Just got the latest in Winch technology

[DiscoSlug]

I actually had to use one of these once on our farm. We were servicing the spring shed that was overflowing and got really stuck in some 6-8" deep mud. Used this tool, but it was the flat rope style similar to cargo straps. To get around the lack of length, used two runs of tow straps on either end to get the JT to reach a tree and just kept wrenching till it came out. Really wasn't that bad of a workout and when considering the cost and weight, if you really rarely winch yourself or just cash strapped its a great solution.

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[Billkowski]

I actually had to use one of these once on our farm. We were servicing the spring shed that was overflowing and got really stuck in some 6-8" deep mud. Used this tool, but it was the flat rope style similar to cargo straps. To get around the lack of length, used two runs of tow straps on either end to get the JT to reach a tree and just kept wrenching till it came out. Really wasn't that bad of a workout and when considering the cost and weight, if you really rarely winch yourself or just cash strapped its a great solution.

Kinda my thinking, thanks for an actual experience example.

 

[yoda13]

I’ve done this before. Way too much work for me at elevation. I wouldn’t wheel without it, if you don’t have a winch though.

 

[JustinLentz]

Hmmm..... That's what she said?

I suppose a hand winch is better than none at all.

 

[cybercat]

Looks like you've come a along way.

 

[Geoarch]

That’s right, the Come Along Winch. No installation needed, no power draw from our vehicles, and no aftermarket bumpers required, just 10,000 lbs of muscle ,11.5 feet at a time.

$49.99 vs $1000.00

Nuff said..

I use in case I need to haul my JTR out from the rear.

 

[red/green hawk]

Been doing freestyle for several years never had a need, and of the people I know that are more serious than me have never even used the winches they have... would be a lot of money and weight to haul around just in case, at least for me.

Would've needed 8 of those to get out of this pickle.

 

[SC Notary]

In another universe, the Good Book says:

Eugene 22:36

He said to them, “But now if you have a debit card, take it, and also a bag; and if you don’t have a winch, sell your take-off wheels and buy one.

Thank you Luke, for the inspiration.

 

[guntrust]

I used my winch to pull out some juniper bushes.

 

[T-Rock]

I have been off-roading since 1991 (before that in 2 wheel drives but we won't talk about that!) and never had a winch until 2019. I have never used it once to get myself unstuck. I have pulled many others out and moved boulders and trees with it. Hitting age 60 made me want a winch over a come-along in 2019.
There are lots of variations to how and where people "Jeep" so everyone should keep that in mind as well - rock crawlers need a winch, everyone else may or may not.
I commend the OP for posting this. It helps people get out of the mindset that they "need" a winch to drive down some forest service roads or where-ever they go just because they have a Jeep. It also demonstrates that there are options besides a winch that work in some circumstances. To each his own, ingenuity wins regardless in most cases. If my winch dies before I do I probably won't buy another, I know I have gotten along without one before. ha.

 

[Zachanadandy]

I have been off-roading since 1991 (before that in 2 wheel drives but we won't talk about that!) and never had a winch until 2019. I have never used it once to get myself unstuck. I have pulled many others out and moved boulders and trees with it. Hitting age 60 made me want a winch over a come-along in 2019.
There are lots of variations to how and where people "Jeep" so everyone should keep that in mind as well - rock crawlers need a winch, everyone else may or may not.
I commend the OP for posting this. It helps people get out of the mindset that they "need" a winch to drive down some forest service roads or where-ever they go just because they have a Jeep. It also demonstrates that there are options besides a winch that work in some circumstances. To each his own, ingenuity wins regardless in most cases. If my winch dies before I do I probably won't buy another, I know I have gotten along without one before. ha.

I gotten along for 3+ decades without a cordless impact too, but if this one dies I'll order another the same day. Kinda the same with the winch. Definitely use it more to move downed trees than I do to get unstuck, but if that keeps people on the trail it's well with it just for that. Sure I could moved downed logs with a come a long, but I would probably just drive over it at that point. Then the next guy with smaller tires creates a bypass and before you know it here in CA they've closed the trail because people were driving off trail and damaging the landscape. With the right tools the job is easy and kinda enjoyable, without them I probably won't do it.

 

[Billkowski]

I have been off-roading since 1991 (before that in 2 wheel drives but we won't talk about that!) and never had a winch until 2019. I have never used it once to get myself unstuck. I have pulled many others out and moved boulders and trees with it. Hitting age 60 made me want a winch over a come-along in 2019.
There are lots of variations to how and where people "Jeep" so everyone should keep that in mind as well - rock crawlers need a winch, everyone else may or may not.
I commend the OP for posting this. It helps people get out of the mindset that they "need" a winch to drive down some forest service roads or where-ever they go just because they have a Jeep. It also demonstrates that there are options besides a winch that work in some circumstances. To each his own, ingenuity wins regardless in most cases. If my winch dies before I do I probably won't buy another, I know I have gotten along without one before. ha.

Thanks, I have other gear thats part of this, traction boards, kenetic rope and straps. Plus I hate the idea of hauling around all that weight on the nose for something that at my level of wheeling, I will likely never use.

 

[whiteglad]

Some folks add well over 100 pounds (even up to 150 lb) when they install a winch. With careful selection of components, this amount can be reduced to about 70 pounds with a 12k winch and 100 feet of synthetic rope. That is not so bad, and the winch is an insurance policy. You can carry light weight extenders made from more winch rope to cover situations where the anchor point is likely to be far away. I do carry the Wyeth-Scott heavy duty come-along when going to remote areas, just in case I need to pull backwards or stabilize sideways. I also 'wheel conservatively because I prefer to keep recovery gear in the "insurance policy" category rather than in the "needed every time" mode.

 

[DanW]

That’s right, the Come Along Winch. No installation needed, no power draw from our vehicles, and no aftermarket bumpers required, just 10,000 lbs of muscle ,11.5 feet at a time.

$49.99 vs $1000.00

Nuff said..

It is a great tool. BUT.....my experience with one is mixed.

This is NOT an argument against this kind of winch. It is a one time in 30 years situation that ended well, in spite of the challenges.

I had one for my 93 YJ. I was at Turkey Bay ORV area in Land Between the Lakes, Kentucky, in the mid-90's. It was a wonderful day of wheeling and it was raining, creating some challenging hill climbs in the mud. I went down into a valley where there were only two ways out, which were up steep hills. They were super slick with mud and my Mud Terrains were caking up. I tried about 5 times to get up both hills. Finally, we broke out the come-along. After about 2 hours of winching, resetting, winching (yes, manually, taking turns as our arms wore out), we were almost to the crest of the hill. We disconnected to reset and .......the Jeep slid backward. All the way down the hill. Another Jeep came along with an electric winch and pulled us up the hill with no effort and no need to reset because its cable was just long enough.

I went out and bought a Warn M8000 the next month. I still carried the come-along, though, because it can augment the winch in challenging pulls, such as where you need some tension on the side or from an angle.

So the come-along would probably work fine in over 90% of the situations where I have needed a tug. Some would have been very time consuming, though.

But wait...there's more. All of that said, in the 30 years I've been wheeling, there really have been very few times I have needed a winch, at all.

But a winch is like a firearm. You may never need it, but that ONE time you do......

Btw, that looks like a very nice come-along. Nicer than the one I had with the YJ, for sure. I do think it is a great option, especially when considering how seldom a winch is really needed, at least in my experience.

 

[Billkowski]

It is a great tool. BUT.....my experience with one is mixed.

That is a good cautionary tale, lol. If something like that happens to me, I will be buying a real winch the next day. Bush Winches has another device that fits to the hub. Them Australians be crazy actually I think at one point many military trucks/jeeps had something like this

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