How to Tell Good Chain from Bad Chain: Safety Tips for Chain Shoppers

Are All Chains Created Equal?

– Have you ever looked at two chains that looked similar, but one was half the price? Chain looks like chain, right? So how do you know it’s not cheap or dangerous?

– Can I help you out with…? This is not supposed to be used for lifting. I would like to help you out. Can I?

This chain is screaming “Hey, trash me, trash me.”

– All right, so my first question is, are all chain created equal?

– To a certain extent, yes, because if you look at the production processes, they all follow most likely the same production steps. There are different clues that you can pick up when you look at the chain in terms of identifying bad chain.

How to Visually Inspect New Chain for Defects

– We’ve got some chain from Pewag.

– Yay. Yay.

– The grade 120. Top of the line, right?

I also went to the local hardware stores in the area around here. I don’t want to name any names.

What are you looking for when you’re assessing chain?

– Well, the first is aesthetic. You look at the coating of it, and then you can pick up the chain, look at the markings. If there are markings, look at the welding, and you see this one, for instance, if you scratch on the welding, you may always scratch your finger and injure yourself. So it’s already a bad welding, an indication that this chain is not done properly.

And also the shape of the chain. So there are different clues. You can dive deep into the mechanical properties of the chain if they’re affected because of any signs that you will see on the chain links.

Weld Defects and Asymmetrical Chain Links

– So when you’re looking at, let’s say, new chain, what are some red flags that you should be looking for?

– The weld.

– The weld.

– The shape of the link. So you see one side of the chain is straight, the other has kind of a belly, so it’s not symmetrical. The chain link is not symmetrical, and that may have an impact if this chain were to be mechanically engaged, which I suppose no one would dare to think of using this chain for anything but fencing and decoration purposes.

How to Tell If a Hoist Chain Is Safe to Use

– I’ve got this hoist here. Is the chain on this hoist any good?

Good vs. Bad Chain Finishing

– The first thing that I would look is first the finishing and, you know, look at my hands. So just by touching it, I am oil and grease. It’s like putting my hands in a salad.

– It’s slimy.

– Yeah. If you have an oily chain, it’s an indication of a bad finish in general.

Chain Symmetry Defects

And then what I look at is the welding, the shape of the chain link, and as you can see, this one has a little dent on the side.

– Yeah.

Chain Markings and Hardening

– And the hardened chain usually carry two marking, the DT or DAT, and they tell you depth of the hardening, so how long this chain will last on this assembly. And the letter T would be indicates the chain is a chain for hoist chains that has not been hardened, but has been conceived and calibrated to run on those sprocket wheel.

I don’t see any T, DAT, or DT on this marking. I just see a simple G80 and no other markings, so not a good indication.

How Manufacturing and Materials Affect Chain Quality

– If you were to take a guess, where does this chain come from?

– A cheap producer. It is questionable also the raw material used for that. So it is a G80, but, hey, what about the raw material? What about the level of hardening? What about the surface hardening? Which matters here because the chain goes on those sprocket wheels.

– So this chain might be fine for, you know, if you’re going to put it in your garage and use it once or twice a year. But if you’re going to be on a site where you’re going to be rigging things all the time, you want something a little better than this.

Where does poor chain usually come from?

– Hmm, an area where you have producer that do not have a reliable supply of power, for instance. That is crucial when making the chain. You want to have a power grid that is constantly supplying you with the same amount of power with no interruptions.

And also, you have to have availability of the raw materials. The steel that you’re sourcing truly influences the product. If you don’t have access to the proper alloy to make this particular chain, but you have access to carbon steel, and you are making the product anyway, well, that are all clues that give you an idea.

How Poorly Maintained Chain Machines Create Bad Chain

Every time you step into a chain factory, there is a distinctive smell. It is unique of that chain factory. If you care about those chain machines, the product will be a good product. And it’s all depend on how accurate the chain producer is looking after this jewel which are the chain making machines.

If those machines are not cared for, are not serviced, are not supplied with the power that is needed, and do not have access to the raw material, then you would have a bad chain.

Evidence of Poorly Maintained Chain Making Machines

But here are a marking. Can you feel with your finger if you scratch on it? So there is something odd with the way the chain machine was bending that chain link, and because of the bending phase, probably something has happened on the side of the chain link, and that may compromise the integrity of the chain link.

You can buy bad chains from anywhere. You have to be discerning.

– You have to be diligent, yeah.

– Diligent in doing your research. Who is the producer? Where is the raw material coming from? Is it a reputable company? Only one chain link is enough to make that chain fail.

Decide When to Retire a Worn Chain Sling

– I asked some of our rigging inspectors if they could pull some slings aside for me that they’ve pulled from service. How can you tell that this chain has exceeded its life and should no longer be used in service anymore?

Measuring Wear

– You know, as an investigator, chain investigator, you can measure if there is anywhere in between the chain link. If you have a deviation of more than 10% on the diameter that it’s supposed to be, that is a confirmation that this chain has been wearing off in between the two chain links.

Checking for Elongation

The length of the chain link, obviously, if there is any sign of elongation, you will see it in the inside length. And technically, you can measure also in chain link like this if you were to raise it all the way up. If you see a difference in the length of the chains, one is longer than the other, then, like in this case, you see this chain leg seems to be lower than the other, but we start at the same point. So that may be indicating that one of the two legs has been exposed to overloading, has been stretching a little bit.

Inspecting Contact Points Between Chain Links

– Should you look in between the links? And what are you looking for in between the links?

– The wear of this area, of the contact point. If there is any wear of the contact point, you can measure with the caliper, but the wear between the two contact points, it’s also an indicator of the chain being used over and over again.

Signs of Chain Damage from Heat, Corrosion, and Acid

– I have a couple other chains that I want you to look at, and just let me know if… just let me know if there’s anything wrong with these chains.

– Okay.

Extreme Hear Damage to Chain

– This chain, anything, see any issues with this?

– Oy vey! Was somebody trying to do something artistically here? Because that’s the only value that I see here. Definitely, this chain was used to be dipped in something very hot. But this is definitely a wrong use for the chain.

– Yeah. And all these chains, just so you know, these are chains that our rigging inspectors pulled from service.

Chains Destroyed by an Acidic Environment

– Tell me about… see any issues with this one here?

– Oh my goodness. So this chain, I tell you what happened to this chain. This chain was dipped into an acid environment, and the acid has been eating up the material. The acid at which it was exposed, it has eaten up the steel. So also in this case, you would have used a totally different chain. Stainless steel would’ve been better.

– Any issues with this chain?

– Oy vey. That’s a similar situation because you see the beginning of it… No, it’s even worse.

I wonder how just this part has been corroded. Ah, I know that. So it was hanging up this way, the load was attached here, and the load has eaten up the master link, the connector link, and one, two, three, four links. The liquid was stopping somewhere here. So you had the load in an acid environment and not being intended to be doing this job.

Overloaded Chain

– Any issues with this chain?

– Okay, finally we see the proof of an overload. This chain is screaming “Hey, trash me, trash me.”

How to Buy Chain Safely and Check Certifications

– So if someone’s not a chain expert, how can they shop confidently?

– In order to shop confidently, don’t go online, go to a rigging shop.

– And should you be asking or requesting certifications or anything like that?

– Sure. To know that everything was done in the proper manner, you want to have the certificate, the test certificate, and mill certificate.

Use Safer Buying Habits Because Not All Chain Is Equal

– If there was one thing you wish every buyer knew before purchasing chain, what would that be?

– Hmm, how much work is inside of a piece of metal like chain, how much history, and how much sweat, and how much engineering. Chains may look cheap and simple, but there is a lot of work behind that.

– Not all chain is created equal, and now you know what you should look out for. The risks of using poor quality chain are real, from load failures to serious injuries.

If you’re unsure about the quality of chain you should be purchasing, contact Mazzella, and we’ll help you source a chain that you can trust. Mazzella is here to help with all your chain needs, be that custom sling assemblies, transport, or any other application you might have. Feel free to contact us through the link below.

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