Winch cable

[boots]

Who has the best deal on a winch cable for an A2000 warn. Wire or should I go to those rope ones?

 

[arff]

I have the rope. On my second one Not sure if the rollers snagged it or I just kept yanking on it too much.

It kept breaking.

 

[kbrunlees]

Rope is more expensive but you don't end up with a broken strand of wire that slices your hand open when you wind it up. I know when my cable gets replaced I will be going with the synthetic.

 

[GANK]

i was going to switch to the rope. but after much consideration i'll stick with steel and put some gloves in the rack bag

 

[arff]

i was going to switch to the rope. but after much consideration i'll stick with steel and put some gloves in the rack bag

I will keep my rope and replace as required.

 

[boots]

who carrys the rope or the cable replacement...

 

[vinson4ever]

Cheapest place to buy replacement cable is Princess Auto. 50ft with hook is approx $20. They have 3/16 or 1/4.

 

[AkNomad]

Go with the rope, it won't fly back and hit you in the face if it breaks plus if you need to pull someone out of a creek/river the rope will float. Steel cable is too dangerous and i'll never go back to using it on my winch. I'd also recommend switching from a roller to a hawse fairlead, if you don't have one already.

 

[whoDEANie]

I'm starting to get paranoid about running the cable and would like to switch to synthetic rope. Although, I would need to replace my fairheads and buy three ropes (one for each quad and a spare). ...but they're $91 a pop at the dealerships for a Warn rope plus the price of new fairheads. Surely there must be a cheaper way to get synthetic rope in Edmonton?

 

[STYKO]

Not sure on those synthetic ones as I never owned one, I know my old fashion steel one after about 20 uses already has lots of stands that are sharp as Fawk.... (all from Szprod's po po, lol)

 

[whoDEANie]

Not sure on those synthetic ones as I never owned one, I know my old fashion steel one after about 20 uses already has lots of stands that are sharp as Fawk.... (all from Szprod's po po, lol)

The strands don't bug me much, but I am worried about getting hit by a broken cable and loosing a limb or even my life. ...haven't seen a wire cable snap yet (knocking on wood) so I'm starting to think the law of averages is going to come into play eventually.

 

[vinson4ever]

Never seen one break on a straight pull, but have seen them break by jerking the machine while hooked up. That hook comes back real quick. Very dangerous. But I agree, when I need a new one I'm going to consider the nylon. Seems like a good product.

 

[zeebs]

One thing to remember/consider is with synthetic rope IF it does happen to break it is flexible enough and easy to work with you can tie it in a knot and still get pulled out and back to camp. Where with cable your kinda screwed............ Just my $.02

 

[whoDEANie]

I just dug up a supplier for Amsteel Blue on the following thread: https://www.snowandmud.com/forum/26/where-get-winch-spooled-synth-rope-46978-2.html#post1111344

I gave them a call and it is $59 for a 50' 3/16 rope. That's a lot better than $91 but still seems a bit pricey (to me).

 

[zeebs]

Sometimes you get what you pay for...............

 

[whoDEANie]

Sometimes you get what you pay for...............

True dat, but I hear these Amsteel ones are supposed to be better than the brand name Warn ones.

 

[AkNomad]

I bought mine from Alaska Industrial Hardware, costs me $72 and i'm not even sure what brand it is. I'll going with the Amsteel once this rope wears out.

 

[zeebs]

True dat, but I hear these Amsteel ones are supposed to be better than the brand name Warn ones.

Correct......... My viper came with amsteel..............Im actually supprised any company would offer anything but.

 

[whoDEANie]

I just dug up a supplier for Amsteel Blue on the following thread: https://www.snowandmud.com/forum/26/where-get-winch-spooled-synth-rope-46978-2.html#post1111344

I gave them a call and it is $59 for a 50' 3/16 rope. That's a lot better than $91 but still seems a bit pricey (to me).

I just went over to CND Rope and Industrial Supply and picked up a couple of pre-cut AmSteel Blue ropes with hooks. They told me everything and anything I wanted to know about this stuff including how to properly splice it. If you're so inclined to properly attach your own hook, you can also buy this stuff for $0.70/ft.

Incidentally, I was surprised to find out that knotting the rope will reduce it's strength by 50%, so learning to splice it properly is worth the effort.

 

[Phyer Phyter]

Incidentally, I was surprised to find out that knotting the rope will reduce it's strength by 50%, so learning to splice it properly is worth the effort.

One other thing too.... Who here hasnt been muddin and soaked/splashed winch, ran winch line on ground through mud,sand and dirt. All that stuff - little particles get embedded in the line and will wear, cut and degrade. Ropes typically will fail from the inside out unless cut or abraded. Knots as you said reduce rope strength by 50%, hitches will reduce by 25%. (no I am not talkin trailer hitches.). It is worth learning to tie a few different knots and hitches so that you have "option" for what ever you are up against. Also if possible always use straight pulls. Never let your winch lead go slack as the lead will loosen up and the when you pull it out it will bind on itself and damage the rope/cable when under load. Remember the 50% thing? That's what's happening when you let your lead go slack. Spool your cable properly when winding it up. If you've had to use your winch it is always a good idea to pull it all the way out and clean it and re-wind it properly. If you do all properly you will have little to no problems. A bit of maintenance will save a lot of grief later.