Electric Winch Vs. 10K lbs. Come along

[frobuster]

Probably for all the same reasons that I would not consider putting a huge chunk of amperage and raw heat on my vehicle's electrical system. So until I can afford a hydraulic winch and pump, or a winch with a separate power source, there won't be one on my vehicle.
I think that we (that like physical labor) should diversify though, I don't think that a More, Hilift, chainhorse (my favorite), or the griphoist by themselves are adequate. I keep enough on hand that I know I can move 8000lb dead lift. that's a lot of rigging, a lot of chain, and a lot of overkill, but if you've made a wrong turn like I have before, ya can need that kind of force.

BTW, I have not used the griphoist yet, but I plan on having one on hand ASAP, yup, the big one, it's expensive, but just from what I've seen here, I'm sold. maybe a more compact model too?

 

[michaelgroves]

If you're using a manual system, it seems to me that you'd want to use a lot of appropriate synthetic rope for the rigging, rather than chain and wire rope etc. The Tirfors etc. need to pull on wire rope, but there's no reason to have more than a few metres of the wire stuff, if you have several suitable lengths of lightweight, easy-to-handle synthetic.

 

[michaelgroves]

I also don't think one needs to go for a particularly big hoist. It's much heavier to handle than a smaller one, and no matter what you use, you have to do all the work anyway. So using one that offers a much bigger mechanical advantage just means you have to pump the handle further, or more often. You can achieve the same thing by rigging an extra snatchblock on a smaller mechanism, which is cheaper, lighter and easier to manage and store.

 

[Antichrist]

Interesting comments. Even though Spike hasn't come back to give his reasoning, and

Probably for all the same reasons that I would not consider putting a huge chunk of amperage and raw heat on my vehicle's electrical system.

is a bit vague, my perspective is that either tool is good to have, you just need to know how to use it properly and you're fine.

FWIW, I ran my Warn 8274 a lot on my 74 series with a single battery and a 45amp alternator. Then even more, and for more years, on my Lightweight with a single battery and 100amp alternator. In neither application did I ever have any issues with the battery or alternator (in fact, I got 7 years use from the Diehard deep cycle I had in my Lightweight). Though I did burn up the winch motor once, but that was me being stupid and winching 3 vehicles at the same time up a snowy hill in Vermont.
And, as I've said before, I've used well made come-a-longs extensively and in my experience there are places where they are entirely suitable.

 

[RgrBox]

I can't afford a winch over here in Euroland.. so I'm getting a come along threw a friend that gets them threw his work for a great price.. he uses them to build high suspension cables at fun parks.. so he uses them everyday.. so this summer I'll have one. Until them I have to keep it kool with off roading.. I've laready gotten stuck twice this year, both times in Snow..

RB

 

[RHINO]

in 25 yrs of off road travel i have only NEEDED to pull my rig out of a stuck a handfull of times. mind you i dont spend much time in mud or snow, where i think a winch would really be a good thing. on dry land however i have always been able to recover myself easy enough w/o a winch, at least enough that i still havent justified a winch.

 

[Stumpalump]

in 25 yrs of off road travel i have only NEEDED to pull my rig out of a stuck a handfull of times. mind you i dont spend much time in mud or snow, where i think a winch would really be a good thing. on dry land however i have always been able to recover myself easy enough w/o a winch, at least enough that i still havent justified a winch.

Hence the beauty of a winch!
You see a ditch and say " If we get stuck we can use that tree and winch out." Then you drive in and out of the ditch you may have never tried if you didn't have a winch. My rarely used winch has given me the guts to do all kinds of things I would never dare to try with out it. I use my winch all the time but only unspool it on occasions.

 

[RHINO]

Hence the beauty of a winch!
You see a ditch and say " If we get stuck we can use that tree and winch out." Then you drive in and out of the ditch you may have never tried if you didn't have a winch.

says the guy who has never wheeled with me:ylsmoke:,,, i understand what your saying but not having a winch has never stopped me, if anything its made me a much better driver.

i did put the emphasis on the wrong word above though,, i meant to say i have only needed to PULL my rig out of a stuck a few times. mostly its a matter of getting off a large boulder or out of a tire sucking hole or a pinch something like that, only a couple feet.

 

[michaelgroves]

The answer might also be very different when asked in a non "expedition" context. When on an extended trip, living out of your vehicle, and hoping to accomplish some specific journey, usually involving a significant distance, one's attitude to ditches and other obstacles is very different to when it's a day out "wheelin'", or doing a challenging trail over a weekend with your mates.

With a relatively heavily laden truck, out of which you're going to live for the next week or longer, you aren't testing your driving skills or the truck's capabilities. You're enjoying the challenges but really trying not to get stuck or break anything. I say you, I mean me!

 

[dieselcruiserhead]

I wouldn't say I'm in the same boat at Spike but pretty close. Tirfor would be pretty close to the bottom of the list. I mentioned it earlier but I used one for years when doing rock work in the Adirondacks, so I'm very familiar with them, how powerful they are and how awesome they are. They are really powerful and very tough. We put ours through hell mostly with mud and the elements but broke shear pins, etc. I used the same one for at least 4 years of near daily use.

Off road I've even been in a couple scenarios where it actually might be useful or helpful but 1) they are extremely extremely rare, 2) west coast and non muddy areas it is usually very easy to get unstuck and you don't have the continuous pulls and slippy rocks and ruts and close trees, and finally 3) the tirfor (and most come-a-longs, period) are straight up a PITA. You have to be in a really bad situation (and again, most likely by yourself and without a snatch block with a winch) to need one unless again you are in a really rare and really crappy situation like in a jam in a riverbed or something like that. They weigh a ton, the cable and the actual unit weigh a ton, they cost a fortune and they work but they are a piss poor substitute for a winch mostly because they are so slow and take so damn long to setup and put away (like 30 minutes for a single pull). So for that reason they are not a substitution for a winch, and neither is a high lift as well unfortunately... The only time I would consider one would be in a situation where I would need to be absolutely 100% prepped, and maybe back east or somewhere else moist/muddy and rocky where your rig easily slides into a tree or if super off camber into a large rock or something like that, something beyond your control and too difficult to use another vehicle with a snatch block.

Winch wise, I do have a M12000 and consider it 100% worth it's weight and cost though... Same with snatch blocks as well. I hope it helps...