Do you use your winch?

[dragoneggs]

For those of you that are carrying...

Interested in your usage and any stories. Pictures will be given bonus points.

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[falcon241073]

Only used for my self once. Many times pulling others out of mud, off rocks or over obstacles. Only had one person use theirs for me. Also used the recovery rope a few times.

 

[CsD]

Ironically I’ve used mine multiple times, only to assist on trail builds by pulling down trees or clearing obstacles.

Have not had to use it for recovery yet.

 

[dchemphill1]

I wanted to try mine out so I pulled out 3 bushes with it.....where was this tool all my life. Didn't break a sweat and had three bushes piled up in no time! No trail use yet.

 

[RubiSc0tt]

Is this a trick question? I've used my winch (WARN VR10) on my JLUR a bunch of times for recovery of myself and others, as well, since 2019 when I installed it. That's why I bought it.
My last winch (WARN XD8000i) outlasted my Jeeps. Bought it used in box in 2006/07. had it on the front of both of my TJ's until 2018, when I pulled it off and traded in my 04 Rubi. It's now on the front of a buddy's '03 Rubi. That winch probably has hundreds (if not thousands) of recoveries/ trail clearances.

 

[Reinen]

Yes, it's a great tool and not just for vehicle recovery.

When I was landscaping I used it to hoist stone & concrete on a sled up a hill that I could only drive to the bottom of. That was huge and It paid for itself with just that. It can make demolition work much faster and safer. Felling trees leaning in undesirable directions. Lowering large branches cut from trees. Hauling trees off trails. As a precautionary measure to get up or down steep slick muddy or snowy hills (where sliding would be very, very bad).

I have yet to use it to self-recover, which I'm fine with. I'd much rather not get myself into trouble in the first place. But if I do, it's there.

Use your imagination and a winch can be extremely useful.

 

[Whaler27]

I‘ve used my winches many, many times — to recover others, to extricate myself, to tension field fence, to pull/slide trees out of the road, to right an old apple tree that fell over because of snow load, etc, etc. It’s a handy tool, unless you live in the city or suburbia and don’t do country/wheeling stuff.

 

[TX_Ovrlnd]

Current winch, no. I have used past winches to pull my truck out of snow once. Used a winch on my "work trucks" a few times for recovery self once and others about 5 times. I'm of the philosophy, better to have and not need than need and not have.

 

[TK8286]

I don’t have a winch on my current Jeep yet. We installed one on my son’s rubicon and have used it many times.

Pulled him out of a creek bottom at 12:30 am.

Pulled a dead 900 lb lawnmower up a ramp Into a storage building with a snatch block.

Unstuck a friend’s truck.

Pulled a downed tree away from a shelter to cut it up and move larger log pieces.

just to name a few.

 

[Medsker]

I voted with how much I've used my current winch on my JL. I have used a winch many times throughout my four wheeling career on my other Jeeps.

 

[Chocolate Thunder]

I often wheel alone out of necessity. I always try to undertake wheeling where I feel I’m not likely to need recovery. I haven’t had to use it for self recovery or to assist anyone else yet. I’ve used it to pull a large tree limb away from my house so it fell into the driveway instead of my roof when I cut it, if that counts.

I’ve got a question for others who have used it for brush. I need to tear out 5 or 6 tall shrubs to facilitate a new garden bed in my front yard. Would it work well for this to just rip them right out of the ground, or is it necessary to dig them up some or cut away the roots first?

 

[Zandcwhite]

Mud and snow are the only times I've used it for self recovery. Used it moving downed trees a bunch of times. Usually go for the kinetic rope when recovering others. A few photos of the spots we had to winch out of.

 

[dragoneggs]

Mud and snow are the only times I've used it for self recovery. Used it moving downed trees a bunch of times. Usually go for the kinetic rope when recovering others. A few photos of the spots we had to winch out of.

As I mentioned... bonus points to Zach for pics!

 

[SH556JL]

Use it for random crap mostly.

See example:

 

[dchemphill1]

I often wheel alone out of necessity. I always try to undertake wheeling where I feel I’m not likely to need recovery. I haven’t had to use it for self recovery or to assist anyone else yet. I’ve used it to pull a large tree limb away from my house so it fell into the driveway instead of my roof when I cut it, if that counts.

I’ve got a question for others who have used it for brush. I need to tear out 5 or 6 tall shrubs to facilitate a new garden bed in my front yard. Would it work well for this to just rip them right out of the ground, or is it necessary to dig them up some or cut away the roots first?

The bushes I pulled I did no digging or chopping. Took the cable around the base of shrub and started winching in....front of jeep came down a bit and the the whole shrub would come up out of the ground. Slick!

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