Electric or hand winch??

good stump pulling and pulling in mains on work sites I have only a hand winch and has got me out of every bind I have been in. But like you said the only weakness is the organic component ( good work out ). But I will only use a hand winch cheap and very useful.

Rossco

Sparky

A hand winch was my only winch till I used it. If your really stuck the amount of physical effort is not for the faint hearted. Its bloody hard work.

Sean

two of us swung off a hand winch for about 30 minutes trying to move a tree blocking the track.
granted, neither of us are olympic athletes - but by the end of it we were ABSOLUTELY KNACKERED!

i wouldnt be without it... but i would try rock stacking, snatching, etc and use it as AN ABSOLUTE LAST RESORT

if money was no object i'd have an electric / pto / hydraulic on the front bar.. but i'd still probably carry the hand winch for it's sideways use, etc.

ymmv.

Sparky,

I have had an electric winch on my vehicle in the past and would readily fit another, just as soon as funds become available. I have also frequently usedhand winches, we have them at work.

I have never done anything with a hand winch that would not have been done quicker and easier with vehicle mounted winch. I have done things with a vehicle mounted winch that I would not like to have had to do with a hand winch. Yes, I have reached the capacity of the hand winch and it was not simply the "organic" component. I snapped the shear pin.

The other argument for the use of a vehicle mounted winch is that you don't have to find somewhere to store it or carry it.

IMHO the vehicle mounted winch is a much better thing. I mean would you rather sweat like a pig or push a button? But a hand winch is way better than being stuck.

A vehicle mounted winch is in excess of 2 grand which sounds expensive but when you look at the cost of a quality hand winch, near enough to 1 grand I don't think the power is all that expensive.

The argument against the vehicle mounted winch is that it is a lot of money to have hanging on the front of the car and never use. It does make you lazy. "OH if I get stuck I can winch out." You don't think like that with a hand winch. You plan your route a lot more carefully.

So I think you need to ask yourself, what kind of work do I do with the car? Will I use it (the electric winch) enough to justify the extra cash? Have I got the cash to spare?

It's not an easy decision and there will be plenty of experienced people who disagree with me. But this is how I approach the purchase of any accessory.

Oh yeah one final thing, I have bought things that I have never used and not bought things that I wish I had.

Good luck
Duncs.

Hi Troopy

If you are in the market for a hand winch, may I suggest going to a lifting and chain specialist. I have just been looking at the website for A.Noble and Son (www.nobles.com.au) and they have a couple of different types of hand winches and other assorted equipment. Of their prices I know not however I should think that you would get some pretty good advice from them.

Failing that, do a search on Google, type in lifting equipment and seach the net

Safe travels
Swerv...

Troopy I have both and have used both in several recovery scenes. I bought the hand winch as I just couldnt stretch to the elec winch and kept telling myself I can pull at all angles etc etc etc. The thing is they both have their uses but the elec is by far the best investment I have made. I dont buy the bit about where to put things, I always take the hand winch on trips just in case and if you really want to be prepared you'll find a place to put it. Why'd I get a elec winch? I saved up and bought one. Theyre so much faster easier and, I hesitate to say, safer. I have had some worrying loads on a hand winch and youre there sweating over it, right in line with the rope if something decides its had enough. Also the convenience of the elec winch is great, it just cant pull you out backwards unless you don't mind doing a little rubbing damage, OK a LOT! Sure beats sweating it out in the hot sun when you could be pressing a button and then relaxing 5 mins later.

Said it many times before, after a few hours on a turfor, you will eat broken glass for a electric winch.

You should already have dual batteries anyway, so second hand Warn 9000 wouldnt be anymore than $900.. Got my 10,000lb for $1100...

Go the Power!!!!!!!!

I mean the powered winch....

I carry both on all trips...... I rekon i would have used the power winch about 5 times this year... A couple of those times has been for 2hr sessions...

I couldnt even contemplate a hand winch for these times... Wouldnt even consider it....

One time was for me good ol mate who couldnt make a dune so he got a huge runup and got as far as possible which was actually quite close to the top and it still took 2 hrs to get him over......2 snatch blocks and all...
If you are ever in the position of winching someone up and over a dune in ankle deep sand you would think the same thing...

But having said that,,,,,,,, hand winch comes in really handy for keeping a sliding sideways situation under control whilst power winching up front...

Hand winch good for knick knacks but not for lifeline...

Electric winch 1st.......then add a hand winch when $ allowed. (Not the other way)
I have told many people about my little experience at high country.....let them know how bloody hard work it is to use a handwinch.

In short......2 vehicle stuck on a track with couple steep hills.....totally 3 big hills....at one end of track was a deep(bleep) water crossing.....no way we can cross it....only way to go is the same way we passed....i.e. went back up 3 big hill.....

Handwinch 2 vehicle to get up first hill.....took 2 hrs....it was getting dark around 5pm....so call radio for police......police came....when down first 2 hill to reach us......then headed back .....@$@#*%%*.....they got stuck too....and their winch not working tooooooooo......so 5 blokes handwinch this 100 series for 50 meters in 5 hrs till midnight......it seems like a never ending track.......call headquarter.....finally bulldozer($1200) came to rescue the following day......

So, my opinion is......prepare for the unexpected.......over-prepare is always better. If you divide the cost of a winch by how many times you go 4wd each year....you will soon find out it is the most valurable equipment you ever have.

I have a warn high mount winch on my troopy M8274-50 . Tried to remove a palm tree from my fathers place recently with the winch . I couldnt get the palm tree out but with the hand brake on and the front wheels chocked it still dragged the troopy along , and that was a single line pull . I have seen them second hand in the trading post etc . But then you need winch bar , dual batteries etc . MONEY,MONEY,MONEY. lots of MONEY.

Power first then then the Tirfor.

I'll also been in situations when we had to wait for dusk so we can sweat all through the night lowering a 80 series and a 60 series back into the creak bed.

Never want to do that again talk about spoiling your holidays.

shadow

Thanks all, for the good info. The power winch is obvious the way to go. What would be a suitable electric winch for the troopy? I read that a few members go for the Warn 9000lb. How does one work out the rating needed,? Is it the car's weight? That would be, I suppose, 3000kg x 2.2=6600lb min????

PS: Would an electric winch be a genuine tax deduction as a cable pulling winch for underground cables?

Sparky

HI TROOPY TRAVELLERS, I TOO ONLY HAD A HAND WINCH( BIG HAUL) WHEN USED TO PULLTHE CRUISER SIDEWAYS AND LOWERING WAS GREAT BUT AS SAID BEFORE IT IS A HUGH EFFORT EVEN WITH THE SNACTH BLOCKS TO PULL THROUGH MUD OR UP HILL.....IT IS INVALUBLE AND NOW I HAVE A OX HYDOLIC, ON MY 100 SERIES BUT WILL NOT GO OUT WITHOUT MY HAND WINCH...DAZMAN