Shortening synthetic winch line

[bmxer06pa]

I just purchased a winch that came with about 100 feet of line. Since i live on the east coast I am never more than a stones throw from a large tree. I was thinking of shortening the line to take advantage of the increased pulling power of a shorter line. Is it possible to use the removed section as a winch extension? Anyone have any helpfull links? I have searched but not found too much.
Thanks

 

[Token]

Yes it is... Kris with Kris' Splicing has some good how to vids on his site and is generally happy to answer questions on splicing ropes..

http://www.krissplicing.com/repairing-your-winch-line.php

 

[Master-Pull]

Plan on losing 2-3 feet per splice when you do it, it isn't really hard to do and can be done with a ball point pen if you need to do it in a pinch if you don't have the splicing fids.

-Alex

 

[opie]

bmxer, As Alex stated, you'll use just under 3' per splice if its 3/8. A little less if its 5/16.

Also keep in mind, that 100' of line is not all available for use. You loose between 3-5' just keeping the minimum number of wraps on the drum, depending on how many you like to keep on. Minimum suggestion is 7 with synthetic rope.

So say you want to drop down to 75' on the drum, and assuming you have the full 100' to work with, that leaves you a 25' section to turn into an extension. You are going to loose 5-6' of that 25' to create eyes in either end, leaving you a 19' extension.

How much extra pulling power are you willing to gain while having such a short extension? You could drop down to 50' on the drum and have a more useful extension, but consider this... with 100' on the drum you may only have to set your anchor point once. With only 50', you may need to re-set a pull because you couldn't clear the obstacle.

I think the power loss due to subsequent wraps on the drum is minute anyway. While it is there, generally as you increase the number of wraps, you are getting close to your anchor point and hopefully free from the obstacle.

 

[Antichrist]

I think the power loss due to subsequent wraps on the drum is minute anyway.

I assume you mean layer as there's no power loss from one wrap to the next unless it's on a new layer.

8274 - 5/16"
1/8000
2/7460
3/6980
4/6620
5/6290

9.5xp - 5/16"
1/9500
2/8650
3/7920
4/7400
5/6940

Endurance 12 - 3/8"
1/12,000
2/9517
3/7886
4/6732

Capacity per layer for 3 Warn winches.

 

[opie]

Yes, I meant layer. Sorry bout that.

Seems every winch shootout I hear about where force is tested, all the winches manage to reach their rating on the first layer easily. So while the force generated will certainly go down with each layer, I would imaging the numbers should be a bit higher than a simple extrapolation of the winches rating.

 

[Antichrist]

Well, as you can see based on the numbers it really depends on the winch/rope combination.
The 12k winch has a much greater percentage in power reduction at the 4th layer than either of the two others. I don't know how much of that is due to the specific winch vs the thicker rope which puts the 4th layer further from the drum axis.
In any case, for all of them I wouldn't describe the reduction as minimal.

 

[opie]

Granted.

Be nice to see a real world pull test based on each layer on the drum.

 

[ldivinag]

if i were you...

i would just buy a new 50 foot section to connect to winch. use the 100 footer as an extension...

 

[Nonimouse]

I live in a land of anchor points and I wouldn't go less than 100'. At the moment I run 120'. I use a snatch block to shorten a hard short pull.

 

[mervifwdc]

I live in a land of anchor points and I wouldn't go less than 100'. At the moment I run 120'. I use a snatch block to shorten a hard short pull.

Ditto. Run a snatch block if you want more pull power.

the 100' will not seem so much one day when you really need it. It could be to rescue someone else that you cannot get over close too...

Merv.

 

[nkorep2]

Seems like a waste of a winch line to shorten it...

 

[Nonimouse]

Seems like a waste of a winch line to shorten it...

Nicely said

 

[colodak]

I live in Colo., lots of trees/rocks in my area to hook a line, wrap, etc., I currently have 100' of standard winch line and twice I've come close to it not being enough. On one occasion, I was down to 9 wraps left on the drum when I was able to get a solid winch point to pull myself out. Notice I said solid point, the first tree I hooked to that looked solid wasn't and it started to break when I started to pull.

 

[Nonimouse]

Like I said before, I live in the land of ground anchors. I also said, I run 120' at the moment. If you look in the back of my truck I have another 100' extension and a 30m 6 tonne strope (and a spare 100' rope and two 10' tree sprops....)

I carry that as I've needed it before