Winch hook vs thimble

[sardog12]

I know that this is bringing this back from the dead but Master Pull has a new option for terminating a winch line and it looks very interesting. They have added a puck to a basic spliced loop with a reinforcement to the end of the loop. http://www.masterpull.com/9mm-3-8-classic-ultralite-winch-line-17-600-lbs/

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[Poynter32]

I know that this is bringing this back from the dead but Master Pull has a new option for terminating a winch line and it looks very interesting. They have added a puck to a basic spliced loop with a reinforcement to the end of the loop. http://www.masterpull.com/9mm-3-8-classic-ultralite-winch-line-17-600-lbs/

Thanks @sardog12. I like this maybe even better than the splicer. If you look at the pictures they have done exactly what I was referring to using the soft eye through a soft shackle. I guess that really answers the question of whether it is ok or not to just use the soft eye without any kind of hard end put on it.

What are your thoughts on it? You know a lot more about this stuff than I do.

 

[whiteglad]

I prefer the locking hook, grade 80 or 100 or better.

https://www.amazon.com/Clevis-Posit...&keywords=locking+hook&qid=1583892851&sr=8-33

 

[sardog12]

Thanks @sardog12. I like this maybe even better than the splicer. If you look at the pictures they have done exactly what I was referring to using the soft eye through a soft shackle. I guess that really answers the question of whether it is ok or not to just use the soft eye without any kind of hard end put on it.

What are your thoughts on it? You know a lot more about this stuff than I do.

I like it and am waiting for MP to start selling the "stopper" by itself so that I can get one and splice it into my winch line. Obviously they seem to think that it will work fine.

 

[DadJokes]

I hardly know anything about the conversation topic but on this Master Pull version, isn’t it a potentially bad thing to have the end of that eye exposed to road debris, sand, dirt right there where I assume a tight bend/pin is?

 

[sardog12]

I hardly know anything about the conversation topic but on this Master Pull version, isn’t it a potentially bad thing to have the end of that eye exposed to road debris, sand, dirt right there where I assume a tight bend/pin is?

If you look closely, the rope is actually covered by a protective sheath. Notice how the weave pattern doesn't quite match the pattern of the shackle. This is the same thing that I plan to do when I set mine up. Even if you didn't use one, you could just hose off the end of the rope, making note to "scrunch" it together to make sure that any debris gets a chance to be flushed out. But, of course, that is a good idea to do periodically to clean the entire rope from time to time anyway.

 

[AnnDee4444]

Crappy photo, but this is what Factor 55 says is the reasoning behind their product.

With that in mind, why do they offer the Loop Guard? https://factor55.com/product/loop-guards/

 

[sardog12]

Crappy photo, but this is what Factor 55 says is the reasoning behind their product.

With that in mind, why do they offer the Loop Guard? https://factor55.com/product/loop-guards/

I think they saw that someone came out with a simple, new, and smart product so they set about copying it in a manner that they could deny copying it or claim that they "improved" it while ignoring that their version of the product has one of the same flaws as their main link.

 

[DadJokes]

Crappy photo, but this is what Factor 55 says is the reasoning behind their product.

With that in mind, why do they offer the Loop Guard? https://factor55.com/product/loop-guards/

Again, new to this stuff but I guess this is just another rope termination type? Some have a hook, some a billet loop that has gentler loop inside of the billet piece, some fold over to lay flat?

 

[AnnDee4444]

Again, new to this stuff but I guess this is just another rope termination type? Some have a hook, some a billet loop that has gentler loop inside of the billet piece, some fold over to lay flat?

Most (all?) winch ropes/cables already have a thimble termination on the end. For simplicity, Factor 55 offers 3 styles (the "FlatLink" and all it's variations are just different shapes of thimbles):

1. Thimbles that connect onto the existing thimble, like the ProLink https://factor55.com/product/prolink/
2. Thimbles that replace the existing thimble, like the Splicer https://factor55.com/product/new-the-splicer/
3. A "Loop Guard" that just holds the existing thimble https://factor55.com/product/loop-guards/ This gets removed completely and the original rope thimble is used when winching.

My issue was that Factor55's whole claim was that the existing thimble that comes with the rope is not strong enough, which is why you need their thimbles instead. But then if this is true, what is the purpose of their Loop Guard product line, since it leaves the original thimble in place?

 

[DadJokes]

Most (all?) winch ropes/cables already have a thimble termination on the end. For simplicity, Factor 55 offers 3 styles (the "FlatLink" and all it's variations are just different shapes of thimbles):

1. Thimbles that connect onto the existing thimble, like the ProLink https://factor55.com/product/prolink/
2. Thimbles that replace the existing thimble, like the Splicer https://factor55.com/product/new-the-splicer/
3. A "Loop Guard" that just holds the existing thimble https://factor55.com/product/loop-guards/ This gets removed completely and the original rope thimble is used when winching.

My issue was that Factor55's whole claim was that the existing thimble that comes with the rope is not strong enough, which is why you need their thimbles instead. But then if this is true, what is the purpose of their Loop Guard product line, since it leaves the original thimble in place?

Thanks! Visual aid definitely helps.

 

[Blade1668]

I'll dig this up again on winch lines connection's with a well used Ansteel winch line, in "service use" on a Ramsey 8 k winch for about 20 years. I never used it with a hook only the Hammer-Loc connector in photo.
The line and winch was kept covered when not in use most of the time. Many pulls close to winch max rating.

 

[dalema]

Did a search and this looked like a good thread to ask this on. Was going with a factor 55 but when buying the winch (smitty xrc) it comes with this shackle for free:

https://www.4wheelparts.com/images/promo/Smittybilt_AWS_WinchShackle.pdf

Thoughts?

 

[sardog12]

Even if I were inclined to choose a 55 product, I'd have a hard pass on this. I haven't seen much that Smittybilt copies from other manufactures on that they don't use cheap, inferior methods to reproduce. Sometimes cheap and inexpensive isn't really saving.

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