Why is our springpole better than a DIY one?

Our springpoles are a combination of the best aspects of all available options in a long lasting easy to use springpole product.

 

What are the options for a DIY springpole?

There are 2 main options for making your own springpole, using metal springs or bungee rubber type solutions   

 

What are the pros and cons to using metal springs?

The most common metal solution is to use a garage door extension spring.  The benefits include: being heavy duty, providing a long powerful stretch, and having secure connection points.  They come in a few different strengths and are widely available in big box hardware stores.

The negative aspects of the garage door spring outweigh the good.  They are quick and easy to setup but have some major drawbacks. 

First is safety, every metal spring has a cycle life. This is the amount of times a spring can be stretched before it breaks.  Like bending a paper clip back and forth, it eventually breaks, same is true for all extension springs. 

Garage springs have the cycle count printed on the package, usually around 10,000 cycles, which sounds like a lot but not for use as a springpole.  A well conditioned dog can easily do 30 tugs a minute on a spring. This adds up quick and will eventually result in failure, usually when the spring is at full extension which can seriously injure your dog.

Garage springs are also prone to rusting quickly when left outdoors, some are painted which slows the oxidation process but none are galvanized.  Trampoline springs are galvanized but come in small dimensions so require multiple springs and are still subject to the cycle life.  The further you stretch a spring the less cycles it can complete before failing. 

Heavy porch swing springs are available online and sold as springpole setups. These are by far the least effective and worst option.  You might as well use no spring at all because they are so stiff there is little to no stretch.

What are the pros and cons to using rubber type springs?

Bungee cords and gym resistance bands are the most common non metal solution for a springpole.  They are lightweight, they stretch far and based on the diameter of the rubber can be combined to suit your dogs weight and strength.  

They are generally made of latex or natural rubber which does not have the problem of cycle life like metal springs.  If properly protected from the elements  and not over stretched they can be cycled almost indefinitely.

The downsides to using a DIY bungee setup are the connection points, overstretching and damage from UV rays.  

Rubber is a natural product and is not very abrasion resistant, anywhere that rubs or has contact with another hard material will eventually break down and fail.  

Resistance bands are the most susceptible to wear and tear since there is no protective outer layer and they are also very easy to overstretch.  

Bungee cord is an ideal spring material but without modification has some drawbacks.  First is that store bought bungee cords use hog ring clamps and metal hooks. 

The hog rings are open metal rings that are clamped onto the bungee.  This is a simple and standard way of working with bungee but the problem is that when fully stretched, bungee shrinks in diameter and can slip through the hog ring under repeated tugging.  Clamping tighter just damages the rubber and the sleeve, causing failure.  

Bungee cord has an outer protective sleeve that protects the rubber core and prevents overstretch.  When this sleeve is repeatedly brought to its maximum it weakens over time, and wherever there is a connection point it will ultimately fail.  The outer sleeve of Bungee is made of polypropylene which doesn't have the greatest UV protection and will degrade if left out in the elements.  

 

What makes our Springs better?

We have taken the best from all options and combined them to make a better solution.

The best part of metal springs is the secure connection point.  That is why we use stainless steel rings as ends for our springs.  These rings are easy to attach carabiners and other connections to and do not get damaged and fail over time.

The best part of using bungee is the long, safe and powerful stretch that provides excellent muscle building resistance.

The bungee is secured to the rings using layers of heavy duty nylon webbing and an industrial sewing machine.  This method has proven to be the most secure with the least amount of abrasion.

The whole assembly is then secured inside a tightly woven nylon sleeve designed to protect hydraulic hoses on heavy machinery.  The nylon sleeve is sewn directly to the bungee assembly which is slightly shorter than the maximum stretch of the bungee creating a hard stop.  This means that when fully stretched the weight is completely transferred to the outer sleeve which has a very high tensile strength and doesn't overstretch the bungee.  This system makes it safe for any size dog to safely hang on any of our springs.