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Hand winches

anthrax323

anthrax323

NAXJA Forum User
Location
San Antonio, TX
Hey guys,

I've been making a list of gear I need for an upcoming camping trip (going solo) and have found myself wanting to prepare myself for a worst-case scenario: getting stuck, alone, without a winch.

I'm not 100% sold on the idea of an electric winch due to the type of wheeling I do - I've only been in one situation in my wheeling experiences thus far in which I needed a winch, and I would've needed it for a rear pull. Because of this, I started thinking about hand winches.

Does anyone have any experience with them? So far I've only really come across two - ARB's option and something called a Black Rat (made by Extreme Outback Products). Any tips or suggestions on finding the right one would be awesome.

Thanks in advance, as always :)
 
I have a 4 ton come along that i picked up at a tractor supply company and have only needed it once. Make sure you get a snatch block as well.
Between the eletric winch, high lift and a come-along, i feel comfortable treking off into the boonies.
Most importantly, tell a few people where you are going and don't deviate from said route unless you have to. -B
 
boomhauer said:
I have a 4 ton come along that i picked up at a tractor supply company and have only needed it once. Make sure you get a snatch block as well.
Between the eletric winch, high lift and a come-along, i feel comfortable treking off into the boonies.
Most importantly, tell a few people where you are going and don't deviate from said route unless you have to. -B
Click to expand...

x2 on the 4 ton come along. Ive used it multiple times and worked great every time. It can be a bit of work, but nothing i didn't mind.

Im always worried about the cable snapping or something letting lose... cause you are right in the line if fire. Always try to cover the line with something... but still, that's a lot of tension.scary.

And yeah, always let people know where you are, and have navigation/communication devices. Going as an only driver is scary in my mind, but as long as you are smart, you'll be ok.
 
I used a high lift to pull my friends jeep about 3 feet sideways up an off camber trail, about his first time wheeling and he got lodged between fallen trees not going anywhere. It took a very long time but it was the only "winch" we had and there was no way of diving out of it.

tuttlecreekAugust4-52008030.jpg
 
boomhauer said:
I have a 4 ton come along that i picked up at a tractor supply company and have only needed it once. Make sure you get a snatch block as well.
Between the eletric winch, high lift and a come-along, i feel comfortable treking off into the boonies.
Most importantly, tell a few people where you are going and don't deviate from said route unless you have to. -B
Click to expand...
Very true - that's rule #1 in my book. I don't plan or go by schedules at all in my life, unless I'm heading out of civilization. I typically try to locate spots with cell reception as my first task and coordinate check-ins with family periodically (at least once every 24 hrs), even though they're 1500 miles away.

lazyxj said:
In Australia, they use a lot of HD hand winches, ones actually made for vehicle recovery. First saw it on Go Jeep's site.

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/TERRAIN-TAME...t=AU_Car_Parts_Accessories&hash=item5ad3a439a

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5UzX3F4Oygw

It takes of muscle power to use but they do work. They are lighter and take up room than a electric winch but the price isn't much less.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the tip, I'll give it a look.

Honestly, I'm not a "ballsy" wheeler so a hi-lift may be sufficient. If I have any doubts whatsoever about my (or my vehicle's) ability to traverse an obstacle, I'll get out and walk it at least a quarter to half a mile down to make sure I have options for turning around and getting out in one piece. I learned a lot wheeling with my dad in Colorado as a kid... There's no glory to be had in being an idiot :) . That includes being resistant to peer pressure - "Come on, you can do it" doesn't go too far with me, lol.
 
Just get an electric winch. I used to use a comealong and highlift to get myself unstuck. It is way too much work, and not always possible. If you need to go backwards, just run the cable underneath the axle housings and out the back. But if you must us manual tools, get a couple good quality 2"x20-30' ratchet straps. Each time you re-rig while highlift winching, you loose about half your prior gain. Having a strong ratchet strap to temporarily tie off while re-rigging the highlift makes a big difference.
 
anthrax323 said:
Honestly, I'm not a "ballsy" wheeler so a hi-lift may be sufficient. If I have any doubts whatsoever about my (or my vehicle's) ability to traverse an obstacle, I'll get out and walk it at least a quarter to half a mile down to make sure I have options for turning around and getting out in one piece. I learned a lot wheeling with my dad in Colorado as a kid... There's no glory to be had in being an idiot :) . That includes being resistant to peer pressure - "Come on, you can do it" doesn't go too far with me, lol.
Click to expand...

That's a good attitude and will save you a lot of problems in life.
Walking a dubious or difficult trail is always a good idea. Helps keeps the weight and aggravation levels down, not to mention potential injury or damage.
 
whitexj98 said:
I used a high lift to pull my friends jeep about 3 feet sideways up an off camber trail, about his first time wheeling and he got lodged between fallen trees not going anywhere. It took a very long time but it was the only "winch" we had and there was no way of diving out of it.
Click to expand...

I usually carry a come along for exactly the situation cited above. Ice, snow, mud & off camber is where it gets used the most. In ice it gets used a lot to secure a vehicle on the trail so it doesnt slide "over the edge" while driving on off camber ice. So many people have winches where I wheel the winch is not essential and they are all very enthusiastic to use them whether they know how to or not. I also carry a snatch block, straps and shackles to use with the come along, very helpful, and many people with winches dont have one.

JOhn
 
I used to carry a Come a Long in my 60 Wagon.... that thing pulled me out of a lot of sticky situations. IRC it was a 4,000 lb unit that I picked up from harbor freight. I also sugest getting a chaeter pipe as well...
 
slimpartywagon said:
I used to carry a Come a Long in my 60 Wagon.... that thing pulled me out of a lot of sticky situations. IRC it was a 4,000 lb unit that I picked up from harbor freight. I also sugest getting a chaeter pipe as well...
Click to expand...


Good idea on the cheater pipe. Comes in handy for lots of things
 
I have a Wyeth Scott 2 ton come along, I've had for about 10 years or so, with a steel cable, when they rate them they rate it on a dead lift, it will pull my 1/2 ton pickup easily, with a snatch block and a 50' choker cable it is pretty effective. (it's nice to see they are supplying it with synthetic cable now) It is a LOT more work than an electric winch, and I wouldnt trade it for my m8000, but I've used it a lot long before I had and electric winch, very sucessfully, a hi lift as well, but the high lift is just about the most tedious winching tool around... It does get it done though. If it's all you have and you're stuck you'd be glad you had it.
 
anthrax323 said:
Honestly, I'm not a "ballsy" wheeler so a hi-lift may be sufficient. If I have any doubts whatsoever about my (or my vehicle's) ability to traverse an obstacle, I'll get out and walk it at least a quarter to half a mile down to make sure I have options for turning around and getting out in one piece. I learned a lot wheeling with my dad in Colorado as a kid... There's no glory to be had in being an idiot :) . That includes being resistant to peer pressure - "Come on, you can do it" doesn't go too far with me, lol.
Click to expand...

Good for you, I wish there were more people out there with this attitude.:yelclap:
 
anthrax323 said:
Honestly, I'm not a "ballsy" wheeler so a hi-lift may be sufficient. If I have any doubts whatsoever about my (or my vehicle's) ability to traverse an obstacle, I'll get out and walk it at least a quarter to half a mile down to make sure I have options for turning around and getting out in one piece. I learned a lot wheeling with my dad in Colorado as a kid... There's no glory to be had in being an idiot :) . That includes being resistant to peer pressure - "Come on, you can do it" doesn't go too far with me, lol.
Click to expand...

Sounds like you understand the difference between 4x4ing in your XJ ... and attempting to go 6x4ing .... :laugh:

Good for you .... :thumbup:

The hi-lift is is really the last option to use as a winch.
Its hard work and has limited pulling distance requiring constant adjustment of the anchor points.

Making the work easier by using snatch blocks reduces the pull distance even more.

Same goes for the little "come-along" type winches which generally have the added disadvantage of a lousy unlocking mechanism and no reverse function.

The large "proper" handwinches such as the Tirfor and tirfor copies are a much better piece of kit ... but require a heap of storage space ...

I carry a 4' hi-lift type jack and a 4tonne come-along. The XJ just isnt big enough for me .... to fit all the junk that makes a Tirfor worth having.

Being prepared to use the long handled shovel on the roof rack ... and packing fill under wheels assists greatly in 4x4 recoveries.

The more extreme the driving style and terrain .... the more extreme the recovery gear needs to be.
 
Why not use a hitch-mount for the electric winch of your choice? Now you have 8000-9500lb of pulling power that you can use front or rear.
 
slimpartywagon said:
I used to carry a Come a Long in my 60 Wagon.... that thing pulled me out of a lot of sticky situations. IRC it was a 4,000 lb unit that I picked up from harbor freight. I also sugest getting a chaeter pipe as well...
Click to expand...

if you find yourself needing a cheater bar for a come along, YOUR COME ALONG IS TOO SMALL! damage and personal injury may result. just a word of warning

whatevah said:
Why not use a hitch-mount for the electric winch of your choice? Now you have 8000-9500lb of pulling power that you can use front or rear.
Click to expand...

yep
 
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