If you can't afford a winch.
- Thread starter buckshot500
- Start date
Elliot Press
Observer
I used that exact same winch once...it ended up failing and wouldn't release...had me in a very difficult situation after the rear of my car fell into a hole.
Biggest piece of **** ever.
Biggest piece of **** ever.
I have one of those. I couldn't see spending hundreds for a winch and bumper I didn't expect to use often. As a "just in case" option, something handheld like this or the Tirfor makes sense to me, and gives you lots of options (like pulling sideways or backwards) that a front mounted winch does not.
I've bought and discarded a few cheap come a longs. They never seem to work right and are often a danger. I bought a Wyeth Scott roughly 25 years ago, and it still performs as new. It is heavy though at around 30 pounds. The biggest drawback for me with any hand device is that I can't drive/steer and winch. I'm almost always out alone. The come a long does compliment the electric winch though.
buckshot500
Observer
I had a winch when I made the first post.
I still say a cheapo come-a-long will get your rig unstuck a good bit easier than having nothing else with you.
I have had the experience doing this with three different vehicles over the years, and all were recovered in short order.
Would I rather have had an electric winch? Sure, but I didn't.
My point was to bring something with you if you go offroad, to get unstuck.
The Rover Shop
Explorer
I am in the process of kitting out my vehicle for an upcoming round the world trip, I have tried to play out every possible problem I may encounter and i too saw the need for another form of winch, preferably manual in case your main winch dies or as others have mentioned to roll you back over, pull you backwards or to pull from a different direction either singly or in conjunction with your main winch..I found a 4,000 lb griphoist (tirfor) unit on e-bay (actually 2 of them...one is to be sold here soon) however these are not light and it means I need to carry the 7/16 steel cable with me, this didn't seem to be a real problem as i was probably going to carry some as a winch lead extension anyway...as well as a 75ft plasma cord extension rope...hey, better to have it and not need it than to to need it and not have it...LOL..I now feel i have that situation prepped for..
I used that exact same winch once...it ended up failing and wouldn't release...had me in a very difficult situation after the rear of my car fell into a hole.
Biggest piece of **** ever.
Im assuming you are replying to me. You did not use the same come-a-long I use. I might be splitting hairs but the handle on mine is round once it gets beyond the wing-nuts. Yours looks like a lighter weight version, one that can be had at HD or Lowes. I wouldn't use one of those either.
Mine hasn't let me down yet. But Ive been using come-a-longs since I was a boy. My grandfather and I used them to pull palmetto bushes when we lived in FL. Ive pulled countless stumps, stuck vehicles and once winched a 24" catalpa stump onto my trailer by myself. I am at ease knowing I can use one efficiently.
Elliot Press
Observer
I wasn't replying to you opie, just to the very original post. I still appreciate your response though :ylsmoke: