Category · Loading

Collection: Loading

Loading is the part of the drill and blast day when the hole gets charged. Pattern's drilled, depths are checked, pre-load work is done — now you push the product into position, confirm placement, and walk away. Sounds simple. It isn't always.

This collection is the gear that makes loading consistent and keeps hands back from the collar. Load poles, pole ends, tamping plugs, barbed retrievers, shot bags, and a brass powder punch — built to work together, built non-sparking where it counts, used across open pit, underground, tunneling, and civil blasting.

Built for

Open-Pit Production

Push, tamp, retrieve every shift

Products 7

Standard pole lengths 5–12 ft

interchangeable ends 4

Loading tools — load poles, pole ends, tamping plugs, barbed retrievers, shot bags, and a brass powder punch — do one job: get the hole charged safely and consistently. When loading doesn't go textbook — a hole won't take product, a cartridge gets hung up, stemming won't pack down, the hole is wet or cracked — the right tool in your hand decides whether you finish the bench or pull the shot.

MTi GROUP's loading kit is built around a modular 1-1/4" (32 mm) wooden load pole. Swap the end, change the job. The same pole pushes packaged explosives, compacts stemming, retrieves stuck gear, and links to another pole when 12 ft (3.7 m) isn't long enough. Every metal end that goes near live explosives is non-sparking — copper alloy, brass, or aluminum, never steel. The kit keeps hands back from the collar where they belong.

What Loading Tools Do on the Bench

Loading is where the drill plan meets reality. Once the pattern's drilled and depths are checked, the loading kit handles everything between an empty hole and a charged one.

Push packaged explosives down the column in horizontal, wet, or fouled holes
Clear debris blocking the hole before the charge goes in
Tamp stemming for tighter confinement and better fragmentation
Bag the charge with a polypropylene shot bag when the hole is wet, cracked, or full of voids
Retrieve stuck BLASTBAGs, dropped downlines, lost cartridges, or anything else down hole
Extend reach by linking poles when a single 12 ft length isn't enough
Prime a cartridge with a brass powder punch before the blasting cap goes in

How a Load Pole Setup Comes Together

Most crews start with a Load Pole Assembly — pole plus ends pre-fitted, shipped ready to use. That's why the assembly is the best-seller in the collection. But the system is modular by design. Wooden Load Poles get replaced when one splits or wears down. Load Pole Ends get swapped when they wear out. Tamping Plugs and Barbed Retrievers get added when the shot design changes or something has to come back out of the hole. Shot bags get pulled out when a hole is wet, cracked, or loose. Every part fits every other part, so the kit grows with the work instead of getting replaced.

Why Non-Sparking Tools Matter on a Loading Bench

Every metal tool in this collection that goes near live explosives is non-sparking. The C-Hook and Threaded ends are copper alloy. The Powder Punch is solid brass. Ball and Socket connectors are aluminum. A steel screwdriver or a pocketknife isn't the right tool on a bench — OSHA 1910.109 requires the cap hole in a cartridge of dynamite to be made with a proper non-sparking punch before the blasting cap goes in. That's what a powder punch is for.

The cost of getting loading wrong is real: pulled shots, hung explosives, lost downlines, bench time burned on retrieval, and crews exposed at the collar longer than they should be. The cost of the right tools is a fraction of one bad bench.

Side-by-side

Pick the right one.
Every time.

Detailed Comparison

	Load Pole Assemblies	Wooden Load Poles	Load Pole Ends	Shot Bags	Tamping Plugs	Retrieval Tools	Powder Punch
Primary Use	Loading explosives, extending poles, keeping hands back from the collar	Building or replacing a pole	Adding a hook or extension to a pole	Bagged charge in wet/cracked holes OR weighted stemming column	Pushing packaged explosives, sealing during loading, or compacting stemming	Retrieving stuck BLASTBAGs, explosives, downlines	Making the cap hole in a cartridge before the blasting cap goes in
Main Material	Poplar wood + copper alloy + aluminum	Kiln-dried poplar wood	Copper alloy (C-Hook, Threaded); aluminum (Ball, Socket)	Polypropylene	Polyurethane + stainless 5/8" thread	Copper alloy, non-sparking	Solid brass, non-sparking
Connects To	Used as-is; Ball/Socket combos link to other poles	Accepts any MTi Load Pole End via aluminum rivet pin	Any 1-1/4" (32 mm) load pole	Filled on site with ANFO, emulsion, or stemming material	Threaded Load Pole End	C-Hook or 5/8" Threaded End, or tethered to a downline	Hand tool — not used with a load pole
Sizes Available	5, 8, 10, 12 ft (1.5, 2.4, 3.0, 3.7 m) with multiple end combos	5, 8, 10, 12 ft (1.5, 2.4, 3.0, 3.7 m); 1-1/4" / 32 mm dia	One size each: C-Hook, Threaded female, Ball, Socket	3" – 8" diameter (76 – 203 mm), 36" or 48" lengths (914 / 1,219 mm)	2" (51 mm) and 3" (76 mm) plug diameters	Three versions: C-Hook (01-303), Threaded (01-304), Anchor (01-300)	8" (203 mm) length, single size
Non-Sparking	Yes	Yes (wood)	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Best Seller	Yes	No	No	Yes (OP)	Yes	Yes	Yes
Use Case Fit	Crews that want a ready-to-load pole, no assembly	Crews replacing pole stock or building custom setups	Crews replacing a worn end or adding capability	Wet, cracked, or irregular holes	Crews running a threaded pole	Crews retrieving stuck gear	Crews priming cartridge explosives; required under OSHA 1910.109

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When to pick each

Load Pole Assemblies

Pick a Load Pole Assembly when you want a tool ready to go out of the box. Each assembly is a 1-1/4" (32 mm) kiln-dried smooth poplar pole pre-fitted with the end or ends you picked — gives the crew reach and control while keeping hands back from the collar during loading. Lengths: 5, 8, 10, or 12 ft (1.5, 2.4, 3.0, 3.7 m). End combos: C-Hooks both ends, C-Hook + Threaded, Threaded only, Ball + Socket, or Ball + Threaded. Best-seller across UG and OP — the right starting point for any crew that loads holes.

Wooden Load Poles

Pick a bare Wooden Load Pole when you already have ends and just need replacement stock, or you're building your own pole setup and want spares on the shelf. Same 1-1/4" (32 mm) kiln-dried poplar that goes into the assemblies, sold without ends. Accepts all four MTi Load Pole Ends — C-Hook, Threaded, Ball, Socket — secured with an aluminum rivet pin. Lengths: 5, 8, 10, or 12 ft (1.5, 2.4, 3.0, 3.7 m).

Load Pole Ends

Pick Load Pole Ends when you're replacing a worn end or adding capability to a pole you already own. C-Hook (copper alloy) connects multiple poles or pairs with the C-Hook Barbed Retriever. Threaded (copper alloy, 5/8" female thread) accepts Tamping Plugs and the Threaded Barbed Retriever. Ball Connector + Socket Connector (aluminum, chemically resistant) interlock to link poles for extra length. All four fit any 1-1/4" (32 mm) load pole — yours or ours.

Shot Bags

Pick Shot Bags when the hole is wet, cracked, or full of voids. Empty polypropylene bag you fill on site with whatever the hole needs — ANFO or emulsion to make a bagged charge that won't get diluted or lost into cracks, or stemming material (drill cuttings, sand, gravel) to add weight to the column where stemming would otherwise shift. Some sites call them poly bags — same idea. Sized 3" to 8" diameter (76 – 203 mm) at 36" or 48" lengths (914 / 1,219 mm). Fast to place, simple consumable, best-seller in open-pit operations.

Tamping Plugs

Pick Tamping Plugs when you need to push packaged explosives down a horizontal or wet hole, or compact stemming for better confinement. Polyurethane body with a 5/8" stainless steel thread that screws straight onto a Threaded Load Pole End and provides a tight seal that prevents displacement during loading. Two diameters — 2" (51 mm) and 3" (76 mm) — pick by hole size. The right tool when gravity isn't helping and you need to get product to the bottom of the hole.

Retrieval Tools

Pick the Barbed Retriever when something went wrong in the hole and you need to get it out. A BLASTBAG™ won't come up. A cartridge got hung up. A downline got dropped. Copper alloy, non-sparking, corrosion-resistant. Three versions: C-Hook (01-303) connects to a C-Hook Load Pole End or tethers to a downline. Threaded (01-304) screws onto a Threaded Load Pole End with a 5/8" male thread. Anchor (01-300, the cheapest of the three) is built specifically to snag dropped lines without damage. Pick the version that matches the end you're already running on site, or whatever you're trying to retrieve.

Powder Punch

Pick the Powder Punch when you're priming a cartridge and need a safe, consistent way to make the cap hole. 8" (203 mm) of solid brass — non-sparking, the only correct tool for the job. OSHA 1910.109 requires the cap hole to be made with a wooden or non-sparking metal punch before the blasting cap is inserted. A screwdriver, a pocketknife, or any steel tool isn't the answer.

ABOUT LOADING TOOLS

One pole. Every job.

Wooden load poles, copper alloy ends, polyurethane plugs, brass punches, retrievers, and polypropylene shot bags — the gear that turns a charged hole into a finished bench. Used by drill-and-blast crews across open-pit, underground, tunneling, and civil blasting. Built non-sparking where it counts, modular by design, and ready for the holes that don't go textbook.

20

DIFFERENT LOAD POLE CONFIGURATIONS

Configure for depth and application

OSHA 1910.109

NON-SPARKING TOOLS NEAR EXPLOSIVES

Copper alloy, brass, aluminum — no steel

01

ONE POLE, EVERY JOB

Swap the end, change the job. The same 1-1/4" (32 mm) load pole pushes packaged explosives, compacts stemming, retrieves dropped gear, and links to a second pole when 12 ft (3.7 m) isn't enough. Every end fits every pole via an aluminum rivet pin.

02

NON-SPARKING WHERE IT COUNTS

Copper alloy C-Hooks and Threaded ends. Brass Powder Punch. Aluminum Ball and Socket connectors. No steel near live explosives. Consistent with OSHA 1910.109 — required practice on every bench where cartridge explosives get primed.

03

BUILT TO LAST ON A BENCH

1-1/4" smooth kiln-dried poplar poles. Stainless steel threads on the plugs. Aluminum bronze barbed retrievers. Made to take a shift, not just a job. When something does wear out, replace the end instead of the whole pole.

What are blasting loading tools used for?

Loading tools help crews facilitate the loading process safely and accurately inside a blasthole, improving efficiency and reducing handling risks. They're used for clearing blocked holes, retrieving downlines or other lost items, installing stemming plugs, as well as many other uses cases.
What types of tools are included in this collection?

This collection includes load poles, load pole assemblies, interchangeable ends, retrieval tools, tamping accessories, and other equipment typically used in the loading process.
Are load poles compatible with different hole sizes?

Yes. MTi’s load poles and assemblies are designed to work across various blasthole diameters and depths, giving crews flexibility for different site conditions. They can be used in any hole size greater than 1 1/2" in diameter.
What makes MTi’s loading tools more reliable?

They’re built from durable materials with reinforced connections and rugged tips, ensuring dependable performance in demanding mining and quarry environments.
When should retrieval tools be used?

Retrieval tools are used when downlines or accessories need to be safely recovered from a blasthole before loading continues.
Do tamping tools improve blast performance?

Yes. They can, as long as they are used properly. Proper tamping helps seat the stemming correctly, creating better confinement, reducing unwanted air gaps, and supporting more consistent energy distribution throughout the blast.
Can load poles be extended for deeper holes?

Multiple load poles can be connected together using our C-Hook load pole ends to reach deeper or angled blastholes, helping crews load efficiently at any required depth.

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