Automotive · Head-to-head
Yankum Ropes 7/8" Kinetic Recovery Rope "Python" vs ARB 4x4 Accessories Snatch Strap 17,500lb (ARB705LB)
Which should you buy? Our verdict on both, pulled from our full The Best Tow Straps and Recovery Gear: 4 Compared (and One to Skip) comparison.
The Python is the pick because Yankum publishes an MBS, a WLL range and a vehicle weight window, and explains on the product page that its ropes are for recovery and not for towing. The ARB strap does the same job in webbing for less money and carries a longer warranty, which makes it the sensible starting point if you only expect to pull somebody out once or twice a year.
Yankum Ropes 7/8" Kinetic Recovery Rope "Python"
Buy itA double braid nylon kinetic rope with a published 28,600 lb minimum breaking strength and, unusually, a published working load limit range.
- Yankum publishes both the minimum breaking strength (28,600 lb) and a working load limit range of 5,700 to 9,000 lb, so you are not guessing at a safety factor.
- The product page states a vehicle weight window of 5,000 to 7,200 lb and tells you to size the rope to the recovery vehicle, not the stuck one.
- Double braid nylon with a polymeric coating and rubber-dipped eyes, sold in 20 ft and 30 ft, made in the USA.
- Yankum states plainly that its ropes are not towing ropes, so this does not replace a tow strap for dragging a rolling vehicle.
- The warranty is 1 year limited, shorter than the ARB strap's 3 years.
- Premium pricing before you add the soft shackles it needs, and Yankum recommends a 7/16 inch soft shackle or 3/4 inch hard shackle to go with it.
ARB 4x4 Accessories Snatch Strap 17,500lb (ARB705LB)
Buy itA 30 ft nylon snatch strap with a published 17,600 lb breaking strength, reinforced eyes with protector sleeves and a 3 year warranty.
- ARB publishes a 17,600 lb breaking strength and describes roughly 20 percent stretch, and the listing is explicit that a snatch strap is elastic under load unlike a tow strap.
- Reinforced eyes with eye and seam protector sleeves, which is where cheap straps usually fail first.
- 3 year warranty and a listed product weight of 7 lb, so it packs flatter and lighter than a comparable rope.
- ARB's own page is inconsistent about the fibre, with the description calling it nylon and the specification table listing polyester.
- No working load limit is published, only a breaking strength, so you have to apply your own safety factor.
- Flat webbing takes on grit and is harder to inspect for internal damage than a coated rope.
Side by side
| Yankum Ropes 7/8" Kinetic Recovery Rope "Python" | ARB 4x4 Accessories Snatch Strap 17,500lb (ARB705LB) | |
|---|---|---|
| Our verdict | Buy | Buy |
| Best for | Someone with a Jeep, half-ton truck or large SUV who expects to be the vehicle doing the pulling and wants published numbers rather than a single vague rating. | The driver who wants one properly made stretch recovery strap from a mainstream off-road brand without paying rope money. |
| Price tier | $$$ · premium | $$ · mid-range |
The bottom line
Our overall pick is the Yankum Ropes 7/8" Kinetic Recovery Rope "Python" - A double braid nylon kinetic rope with a published 28,600 lb minimum breaking strength and, unusually, a published working load limit range. Choose the ARB 4x4 Accessories Snatch Strap 17,500lb (ARB705LB) instead if the driver who wants one properly made stretch recovery strap from a mainstream off-road brand without paying rope money.
Want the full picture, including the other options we compared and the popular one we'd skip? Read the complete The Best Tow Straps and Recovery Gear: 4 Compared (and One to Skip).