Let's talk winches folks

[OllieChristopher]

It doesn't take much care to keep the synthetic safe in the rocks. Typically if you can't set up the pull so that the line isn't rubbing on anything, it will only be rubbing in one spot. Slide the protective sleeve to that location, as soon as you tension the line the sleeve is held in place by the obstruction and the line slides through it like butter. A little more care than steel, but not much. We rarely need the winch, so for weight savings alone I won't run steel. That's a huge chunk of weight to haul around every day and use maybe twice a year.

Fair point. The argument for steel vs synthetic can get out of control. Let me just say I used steel cable for all of my adult life for hundreds if not thousands of pulls. It's what I'm used to and change is hard to switch to something with a under 50lb weight difference.

Of course I reserve the right to change my mind if I ever actually get a rig and find I'm only using the winch here and there.

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[OllieChristopher]

I have also heard some discussion on this thread concerning snatch blocks. I'm of the opinion to use them whenever possible regardless of how much weight you are recovering. It was extremely rare for me to ever do a single pull when recovering or placing generators.

The solenoids, battery and your winch motors life will be much improved as well.

Granted it's been quite a few years since I have used my winching skills. I can say with confidence recovering a vehicle (even in a very precarious situation) is going to be safer most of the time when deploying snatch blocks vs single pull.

Also with a snatch block you are going to have a bunch more options in those odd situations where you need to get that perfect angle for a safe recovery.

The only issue I can see is in a group setting when you have a line of vehicles waiting behind or in a race when you are pressed for time. I have not ever been in that situation but can only imagine a conga line of Wranglers behind you being pissed off because you are slowing down the group.

As far as multiple snatch blocks it is pretty rare where I have needed them.

 

[AcesandEights]

...

We rarely need the winch, so for weight savings alone I won't run steel. That's a huge chunk of weight to haul around every day and use maybe twice a year.

It's not really a huge chunk of weight, 20 lbs. The difference in weight is probably only slightly more than some of the off road lights people put on their front bumper.

 

[Zandcwhite]

It's not really a huge chunk of weight, 20 lbs. The difference in weight is probably only slightly more than some of the off road lights people put on their front bumper.

One is a functional weight, the other is needless weight. Add in the increased safety, never having a Rouge strand stab you, the much easier field repair if you were to break a line, and the fact that the line floats(if you drop your steel cable you'll be wadding back to the rig), I see far more benefits than drawbacks.

 

[mferrara91]

Warn has the strongest reputation on winches.

However, their made in USA winches are way overpriced; and their VR line, which is price competitive, is made in China.

After buying Warn winches for years and paying through the nose, this time I got a Quadratec Stealth-10 winch. For $600 you get a one-piece cast steel body, 10,000 lbs of pulling power, synthetic rope, both wireless and plug-in controls, and even has a built-in LED that illuminates the drum so you can see what you are doing in the dark.

In my brief experience using it: it looks and feels top quality, and is relatively compact, too. You can actually get your hand around the winch, between the opening of the Mopar steel bumper.

https://www.quadratec.com/p/quadratec/q-performance-stealth-winch/10000lb-synthetic-rope

@aldo98229

What mounting bracket did you use for this? I have been thinking about this winch for a while. I have the Mopar steel bumper, but the cost of the Mopar mounting bracket is insane.

 

[Zandcwhite]

@aldo98229

What mounting bracket did you use for this? I have been thinking about this winch for a while. I have the Mopar steel bumper, but the cost of the Mopar mounting bracket is insane.

JCR winch plate works great and was very affordable on our jlu with stock steel bumper.

 

[AcesandEights]

One is a functional weight, the other is needless weight. Add in the increased safety, never having a Rouge strand stab you, the much easier field repair if you were to break a line, and the fact that the line floats(if you drop your steel cable you'll be wadding back to the rig), I see far more benefits than drawbacks.

Functional? They are both functional when they are being used. The reason I commented was because it was an objective statement, as a response to your previous subjective comment about weight. There isn't a significant weight advantage as there is no practical difference in the weight.

Your response is again, for the most part, subjective, and for the most part wrong. There is no safety advantage to synthetic. They both perform the same function. Safety only applies when they are not operating as designed, but that's the case with many things. You realize your winch, regardless of cable or synthetic is a walking death-trap (yeah, I know it's not actually walking)? Just get your sleeve caught in it somehow and feed your hand into the winch while you're alone and without medical attention. Using a winch will soon lead to losing your arm and bleeding to death. Or, you use it as designed and it's a very useful tool. It's like saying using a winch is the leading cause of winch-related deaths. Yeah, cable injuries occur when you use cable, and they don't happen when you're not using cable. In those cases, the injuries are related to whatever other means of connecting the winch to the fixed object. But that's only when those things aren't working as designed, which is very infrequent.

Wear leather gloves, no stabbing. Much easier field repair, huh, says you? Floating line versus sinking means you have to wade in the water? If you're walking through water to attach your cable somewhere, you're already wading, having the line sink or float doesn't make a difference. Your many benefits are made up, in some cases untrue, in others subjective. Objectively, there isn't much difference between cable or rope when used in winching applications.

 

[Zandcwhite]

Functional? They are both functional when they are being used. The reason I commented was because it was an objective statement, as a response to your previous subjective comment about weight. There isn't a significant weight advantage as there is no practical difference in the weight.

Your response is again, for the most part, subjective, and for the most part wrong. There is no safety advantage to synthetic. They both perform the same function. Safety only applies when they are not operating as designed, but that's the case with many things. You realize your winch, regardless of cable or synthetic is a walking death-trap (yeah, I know it's not actually walking)? Just get your sleeve caught in it somehow and feed your hand into the winch while you're alone and without medical attention. Using a winch will soon lead to losing your arm and bleeding to death. Or, you use it as designed and it's a very useful tool. It's like saying using a winch is the leading cause of winch-related deaths. Yeah, cable injuries occur when you use cable, and they don't happen when you're not using cable. In those cases, the injuries are related to whatever other means of connecting the winch to the fixed object. But that's only when those things aren't working as designed, which is very infrequent.

Wear leather gloves, no stabbing. Much easier field repair, huh, says you? Floating line versus sinking means you have to wade in the water? If you're walking through water to attach your cable somewhere, you're already wading, having the line sink or float doesn't make a difference. Your many benefits are made up, in some cases untrue, in others subjective. Objectively, there isn't much difference between cable or rope when used in winching applications.

The functional weight was in comparison to your light bars adding the same weight comment, ie a synthetic line plus light bars= same weight as steel line alone. Added function for the same weight (although 20lbs in light bars is awfully excessive). Kinetic energy increases exponentially with weight, steel line carries 7 times the weight of synthetic. You are kidding yourself if you don't see a difference in safety. Obviously there is a danger in misusing any tool. Even used properly, most times you'll be in the vehicle, steering, driving assuming it still runs, etc. Your windshield will stop a broken rope, it likely won't stop a steel cable. That's not opinion it's physics. Even if you clear the vehicle and drag it out as an extra measure of safety, odds are a broken synthetic line gets stopped by the grill, steel punches straight into the radiator. Walking off the trail because you destroyed your cooling system is still a safety issue in my opinion? When you've waded through a 50' mudhole, trip and drop your steel cable, enjoy the extra trip because your steel has sunk into the mud. Granted it's not likely, but I've seen it happen. In a pinch you can tie a knot in a broken rope, not an option with steel cable, but I guess that's just my opinion? 20lbs isn't a lot, but it's substantial compared to ~2lbs. If you've never had a steel cable stab you right through a leather glove, I question your experience with steel cables? Call them subjective, call them insignificant, but they are legitimate differences between the 2 options. If you prefer heavy, oily, steel, you do you.

 

[AcesandEights]

...and if you prefer heavy oily rope...(my cable isn't heavy or oily)

 

[Atom631]

Anyone familiar with the Ramsey Patriot 9500 w/ synthetic rope

from what Ive researched this winch is 100% made in the USA. I absolutely have no problem spending more to support a company that is still doing it all in-house. Summit currently has this winch on their site for $1772 instead of the $2500 MSRP. I have another $100 off coupon for summit bringing my total to around $1850 with tax and shipping. only a few hundred more than a zeon 10s I was originally going with seems worth it for 100% us made.

but my hold up is that virtually no one seems to be using Ramsey anymore. Im just getting back into wheeling after a 10+yr hiatus and I remember that you would at least see or hear about some Ramsey winches out there. Has something changed with their quality? Shitty warranty maybe?

 

[oceanblue2019]

Anyone familiar with the Ramsey Patriot 9500 w/ synthetic rope

from what Ive researched this winch is 100% made in the USA. I absolutely have no problem spending more to support a company that is still doing it all in-house. Summit currently has this winch on their site for $1772 instead of the $2500 MSRP. I have another $100 off coupon for summit bringing my total to around $1850 with tax and shipping. only a few hundred more than a zeon 10s I was originally going with seems worth it for 100% us made.

but my hold up is that virtually no one seems to be using Ramsey anymore. Im just getting back into wheeling after a 10+yr hiatus and I remember that you would at least see or hear about some Ramsey winches out there. Has something changed with their quality? Shitty warranty maybe?

Ramsey is still a really good US made product with a no bull warranty.

Ramsey builds hoists and other such equipment that is their main business. They have not had to chase consumer business and they have not spent a ton on marketing and giving out free products to all the influencers on social media telling you how great it is until next week when they replace it with the next freebie.

If you can afford a Ramsey it's going to be the last winch you buy.

 

[mmayer813]

I've got a Harbor Freight 12,000 lb winch I bought secondhand. Pulls the Jeep without noticing. Its not used very often so I don't mind not jumping for the expensive brands.

What did you have to buy for mounting? I am looking at Badlands Apex synthetic for my 21 Rubicon to put within my factory steel bumper.

 

[Sean L]

What did you have to buy for mounting? I am looking at Badlands Apex synthetic for my 21 Rubicon to put within my factory steel bumper.

I want to say it was a Smittybuilt mounting plate for the Mopar Steel Bumper. I can't remember what brand but it was compatible with the Badlands Winch. It did take some minor relocation of the solenoid box for it to fit properly.

 

[WXman]

I had to do a single line pull to recover a 3/4 ton loaded work van from mud 100 feet from pavement a few months ago. The Badland APEX 12,000 was straining, but it got the job done and saved the guy from a very expensive tow bill.

I don't understand why people spend $1,500 on a winch when there are $500 winches with literally the exact same features and functions that beat them out in magazine and media reviews.

 

[Krondor]

I had to do a single line pull to recover a 3/4 ton loaded work van from mud 100 feet from pavement a few months ago. The Badland APEX 12,000 was straining, but it got the job done and saved the guy from a very expensive tow bill.

I don't understand why people spend $1,500 on a winch when there are $500 winches with literally the exact same features and functions that beat them out in magazine and media reviews.

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