Tuesday, November 10, 2015

How to Install a Swing Between Trees


When Dova first asked to get a platform swing for the yard, I immediately thought of this cartoon that always floated around the office.


From Know Your Meme

As a mechanical engineer with no marketing input but a tough customer, I was up to the challenge. Here were the requirements:
  • Big enough to hold at least two people
  • Can swing and spin
  • Mounted between two trees in the yard
  • Does not damage the trees (no drilled holes)
  • Has to be fun fun fun!!
Here's the swing that we ordered with the hardware (actual or similar) that we used (affiliate links - thank you!):


Web Riderz Children's Web Swing, Black


Ratchet Tie Down Straps, 1.5 in x 15 ft Straps, 5000lbs Break Strength, Moving and Securing Cargo, Yellow(2 Pack)

The distance between our trees was 10 feet, and the circumference of each tree was approximate 5 feet each, so we choose a set of two 12 feet tie-down straps, which covers the 20-foot total length (distance between trees plus the two tree circumferences). Each tie-down strap will wrap around a tree and connect to the other tie-down strap in the center, so select a total tie-down length according to your tree distance and circumferences. Make sure the working load limit of the straps is over 2000 lbs.


Marine Mooring 1/4" Eye to Eye Swivel 304 Stainless Steel Silver Tone
This swivel is relatively inexpensive compared to a ball bearing swivel.  With a little Teflon lubrication, it worked plenty well for this swing. Just omit this if you don't want to swing.
 
Use one pack of these 5/16" or comparable M8 quick links (2 links total).

The hardest part is to figure out how high to install the tie-downs on the trees. As with most engineering projects, it's an iterative process. We must have tried at least 3 or 4 different heights! The bottom of the swing ended up just shy of 3 feet from the ground, fine for our kids to hop on by themselves. The tie down straps were mounted approximately 8.5 to 9 feet off the ground.

First, wrap the long strap of the tie-down around the tree.  Install one of the quick links in the webbing loop used for the hook and then pull the long free end through the link. Edited 07/11/19: Pull the free end through the sewn loop at the other end of the webbing. Just let the hook dangle there. This change was made to prevent chafing from the quick link (see comments), as webbing is designed to loop with itself.



Install the ratchet part of the tie-down to the end of the long strap so that it ends approximately halfway between the trees. Do the same with the other tree and then attach the two ends using one of the quick links through the sewn loops. From the quick link in the center, attach the eye swivel and then the other quick link below it. Finally, attach the rings of the swing to the lower quick link.



From the customer reviews of the swing, I made a few safety changes to the swing. The slip knots attaching the hanging ropes to the swing frame were changed to figure eight knots.


At the top, tie-wraps were added beneath the rings to prevent the swing from tilting side to side.


Here's the finished product:



Let's see if it meets specifications:
  • Big enough to hold at least two people - check!

  • Can swing and spin - check!

  • Mounted between two trees in the yard - check!
  • Does not damage the trees (no drilled holes) - check!
  • Has to be fun fun fun!!


Oh yeah, we rocked it!

48 comments :

Anonymous said...

Thanks for posting this alternative to drilling holes and installing a cross beam. I will be installing ours this weekend.

Unknown said...

This is exactly what I’m trying to do for my kiddos. Wondering how this system held up for you? Anything new you would suggest?

Angela said...

We've put the swing up for several years now and it works perfectly every time. I wrap a piece of yarn around the tree so we know where to re-install it every spring. Other than that, this design really works!

Anonymous said...

Thank you for the recent response, everything was really dated that I found. I brought this same swing with the same intent. Do you mind me asking how far you did go up the tree?

Angela said...

The tie downs are attached to the trees approximately 8.5 feet off the ground. I'll remeasure when we put it up again. We usually use a 7-foot step ladder to install it each year, which give a comfortable working height to install the tie downs and reattach the swing in the middle.

Jennifer said...

Thanks to this post we have successfully put up our swing ! We brought it from our previous house and I came this close to getting rid of it. Yesterday I was staring at our trees and realized I could maybe put a piece of wood between two trees. I googled it and your post came up. We bought everything you bought and it came out perfect!! Thank you so much for putting this tutorial together :)

Unknown said...

Thank you for the instructions. I'm doing the same for my kids. If I have only 8 feet between the trees do you think there is a risk kids will just bump into the trees when they swing around? did you have any issues with that? Thanks

Angela said...

With this swing, 8 feet between trees should be enough room to swing. You basically have about 2.5 feet on each side and would have to purposely swing sideways to be able to hit. With 10 feet between trees, we never come close to the trees.

Unknown said...

awesome. Thank you for a quick reply. Is there a reason to take it down during the winter? does it get rusted? also, I wonder if you straps pull down the more you swing or is it steady fixed on the tree? Thank you again for sharing

Angela said...

The straps don't move on the tree at all, but they do sag a bit in the center with weight and basically swing back and forth with the swing. We take the swing in during the winters just to keep it out of the elements (snow, ice, etc). We've had the swing now for 4 seasons without issues!

Cecily said...

You mention needing a strap with a rating over 100lbs. Is that load capacity or breaking strength?

Anonymous said...

I installed a swing for my daughter in September following the instructions and supply list. I modified it slightly because we didn't want it to spin. She loved it until one of the straps broke last week. Luckily she is ok and just bruised. The break point appears to be where the quick link held the tie down strap against the tree trunk. The friction made a clean tear through the fabric strap. The tie down straps we used were the same Erickson ones that are linked on your site. I share as a caution. It worked great for 8 months, but I will be looking for a different way to rehang it -- probably drilling through the trees.

Fuad Efendi [2] said...

Thank you Angela for sharing! I had this very raw idea, then googled "install swing on two trees" and found this post. I bought all parts, and now I am looking for portable ladder... because I plan to use it for few campings. Any suggestions? thanks,

Fuad Efendi [2] said...

Thank you Angela for sharing! Can you please tell exact height of construction? I plan to use it for camping, so that I need to buy portable ladder, I think 22"-high small aluminium trestle is enough: I am 5'10" and total height with my hands will be 8.5' reachable I think it is enough... thanks,

Angela said...

Hi, I'm sorry experienced a failure with the Erickson tie-down straps. I used similar Erickson straps that I purchased from Home Depot, not the ones listed in the post. We used the same set of straps for 4 years (taking down every winter), until this year because the ratchets locked up and I couldn't take them down without cutting them. I will update the post with 2" wide webbing and 2500 lb working load limit.

Angela said...

In terms of a portable ladder, it's not enough to be able to reach the 8.5' height, you need to be able to reach around the tree at that height, basically you need to be eye level at 8.5'. I would get a ladder that you could lean against the tree to be able to wrap your arms around the tree around 8.5'.

Fuad Efendi [2] said...

I'd also add that previously listed ratchet has 833 pounds working load limit. However "working" does not mean "swinging"; it is like 20Lb fishing line which will break by 5Lb jumping fish (if you don't loosen the line). During pendulum, 100kg man can create 400kg load (which is about 833 pounds).

Fuad Efendi [2] said...

I can wrap around tree while on the ground, then use 3-step ladder to move up; something like that. Yes there are some nice looking collapsible aluminium ladders, 12.5', but not sure about quality; and just ladder is not enough: what to do in the middle? No tree there for one-leg ladder; need step-ladder (two legs). Fortunately I found super nice at Amazon USA, Delxo 2 in 1 Lightweight Aluminum 3 Step Ladder, super small and tiny to take camping in SUV

Fuad Efendi [2] said...

Hi Angela,

Quote: "I will update the post with 2" wide webbing and 2500 lb working load limit"

With this design, "Archimedes Lever", stretching trap for 0.1" equals to pushing down the swing for 1" which is very easy (100Lb power applied? 200Lb?) . So it is really Archimedes Lever, at least 10x, and in order to have working load level 200Lb, you need to use 2000Lb straps, at the very least! It is not for few adults, only for small kids. And of course 2" width better, including tree safety & strap wear.

Final working load limit is less that 250Lb, although you are using 2500Lb straps... be safe!

Thanks,

Unknown said...

Thank you very much for sharing your experience which made our experience of putting our swing up so much easier! Our measurements coincided exactly so we just followed yours. Had some issues with the ratchets but figured it out and are enjoying now!

Unknown said...

Hi we will b constructing a swing frame because there are no trees. We figure 6”x6” posts at 12feet long will: Be in the ground 3 feet with cement. That will make a 9 foot height from ground to top. If we start the saucer at 2 feet from the ground, that will leave the distance from rope to the top at 7 feet long. How far should the post be from the center of our spin saucer? We don’t want the children to crash into the posts. Would it have to be 16’ apart? Please give me your best advice as quickly as possible as we have someone who can install this in three days in time for our 19 of 22. grandchildren to visit for a family gathering. Has to be safe. Thank you. Lisa

Angela said...

Hi Lisa, since you are constructing the posts, I would just construct a beam across the top of the posts and mount the swing with standard swing hardware from the beam. The tie-down method is really for existing trees that you don't want to drill into.

If you still want to use the tie-down method, it sounds like you will be mounting from the top of the 9-foot posts. This is actually about the height where my tie-downs are located now. The distance between our trees is about 10', maybe 11' where we the tie-downs are mounted. The kids never even come close to the trees. You have to remember that with tie-downs, the pivot point of the swing is lower than the top of the posts so you actual swing distance is determined by the distance from the top of the pivot point to the bottom of the swing. If you don't add additional length there, that is about 6'. It is doubtful that you can swing completely horizontal in the direction of the tree, so you wouldn't even need a full 12' between the posts. To be completely safe, I would suggest a 12' distance between posts.

Unknown said...

I see the error in your design... The break point appears to be where the quick link held the tie down strap against the tree trunk. The friction made a clean tear through the fabric strap.
The strap around the tree should be an independent piece of webbing tied in a loop with a water knot and connected (also to webbing, not straps which have an edge which can initiate a tear) with a metal fastener.

Unknown said...

I had the same concern all along and check conditions regularly on tears. Could u please pay a photo with new design you mentioned?

Angela said...

The quick links at the tree trunks were removed from the post on 7/11/19 and updated with new pictures. We have been just looping the webbing thru itself this year and it's been working fine. We've had 4 teenage girls on it at once (despite warnings not to do so) with no issues. It's possible to use a water knot at the tree trunk, but I'm not sure if that will provide enough tension to hold the straps up, you'd be relying on the friction of the bark against the strap. This design is self-tightening.

coneandday said...

This is great, and I'd like to attempt it for my kids. My most ideally located trees are 17 feet apart. I know your trees are a little closer together than that. Do you think your design will still work with trees that are a little farther apart?

Bob said...

Angela, Thanks for your instructions! Perfect presentation for anyone to follow. Took about 30 minutes to install between two pine trees. Looks and works great. Only change was that I used a Pacearth Swing Swivel (35KN). https://www.amazon.com/PACEARTH-Breaking-Rotational-Accessory-Childrens/dp/B07MNPFG9L)
Bob

Angela said...

Hi coneandday, trees 17 feet apart should be fine. Just size the length of the tie downs appropriately and start higher up on the tree. The center will dip further down when the trees are further apart. Enjoy!

Oleg said...

Thanks, this was really useful. I wonder how hard did you tighten the ratchet? I'm worried about constant pull damaging the tree bark. Is it worth putting some rubber between straps and tree?

Angela said...

We put the swing up and take it down every year. There is very little damage to the bark of the tree. We have oak trees. We tighten the ratchet so that the swing is stable but not so tight that the webbing is close to horizontal. Tightening the ratchet doesn't actually tighten the loop around the tree, there is actually a small space between the tree and where the webbing loops through itself. Tightening the ratchet only increases the force bringing the trees together, which is distributed around the circumference of the tree.

Unknown said...

We just used this method between two oaks about twenty feet apart and I have barely been able to keep my toddler out of the swing. He even took a nap in it. Our six year old and the neighbor's two kids have also been enjoying it when we can get the toddler out.

We've been having to adjust the height much more than I was expecting to get the clearance we need at this distance, but I know that's to be expected. I'm not sure I would be comfortable going much further apart between trees than this.

Anonymous said...

Brilliant! Thank you for sharing this. I have been tirelessly researching how to install a professional-looking tire swing, and it had never even occurred to me that one could install the swing between two trees!

Unknown said...

Thank you for the detailed tutorial! We just completed this project on Mother's Day, and our 4yo and 2yo were pleasantly surprised. Our scope and materials were the following: (2) two doug fir trees ~13' apart, Keeper 2''x16' cameo color ratchet straps, CAMP #8 and#10 quick links, HearthSong Rainbow Flag Round Platform Tree Swing (includes spinner,. two links and a wrench to build the swing). The HearthSong specs for the swing called for a 10'-12' ft install height, but this put the swing 4' from the ground; so we readjusted the height of the ratchet straps, so the swing was 21'' off the ground. With the weight of one adult and two little ones the swing hovers inches off the ground, like a hammock. Our family is super happy with the results! The only tools this really required was a ladder, and wrenches for the swing (included with swing hardware) and quick links.

Anonymous said...

Thank you for the clear, detailed instructions and pictures! I put this up for my granddaughters and I am now super Nana!

Unknown said...

Hi, Thanks for the detailed instructions and pictures. We just put ours up and the kiddos love it.

Roger

Joy said...

Hi! Thanks SO much for this post! We've had it bookmarked for quite some time and finally bought all the needed materials and hung up our swing. The kids LOVE it. The only problem is that we're experiencing some slippage on one tree. Can't seem to keep the strap at the desired height. It's not like it's sliding straight down the tree or anything, but my daughter is now bumping the ground when she stands on the swing. We adjusted it yesterday and thought we really got it this time, but it's back down again. Do you have any recommendations??? Our trees are approximately 23 feet apart, in case that's relevant.

Angela said...

Hi Joy, I would suggest wrapping the strap all the way around the tree before looping it through. This should prevent slippage. You may need to get a longer tie down to do this. It probably depends on the type of tree and bark. We put it up on oak trees with very rough bark.

Anonymous said...

Has anyone tried a metal chain between two trees? Wouldn't this be more robust and safe? Less risk of line breaking?

Angela said...

I'm pretty sure using metal chains will damage the tree. We've used these straps for 5 years now and there's minimal bark damage after we take it down for the winter.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for posting this! I'm trying to replicate your design, but the Fortem straps are currently sold out. Looking at these two side by side, it looks like this is a decent replacement: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07VX727BP/

Do you think this will work?

Unknown said...

Here is an alternative product for the ratchet straps, found at Lowes.com
https://www.lowes.com/pd/SmartStraps-2-in-x-27-ft-Ratchet-Tie-Down-3333-lbs-Work-Capacity/3740799

Angela said...

The other straps are fine, as long as you have the lengths you need and good load ratings

Anonymous said...

Me again who asked about the straps on September 1 2020. I found the Fortem ones after all, and did a regular swing version of your design, it works perfectly! I used the two long straps with ratchets, but didn't need the other parts. The swing I got came with two carabiners, which I attached through the loops on the straps by the ratchets.

I'd love to send you a pic, if you want to add it to your post!

Angela said...

Hi Anonymous, you can contact me at angela [at] mommybytes.com!

Anonymous said...

Absolutely genius. Thank you for posting this ! It can also be modified for a regular swing seat. I put it with 2 carabiners in row with a loop as distance in between. Makes an excellent swing. More bouncy compared to hanging it from a rigid structure. Fantastic!

Don Davies said...

This is really informative and helpful! Many thanks for posting and sharing this! I recently got my 2 strap swing hanging kit from https://treeswingstore.com/treeswingaccessories/ and I needed some tips on how to install it properly and safely! Thanks for this informative article!

Keeley H. said...

1) Would this same concept work if the 2 trees are about 25 feet apart if I have long enough ratchet straps?
2) would it be unsafe if the straps were different lengths, making the point where the swing would connect at about 1/3 of the distance between trees?

Angela said...

Hi Keeley, I believe everything will work even at a 25' distance. The mounting point on the tree would likely be higher to maintain the swing height from the ground. Also changing the midpoint shouldn't be an issue either as long as it's not too close to the tree.