Winches - situations when do you gotta have one?

[crawler#976]

Grade 80 3/8" chain rated to a WLL of 7100 lbs is $900.00 for a 100', and weights 150 lbs. Obviously you can use a synthetic extension to do the same thing for less money and weight tho, and I've done so myself. However, a winch is a better option all the way around.

A SmittyBilt XRC-8 Comp that comes with synthetic line is half the cost of the chain alone @ $449.00. Heck, a quality 3/8' x 100' extension is about $280.00, not cheap either. So, get a Smittybilt or other less expensive winch (our XCR-8 Comp has worked well for the few times it's been used), add in a receiver type mount at a hundred bucks or so, and the idea that a winch is expensive is somewhat false.

 

[LR Max]

I'd use a hi-lift if I was in an SOL situation. I.E. needed to be winched backwards for whatever reason or to stabilize the truck.

I've got a 60" hi-lift, 20ft of chain, the Hi-lift winch kit, and my brand new never used 50ft synthetic winch extension. Having just used a hi-lift to break tires off of the rim, it sucks. That said, except for a handful of times, everytime I've had to be recovered I've only needed to go a car length or so. For hand winching, if you could get one axle to get traction, you'd probably be able to drive out of it.

Unless you are going uphill. Hand winching up a hill sucks.

 

[I Leak Oil]

If you haven't been in a situation where you know a winch is the only realistic method then you don't need one. If you're happy digging for hours then you don't need one. If you like to turn around because you're too worried about getting stuck you don't need one. If you like being up close and personal with the forces involved with using a hi lift as a winch you don't need one. Nothing personal, if you come to a forum trying to be conviced of it then you don't need one.

 

[craig333]

I've winched more people than I've winched myself. Always nice to able to help someone else out. Last time I used my winch I lost a bead, slid into a hole where changing a tire was near impossible. Winched a vehicle length, changed the tire and on we go. Now I was with a group. Could have had someone else turn around, risk getting stuck to pull me out but much nicer not having to use that option.

 

[evilfij]

Seems mission critical. The pain of reading the Congo trip report (land cruiser, no winch, broken rear diff) shows you can go pretty much anywhere without a winch, but really why would you? $2k is a ton of money for a winch and bumper. The cheap superwinch is $349 shipped from amazon, a warn M8000 is $500, and I am sure you can get "a" winch for $250-300 new if you look hard enough.

As far as a bumper, it is vehicle dependent, but I had a jeep winch tray on my land rover (tray was $50 or so) and have a multimount which was similarly cheap and a front receiver can be made for $40 in steel. Even a full winch bumper can be had cheap. I bought a used Mantec for my defender for $150 and a stock winch bumper for the other defender for about the same. I am sure you can find something for a few hundred if you look hard enough.

All in I could put a winch and bumper on a defender for under a grand (the battery is under the seat so there is some serious cable expense). I can't imagine it is that much more for something else.

 

[ebg18t]

Winches are just insurance. It is the last piece of defense when you or someone in your party is stuck. Many times it is safer to extract via winch then pull strap. I actually prefer winching vs pull straps especially if you don't know/trust the person on the end of the strap.

I also travel a lot with just the wife, if we get stuck there is no one else to help us. We carry a full set of straps, winch line extension, pulleys etc. I use a hidden mount with a TJM 9000# winch with synthetic line. Lightweight and low key.

 

[LR Max]

I remember being down in the swamps of South Carolina years and years ago. My dad and I were taking a cut through a swampy area to get to another corn field. It was getting dark. If we were in the field, we would've had ok light but we were back in a wooded area so it was definitely dark. As we came around the corner, there was a tree down. So I back the truck into what looks like weeds. Little did I know, it was deep, thick, mud. In a matter of seconds, we are stuck.

This was before decent cell phone coverage. Actually I can't remember if there was anyone in the near vicinity we could've contacted. Best case scenario, we had an hour walk out to get help.

I jumped out, pulled like, 20ft of cable, hooked up to a tree and once the front tires got back onto the track, we were home free. Really wasn't a bad stuck, but nevertheless, we were stuck.

My Warn M12000, for real, saved the day. What would've been a HUGE problem, was a minor inconvenience. What price do you put on being stuck an hour walk (best case) through a swamp in August after a day of going all out, being super tired, out of water, out of food, and out of daylight?

 

[madmax718]

Sometimes it doesnt take very much to be stuck. Sometimes the roads looks devious. Like a sink hole filled with leaves. Sometimes you think you will make a uturn on this patch of field, because, heck, you have 4wd, and your not afraid.. until you realize its super soft slippery mud. Oops. You could keep spinning your tires, digging yourself deeper.. you could take your floor maps for traction, (maybe) max trax if you have...

If you think that might be you- far from help- far from friends- you might consider investing in one. Even if you were to abandon your vehicle, and "walk out"- if you have kids, a wife, a gf... are they comming with you?

In the cold- in the rain, in the muck... a winch line is a difference of resuming your trip in 20 minutes, waiting for help, or looking for help, or resuming your trip a few hours later, trying to get yourself out.

 

[daddyusmaximus]

^^^ This. It's why I'll be saving for a winch soon. What If I have he family with me?

 

[xplrn42]

My wife and I do a lot of back country exploring and camping. My wife is disabled with severe autoinflamatory disease and can't walk out.
A winch was a no brainer for me, I've been pulled out in a matter of seconds, after digging for an hour, and now know what a winch can and will do in most any situation.
It was the first mod that went on my rig, well, technically the bumper went on first.

 

[SiliconTi]

Peace of mind is, IMHO, worth quite a bit, especially if you are on your own. Let's put it this way, I have winches front and rear and use them both.