here's how most other towing and recovery companies will show you how to calculate shackle sizing:

For Steel Shackles: Your steel shackle's true breaking strength = WLL (tons) × 2,000 × 6

So that 10-ton shackle = 10 × 2,000 × 6 = 120,000 lbs breaking strength

To Find the Right Steel Shackle for Your Strap: Minimum WLL needed (tons) = Your strap's MBS (lbs) ÷ 12,000

For a 100,000 lb strap: 100,000 ÷ 12,000 = 8.33 tons minimum You'd choose the next size up: 10-ton shackle

For Soft Shackles: It's simpler as most soft shackles for towing and recovery are rated in lbs and show their actual MBS - so for a 100,000 lb strap - try to find a soft shackle rated around between 110,000 and 120,000 lbs

That last method likely looks and feels confusing, and you’re right. So here’s the clean, foolproof way to size your shackles to your straps:

Strap MBS (lbs) ÷ 10,000 = Required Steel Shackle WLL (tons)

That’s it. Done.

Examples:

• 70,000 lb strap ÷ 10,000 = 7-ton shackle (≈84,000 lbs breaking strength)

• 100,000 lb strap ÷ 10,000 = 10-ton shackle (≈120,000 lbs breaking strength)

• 200,000 lb strap ÷ 10,000 = 20-ton shackle (≈240,000 lbs breaking strength)

Not all U.S. shackles have a 6:1 safety factor. The safety factor varies by material, manufacturer, and intended use:

• Material matters: Some alloy shackles are rated at 5:1, while premium carbon steel shackles typically use 6:1

• Manufacturer differences: Different companies use different safety factors, especially for specialized applications

• Standards vary: While OSHA requires following manufacturer WLL ratings, the actual safety factor depends on the specific federal specification the shackle meets

Dawnerz Recommendation: Always Use 6:1 Safety Factor Shackles

This is why our divide-by-10 formula assumes 6:1 safety factor shackles. When you use these and follow our simple calculation, you're guaranteed to have a shackle with 20% higher breaking strength than your strap - which is vital for safe recovery work.

Always check that your shackle is rated with a 6:1 safety factor before using our formula. If it's not clearly marked or you're unsure, don't risk it.