Winch or no Winch, take the poll

[Fouad Berjaoui]

Do you think a winch is useful ? is one winch in the trip enough ?? Would prefer to have one ? please take the poll.

Fouad

[difflock]

One winch in a trip enough assuming the driver of that car has a minimum of skills and that plenty of tow straps are also available. If that car gets stuck and no one can get it out or if that car gets stuck while trying to pull out another car......
Many situation can arise and they usually come up when you do not expect them. I have seen the following situation: 1- one car gets stuck 2- the car with the winch approaches and try to pull the other one out 3- the winch cable pulls both cars together 4- the 2 cars are bumper to bumper but both are now stuck.
A winch is an interesting tool. I like to go out alone. I know it is crazy but with the winch and the pull pal and never (thanks god) got stuck. I still stay within cell phone reach, always tell a friend about my trip and carry not one, but 2 gps and 2 mobile phones when I go alone.
I believe that along with good tires, front and rear lockers, a winch is on the must have list. Let's put more questions to the poll: 1- would you like to have a winch if the price would be affordable ? and 2- How much would you be ready to spend for a winch ?

Difflock

[Fouad Berjaoui]

Personally I prefer a Hi-Lift . A Hi-lift with a Pull-pal makes a powerful combination. But it's only my personal preference.

I prefer the hi-lift for the following reasons :
1- Affordable (costs 100-120 USD
2- Dual usage : Jack or Winch
3- Doesnt need electrical power.
4- Most important, you can hook it at various points of the vehicle.

Yes it has its disadvantages, mainly when used as a winch, you do not have enough length to pull like a electric winch cable, but still it's enough to get a vehicle unstuck. To get a vehicle out you need around 1 M of movement. the rest should be easy.

However, the real help I think comes from difflocks, if you have them, that's already 50% of your worries gone. If you a front difflock + rear that's even better.

I am really interested in trying these new electro-magnetic lockers. Eaton was the first company to come up with it, now I see that Detroit Lockers have also come up with a similar system. This type of locker doesn;t require an onboard compressor.

If time permits the one I would be interested to try on my car is the Eaton magnetic locker. Eaton is the company that supplies all limited diffs to GM, they have a magnetic locker that replaces my GM 10-bolt diff (on my Blazer) and beauty of it, it doesn't require any change in axle housing, it's a perfect fit on my rear axle.

Fouad

[JonME4x4]

As you know Fouad, I do have a winch on my Patrol. It has saved not just myself but others on a trip with me on more occasions than I can remember.

Where it has been really useful (on more than one occasion) was righting a rolled vehicle. It is so much smoother using a winch to do this than using a tow strap.

I've never seen the situation where two vehicles (one with a winch and the other being winched) end up nose-to-nose. To me, that smacks a little of poor planning of the recovery.

When I use the winch, I always make sure that I position myself so that either my vehicle or the other one can move off afterwards.

They're great tools - best money I ever spent on my vehicles.