Is it necessary to weld the J-hooks on traps. Biggest critter I'll encounter is a coyote. Not sure if this extra step is needed or not????

Nessasary on a good J-hook, naw I doubt it. Sure dont hurt though.

I don't unless they are used j-hooks. I replace all the junk ones like duke j-hooks and the smaller ones on older traps with new heavier ones. Dan

The reason I ask it that I was gonna purchase some nice MB's or Jakes and don't want to lose animals as well as Pricey Traps!!

Anyone ever see a J -hook straightened? (as mentioned above... a new one, not one that has been bent back and forth a bunch)

dans right i have tryed to reuse j hooks bad idea the new j hooks i think that a chain would give out first . strange things happen when coyotes are in traps just my 2 cents

I weld all mine,rather be safe than sorry.

I caught a yote in a brand new bridger and the j hooks opened the chain fell apart when Iwas taking her out.

Never had a J hook failure so no, ive never welded them.

By the way Ive never had a J-hook fail but I replace all bridger,duke etc factory hooks with new 6 ga ones. I dont reuse j hooks either.

well on those MB swivels i believe they have #6 size rivets there a lil more Heavy duty than yer 3/32 J hook's #6's i wouldnt worry about the smaller ones just take but a sec to close permanently.

Agree with everything KY boy said Ido the same for yotes

I did lose a Victor #1.75 to a Coyote once. He got the chain/J-hook twisted around and pulled the J-hook open just enough to get the chain loose.

The #6 J-hooks are much stronger than those old ones but I still spot weld them closed, for my own satisfaction, so it won't happen again.

Any J-hooks that I replace get the heavier #6 ones now....

My jhooks are welded on my yote Bridger no 2s. Mine started to open up after a couple yotes.

3200lbs of pressure???

Was that a typo?, that sounds more like a trash compactor and less like a wild animal.

Hillbilly

I weld mine

Ummm, that's alot of pressure.Not really physics or physiology person,but a 35 lb. animal exerting 3200 lbs. of pressure seems,well...unlikely.

I've never welded mine, but like the other guys, I don't reuse them. I close them up once, if I have to open them, they get replaced.