Acco chain

Getting ready to buy 200' of 5/16 chain. In my reseach I have come accross quite a few people who swear Acco is the best, but I have also come accross a lot of people that purchased Acco chain that complain of it rusting very quickly as in just a few months. Most of these seem to have been from 2010 to 2012.

Were they the best and then found a "cheaper" way and encountered quality problems? If so, have they got it fixed?

Has anyone bought Acco from 2013 and forward? If so how is it holding up?

I don't want to spend $1,200 and six months or a year later have rusted chain.

bought my 5/16 Acco in 2012 and while I have more rust than expected due to my light usage, it is not that bad.


It is only on a few dozen or so links and will be touched up this summer with spray.


hard to determine why the rust as I haven't really looked closely at it yet.


I would guess it's normal...but not great.

Mike: I'm looking at doing the same. I have access to a Port Supply account and can get 300' of 3/8" G4 for $4.58/foot. Here's what the description says:

Two-year guarantee against rusting. Made in the USA of high-carbon steel, it resists wear...

I can also get 300' of 3/8" G4 galvanized windlass chain, made in China, from Southeast Rigging in Jacksonville (also Orlando) for $2.38/foot. It's stamped every foot.

For $2.20 a foot premium, I'm thinking about the Acco.

Any thoughts?

I bought a 550' drom of ACCO 5/15 ht this spring for I think less than $3.00 a foor from defender.com

Shipping was something a little over $300 all the way to Alaska

Here's what the Chinese chain looks like.

ksanders said:

I bought a 550' drom of ACCO 5/15 ht this spring for I think less than $3.00 a foor from defender.com

Shipping was something a little over $300 all the way to Alaska

Click to expand...

Kevin: I called Defender and shipping was $340. That on top of the chain made Port Supply a better deal.

Mike: Have you found a good price for the Acco chain? Last year there was a shop in Miami who was the cheapest at the time but of course I can't find him now.

Larry M said:

Mike: Have you found a good price for the Acco chain? Last year there was a shop in Miami who was the cheapest at the time but of course I can't find him now.

Click to expand...

I have looked around, but shipping is the problem. Buying 200' the shipping can easily add $1.50 or more per foot. I have a West Marine 2 blocks away with free shipping. Although the price per foot is more when you look at the total cost not so bad. They do not say they carry Acco G4. It is called West Marine grade 43. I emailed them and asked who makes their West Marine chain. They responded and said Peerless. I think Peerless bought Acco awhile back but not sure.

This is a tough one for me as I want good quality chain. I am not looking for a deal, I'm looking for quality.

This place has it for $4.10 a foot if you buy 275' plus the shipping. I don't want 275'. I want 200'.
1rst Chain Supply

Gr 40 Windlass Anchor Chain

WM is $5.47 with free shipping. I will happily buy it from WM if I have confidence in the product, but right now my confidence level is low.

That was probably Miami Cordage, great resource. Unless you are really out in the boonies with no local source, as noted above freight often kills any on-line savings.

Larry M said:

Here's what the Chinese chain looks like.

Click to expand...

Those pics impress me, but not in a good way.

These are some pics of the WM grade 43. I got a little piece to make sure it fit the windlass. I am not impressed by it either. The galvanizing looks thin. Maybe I am just hard to please.

It is interesting to compare the pics of the chinese chain and the Peerless chain. The chinese rod that the links are made of look of horrible quality compared to the Peerless but the galvanizing looks thicker than the Peerless. Maybe we need to make the chain here and send it over there to be galvanized.

Larry M said:

Mike: I'm looking at doing the same. I have access to a Port Supply account and can get 300' of 3/8" G4 for $4.58/foot. Here's what the description says:

Two-year guarantee against rusting. Made in the USA of high-carbon steel, it resists wear...

I can also get 300' of 3/8" G4 galvanized windlass chain, made in China, from Southeast Rigging in Jacksonville (also Orlando) for $2.38/foot. It's stamped every foot.

For $2.20 a foot premium, I'm thinking about the Acco.

Any thoughts?

Click to expand...

Larry,

That is a very good point about the 2 year warrenty. I will always be somewhere within reach of a West Marine and I am not bashful about using their warrenty. That to me is the redeeming thing about WM, they stand behind what they sell. If after a year and 11 months I see rust, back it will go.

caltexflanc said:

That was probably Miami Cordage, great resource. Unless you are really out in the boonies with no local source, as noted above freight often kills any on-line savings.

Click to expand...

I think that's them. Thanks. I emailed them for a quote. I'll post it later.

check with places that supply fishing fleets.


the place in Cape May was close so no shipping, Acco chain and was something like $2.50 a foot several years ago...about $1-$2 per foot cheaper than everybody else I checked.


it was BBB, not high test

"The chinese rod that the links are made of look of horrible quality compared to the Peerless but the galvanizing looks thicker than the Peerless"

Regardless of the apparent thickness of the galvanizing if the substrate is not prepared properly or with consistency it is of no advantage. Like Red Foxx would say..."Beauty is only skin deep but ugly goes all the way to the bone"

I bought 300' of 5/16" Acco high test in the winter of 2013/2014. Since then I've spent somewhere around 100 nights at anchor and haven't noticed any rust on the chain.

Practical Sailor did a fairly extensive test of chain recently. Some of the Chinese stuff was good, some terrible, but there was no way to tell the difference.

ACCO was purchased by Peerless quite a few years ago. Acco sells two types of marine chain, their Boatmans Pride chain is imported.
Getting chain shipped to Marathon will be expensive. If you drive up to Miami or know someone who is headed that way, I bet you can save some money. A good dealer would probably send you a couple of links so you could see it before you buy it.

"A good dealer would probably send you a couple of links so you could see it before you buy it."

This is a MUST!!! before any chain purchase.Worth the expense, and time.

There should be a standard , BBB is BBB but with worldwide sales only a foot of test chain will assure you it will work at all.